There is absolutely no shortage of good gaming mice in the market, and while one would wonder that companies like Logitech, Corsair, Glorious, and Razer are the only ones you can trust, there are some hidden gems if you look a bit deeper. This is how the irocks M36 Pure caught my attention. It's a rather simple-looking mouse that weighs just 69 grams and looks like it is going to break if you hold it with force. However, upon daily driving it for almost a month, I realized just how good this mouse is, and it has found a permanent place in my arsenal, right next to my Razer Basilisk Ultimate.
irocks M36 Pure is a loyal companion whether you are gaming or working and it never fails
Now, the mouse arrives in pretty simple packaging. If you have seen the irocks K71R unboxing, then you will know what I am talking about. The box highlights all the important specifications and features that you should know about, and the unboxing experience is simple and without any frills. Definitely the opposite of what Razer offers, but keep in mind the price point here.
Once you are done unboxing the irocks M36 Pure, you are left with a feather-like mouse with a smooth finish and a small logo in the middle - that is about it. You are not going to find fancy curves and angles on it, and honestly, I don't mind. I quite like the approach the company has taken, and it did not take me long to adjust my hands on the mouse. As a matter of fact, this mouse is now connected to my laptop 24/7, is used for all work purposes, and works without any issues.
You get a total of seven buttons on the irocks M36 Pure, with the left and right click having LK optical switches, which makes them more durable than your regular mechanical switches. Official documentation states that these clicks are rated at 70 million clicks. This means that the chances of the mouse dying on you are much higher than the chances of the switches dying. The scroll wheel is another thing that I love about this mouse; it is pleasing, there's just the right amount of resistance, and although I wish there were an adjustment for it, I love it in its default settings.
Coming to the sensor, the irocks M36 Pure uses the legendary PixArt PMW3389 sensor. This has been regarded as one of the best sensors in the market, and as a matter of fact, this is the same sensor found in the Razer Basilisk, which, on its own, is an excellent gaming mouse, albeit with a higher price tag. It is safe to say that the company isn't compromising on the quality of the sensor, and during my time with the mouse, I did not run into any tracking issues, jitter, or acceleration. You get up to 16,000 DPI, and although it's amazing, I am not sure if anyone is going to go that high. The polling rate is excellent as well, going as high as 1,000 Hz, so you can be sure that you are not going to run into any issues.
Another thing that I really like about the irocks M36 Pure is the cable, it's super-soft and, yes, braided, as well. If you prefer routing your cables with ease, this cable is going to be super-helpful, and there is minimum pull or friction when using the mouse. I thought I would run into some issues coming back to a wired mouse from a wireless mouse, but my experience with the M36 remains as unadulterated as it possibly could be, which I like. The cable is also long enough at 6.5 feet or 200 cm, so the length should not really be an issue unless you want to drag the mouse to the other corner of the room.
irocks was kind enough to send the grip tape for the M36 Pure, and I'll be honest, this was my first time putting the tape on the mouse, and it actually went better than I had expected. If you are familiar with the tape and how to install it, you should not have any issues. The adhesive is plenty strong, allowing you to easily move things around if you think the alignment is a bit off. One thing to note, however, is that if you put the grip tape on the mouse, it will completely hide the RGB logo, which, honestly, I don't mind.
My only problem with the otherwise excellent irocks M36 Pure is the software. It is barebones, at best, and although the customization options are there, you cannot expect something at the same level as Razer Synapse or Corsair iCUE. The software is super simple and easy to use, and while that is good for newcomers, for those who want more customization, it simply doesn't cut it. The good news is that you can still use the mouse without having to install the software at all, but if you want to reprogram the buttons or customize the lighting, you are going to need the software. Another thing to note here is that in the current stage, the software for the keyboard and mouse are different, and I really hope the developers manage to merge both companions so you can have a one-stop solution.
I will say it: I wasn't expecting much from the irocks M36 Pure; I've been happy with my Basilisk Ultimate ever since I bought it, and even though the side grips of the mouse have worn off completely, the mouse still works like a charm. However, M36 Pure works flawlessly; whether you are gaming or you are simply busy in productivity, I'd say that this is one of the best, if not the best, go-anywhere-do-anything mice that you can get your hands on. Even if you want it to be portable, simply throw it in your backpack, and you are good to go.
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