[Jake Tower]

So what would be a good FPS mouse for Team Fortress 2? I'd like one with extra buttons for running script macros in-game.

[Cdammen]

Any recommendations for a Logitech mouse that has the same curve as the MX518? I'm sick of the wire.

[antiquegamer]

Just ordered a g700 with same day shipping, will try some d3 beta with it tonight >:D

It's a good solid mouse, programmable, and tons of button but don't expect to use it as cordless mouse for long period (or prepare to have bunch of battery as back up). It has horrible battery life for gaming.

I would have gone with RATT mouse if I knew since I would be wired most of the time anyway.

[Vinegar Joe]

I've used the MX518 and the G9X a fair amount, and both a good mice by all accounts. The G9X in particular is a great piece of kit, and in terms of comfort for a claw grip like me it just can't be beat.

They both have issues though; the MX518 has annoyingly placed dpi buttons below and above the scroll wheel which I accidentally hit while scrolling. The G9X's scroll wheel button is a bit tougher to press than it should be, but you do get used to it after a while. And why they chose to place the button that switches between the clicky and smooth scroll wheel modes underneath the mouse I'll never know.

For some reason it seems like Logitech can't quite get scroll wheels right!

[Aeana]

I find myself in need of a new mouse, and I'm really overwhelmed. I've been using a Logitech M-UV55a for many, many years and I couldn't be happier with it. It's a fairly small mouse, but I have small hands so I've really enjoyed it. I was looking at the SteelSeries Kinzu, and while larger than my old mouse, it seems to be pretty close in size. It doesn't have side buttons, though, and it seems like the next step up, the Xai/Diablo 3 mouse, is a bit larger.

Are there any small-ish gaming mice with side buttons? Does anybody have any thoughts on the Kinzu in terms of durability and performance? I've tried to determine exactly what my grip is, and I guess I'm closer to "palm" than "claw."

[krameriffic]

I find myself in need of a new mouse, and I'm really overwhelmed. I've been using a Logitech M-UV55a for many, many years and I couldn't be happier with it. It's a fairly small mouse, but I have small hands so I've really enjoyed it. I was looking at the SteelSeries Kinzu, and while larger than my old mouse, it seems to be pretty close in size. It doesn't have side buttons, though, and it seems like the next step up, the Xai/Diablo 3 mouse, is a bit larger. Are there any small-ish gaming mice with side buttons? Does anybody have any thoughts on the Kinzu in terms of durability and performance? I've tried to determine exactly what my grip is, and I guess I'm closer to "palm" than "claw."

The Kinzu has a notoriously bad sensor. Steelseries recently released a Kinzu V2 and Kinzu V2 Pro which are much better, so if you want that mouse, don't get the original. I would recommend the CM Storm Spawn as another small mouse with side buttons (it's what I currently use). The Spawn is a wide mouse, but it's not very long, which gives it a unique feel among all the mice I've ever used. It's remarkably inexpensive for its build quality as well.

You can also consider the Zowie EC2 eVo, if you can find one. The eVo edition is a new one that just came out and probably isn't available everywhere. I've used the original EC2, and it's a decent mouse, but I'm not a big fan of the shape. The original has a different sensor that is perfectly good except for its relatively heavy prediction (which cannot be turned off).

[Mr. Robot]

I have the Storm Zero from cooler master



i just bought it because it was 50 bucks on a sale on newegg, and because you can adjust the dpi on the fly while the screen shows you if it is the horizontal or vertical dpi or both, and i tend to change the color scheme of my setup, and it just looks cool to have your logo on the mouse, it has served me well but the only thing that sucks about it is that the texture on the palm and thumb area gets "sandy" with time, it is actually more gripable now though.

also you can save and switch from various profiles with just a click from the middle-top button.

Without wanting to derail the thread, has anyone seriously tried to use a trackball for gaming purposes? I'm seriously considering an M570 but want to know if anyone's tried this experiment first.

I wanted to get this mouse and asked on another thread about it, but by reading reviews it seems like controlling a trackball with your thumb is a bad idea.
I have had a trackball mouse, the kind that you control with your middle fingers and click with your thumb, and it was so comfortable and so precise that it allowed me to get headshots on most shooters.

[sep]

If you're considering the Sensei, remember that soon (june/july) will come out a cheaper edition called sensei raw, with less frills but still very good.

[HolyCheck]

On another forum someone recommended the lachesis for the claw grip.

What the hell.

PEOPLE DO THIS?

[RiverBed]

Deathadder.

[Teknopathetic]

"What the hell.

PEOPLE DO THIS?"


It's not uncommon, yes.

I personally use the "finger grip" that is somewhat related. Instead of arching my fingers over like that, though, I simply only hold the mouse with my fingers instead of my palm.

[Reg]

I've got a couple g700s. I've found turning the polling rate down helps increase the battery life.

[branny]

I've been using the SteelSeries Diablo III mouse since none of the others that suited my preferences (a few Logitech ones, any of the Razer Nagas, SteelSeries Xai and Sensei) seemed like they would properly work on a Mac without a few headaches or taking a gamble with build quality.

