A computer's mouse is a little like the wheels on a new car: Most people are satisfied with whatever the manufacturer provides and wouldn't consider swapping them for a set of custom alloys or chrome spinners.

But others aren't happy until their ride or their rig is customized to meet their personal style and taste.

If you're a fan of computer action games, you'll want to chuck that cheap roller-ball mouse that came with your PC and replace it with a mouse made for gaming.

The Diamondback mouse from Razer is just that -- a high-resolution optical mouse designed for people who demand maximum mouse accuracy with minimal mouse movement.

The Diamondback is a sleek-looking mouse that comes in three different color patterns that look as if they were painted for the guys at the Discovery Channel's "Orange County Choppers" show about tricked-out theme motorcycles.

It has a symmetrical shape, so the mouse works the same for righties or lefties, and it comes with an array of buttons and switches for custom settings.

Its optical sensor is rated at 1,600 dots per inch, which means the mouse can move a pointer across a screen much faster and much more smoothly than any typical optical mouse.

So the Diamondback's pointer can center on a screen location down to the pixel level, or race across a 1,600-by-1,200 pixel display by applying less than one inch of hand movement.

That's overkill for anyone who thinks that computer gaming means a couple of rounds of "Solitaire." But if you're playing the role of a sniper in "Full Spectrum Warrior," it could be a matter of life and death - virtually speaking, of course.

The seven buttons on the Diamondback can be programmed to execute different macros based on keyboard combinations. For example, you could program a button to have your character crouch, pivot and shoot, all with one click.

You also can train a button to do one thing when you press it and something else when you release it.

The mouse comes with software that lets you make minute adjustments in the Diamondback's speed and sensitivity, either through an options screen or on the fly by holding down one button and scrolling the wheel.

The adjustments let you fine-tune the mouse to suit your gaming style, whether you are a tightly wound fast-twitch player or one who tends toward broad hand movements and wide arm swings.

And even if you don't mess with all of the technical details, the Diamondback will still look great on your desktop. It has a translucent chassis that shows off an LED light that glows in either "chameleon green" or "magma red."

Razer Diamondback gaming mouse

Pros: Gives gamers an edge.

Cons: A bit complicated for mere mortals.

Price: About $50.

Score: 4 stars (out of 5)

www.razerzone.com