Introduction
Dream Machines is a polish company with its headquarters in Warsaw, the company is focused on manufacturing gaming peripherals. The company was founded by a group of enthusiasts, with the goal of bringing on the market quality products. Dream Machines gained its popularity with the launch of their first product, the DM1 Pro.
Official product link:
https://dreammachines.eu/en/dm1fps
Packaging and accessories
The DM1 FPS Noir comes packaged in a black and white box, each FPS model has its own unique package that matches the color of the actual mouse shell.
The front side of the box features a top down outline of the mouse; the only additional elements present are the name of the mouse alongside the Dream Machines brand name.
The sides of the box are simple and just like the front side feature an outline of the matching side of the mouse.
The back side of the box features not only an outline of the bottom side of the mouse but also discretely lists the main components of the mouse, including the optical sensor, switches and the maximum DPI value available.
Accessories
The product comes with the following accessories:
– 1x User Manual
– 1x Extra pad set
Specifications
Models:
Noir, Blizzard White – Matte,
Ocean Blue, Blood Red – Glossy
MCU/Processor: Holtek HT68FB560
Main Switches: Huano
Sensor: Pixart PMW 3389 optical sensor
Buttons: Scroll wheel + 6 buttons
Resolution: 400, 800, 2400, 3200, 4800, 12000 DPI
LOD (LIFT-OFF-DISTANCE): 1.8 mm
Maximum Speed: 7.0 M/s
Polling Rate: 1000 Hz
Surface: Matte rubber or Glossy
Connection: USB 2.0, Gold Plated
Cable Length: 1.8 m
Weight: 83 g (without cable)
Size: 126 x 68 x 39 mm
Warranty: 2 years
Visual inspection
The DM1 FPS is one of the latest models released from Dream Machines and is available in four different versions and two different coatings, glossy and rubber matte. In addition, the outer shell is nearly identical with that of the DM1 Pro S. The LED illumination is present only on the scroll wheel and can be further customized through software.
The main click buttons (left and right) use Huano made switches, also rated at more than 20 million clicks just like the Omron D2FC-F-7N switches used by the DM1 Pro S model.
The Scroll wheel uses a two-part construction with the top and middle layer is made out of rubber with indents evenly spaced out to provide better grip when using the scroll wheel. The underside layer is made out of transparent plastic to better reflect the light and color of the LED mounted on the PCB of the mouse.
Above the scroll wheel resides the profile cycle button, this is covered in the same rubberized coating as the rest of the mouse shell. This will cycle the preinstalled DPI and LED Color profiles of the mouse.
The left side of the mouse just like most of the Dream Machine models has two glossy buttons; these have the forward and back function. Below these buttons it’s the space designed for the placement of the thumb, this way the whole hand sits better on the mouse shell.
The right side of the mouse is simple and it is carved to allow for a better fit in the hand, while both sides of the mouse look to be a separate part of the mouse shell, they are in fact part of the whole assembly. This means that the mouse case is less prone to flexing.
The back side of the mouse features a solid color Dream Machines logo, this is not illuminated by any means and its solely purpose is for aesthetics.
The FPS models use a 180 cm all black textile sleeved cable, and a gold plated USB 2.0 connector. The textile sleeving resembles closely the soft structure of a shoelace.
On the inferior side of the mouse we find mounted the three Teflon feet and the optical Pixart PMW 3389 sensor capable of 12000 DPI.
Testing
On the PCB of the mouse, there are two functional LEDs that are covered by black tape, this was done to block the light coming from the LEDs. Due to the DM1 FPS and DM1 Pro S using the same PCB, but different shells (one made for LED illumination and the other not), the cheapest solution would be to tape off the LEDs that are not accommodated by the shell of the FPS.
All things taken into consideration, I removed the tape from the LEDs to show how the Noir FPS model looks like with both LEDs shining through the shell.
One of the signature features of Dream Machine mice is the possibility of using them without any proprietary software. The DM1 FPS does not require a driver or a software piece however it can be customized using one. The LED illumination and DPI profiles associated are preinstalled on the onboard memory chip of the mouse.
The mouse has six settings for DPI and lights, each color represents a DPI value, the available speeds are the following: 400 / 800 / 1600 / 2400 / 4800 / 12000.
Gaming and daily use
In order to better asses the performance of the mouse, the DM1 FPS Noir was used as the daily mouse for more than one month. This includes games, office work and graphic design as well as editing.
The overall performance is very good, the tracking on many types of mouse pads is great thanks to the PMW 3389 optical sensor, and the LOD is good. The main clicks which now use Huano switches instead of Omrons offer a good tactile feedback, slightly different in both touch and sound, then the Omrons, but nothing that will count as a step back.
The games used for testing are the following:
– Battlefield 1
– Grand Theft Auto V
– Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
– Rise of the Tomb Raider
– Kingdom Come Deliverance
– The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Software
While all Dream Machines mice can be used out of the box without any special drivers, the manufacturer has developed a piece of software that offers more customization options for both the LED illumination and for the optical sensor that equips the DM1 FPS.
This software offers just the useful option for both the average user and the professional gamers, such as the actual DPI value for each profile that is stored on board the mouse as well as the color of the said profile. With the Macro profiler, each button on the mouse can be reassigned for a specific task.
Final thoughts
The DM1 FPS continues where the original DM1 Pro S left off, adding a better soft cable as well as the Pixart PMW 3389 optical sensor, that offers a good tracking and response times on all mouse pad styles and textures.
The overall shape of the shell is identical with that of the DM1 Pro S but is available in two textures, matte and glossy and up to four different color schemes, and thus adds variety to the FPS model.
Both the main clicks are now using Huano Blue switches that provide a stronger tactile feedback however these switches are not hard to press and are a pleasing change over the Omrons. In this case, it all comes down to the user preference of the tactile feedback of the main clicks in a mouse, but these switches are not a downgrade.
The performance of the DM1 FPS in gaming is very good, over the course of a few weeks of daily usage in both workflow and gaming environments, I never experienced issues with the mouse or the switches that equips the FPS.
In conclusion, the DM1 FPS features an ergonomic shape that makes the mouse comfortable even after long gaming sessions while the new lightweight shoelace cable provides a smooth motion without any restrictions such as the one due to the cable dragging on the edge of the mouse pad. The experience with the mouse is good and a step in the right direction over the DM1 Pro S, thanks to the soft and light cable and continuing with the PMW 3389 optical sensor and Huano switches.
