Review of the NZXT Lift 2 SMM: The High-Speed Gamer’s Ultimate Choice

Key Takeaways

• At 58 grams, the Lift 2 Symm ensures comfort, accuracy, and handling with its lightweight design and quality components.
• With just 6 buttons and no LED lighting, the Lift 2 Symm excels in shooters but may not be ideal for all gaming preferences.
• The NZXT CAM software allows customization of lift-off height, DPI settings, and button remapping, enhancing user control.

The NZXT Lift 2 Symm mouse is ultralight and meant to improve your precision during games. With high-end features and an open-shell chassis, the new gaming mouse mostly hits the mark.

NZXT Lift 2 Symm

7/ 10

$40 $50 Save $10

Weighing only 58 grams, Lift 2’s ultra-lightweight form factor, low-drag paracord cable and PTFE glide pads provide comfort, accuracy, and handling.

Weight

58g

Sensor and DPI

26,000dpi

Switches

Optical

RGB Lighting

None

Programmable Buttons

6

Connectivity

Wired, USB-A 2.0

Compatibility

Windows 10, 11, MacOS, NVIDIA Reflex

Polling Rate

8,000Hz

Sensor

PixArt PMW3395

Color Options

Black, White, Starfield

Pros

• Lightweight
• Precise movement
• Quality mouse wheel
• Snagless paracord data cable

Cons

• No LED lighting
• Just six buttons

Expand

$40 at Amazon $49.99 at Newegg $49.99 at nzxt

Design: One Shell Of a Mouse

Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

Unlike the original Lift mouse, the Lift 2 series comes in two styles. The Lift 2 Symm can go in either hand, while the other version, the Ergo , is aimed at right-hand use. I’ll focus on the Symm version.

As the name subtly implies, the Lift 2 Symm is a very lightweight mouse and comes in at 58 grams. To get the mouse this light, NZXT keeps the button count low and removes unnecessary plastic, including most of the bottom plate. Flip the mouse upside-down, and you’re able to see into the shell of the Lift 2 Symm.

Understandably, the Lift 2 Symm’s lack of buttons is going to annoy users who value those for complex games. The left and right buttons sit with a scroll wheel and DPI button, which lets you quickly cycle through settings as fast as 26,000DPI. You get two sizeable thumb buttons.

I don’t have any complaints about the buttons. The thumb buttons are easy to press but provide enough resistance that I didn’t trigger them accidentally. (Hair-trigger mouse button actuation is a pet peeve of mine.) I love the mouse wheel, though, both for its grippy texture and tactile rolling. It’s great for short, precise rolls.

NZXT designed the Lift 2 Symm for claw grips. If you’re left-handed or you grip the mouse mostly with your fingers, this is the model for you. If your palm is in contact with the mouse a lot, you may prefer the Lift 2 Ergo, which has a curve to its body you’ll appreciate. You pay for the alternate design with an extra gram of weight, but I doubt that will be a huge issue.

Gaming with the NZXT Lift 2 Symm Mouse

Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

Although the NZXT Lift 2 Symm can handle any type of game, it should shine in the world of first-person shooter (FPS) games. I played my old FPS standbys, “CounterStrike 2” and “Left4Dead2,” along with my new favorite roleplaying game (RPG), “Baldur’s Gate 3.”

I’ve played with light mice before, including Razer’s Death Adder. That mouse weighs just one gram more than the Lift 2 Symm and is also meant for buyers who want the speed and precision you get with an ultralight mouse. I handled the Lift 2 Symm just as quickly and freely as I did the Death Adder. The Lift 2 Symm practically floats.

The Lift 2 Symm has an 8,000Hz polling rate, making it very responsive to my clicks and hand movements. I like how the mouse handles in shooters. I noticed that the Lift 2 Symm’s cord is very light and flexible, which meant that it didn’t pull or catch against my desk or any of the clutter on it. The cord is braided and has a tie for excess length.

One thing that surprised me: The Lift 2 Symm has no LED lighting. It won’t be glowing on your desk. But in fairness, neither does the Razer DeathAdder.

CAM Software: For all your NZXT Gear

Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

I’m not one to stick to a single brand when building a gaming PC. If you are (or if you just happen to have a few NZXT components), you’ll like controlling all of them from the NZXT CAM software . It has some great features for making the NZXT Lift 2 Symm your own.

For one thing, you can choose the lift-off height, which is the height at which the mouse sensor stops tracking. Your options are 1mm and 2mm. That’s a nice touch. Maybe I’m clumsy, but I like the 2mm option so I’m less likely to lift the mouse too high.

You can also remap buttons and add macros via the CAM software. Your polling rate options range from 125Hz to 8000Hz. You can also choose DPI settings (from 100DPI to 26,000DPI) in the software. These settings will be controlled by the button on the back of the mouse, by the scroll wheel. You can set five different settings to give yourself a range of responsiveness, or you can remove some slots if you don’t want to have to push the button several times to get through a cycle.

Once you have the mouse the way you want it, you can save the settings to one of five profile slots. You also go back to the default profile anytime, so there’s no need to worry about remembering the factory settings.

Should You Buy the NZXT Lift 2 Symm?

Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

There’s no doubt that the NZXT Lift 2 Symm is a good gaming mouse. And if you are thinking about upgrading from the earlier version, it’s probably worth it. I’d say the same if you are trying to stick to NZXT products for your new PC build.

In many cases, whether the Lift 2 Symm is the right mouse for you depends a lot on what you play. Are you big into macros? Do you spend most of your time in RPGs? Does your thumb drag on the mousepad without a built-in shelf to hold it? Do you like lights on your peripherals? If so, you might be willing to use a heavier mouse to get those features.

On the other hand, the Lift 2 Symm is a very good mouse for first-person shooters, because it’s so light and precise. It’s also fairly priced which seems a little unusual for PC accessories these days.

NZXT Lift 2 Symm

7/ 10

$40 $50 Save $10

Weighing only 58 grams, Lift 2’s ultra-lightweight form factor, low-drag paracord cable and PTFE glide pads provide comfort, accuracy, and handling.

Weight

58g

Sensor and DPI

26,000dpi

Switches

Optical

RGB Lighting

None

Programmable Buttons

6

Connectivity

Wired, USB-A 2.0

Compatibility

Windows 10, 11, MacOS, NVIDIA Reflex

Polling Rate

8,000Hz

Sensor

PixArt PMW3395

Color Options

Black, White, Starfield

Expand

$40 at Amazon $49.99 at Newegg $49.99 at nzxt

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