Testing
The disassembly process is simple; the Teflon feet must be removed to gain access to the five metallic screws that hold the mouse together. The shell slides upwards revealing the PCB and components of the mouse, which are attached to its plastic base.
The main processing unit used in the DM2 Supreme is the Holtek made HT68F8560 microcontroller. This chip deals with the onboard memory of the mouse, and the storage of the DPI profiles and all macro settings.
The cable is attached to the PCB with a single 4 Pin connector. This allows the cable to be easily removed and serviced, or replaced with a different cable.
The software of the DM2 Supreme is fairly simple in its design, it is also quite fast and responsive. The first page has the DPI adjustment, which can be color coded for each of the DPI levels. The left side of the first page allows for the button remapping, while the second page contains the settings of the mouse: which includes the LOD adjustment, and polling rate adjustment which is selected in steps (125/250/500/1000 Hz). The second page also has the macro editor.
The mouse has a total of three LEDs installed on the PCB. These are configured to work in tandem, in both light intensity and color. The illuminated elements present on the DM2 Supreme are the scroll wheel, the DPI switches and the Dream Machines logo at the back. The LEDs can be configured with the included software.
The performance testing is done using the Mouse Tester software and also a basic MS Paint draw test. Additional testing is done by using the reviewed mouse as the daily mouse, for more than a few weeks. The last part of the test is focusing on the gaming performance of the mouse, using the following games:
– Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
– Grand Theft Auto V
– Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
– Shadow of the Tomb Raider
– Metro Exodus
– The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The MS paint test is done at different DPI settings; this will indicate any issues with the tracking of the sensor. As you can see, everything works as expected within those DPI values.
The Mouse Tester software is used to test the performance of the sensor in different situations. Using the Velocity test, we can see the tracking performance of the sensor based on the speed the mouse moves on a surface, the lower the spread the better the tracking is.
Final thoughts
The Dream Machines DM2 Supreme is available for around 29.99 USD or EUR, a price which is makes it a good value gaming mouse, when considering the overall package. The PMW 3389 optical sensor is often used with gaming mice that have a higher price. In addition to, the wide shell makes the mouse stand out from the crowd, not only in terms of looks but in terms of ergonomics as well.
The performance is very good, in both gaming and regular usage. Both benchmarks show what we can expect from the PMW 3389 sensor, which is consistency and little to no lag.
The Huano made blue switches offer a great tactile and sound feedback. However, that can’t be said when talking about the side buttons.
First of all, LJ is a company that is not known at all, the second issue is the panel gap of these buttons. The gap is so large that it allows for the light of the internal LEDs to shine through to the side of the mouse, unfiltered.
The software is simple and responsive, while it is also lightweight in terms of system resources. It allows for complete control over the mouse and its functions, starting with the DPI, pooling rate and ending with the macro editor and the LEDs.
In conclusion, the Dream Machines DM2 Supreme is a good choice as an affordable gaming mouse. While its price is lower than the competition, the DM2 Supreme has a good optical sensor with good mechanical switches, and a great overall build quality
