The Keychron M3 Mini is a wireless gaming mouse and a smaller version of the Keychron M3. It has a symmetrical shape with textured plastic areas on both sides for added grip, and like its larger counterpart, it uses a PixArt PAW3395 sensor, one of the most accurate and consistent sensors on the market. Unlike the larger Keychron M3, this mouse uses Huano 80M switches, and while it lacks RGB lighting, it's also available for purchase with a 1000Hz or 4000Hz maximum polling rate.
Our Verdict
The Keychron M3 Mini is alright for work use. Its build quality is impressive overall. While it doesn't have many programmable buttons or a scroll wheel with free-scrolling or tilt inputs, It offers great compatibility with both Windows and macOS systems with software versions for both. It also includes both USB-C and USB-A adapter accessories to accommodate whichever ports your computer has.
-
Impressive build quality overall.
-
Few programmable buttons.
-
Minor flexibility in the body and slightly mushy side buttons.
The Keychron M3 Mini is an excellent FPS gaming mouse. It feels sturdy and is extremely lightweight, making it easy to move quickly and accurately. It also has excellent sensor performance and very low click latency, providing a very responsive feeling experience for playing FPS games at a casual or competitive level. We bought and tested the 1000Hz polling rate variant of this mouse. Still, it's also available in a 4000Hz polling rate variant that we expect will provide marginally lower and more consistent latency performance.
-
Impressive build quality overall.
-
Excellent sensor performance.
-
Extremely lightweight.
-
Excellent click latency.
-
Minor flexibility in the body and slightly mushy side buttons.
-
Mouse feet aren't as high quality as many similar models.
The Keychron M3 Mini is good for MMO gaming but has fewer side buttons than a dedicated MMO model. You can program most of its buttons using the customization software. It also feels sturdy overall and has excellent sensor performance and click latency, providing a responsive-feeling gaming experience.
-
Impressive build quality overall.
-
Excellent sensor performance.
-
Excellent click latency.
-
Few programmable buttons.
-
Minor flexibility in the body and slightly mushy side buttons.
-
Mouse feet aren't as high quality as many similar models.
The Keychron M3 Mini has superb raw performance with outstanding sensor accuracy, excellent sensor latency, and very low click latency. Altogether, this mouse delivers a highly responsive-feeling gaming experience. Note that we bought and tested the 1000Hz polling rate variant of this mouse. It's also available as a 4000Hz polling variant, and we expect this version to provide marginally lower and overall more consistent latency performance.
-
Outstanding sensor accuracy.
-
Excellent sensor latency.
-
Excellent click latency.
- 7.2 Work
- 8.8 Video Games (FPS)
- 7.6 Video Games (MMO)
- 9.1 Raw Performance
- Updated Jan 05, 2024: We've updated the CPI graph displayed in the Sensor Latency section of this review. Our results remain the same, but these graphs have two new columns with results from the Delay At Half Movement and Delay To End Of Movement tests.
- Updated Dec 01, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.5. This update adds a new Main Button test group, which provides button actuation data and switch information. We've also made minor changes to how we calculate the Office usage score. For more details, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Sep 01, 2023: Review published.
- Updated Aug 14, 2023: Early access published.
- Updated Aug 04, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jul 25, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Jul 17, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Keychron M3 Mini is available in Black or White colorways and either a 1000Hz or a 4000Hz polling rate option. We bought and tested the 1kHz polling rate variant in the Black colorway. You can see the label for the unit we bought and tested here. There's also a larger version of this mouse that we've tested separately called the Keychron M3.
|
Name |
Color Options | Battery Size |
|---|---|---|
| Keychron M3 Mini (1kHz polling rate) | Black/White | 600 mAh |
| Keychron M3 Mini (4kHz polling rate) | Black/White | 600 mAh |
Compared To Other Mice
The Keychron M3 Mini is a wireless gaming mouse and a smaller version of the Keychron M3. The left- and right-click buttons use Huano 80M switches, which many people find are a bit easier to perform rapid clicks with than the Kailh 8.0 switches used in the Keychron M3. Additionally, this mouse is available for purchase with either a maximum polling rate of 1000Hz or a maximum polling rate of 4000Hz.
