Razer DeathAdder Elite Review

Razer has been in the PC peripherals game for a long time. Heck, the DeathAdder is older than some of you reading this (it debuted in 2006). Razer has made something of an annual tradition out of (slightly) redesigning the DeathAdder every year, and some improvements have been more substantial than others.

The 2020 version of this generally excellent gaming mouse is almost an exact carbon copy of its 2018 predecessor, which in turn is almost an exact copy of the many DeathAdders that came before it. That’s not a bad thing—as long as you know it and aren’t expecting a totally revamped and redesigned product.

Razer DeathAdder Elite Specifications

As has historically been the case with the DeathAdder product line, the Elite is a top-shelf gaming mouse when it comes to core specs. With DPI and IPS ratings higher than any human will ever need (16,000 and 450, respectively), speed and precision will never be a problem, even for professional PvPers.

Of course, those stats would be meaningless without an excellent polling rate, and the DeathAdder Elite delivers, offering rates up to 1,000Hz. The Razer mechanical switches are rated for 50 million clicks, which translates to at least a decade of use, even for heavy MOBA players. It’s even featured in our guides on the best mouse for Fortnite, CS:GO and PUBG.

Sadly, the DeathAdder Elite is a wired-only mouse. If you want to cut the cord, your best option is probably to upgrade to the comparably awesome Razer Mamba, which costs just $10 more and lasts up to 50 hours on a single charge. Or if you want a slightly better wired option, check out our Razer Basilisk review.

Razer DeathAdder Elite Gaming Performance

If excellent performance across all genres of games is your top priority, the DeathAdder Elite is hard to beat. Like we mentioned above, its speed and accuracy are both superb, as is its ultra-sensitive 1mm lift-off distance.

It’s not the absolute best mouse around for any one genre, but it’s really, really good for all of them. Only the most hardcore, most ultra-specialized competitive gamers will conceivably need something tailored more specifically to their preferred genre.

All that being said, one could argue that the DeathAdder Elite isn’t quite amazing for MMOs as some outstanding MMO gaming mice as it is for everything else, if only because it doesn’t have a borderline silly number of extra buttons (like, say, the highly capable and surprisingly affordable Redragon Impact, which we covered in our review of the best gaming mice of 2020).

Almost every button on this mouse has a robust, heavy, satisfying feel. The side buttons actuate cleanly and obviously, and they’re almost completely flush with the mouse’s surface; they stick out just far enough to be easily accessible, but you’ll probably never press them accidentally.

The primary buttons feel just as nice, as do the two bonus buttons on the top. The middle click, though, is a bit softer, and the scroll wheel is a little too easy to scroll up or down while pressing it in.

One thing to be aware of: by default, the top two bonus buttons are both mapped to cycle through your DPI profiles. Relatively few people really care about having the ability to change DPI profiles on the fly, but even if you’re one of them, having two buttons to do that still seems excessive. The good news is that you can remap one or both of those buttons to other functions, you’ll just need to use Synapse to do it.

In terms of overall performance, we give the DeathAdder Elite an A. The only thing about the mouse that we dislike enough to even bother mentioning it is the soft middle click, and that’s pretty minor.

Razer DeathAdder Elite Design

The DeathAdder Elite is on the larger side for a mouse, but it’s not gargantuan. Most users should be able to hold it comfortably. It’s also equally comfortable whether it’s held in a palm, claw, or tip grip—a feat of engineering that may sound easy to accomplish, but is actually fairly difficult.

There are a total of seven buttons: the left and right primaries, the clickable scroll wheel, and four bonus buttons (two on the left side and two on top, arranged vertically under the scroll wheel). The four extra buttons are one of our favorite things about this mouse, because they’re snappy, responsive, and accessible, without being in the way when you don’t need them.

If you like spiffy RGB lighting on your gaming mice, this one is among the best you’ll find. Whatever lights most manufacturers tend to use on gaming mice often have trouble producing pinks, purples, and yellows, but the DeathAdder Elite produces those colors with impressive accuracy and clarity. The lights are fully customizable, too; you can use Razer’s Synapse software to make them pretty much any color under the sun.

Weight-wise, this mouse is on the lighter end of average at 96 grams. That’s almost too light, if you ask us—we like a nice, beefy mouse—but to each his own. This isn’t too big a sticking point, since the ultra-precise DPI settings allow you to mostly compensate for its weight. Overall, we give the DeathAdder Elite an A- for design. It’s a simple, elegant device that does a great job of satisfying almost everyone.

Razer DeathAdder Elite Pricing & Alternatives

Don’t get us wrong, at $69.99, the DeathAdder Elite is excellently priced. Still, we know that might be more (or less) than you’re looking to spend. Fortunately, there are a number of great alternatives out there, in lower, higher, and similar price ranges.

