Providing three decisions of floor, the SteelSeries QcK Efficiency vary makes it straightforward to tailor the motion really feel in your mouse. Whether or not you are after peak velocity or excellent stopping energy, there is a selection for you at an inexpensive worth.
- Welcome selection of floor
- High quality development
- Cheap costs
- Much less grippy backing than another choices
- No smaller sizes obtainable
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency lineup is a brand new mousepad vary that is available in two sizes and three totally different floor sorts: Velocity, Stability, and Management. Every is pitched as supreme for barely totally different gaming types, letting you maximize the fluidity of your mousing, or concentrate on a slower, extra managed motion type.
With SteelSeries no stranger to creating among the greatest gaming mouse choices in addition to producing among the greatest gaming mousepad choices, it has loads of pedigree within the area. Does that make the SteelSeries QcK Efficiency vary a necessary improve for many avid gamers? Probably.
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Specs
| SteelSeries QcK Efficiency specs | |
| Dimensions | L (500 x 420mm), XL (900 x 400mm) |
| Floor/Velocity | Velocity (quick), Stability (medium), Management (sluggish) |
| Thickness | 3.5mm |
Design and options
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency vary is out there in two sizes: L and XL. The massive model that we’re testing is a traditional mousepad – versus a desk mat mousepad that goes underneath your keyboard – however a really enormous one measuring 500 x 420mm. In the meantime, the XL has a desk mat type, with the world measuring 900 x 400mm.
In my opinion, I discover the scale of this massive pad far too large. I’m a convert to the desk pad type of mousepad because it offers you a lot freedom of the place to put your mouse and keyboard. This huge mousepad, although, requires you to have an enormous quantity of fully clear area to the facet of your keyboard, plus it’s excessively deep. I ended up largely utilizing it in a portrait orientation with 1 / 4 of the mat simply hanging off the entrance fringe of my desk.
That mentioned, this dimension of pad is standard and SteelSeries says that these two sizes are its greatest sellers, so every to their very own. I’d simply have most popular there to be a barely smaller choice as a most important various to the desk pad XL choice.
The pad is 3.5mm thick, which is pretty typical for a high quality gentle mousepad with a foam backing and material high. This provides an inexpensive stability between being low profile sufficient to not rise awkwardly above your desk, whereas nonetheless being thick sufficient to have some cushioning and weight, to the purpose the place it sits flat.
That mentioned, I discovered the froth backing to be barely much less dense than on some pads, and it doesn’t have a textured, grippy underside floor that may assist grip on rougher surfaces. I calculated the load of the QcK Efficiency to be round 0.12g/cm², which compares to 0.24g/cm² for the Corsair MM350 Professional and 0.2g/cm² for one more mousepad I needed to hand. Each these pads are barely thicker, at 4mm, so I’d anticipate them to be a bit heavier, however the distinction is in actual fact enormous.
In the meantime, these different pads even have a textured grippy underside proven within the picture beneath (QcK efficiency on high, Corsair beneath), moderately than the plain foam of the QcK Efficiency, which feels harder and may grip barely uneven surfaces higher.
That mentioned, the QcK Efficiency does nonetheless have sufficient density to sit down flat, and its foam backing is definitely significantly grippier than the opposite two pads I needed to hand, when positioned on a really easy floor corresponding to you discover on the most effective gaming desks. Nonetheless, I can envisage a future state of affairs the place a little bit of mud and desk grime getting underneath the mat may trigger the QcK Efficiency to lose that preliminary grip in your desk faster than these different denser, grippier-texture mats. Akin to how slick tyres on race vehicles don’t work effectively on gravel or within the rain.
By way of different most important options, the QcK Efficiency comes with a stitched edge, which I’ve typically discovered does enhance the time it takes for the sides of a mousepad to begin to fray or degrade, in comparison with an unstitched edge.
In any other case, the principle function right here is that this mousepad is out there in three totally different floor textures. Velocity does what it says, offering as easy a gliding floor as potential. Management, then again, has a way more textured floor that gives a little bit of grip in your mouse for slower motion and sooner stopping. Stability then sits within the center, with a little bit of texture however not fairly as a lot because the Management pad.
The thought is that Velocity is for avid gamers wanting completely uninhibited quick motion – supreme for fast-paced and movement-oriented aggressive video games, corresponding to Apex Legends and Fortnite. In the meantime, Management is probably most popular by people who need a bit of bit much less of a jittery, your-hand-could-slide-anywhere really feel, which is meant to be good for precision shooters corresponding to Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant. It’s additionally envisaged that this might be helpful for exact desktop work corresponding to tracing objects in picture enhancing apps. Stability then sits within the center, seeking to supply the most effective of each worlds.
Efficiency
By way of general efficiency, all three variations of the QcK Efficiency really feel superb. They’re comfy, easy, and have correct mouse monitoring; they nail the fundamentals of a mousepad.
The distinction in really feel between the three surfaces is instantly apparent although. Velocity feels very slippery to the contact and to your mouse, whereas Management has a distinctly tough really feel. Stability feels nearer to the smoothness of Velocity however with only a contact extra texture.
This distinction is instantly noticeable within the change in friction between the surfaces and your mouse too. SteelSeries has made a bit of video demonstrating the velocity variance that you would be able to see beneath, and that is solely mirrored in how your mouse feels on the surfaces.
The online impact of those variations is pretty delicate. All three supply equivalent general accuracy – the feel doesn’t make a distinction to the optical monitoring capability, simply the texture of the floor – however Management does really feel prefer it has an additional little little bit of resistance towards your actions, notably when beginning and stopping your motion, which can assist to counteract your hand’s twitches.
When tracing strains in Photoshop, I discovered Management made it only a contact simpler to maintain tight to the road. In distinction, Velocity provides far much less softening of your actions, accounting for each slight twitch of your hand and fingers. In follow, I discovered this meant that I did certainly waver backwards and forwards extra whereas tracing strains. It’s a delicate distinction, and simply decreasing your DPI, going slower, and taking breaks all make extra of a distinction, however the slight change was perceptible, as demonstrated within the picture beneath.
This picture exhibits Management (yellow), Stability (blue), and Velocity (purple) pads getting used to hint the define of a head, with 4 runs of every. The yellow strains are typically barely extra tightly packed and extra correct, whereas the purple strains waver a bit of extra, with once more the blue strains of the Stability pad sitting someplace in-between, although nearer to the decrease accuracy of the Velocity pad.
As for gaming, I examined every mousepad in Kovaak’s intention coach, performing six runs with every pad, unfold throughout two days, swapping every pad in between every run, to attempt to even out any pure enchancment from follow or decline from eye pressure.
The outcomes have been stunning, with the Velocity pad constantly popping out on high for general rating and accuracy, although adopted carefully by Stability. The Management pad I discovered carried out worse, with a markedly decrease common rating and accuracy. In fact, this isn’t a scientific check, however it does provide you with an thought of the variations.
| SteelSeries QcK Efficiency – Kovaak’s | Velocity | Stability | Management |
| Rating | 2,846 | 2,804 | 2,607 |
| Accuracy | 57.8% | 57.1% | 54.7% |
Not less than part of the explanation for this decrease Management rating appeared to be that the flick shot assessments in Kovaak’s, the place you snap to randomly showing targets, felt just a bit slower and required extra effort on the Management pad than the Velocity pad. The excessive efficiency of the Stability pad once more mirrored the way it feels and performs extra on par with the Velocity pad than the Management pad.
Normally gaming, these delicate variations weren’t borne out in my scores, given there are such a lot of different variables to aggressive video games. Nonetheless, I did really feel a certain quantity extra of a way of precision and easy stream utilizing the Management pad in sure video games.
In Counter Strike 2, I discovered this wasn’t essentially useful for flick photographs, however I discovered it simpler to exactly monitor intention factors whereas peaking or transferring slowly, utilizing the Management pad. Taking split-second sniper photographs when protecting slim openings felt a bit of steadier too. When simply the merest flinch can knock off your intention, the marginally greater resistance of the Management pad made it a bit of simpler to make sure I didn’t nudge the mouse when hitting the hearth button.
For titles corresponding to Apex Legends, although, the place velocity is all the pieces, the additional resistance of the Management pad did certainly really feel prefer it impacted my velocity, not least as a result of the grippy floor barely catches on garments. Even when you’re carrying a easy gaming sleeve, it nonetheless clings greater than a smoother pad.
Worth
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency mousepads have a premium worth for his or her sizes, with them being round $10 costlier than extra typical pad choices. This isn’t an excessive amount of of a priority in and of itself, however the barely lighter foam weight is a bit disappointing contemplating the additional price. The L model is priced at $39.99 whereas the XL mat prices $49.99.
Verdict
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency mousepad lineup is an fascinating addition to the world of mousing surfaces. Having a really clear selection of surfaces matched to a constant set of sizes and different options from a big-name producer makes it straightforward to choose your peripheral poison. I may undoubtedly see some avid gamers getting a number of surfaces and swapping them relying on which sport they’re enjoying.
On stability, the Velocity floor that’s most like most different mousepads remains to be prone to have the broadest attraction, and is the one I’d decide for many day by day use. That’s as a result of, in the case of wanting extra accuracy, merely dropping to a decrease DPI is way extra impactful than the additional sense of management with the Management floor.
Nonetheless, when you’re craving a mousepad that provides just a bit extra resistance and helps your mousing maneuvers really feel extra planted and regular, then the Management or Stability pads are there as inexpensive choices to attempt.
Having chosen the right pad in your wants, why not try different methods to revolutionize your mousing by switching to a wi-fi gaming mouse? Our greatest wi-fi gaming mouse information has a spread of choices for all budgets.