This mouse is positioned as a purely performance-focused alternative to its larger version. It trades the larger size and RGB lighting for a greatly reduced weight and a higher maximum polling rate option to appeal directly to a more enthusiastic market. Given its solidly budget price point, this mouse is a standout option for those looking for a small, lightweight model with wireless performance and higher polling rate options that have until now typically been reserved for higher priced flagships from other manufacturers.
For more options, see our recommendations for the best lightweight mouse, the best wireless gaming mouse, and the best gaming mouse.
The Keychron M3 and the Keychron M3 Mini are wireless gaming mice with the same shape but different sizes. The M3 is larger and has RGB lighting, which the Mini lacks. On the other hand, the Mini is significantly lighter. It's also available for purchase with a maximum polling rate of 1000Hz or with a maximum polling rate of 4000Hz, while the larger M3 is only available with a maximum polling rate of 1000Hz.
The Razer Viper V2 Pro and the Keychron M3 Mini are wireless gaming mice that weigh virtually the same. The Razer is somewhat larger and performs better, and it has much higher-quality feet. By default, it has a maximum polling rate of 1000Hz. However, you can also buy a separate wireless Razer HyperPolling dongle that allows a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz. On the other hand, the Keychron is available for purchase as a 1000Hz or 4000Hz variant, and it supports Bluetooth.
The Razer Cobra Pro and the Keychron M3 Mini are wireless gaming mice with a fairly similar size and shape. The Razer has significantly higher-quality feet and better gaming performance. By default, it has a maximum polling rate of 1000Hz. However, you can also buy a separate wireless Razer Hyperpolling dongle that allows a maximum polling rate of 8000Hz. It also has RGB lighting, which the Keychron lacks. On the other hand, the Keychron is significantly lighter and is available for purchase as a 1000Hz or 4000Hz variant.
The Keychron M3 Mini and the GLORIOUS Model O- Wireless are wireless gaming mice with a similar size and shape. The Keychron has a solid plastic shell but is somewhat lighter. It's also available for purchase as a 1000Hz or 4000Hz variant, and it supports Bluetooth, while the GLORIOUS doesn't. On the other hand, despite being slightly heavier, the GLORIOUS has honeycomb cutouts on its palm rest. That said, it has higher-quality feet with better gliding performance and slightly lower click latency. It also has RGB lighting, which the Keychron lacks.
Test Results
This mouse has a fairly straightforward style with a matte black plastic shell and patterned plastic sides for added grip. This mouse shares the same shape as its larger counterpart, the Keychron M3, but it's scaled down in size. Unlike its larger version, this mouse lacks RGB lighting zones.
This mouse has middling portability. Its somewhat bulky shape means you can't slip it into most laptop cases. It also lacks compartments for storing its wireless receivers or adapter accessories, making them easier to lose if you take them on the go.
This mouse has impressive build quality. The body feels sturdy, and there aren't any loose or wobbling parts. The left- and right-click buttons have a satisfying tactile feel, and the sides have a textured plastic finish for added grip. Unfortunately, the side buttons feel slightly mushy, and there's some flexibility in the body's plastic panels. Furthermore, If you apply considerable pressure directly to the sides or the bottom panel, you can actuate the side buttons. That said, this is a fairly common issue with mice at this price point, and this issue isn't likely to be noticeable during normal use unless you apply a very considerable amount of pressure while using your mouse.
This mouse is remarkably lightweight. It's very easy to move quickly and accurately. This mouse is also significantly lighter than its larger counterpart, the Keychron M3.
This mouse has a comfortable symmetrical shape with a fairly tall hump towards to center of the mouse. The height of the hump may make it somewhat less suitable for a claw or fingertip grip, especially if you have larger hands, in which case, you may want to check out the Keychron M3 instead.
