Corepad Eyepad

Introduction

At 18 years old I am probably reaching the peak of my gaming career. I have the previous experience of many games to help me make decisions in new ones. I have good reflexes that will probably only deteriorate over time. I am at the age where money is not so hard to come by, so my gaming equipment is generally top notch. However recently something has seemed to be missing. I realized what that was when trying out this fine piece of gaming equipment from CorePad (kindly supplied to us by Everglide.co.uk), a true gamers mouse mat

A little about CorePad

(Taken from Corepad.com)

Corepad.com is the website of the world’s newest precision gaming surface. After years of research for the ultimate gaming mouse mat that delivers both the precision needed by those with a passion for gaming together with the durability required by the discerning computer user we have developed the CorePad.
The CorePad takes gaming surfaces to a new level. Utilizing toughened safety glass the CorePad will ceaselessly provide you with the best possible surface for your gaming needs. Our construction methods ensure that the CorePad will outlast any of our competitors which means that you will never be let down by a sub-standard mouse mat ever again.
Incorporating a unique branding feature, the CorePad offers a super-responsive surface which ensures that all your energy goes into wining the game. Place the CorePad at the centre of your gaming system and you too will reap the rewards of the CorePad is innovative design and superb tracking properties.
We strive to make the best mousing surface there ever was and ever will be. Let it be at the heart of your game.

Features

•Very durable, flexible and smooth cloth mouse pad
•Great for low, but also high sensitivity mouse settings
•Compatible with all mice
•Specially designed non-slip rubber backing
•Washable with regular dish soap and a damp sponge
•325 mm wide, 290 mm deep and only 1.6 mm thin

A Closer Look

As you can see from the pictures, this is the OEM version people, no fancy packaging here. Surprising, you might say, in a world where competitors seem to want to showcase their in house graphics artists work as much as the product. CorePad however, have opted for a simple plastic sleeving that protects the surface nicely, if not a little boringly.

The Eyepad consists of two layers: a smooth cloth surface for the top, and a thin rubber coating underneath.

Installation

Installing this mouse pad on my rig was the next step, and a rather difficult one I might add.

As you can see, it ONLY just about fitted into gaming setup, and that included moving my keyboard much further to the left than it usually is. However, once in place the pad looks great, and fits in perfectly with the colour scheme of the rest of my rig.

It was at this point that I wondered if you could roll the mat up for transportation surfaces without damaging the surfaces, and lo and behold:

Performance

I decided to test out the gaming performance of this mouse mat using two games, Unreal Tournament 2004 and Command and Conquer Generals (Yes I know they are old games but they serve their purpose). Both games needed the mouse sensitivity tweaked quite severely to be playable at normal speeds. However this was not a problem, because as soon as I was actually playing with normal mouse speed, I was struck by the awesome precision that this mouse mat had given my gaming arm. Both games were much easier, and much more comfortable to play with this mousemat, instead of the desk itself, or the cheap nasty thick foam one I played with before.

Another factor that I was impressed with on this mousemat, was its rubber underside surface’s “stickyness”, for want of a better word. It wasn’t actually sticky, but it stuck to the table like glue. No matter how hard I thrashed the mouse from side to side, the mat barely moved a milimetre.

Conclusion

There are two types of mouse mats designed for gamers. There are the ridiculously smooth models, designed for those that like maximum speed when gaming. And there are those that prefer the more fabric based models, for precision gaming. If you are in the latter category then the EyePad Oem is the mat for you. It offers precision gaming at an unbeatable price, and it looks fantastic too.

If you find that this mat is too small for you, even at a whopping 325 mm wide and 290 mm deep, then there is always the XL version, which weighs in at a staggering 455 mm wide and 405 mm deep.

I’d like to thank Everglide for supplying us with this mousemat. You can find them at www.everglide.co.uk and www.everglide.com .

BTW, if you love that new/rubber smell, this mat smells great too: