Years ago the Mad Catz mice were a dream in my eyes, but as a student they were simply not affordable. In the meantime I have tested some other mice and now I have the possibility to take a closer look at the Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ ADV. Whether Mad Catz still meets the high requirements today, you can find out in the following.
Design and Features
Two additional side panels and two palm rests are included. With these you can not only adjust the ergonomics but also influence the design. The design colors are generally red with black accents and so the replacement parts are also available in the corresponding colors. In addition, one part is covered with a red rubber layer to ensure optimal grip. The last side part also offers a storage area for the little finger, which is also ergonomically designed to fit. So it slides on the mouse instead of lying next to the mouse or being lifted.
Basically Mad Catz remains true to her design style. Everything seems very mechanical and is arranged angularly. The transitions between two areas are often abrupt, but beyond that the design lines go straight on, which simply makes the mouse very handsome. The color combination of black and red mentioned above can also be highlighted well with RGB lighting.
Of the 11 keys of the RAT 8+ ADV, 10 are fully programmable. Only the left click cannot be changed. In the default setting, you can switch through the DPI and also change profiles. Including the sniper button there are three thumb buttons and a wheel. You can use this wheel to define a function for each direction of rotation, but more about this later in the software. Let’s have a quick look at the technical data at a glance.
Technical details
| Sensor | PixArt PMW3389 |
| Sensor type | Optical |
| DPI | 50 – 20.000 (in 50 DPI steps) |
| Query rate | up to 2,000 Hz |
| Form | right-hander |
| Number of keys | 11 |
| Switches | up to 60M clicks |
| Weight | 139 g to 157 g |
| Length | 119 mm |
| Width | 88 mm |
| Height | 39 mm |
| Cable | gesleevt; 1.8 m |
| Lighting | 16.8M RGB |
| Price | € 89.90 * |
Technology and workmanship
From a purely technical point of view, the Mad Catz RAT 8+ ADV also offers a lot. Starting with the switches, which are supposed to withstand up to 60 million clicks, up to the heart of the system: the PMW-3389 from PixArt. This optical sensor enables scanning of up to 400 inches per second at an acceleration of up to 50G. Also outstanding is the scanning rate, which is up to 1000 Hz for most mice. The RAT 8+ ADV even offers up to 2000 Hz, so that every movement is actually detected.
The first thing you notice during workmanship is that the screws are relatively tight and can hardly be loosened by hand. Especially when moving the thumb side forward or backward, you have to turn very hard. To loosen the inner screw, we even had to use a tool. If this is loosened, the thumb side can be changed in its angle and adapted to your own wishes. In return, the position remains fixed in any case. Also the unscrewable side part on the right side is held in position by three guide bolts, so that changing and screwing on is easy. The wrist-rest can be loosened a little bit by pressing a button and can be fixed step by step. If you want to change it, you only have to pull the support completely backwards and push the new one onto the guide while pressing the button.
The hex wrench to loosen the screws and adjust the thumb side is located directly on the mouse itself. The rod that holds the weights is hollow so that it can hide there. If necessary, the wrench is then simply unscrewed. The three weights themselves are then again firmly fixed with an extra protection and a spring. This works comfortably by hand, so you can choose the weight between 139 g, 145 g, 151 g and 157 g.
Ergonomics and practice
Due to the really many adjustment possibilities that R.A.T. 8+ ADV offers, they should score points especially in ergonomics. In principle this is also true, you have the possibility to adjust the mouse to your hand, but you have to overcome yourself a bit. The shape of the mouse is just not something for every hand. Especially if you have smaller hands or use the Palm-Grip, you should be aware that there is a gap above the thumbwheel. This takes a lot of getting used to, especially at the beginning, when you are used to having your hand completely resting on it. Nevertheless, the mouse lies very well in the hand, so you can work with it in practice.
In practice, the Mad Catz makes its contribution with good precision and very high speed. I myself can’t do anything with speeds beyond 10,000 DPI, but even that is just a matter of habit. To give you a short comparison, here is my usual Aimtest from humanbenchmark.com. In comparison you see the Corsair IRONCLAW RGB which I usually use. Even if the IRONCLAW scores better here, you have to take into account that the acclimatization phase to the R.A.T. 8+ ADV was not completed.
Software
Finally, let’s take a closer look at the software. At first glance, the software is very intuitive and you will quickly find your way around. But here and there you will notice some small things. On the first page the key assignments can be changed. As already mentioned, 10 of 11 keys can be freely assigned. Only the left click remains in its function.
In the second section, you can use the profiles to adjust the mouse settings. The DPI can be adjusted in four steps between 50 and 20,000 DPI, whereby the currently selected DPI is shown here somewhat small in red above the axis. In addition, up to four profiles can be saved on the mouse itself, so that you can quickly change entire profiles here as well.
The RGB lighting can be adjusted independently in each of the three zones. There are various preconfigured effects, such as a pulsation, heartbeat and much more, which can then be combined. However, it becomes clear here that the software is not completely thought through. Already in the English version the text is behind the mouse image. If you right-click in the upper right corner and set the language to German, even more of the text is simply hidden.
Conclusion of the Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ ADV review
Let’s summarize the whole thing. With the Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ ADV we have a technically very good mouse that is fully convincing. We like the design and the color is also a change from the otherwise pure black mice. In the workmanship there are small defects in the screws here and there, but that’s not dramatic. Ergonomically, the R.A.T offers many adjustment possibilities, but especially smaller hands are at a disadvantage here.
Although the software is intuitively designed, it is not 100 percent well thought out. If we also look at the price, we can see the following: For almost 30 € more compared to the R.A.T. 8+, you get 20,000 DPI instead of 16,000. In addition, the Omron push buttons have been replaced with push buttons that are now supposed to last for up to 60 million clicks. Last but not least the color has changed to red. So in general the surcharge does not seem justified compared to the performance.
Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ ADV
Workmanship
Features
Ergonomics
Software
Value for money
80/100
Technically, the Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ ADV is a very good mouse with a wide range of settings, but somewhat expensive.