This mouse has a 600 mAh battery. On the product page for this mouse, keychron advertises a battery life of up to 70 hours with the 1kHz polling rate variant, which is the variant we bought and tested. This estimate doesn't specify, but we expect this to be the battery life using the 1000Hz polling rate and connected wirelessly via its USB receiver. There's a small LED indicator located below the scroll wheel that blinks red when the battery life is low.
While we didn't test the 4kHz polling rate variant of this mouse, the product page suggests it has the same battery size. At the time of writing, It also advertises that the 4kHz polling variant has a battery life of "up to "135 hours in 1000Hz polling rate mode." and that "Usage duration is 40 hours in 4000Hz Polling Rate mode."
While the battery duration of 40 hours using a 4000Hz polling rate seems feasible, there may be a mistake on Keychron's product page regarding the battery life of the 4kHz polling rate variant using the 1000Hz polling rate setting since 135 hours is much more likely to be the battery life estimate when connected via Bluetooth, which uses a lower polling rate of 125Hz. In actuality, we expect that the 4kHz variant will have the same ~70-hour battery life as the 1kHz variant when using a 1000Hz polling rate. If you have the 4kHz variant of this mouse and would like to share your experience of the battery life, we encourage you to reach out to us in the Discussion section below.
This mouse has a very lightweight and flexible paracord-like cable that glides well across desks, but the cable does retain some kinks from its packaging.
This mouse uses a USB-C to USB-C charging cable. That said, there's also an included USB-C to USB-A adapter if your computer doesn't have a USB-C port.
Overall, this mouse has good-quality feet that glide well on mouse pads and desks. However, they do feel scratchy when used directly on desks. The feet are also slightly thinner than the feet on many similar mice, and they have sharp corners that can dig into softer mousepads and create added drag.
- Keychron M3 Mini
- USB-C to USB-C cable
- USB-C (female) to USB-A (female) adapter
- USB-C (female) to USB-A (male) adapter
- USB-C receiver
- USB-A receiver
- User documentation
You can program most of the buttons on this mouse except for the two buttons on the underside, which cycle CPI and polling rate settings. Note that the left-click button isn't customizable by default, but you can unlock it using the software to reprogram it. Note that while you can create custom profiles, you can't assign a dedicated profile-switching button and need to swap between profiles using the software.
Unlike the larger Keychron M3, which uses Kailh 8.0 switches, the left and right-click buttons on the Keychron M3 Mini use Huano 80M switches. These switches have a satisfying tactile feel, but many find they're able to perform faster repeated clicks compared to the Kailh switches.
This mouse has excellent click latency that provides a consistent and responsive-feeling experience for gaming in any genre. This test was conducted with the debounce time set to 0ms.
This mouse offers exceptional CPI performance. Its sensor delivers outstanding tracking accuracy, and the physical movements you make with your mouse translate extremely close to your cursor movements on-screen.
This mouse has excellent sensor latency performance, which means the sensor reacts quickly to the physical movements you make with your mouse, and they closely match the timing of your cursor movements on-screen.
The available polling rate options on the unit we bought and tested are 125Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz. You can also purchase a variant of this mouse with a maximum polling rate of 4000Hz. For more details, check out the Differences between Variants section above. Note that motion sync and ripple control options are enabled by default out of the box and were enabled during testing, but you can toggle these options using the configuration software.
The scroll wheel has a textured rubber grip. Scrolling feels precise and is quiet, with well-defined steps. The middle click button is responsive and satisfying to press without requiring too much force.
The noises made by the left- and right mouse clicks, the side buttons, and the scroll wheel are all fairly quiet.
The Keychron M3 Mini software is lightweight, well-organized, and easy to navigate. It includes a range of expected settings to adjust CPI, lift-off distance, button mapping, polling rate, debounce time, and motion sync. It also allows you to check for (and update to) the latest mouse and firmware versions.
All default button functions work in both Windows and macOS. The software is available for download for Windows and macOS on the manufacturer's United States-localized product page. However, at the time of writing, the Canadian product page only lists an older version of the software for Windows, which seems incompatible with this mouse. Furthermore, it erroneously mentions that the macOS version has yet to be released.