By – John Williamson
The technological advancements in mice sensors has reduced the necessity for a gaming surface. However, this doesn’t apply to professional gamers, high-end users or consumers opting for the best possible experience. Gaming surfaces are relatively affordable, provide cushioning for your palm and offer supreme accuracy. You can choose from a wide assortment of sizes, material types and designs ranging from the ostentatious to plain, understated models. Mionix is a Swedish company whose ethos revolves around creating products with premium materials at affordable prices. The Mionix Sargas 900 is a microfibre mouse surface with an extremely large footprint measuring 900mm x 400mm.
First impressions are always important and the Mionix Sargas 900 evokes a sense of professionalism through the minimalistic aesthetic design and hefty packaging. This particular unit is protected in a rectangular shaped box that keeps the product straight and prevents creasing. I’ve tested unbranded cheaper alternatives and these are often plagued by large folds in the fabric due to being rolled up and shipped without adequate support. With elongated mouse surfaces, it is imperative to keep them in a flat, solid position or a proportion of the material will become virtually impossible to bend back into shape.
Technical Specifications:
Material – Durable, smooth and flexible microfibre
S.Q.A.T Value – 8
Surface – Uncoated/semi-rigid
Dimensions – 900mmx400mm
Thickness – 2mm
Backside – Natural rubber back for a firm grip on all types of surfaces
Compatibility – Optical and laser
After opening the parcel, you are presented with the huge gaming surface which may be intimidating to users who are accustomed to smaller pads. Obviously, this is all down to personal tastes but I feel the increased length acts as a soft, supporting area for multiple devices including keyboards, mice and headsets. Furthermore, a simple keyboard and mouse setup would benefit from this system as you can rapidly push the mouse without any hesitation knowing the edges fairly hard to reach. However, it’s not the perfect solution because the size is quite limiting and only a viable option on large office desks.
The Sargas 900 utilizes a silky smooth microfibre finish which heightens the accuracy even when selecting extremely low DPI modes. There is a progressive transition when you hover over the surface and it’s easy to gauge the pressure required to move a specific amount. It’s important to be realistic though because you aren’t going to experience a substantial difference in games. Despite this, I loved the cushioning for my palms which helped a great deal during typing and made me adopt a more relaxed posture.
Mionix have implemented in their software suite, an analytical tool which grades the responsiveness of a surface with Mionix mice such as the Mionix Naos 8200. This works via the mouse sensor which measures the data loss between images of the surface. Ratings range from 1-10, with 1 being practically unusable and 10 reaching an almost flawless response time. The Sargas 900 attained a rating of 8, which I tested multiple times and outperformed the SteelSeries Surface QcK+ which managed a respectable 6. So what do these results show? In reality, nothing that groundbreaking since the average material used in most surfaces are of a consistent and high-quality.
The bottom portion employs a textured surface which adds to the overall level of friction and holds the product in place better than any rival mat I’ve used before. Even pushing upwards has no effect and you have to pull the surface up to move it. I would theorize that this is a combination of the rubber bottom and weight from the 900mm length of fabric.
Natural materials are prone to wear and tear which means surfaces are easily marked and rarely retain the pleasing, bright cover you get from the factory. The Sargas 900 was put under a number of strenuous tests to investigate its resilience against stains and dust. Firstly, I poured a sensible supply of orange juice on the mat and left it to absorb into the material. 5 minutes later, I wiped down any excess fluid and lightly brushed the microfibre. The end result was astonishing as there was no evidence of the stain and the mat retained its smooth, non-sticky coating. This was also the case with dust buildup which was very easy to clean and didn’t accumulate as much as I would expect given the dark black colour.
If I had to complain about any aspect of this mat, it would be the 2mm thickness. This thin layer causes fraying along the edges within a couple of days use. In my experience, this is a common occurrence on cloth surfaces, but I still believe a slightly thicker design of 3-4mm would enhance the build quality and longevity.
Conclusion – Is It Worth Your Money?
The Mionix Sargas 900 is a professionally made and aggressively priced elongated mouse surface which cushions your palm in a fantastic way. I was thoroughly impressed with the microfibre coating and simple, yet elegant graphic design. If you’re in the market for a full-sized gaming surface, then the Mionix Sargas 900 might just be the perfect match for your setup.
Mionix Sargas 900 Gaming Surface Summary:
Time Used – 9 Days
Games Played – Metro 2033, Bioshock Infinite, Europa Universalis IV
Acquisition Method – Review Unit
System Specs – I7 4770K, 16GB RAM, Sapphire Vapor-X 290x 8GB
Compatibility – Optical and Laser
Availability – Official Site