Review | Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless Gaming Mouse

Fantech is one of the many rising brands in the gaming industry this side of the year – and a fast one at that. A quick search showed the they are in reality, has been around since the last decade. Certainly, the Indonesia based company did something great to garner this much of a respect from the gamers.

Now what we have here is the HELIOS XD3. This is a wireless gaming mouse with a weight of 83 grams. It also comes with the tried and tested Pixart 3335 sensor on top of the 70 hour battery life. Priced at 2,500 Pesos, the XD3 PRO Wireless is looking to be one of those budget friendly optical devices.

Technical Specifications

Mouse
Size	Medium
Layout	Semi-ambidextrous
Design	Standard
Macro	Yes
Profile	Yes
Software	Yes
Interface	RF 2.4GHz, USB 2.0
Polling Rate	125-1000Hz
Lighting	RGB
Switch	Huano
Buttons	6
Cable Length	1.8m (paracord)
Feet	PTFE
Sensor
Model	Pixart 3335
DPI	100-16000 DPI
Speed	400IPS/20G
Dimensions
Length	120mm
Width	58mm (Max), 54mm (Grip)
Height	38mm
Weight	83g

Packaging and Accessories

The HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless is safely packed inside a rather larger than usual mouse packaging. The following items are located inside:

• Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless
• Wireless RF 2.4GHz USB dongle
• User manual
• Warranty card
• 2m USB Type-C to Type-B cable (paracord)
• Extra mouse feet

Bundle is nice – thoughtful even, with an extra set of skates in tow.

Design, Layout and Build Quality

The HELIOS XD3 Pro Wireless comes with a familiar sculpted shell design. A friend actually pointed out that this is almost a clone of the Zowie S2 as far as physique is concerned – and I’m not even mad.

Buttons totals at 6 – and all of them could be customized. This is useful even on the main buttons since the mouse is semi-ambidextrous. Switches for the buttons are made by Huano by the way and are rated to feature 50 Million click span.

The grip area has a slightly different texture compared to the rest of the mouse. Grip’s fine and the buttons are well placed. I really dig the curve here. Reminds me of my Zowie ZA13.

Now the top of the mouse is made out of three piece plastic. This is to ensure a more uniform feel when pressing the main buttons. The scroll wheel on the other hand is your standard detent wheel design so don’t expect free/infinite scrolling functions. Wired connectivity and charging is provided by the detachable USB Type-C cable protected by a paracord. Cable is pretty hefty and is a bit on the stiffer side. It’s easy to drag though.

The skates are made up of 3 main parts – top, bottom and the one for the sensor to keep debris away. This is a standard looking skate which means it is easy to replicated. To make things even better, Fantech added an extra set of these feet for your perusal.

The HELIOS XD3 PRO comes with 3 modes. On, Eco and Off – for wired. The wireless dongle could also be stored on this section. It is noteworthy to add that this mouse comes in three colors, namely in black, white and pink. Plenty of colors to choose from to match your build.

Test Setup and Methodology

Testing a gaming mouse is not that difficult, but it is mostly subjective; similar to testing head gears in a sense. That said, no mouse is perfect and the verdict usually depends on personal preferences. With that in mind, we overhauled our testing methodology by following key pointers that should matter the most. To keep our test methodology simple and free of extra variables, please note the following software and configurations used for the review.

Test Setup
Pointer Speed	6/11, EPP Disabled
Sensitivity	800 DPI
Polling Rate	1000Hz
Software	MouseTester V1.5.3

Physical Layout, Functionality and Ergonomics

Your grip and aiming style are important things to consider when looking for a mouse. There are three basic types of grips here; the palm, claw and fingertip grip. Fingertip grip is generally preferred when aiming with the wrist, while palm grip is the choice when aiming with the arm. Claw grip is middle ground options for both aiming styles. Of course, you could go with a hybrid of any grip types and aiming styles if the combination suits you best.