If you’re bummed that the DeathAdder Elite isn’t wireless and you’re not looking to spend too much, check out the Logitech G305. It’s sleek and elegant, and it boasts a jaw-dropping 250 hours of life on a single AA battery. It’s definitely one of the best wireless gaming mice around that you can find for less than $50.

In our best gaming mouse article, we also reviewed the totally rad Corsair M65 Elite. It’s comparable to the DeathAdder Elite in terms of core specs, has an added sniper button for FPS fans, and it costs quite a bit less (currently $44.99).

For those of you who have your eye on an ultra-premium gaming mouse, consider the outstanding Mamba Hyperflux. It’s currently going for $213.34—but it has nine buttons, charges wirelessly, and has even more RGB lights. Simply put, it’s one of the best wireless gaming mice we’ve ever seen.

Finally, if you’re more or less set on staying within the Razer family of products, but not down to spring for the Mamba Hyperflux, consider the Naga Trinity or the regular Mamba. Both are comparable to the DeathAdder Elite when it comes to core stats, but the Naga has waaaaaaay more buttons, and the Mamba is wireless. They currently sell for $72.99 and $79.99 on Amazon, respectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which DeathAdder is the best?

If you’re going to buy a DeathAdder, we think the current 2020 model is the best one overall. Razer has done a consistently good job of making improvements to the DeathAdder throughout the years, even if the scope of those improvements is usually pretty small.

That being said, it’s not very widely known that there are multiple versions of the DeathAdder that aren’t the Elite model. I know, I know, it’s starting to get confusing. Suffice to say that if you’re looking to save about $30 and you don’t mind sacrificing a little bit of performance, consider the DeathAdder Essential. It’s just $39.99, but it only has two extra buttons (instead of four) and it tops out at 6,400 DPI. Still, that’s plenty for many gamers.

How much does a Razer DeathAdder Elite weigh?

The Razer DeathAdder Elite weighs in at 96 grams, which is about average for a wired gaming mouse. It doesn’t come with any weights or anything, so, short of gluing some rocks to it (which we don’t recommend), you’re stuck with it as-is.

Does the Razer DeathAdder Elite have onboard memory?

The DeathAdder Elite does have onboard memory, but it’s fairly limited. It can store your DPI and polling rate settings, but that’s about it. RGB profiles and macros must be configured through the Synapse software, and if you want to change the default DPI or polling rate profiles, you’ll need to do that through Synapse, too.

How long is the Razer DeathAdder Elite?

On the 2020 model of the DeathAdder Elite, the cord is 2.1 meters (7 feet) long. The mouse itself measures 7cm x 12.7cm x 4.5cm (2.8 in x 5 in x 1.8 in). It’s on the larger side for a gaming mouse, but it’s not huge. Several Amazon reviewers with average and even smallish hands report that it feels just fine to them; only the truly petite seem to struggle with finding a comfortable grip.

Is the Razer DeathAdder RGB?

The DeathAdder Elite does have RGB lights, and they’re some of the most accurate and customizable RGB lights of any mouse out there. If you can create a color on a hex picker, you can probably recreate it (or at least get pretty close) on the DeathAdder.

The customization options don’t stop at colors, either. You can create and edit custom lighting patterns, store multiple profiles, and switch between them on the fly. What’s more, if you game on multiple computers, you can save your profiles to the cloud and sync them effortlessly across all your devices and gaming stations.

Is the Razer DeathAdder good?

Overall, the DeathAdder Elite is a fantastic gaming mouse (provided you’re right-handed—sorry, lefties). It’s definitely one of our all-time favorites, especially in the $50–$100 price range.

Razer DeathAdder Elite Final Verdict

At least compared to some gaming mice on the market today, the Razer DeathAdder Elite is a relatively no-frills model that focuses on the essentials. As long as you’re not looking for 9+ extra buttons, swappable grips, or the ability to blend a frappuccino without leaving your desk, this mouse would be a superb choice.

Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When it comes to the core specs of a gaming mouse, this one is virtually unbeatable. Yeah, there are mice out there with 20,000 DPI and 600+ IPS tracking speeds, but what flesh-and-blood human is ever going to notice a difference at that point? None of you will, chill out.

Design: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you ask us, the DeathAdder Elite is slightly too big and slightly too light, but we can’t in good conscience take away more than half a star for those things. Everyone has different preferences and differently sized mitts, after all. We tried really hard to find something else to complain about, but just couldn’t.

Price: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Don’t get us wrong, this mouse is competitively priced, no doubt about it. The only reason it loses half a star here is because of how much more you can get for another $10 or so. Specifically, we’re thinking of the Mamba and the Naga Trinity ($79.99 and $72.99, respectively), both of which are Razer products—and both of which bring a lot more to the table in terms of extra features.

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Razer DeathAdder Elite isn’t a perfect gaming mouse, but it’s pretty darn close. It’s a sleek, updated take on a tried-and-true classic, with only a few trivial shortcomings. For its current MSRP of $69.99, it’s a very tempting option.