The Abkoncore A530 is a tough one to rate. During testing, I really enjoyed using it. At the same time, I cannot look past the A530's objective flaws. Click latency is high, the base sensor delay of 2 ms is rather substantial, the cable is stiff, and the perfect control speed of just 3.5 m/s (i.e., the physical speed at which the sensor starts malfunctioning) isn't quite up to par for today's standards. None of that really bothered me during use, however, as I was enamored by the Sensei-like shape way too much. Additionally, the A530 objectively has several strong points: button quality is very decent across the board, the components and materials are solid, the scroll wheel works without issue, and the grippy coating along with perfectly fine mouse feet result in great handling. I have no complaints about the software side of things, and the RGB lighting is rather nice to look at, too.

Still, when looking at the competition, the Abkoncore A530 simply isn't quite up there. The Dream Machines DM1 S2, for example, has a very similar shape, but comes with a much better sensor and cable, at $29.99. The same goes the SteelSeries Rival 3, which too has a better sensor, lower click latency, and a better cable, again at $29.99. The Abkoncore A900 beats the A530 in terms of the sensor as well, at $32.99. The Razer Viper Mini offers another upgrade in terms of sensor and click latency, albeit at a significantly higher price point of $39.99.

And here's the thing: Although the Abkoncore A530 does not beat the competition in terms of performance, it surely does in terms of price. $19.99 is definitely a great price for what is on offer. The Abkoncore A530 is by no means a bad mouse, but it is not good enough to warrant a Recommended award. The Budget award, on the other hand, is well deserved. For anyone on a budget and interested in a great Sensei-like shape, the A530 is no doubt worth a look.