Your hand size also influences what mouse you should buy on top of your grip and aiming style. For an instance, my hands measures at 76.2mm (3″) in width. This puts my hands on the medium size category. My style is finger-tip grip, so I would generally look for a mouse with a small to medium foot print.

The Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless feature a length of roughly 120mm and a grip area at around 58mm. The highest point of the shell is at 38mm with a gradual curvature. This mouse is slightly taller compared to the Logitech G304 yet with a more pronounced curvature towards the back.

Product	Length (mm)	Width (mm)	Height (mm)	Weight (g)
Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless	120	58 (54)	38	83
ASUS ROG Strix Impact II Wireless	120	62	38.6	93
ASUS ROG Strix Carry	101	62	36	72.9
ASUS ROG Chakram	132.7	76.6	42.8	121.6
Galax Xanova Mensa Pro	115	168	39	126
ASUS ROG Gladius II Wireless	126	67	45	130
ASUS ROG Strix Evolve	125	65	41	100
Thermaltake Nemesis Switch	111	88.5	38.9	112
ADATA XPG Infarex M20	132	69	43.5	160
HyperX Pulsefire FPS	127.6	71.1	41.9	95
Logitech G603	124	68	43	88.9

Now weight is again 83 grams which is 10 grams lighter than the previous wireless mouse tested. Weight distribution is good too which is always a plus.

Product	Palm	Claw	Finger
Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless	SML	SML	SML
ASUS ROG Strix Impact II Wireless	SML	SML	SML
ASUS ROG Strix Carry	SM	SM	SM
ASUS ROG Chakram	ML	ML	ML
Galax Xanova Mensa Pro	SML	SML	SML
ASUS ROG Gladius II Wireless	SML	SML	SML
ASUS ROG Strix Evolve	SML	SML	SML
Thermaltake Nemesis Switch	ML	ML	ML
ADATA XPG Infarex M20	ML	ML	ML
HyperX Pulsefire FPS	ML	ML	ML
Logitech G603	SML	SML	SML

The Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless is suitable for the three basic grip styles even if you have small, medium or large hands. This is all due to its classic yet proven design – that even dates back to the already legendary Microsoft Intellimouse 1.1.

The mouse is also perfect for arm aiming and is planted enough for extended arm swipes. Functionality wise, again the mouse comes with 6 buttons – all programmable with macro, and bindings via the software.

DPI Range and Accuracy

DPI accuracy is checked with the MouseTester V1.5.3 while the mouse is rigged on a camera slider with a DPI level of 800 DPI. Anything under 3% is considered accurate.

Product	Min DPI	Max DPI	DPI Accuracy
Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless	100	16000	1.3%
ASUS ROG Strix Impact II Wireless	100	16000	1.1%
ASUS ROG Strix Carry	50	7200	1.2%
ASUS ROG Chakram	100	16000	1.6%
Galax Xanova Mensa Pro	50	16000	1.4%
ASUS ROG Gladius II Wireless	100	16000	1.5%
ASUS ROG Strix Evolve	50	7200	1.5%
Thermaltake Nemesis Switch	400	12000	1.1%
ADATA XPG Infarex M20	400	5000	1.1%
HyperX Pulsefire FPS	200	16000	1.1%
Logitech G603	200	12000	1.6%

DPI at the standard ranges are accurately represented. Nothing wrong here.

Polling Rate Range and Performance

Polling Rate of the device is evaluated with the MouseTester V1.5.3 at the 800 DPI level. This is to check the average update rate performance at 1000Hz if possible.

Product	Min Polling (Hz)	Max Polling (Hz)	Performance
Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless	125	1000	Average
ASUS ROG Strix Impact II Wireless	125	1000	Average
ASUS ROG Strix Carry	125	1000	Average
ASUS ROG Chakram	125	1000	Average
Galax Xanova Mensa Pro	125	1000	Good
ASUS ROG Gladius II Wireless	125	1000	Good
ASUS ROG Strix Evolve	125	1000	Average
Thermaltake Nemesis Switch	125	2000	Average
ADATA XPG Infarex M20	125	1000	Average
HyperX Pulsefire FPS	1000	1000	Great
Logitech G603	125	1000	Great

Polling performance is just average but it is definitely anchored to 1000Hz regardless. You’d want to use this mouse wired for a more consistent polling performance.

