The Thunder 8 ships in its own tin carrying case. Inside there are molded foam pieces which fit the pad perfectly. This not only protects and prolongs the pristine condition of the pad, but also looks nice and will no doubt get attention at a LAN party. It gives the Thunder 8 an overall "gamer" feel and any company that sells performance mouse pads should consider at least some form of viable transportation. Several colors choices are also available: black, blue, green, orange, and yellow. The mouse pad remains black, but the trim is different.

Thanks to The Gamer Company for the product samples.

With many of today's games relying heavily on split second timing and reflexes, players often go out of their way to get the winning edge. Whether this is accomplished by a high-end video card, a beefed up computer system or the latest peripherals is up to user. Mouse pads are one of those "edge" options. With current optical engines almost any surface will work, but comfort and truly flawless tracking are sought after by professionals and gamers alike. Today we'll be taking a look at X-ray Technology's line of mouse pads.

The series consists of two types of pads: cloth and hard surface. The Aqua 3 (above left) is the giant cloth pad and ships bare. To the right of it is the new, smaller (yet still fairly large) Thunder 9. At the very bottom is the staple X-ray product: the popular Thunder 8. As you can tell presentation plays a major role here.

The Thunder 8 ships in its own tin carrying case. Inside there are molded foam pieces which fit the pad perfectly. This not only protects and prolongs the pristine condition of the pad, but also looks nice and will no doubt get attention at a LAN party. It gives the Thunder 8 an overall "gamer" feel and any company that sells performance mouse pads should consider at least some form of viable transportation. Several colors choices are also available: black, blue, green, orange, and yellow. The mouse pad remains black, but the trim is different.