Mountain Makalu Max in test: Customizable mouse

So far, all tested products from Mountain have convinced us. Now something new comes from Breisgau. With the Makalu Max, we get a wireless mouse that also offers some customization options. Since the mouse is aimed specifically at gamers, we have paid special attention to the technology, features and also the weight.

Specification

Sensor	PixArt PAW3370
Weight	approx. 110 grams (without cable)
Dimensions	70 x 43 x 126 mm (W x H x D)
Max. DPI	19000
Max. Speed	50g
Number of buttons	8
Key type	Kailh GM 8.0 Switches
Onboard memory	Yes, max. 5 profiles
Cable	1.8 meters, soft fabric sleeve
Warranty	2 years
Price	€ 59.99 *

Mountain Mountain Makalu Max Gaming Maus mit Zwei Side Grip-Sets, Gravity...

€ 59.99

Auf Lager

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Design and finish

Mountain wants to make a good first impression. The packaging is very plain on the outside in black and blue. The words “Reach your summit” are the first thing emblazoned on the box. After opening it, you see that everything that makes the mouse so individual is securely packed in solid foam.

The scope of delivery of the Mountain Makalu Max is very extensive. In addition to the usual contents like mouse, charging cable or receiver for wireless transmission, there are also some add-on parts and extras. Thus, in addition to interchangeable side panels, there are also weights in case the weight does not meet our requirements.

Design-wise, the Makalu Max is based on its predecessor, the Makalu 67. Black, with silver accents above the thumb keys and an LED ring between the mouse buttons to the beginning of the palm rest. Only the completely perforated plastic of the palm rest is completely missing here.

We find a total of eight buttons on the mouse, which we can freely assign via Basecamp software. One left and one right mouse button, three thumb buttons, the clickable scroll wheel and two buttons, one of which is for the DPI setting. There are four small LEDs behind the scroll wheel to indicate the DPI setting.

The included cable is sufficiently long at two meters and is also perfectly suited for use on the mouse due to the soft fabric sheathing. On the underside are the glide pads as well as a recess for the replaceable weights.

Practical test of the Mountain Makalu Max

As soon as we unpack it, we notice that the mouse is already quite heavy at around 110 grams and wonder why weights are included at all. When you switch from a light mouse to the Mountain Makalu Max, you first have to get used to the weight. However, getting used to it is greatly accelerated by the excellent glide of the pads and the pleasant hand feel.

The size of the mouse is also suitable for any hand. The mouse is designed for Palmgrip, but Clawgrip is also no problem. To further adjust the ergonomics, you can completely exchange the side parts. Two exchangeable parts are included in the scope of delivery. One each for the left and right side of the Makalu Max.

This mouse uses the Kailh GM 8.0 switches. They are characterized by having a short confirmation travel. The clicks feel very precise, you get a clear feedback. And on top of that, they are supposed to be able to create up to 80 million clicks.

The PAW3370 sensor also contributes to the good performance of the Mountain Makalu Max. The low lift-off distance makes it especially suitable for shooter gamers. The short distance ensures fewer accuracy errors. Of course, this plays a role for everyone when the mouse is only lifted for a short time.

There is still a small downer. The battery life is stated at 80 hours, but it strongly depends on the illumination and the set energy-saving mode. We managed about 40 hours with the standard settings. With all settings set to minimum, we managed just under 70 hours.

Software

In order to score with customizability not only in hardware, the software has to be right as well. For the products from Mountain, there is “Base Camp”. At the start, you get an overview of the connected devices and further links to the community or support.

The first point is the profile management. Up to five profiles can be created and linked to specific programs. These profiles are also all stored in the Makalu Max’s internal memory. Thus, the settings are applied wherever you connect the mouse. Not uninteresting is also the point RGB. Here we can choose from pre-made effects for the ring, adjust them in color or freely set the eight LEDs to our taste.

Mountain gives us the possibility to really freely assign all eight keys. Be it the mouse buttons or even the DPI switches. With Base Camp, there are no limits. Besides Windows functions, starting programs and much more, we can also put macros on the mouse buttons. These are created in the next point and can contain both keyboard and mouse commands. We can also record and playback whole combinations.

Mountain also offers us many setting options for this last point of the software. For each profile we can set our DPI levels from 50 to 19,000. But we can also adjust the sampling rate, sensitivity, click speed and key response time to suit our needs.

Mountain offers as many settings options for the Makalu Max in the Base Camp software as we’ve ever seen. DPI settings and the sampling rate are actually standard. Here we can freely adjust the complete sensor.

Summary on the Mountain Makalu Max

Are you looking for a new wireless mouse that doesn’t necessarily have to be light as a feather? And if you can customize it as much as possible, that’s also a plus? Then the Mountain Makalu Max is just the thing for you.

While it has a fairly high standard weight, it can be made heavier with weights if needed. In addition, not only can the shape of the mouse be adjusted via interchangeable side panels, but you can even adjust the entire sensor to your liking via the software. Of course, the mouse doesn’t stop at the button assignment either.

For 89.99 Euros RRP, we can definitely recommend the Mountain Makalu Max! The features offered and the workmanship are definitely worth the money.