Sensor Quality and Performance

With a sensitivity of 800 DPI, the sensor is also checked with the MouseTester V1.5.3. Our aim is to check out the sensor’s performance – to look for reporting inconsistencies such as smoothing and unintended acceleration. The sensor quality is also taken into account based on its specifications and the general public opinion.

Product	Sensor	IPS/G	LOD (mm)	Performance
Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless	PAW3335	400/20	1.5	Average
ASUS ROG Strix Impact II Wireless	PAW3335	400/40	1-2	Average
ASUS ROG Strix Carry	PMW3330	150/30	1.2	Good
ASUS ROG Chakram	PWM3360	400/40	1.2	Average
Galax Xanova Mensa Pro	PMW3389	400/50	1.2	Good
ASUS ROG Gladius II Wireless	PMW3389	400/50	1.2	Good
ASUS ROG Strix Evolve	PMW3330	150/30	1	Good
Thermaltake Nemesis Switch	PWM3360	250/40	1	Good
ADATA XPG Infarex M20	PMW3325	100/20	1.2	Great
HyperX Pulsefire FPS	PWM3310	130/20	1.2	Great
Logitech G603	HERO	400/40	1.2	Great

Sensor performance is average – even lower compared to the same PAW3335 based gaming mouse we got from ASUS when in wireless mode. Range is also an issue on the unit we got with an optimal range of nothing more than a foot. Using this wired is best suited for competitive gaming for better consistency.

Software, Lighting and Special Features

The Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO comes with its own software that is readily available at Fantech’s website. There are four main areas to explore here with the Main menu being the first. This houses the bindings for each buttons, the adjustable polling rate and even the actual battery life of the mouse. Note that this is accessible both in wired and wireless mode. Also note that polling rate by default is 500Hz.

The Advanced menu is where you could adjust the DPI level of each presets in the mouse. You could disable a maximum of four levels here – for faster cycling. Uncheck the “Improve Pointer Precision” option here to disable mouse acceleration.

Macro is up next. This is where you could record your macros and even set cycle times. These are stored within the onboard memory so if you happen to bind one of the buttons for your macro, they will definitely work.

Now lighting is just a simple selection between effects, speed and color – on some effects. I don’t find it fancy nor extensive so it is a plus personally speaking.

As far as RGB goes, I like how Fantech implemented the light bar on the XD3’s design.

Now it is worthy to mention that the HELIOS XD3 comes with spare yet useful bundles. That includes the extra set of skates and the USB Type-C data and charging cable.

Now battery life is within the specified which is nice for something with a 780mAh capacity battery. It took me about a week to fully drain it with about 6-8 hours of run time each day. This could be even higher with the eco mode turned on and with a lower polling rate setup.

Final Thoughts

The Fantech HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless is poised to impress and it certainly does – with a few caveats to keep in mind.

Now the mouse tracks fine both in wired and wireless mode but if you really want a more consistent tracking performance then wired it is to go. Range is also an issue on this device with a recommended direct line of sight to the dongle and within a foot of a distance required to minimize the degradation of reporting rate. One way to address is to just include a Type-A to Type-C adapter so you could use the included cable to maximize the wireless connection’s stability.

Now the mouse has a pretty neat software and a simple one at that so props to Fantech for not bloating it with unnecessary UX elements. Battery life also deserves a mention since it could last a week without charging. Topping it up wont even require hours due to its low capacity nature.

Priced at around 2,500 Pesos or around $50 USD internationally, the HELIOS XD3 PRO Wireless is a good lightweight gaming mouse with a familiar shell design – ultimately improving comfort and play at a reasonable price. It also comes in three colors – black, white and pink. With the XD3, Fantech certainly wants you to pick your desired poison.