Software and ExtrasSetting up the Sentinel Advance is accomplished through the use of the CM Storm utility. This handy little piece of software allows you to gain complete control over your new rat. From the time you open the software you can see how simple it is to configure individual profiles and even the default one to your liking. When you first launch the application you are asked to select the type of gamer you are. Unfortunately you are asked this every time you launch the app as do far there is no way to set one as default. This is something that CM [Cooler Master] needs to address as having to choose each time is a tad annoying.
Once you get by that little bit then you get into the real meat of the mouse. On the general screen you can set the DPI levels that are controlled by the twin buttons we talked about earlier. These adjustments can be set for the X and Y lasers independently although there are only four levels you can set.
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But other than that you can actually adjust [for each of the five profiles too] the sensitivity of the mouse, USB polling interval and of course double click speed. On the left of the screen you can set each of the eight buttons on the Sentinel Advance.
On the Color Control tab you can do pretty much what you would expect. You can control the colors for the two major OLED banks. But not only can you change the colors but you can also change the way they work. You can set them to run all the time, breathe [slowly dim and brighten], flash on and off as you click the mouse, or turn them off if they get too annoying. Also, on this page you can upload an image to personalize or “tag” your Sentinel Advance. This is a pretty cool feature but it does take some getting used to.
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You need to do a few things first. Your image needs to be 32x32 Pixels and should be black and white. Also if you want it to be landscape when looking at the bottom of the mouse [as in the picture below] you need to save the image at 90 degrees counter-clockwise of the way it should be viewed. You should also save this file as a BMP for the best results. But once you go through all that it is worth the effort.
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The next two tabs allow you to setup scripts and macros. These can then be assigned to buttons on the Sentinel Advance for easier use and to automated work. The library tab is just a place to view all of your saved scripts and macros and to assign them to individual profiles if that is what you want to do.
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The last page is pretty simple. It allows you to hit the CM support site and to look for and upload firmware patches to your Sentinel Advance.
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One last thing that is a pretty cool feature is the ability to export and import profiles you have setup. This allows for you to easily backup and restore profiles for your CM Storm Sentinel Advance. The reason you can store these on the Sentinel is due to the 64kb of memory built into it. This means you do not have to run the software to have access to your favorite profiles [great for taking on the road]. You can also edit the profile names and even associate images with each one inside the CM Storm software.
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PerformanceTo test the performance of the Sentinel Advance I stacked it up against my G5 laser gaming mouse. I played through several levels of Modern Warfare 2, Wolfenstien, and Farcry 2. I played each of these for one hour using each mouse to gauge hand and wrist fatigue and also accuracy and ease of use. I then sat down for some detailed Photoshop CS4 editing. These tests would be using the eraser tool and the cloning tool to edit and clean up small details in images. Unfortunately as these tests are all subjective I can only offer you my experience with it at this time.
I found the Sentinel Advance and the G5 to be roughly equal in terms of accuracy in game, but thought the Sentinel was a tad easier to use. The tacky grip that it has was more comfortable as I could maintain a very relaxed grip. With the G5 I felt like I had to hang on more. After three hours of gaming with the G5 my hand felt a little cramped and my gaming suffered. With the Sentinel I did not have that; my hand still felt relaxed and I was better able to control my movements.
For Photoshop editing, the Sentinel won hands down for one very important reason; the ability to adjust the laser independently. By doing this I could control horizontal and vertical movement with the press of a button [once the profile was setup]. Now I know that some will say that this is unfair, but in the end you will want to choose the mouse with the best features to suit your needs. In this case the Sentinel won out because of that handy little feature.
Overall the Sentinel is a much better pointing device than my old beloved G5.
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