Not everyone wants a weighted mouse with a dozen reprogrammable buttons and a configuration software that looks like it was made by NASA. Those super mice repel the less demanding user, the one who just wants a peripheral that is superior to the model used at the office but that doesn't cost a fortune or have more functions than needed. If you are like that, then maybe the NZXT Avatar S mouse might be the one you are looking for. Let us show why once we describe the product.

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Figure 1: The NZXT Avatar S

The S model basically follows the same design as the first Avatar mouse we tested in 2008. The body features an ambidextrous grip and the setting (left- or right-handed) can be changed through the configuration software. It comes in white or black, and the LED details on the sides and company logo can change color (blue, pink or red) to match the current sensitivity level, or it can be turned off.

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Figure 2: Side view

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Figure 3: Mouse in the dark

There is a single button on each side, right above the rest space for the thumb and little finger. The scroll wheel doesn't light up, and it rests alone on the upper edge of the mouse without the classic buttons to control the resolution level found on more advanced models. The underside has three Teflon feet and the 1600 DPI laser sensor. The cable is not cloth-wrapped but ends on a gold-plated USB plug. Like the bigger Avatar, the S model catches the eye with its elongated design, which nowadays, is a contrast to the bulkier mice full of buttons. The Avatar S is quite light on the hand.

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Figure 4: Underside view