It's soft-touch plastic, light-ish, and has a nice form factor. My hands are small, but it's still a full, comfortable grip. The clicks are satisfying and can be performed pretty low--if you claw style, you can still get full left and right clicks all the way down to either side of the CPI toggle button beneath the scroll wheel. Speaking of the wheel, there is no side-to-side clicking or scrolling (I still miss this), but regular scrolling feels great. It's nice and chunky (discrete, not smooth), and the middle click is sturdy. I love good middle clicks (weaned on an older IntelliMouse a long time ago), so I'm satisfied.

It still isn't fully functional from a software perspective for Macs. If you're demanding and using a Mac to game for some weird reason, there are two caveats: the CPI profile toggle button doesn't work (I don't really care about this, but it's weird that it is useless) and any polling rate above 125hz causes the pointer to teleport (I think this may not be a problem for Lion, but pointer movement is acceptably smooth on 125hz in Snow Leopard). That's it, though. Based on my needs, those two problems are negligible. Everything else seems to work as intended. Macros are fine (I did need to change browser back/forward defaults in the software to cmd+arrow), CPI adjustment is fine, and the buttons work. Good enough for me.

There are some horror stories of the firmware causing the mouse to brick while freezing, but I have no clue what those people are talking about. It could be a PC problem. So far, the SteelSeries Engine has only frozen once while I was changing some LED settings, but nothing bad happened after force quitting and reopening. Unfortunately, every single "gaming" mouse out there inevitably runs into some kind of issues, even if there are lucky people with perfect experiences who swear by certain brands or models. One harmless crash of the software while fiddling with settings seems innocuous enough.

I'm happy with it, but it's honestly overpriced and ultimately just a mouse. I'm a console gamer, though, and not a mouse fanatic, so YMMV.

[darkside31337]

Naga. I'll probably never switch to anything else. I agree with the others that Razer quality control and build quality is shoddy but to me there is nothing with the same feel layout wise and buttons to it. I've already had one die on me, I really shouldn't buy another when this one inevitably dies out on me but I think I'm too entrenched playing games with a Naga to switch to something with basically less than half as many buttons on it.

Basically I just wish Logitech had a real Naga clone of some sort.

[Aeana]

The Kinzu has a notoriously bad sensor. Steelseries recently released a Kinzu V2 and Kinzu V2 Pro which are much better, so if you want that mouse, don't get the original. I would recommend the CM Storm Spawn as another small mouse with side buttons (it's what I currently use). The Spawn is a wide mouse, but it's not very long, which gives it a unique feel among all the mice I've ever used. It's remarkably inexpensive for its build quality as well. You can also consider the Zowie EC2 eVo, if you can find one. The eVo edition is a new one that just came out and probably isn't available everywhere. I've used the original EC2, and it's a decent mouse, but I'm not a big fan of the shape. The original has a different sensor that is perfectly good except for its relatively heavy prediction (which cannot be turned off).

I have to admit, when I first saw a photo of that CM Storm Spawn, I was like "whaaaaatt" but after looking at it longer, I think it might actually be a great choice for me. While looking into it, I see there's also one called the Xornet that looks similar but has a different color. Research says that they have different DPI, but does anybody know if there are any other appreciable differences? I like the look of the Xornet more.

EDIT: I bought a Spawn. I hope I like it.

[Dice]

I'm having a hard time deciding between the Spawn, which seems better for Claw/Fingertip grip in FPS, and the button extravaganza of the Inferno.

[HitokiriNate85]

I've been using the SteelSeries Diablo III mouse since none of the others that suited my preferences (a few Logitech ones, any of the Razer Nagas, SteelSeries Xai and Sensei) seemed like they would properly work on a Mac without a few headaches or taking a gamble with build quality. It's soft-touch plastic, light-ish, and has a nice form factor. My hands are small, but it's still a full, comfortable grip. The clicks are satisfying and can be performed pretty low--if you claw style, you can still get full left and right clicks all the way down to either side of the CPI toggle button beneath the scroll wheel. Speaking of the wheel, there is no side-to-side clicking or scrolling (I still miss this), but regular scrolling feels great. It's nice and chunky (discrete, not smooth), and the middle click is sturdy. I love good middle clicks (weaned on an older IntelliMouse a long time ago), so I'm satisfied. It still isn't fully functional from a software perspective for Macs. If you're demanding and using a Mac to game for some weird reason, there are two caveats: the CPI profile toggle button doesn't work (I don't really care about this, but it's weird that it is useless) and any polling rate above 125hz causes the pointer to teleport (I think this may not be a problem for Lion, but pointer movement is acceptably smooth on 125hz in Snow Leopard). That's it, though. Based on my needs, those two problems are negligible. Everything else seems to work as intended. Macros are fine (I did need to change browser back/forward defaults in the software to cmd+arrow), CPI adjustment is fine, and the buttons work. Good enough for me. There are some horror stories of the firmware causing the mouse to brick while freezing, but I have no clue what those people are talking about. It could be a PC problem. So far, the SteelSeries Engine has only frozen once while I was changing some LED settings, but nothing bad happened after force quitting and reopening. Unfortunately, every single "gaming" mouse out there inevitably runs into some kind of issues, even if there are lucky people with perfect experiences who swear by certain brands or models. One harmless crash of the software while fiddling with settings seems innocuous enough. I'm happy with it, but it's honestly overpriced and ultimately just a mouse. I'm a console gamer, though, and not a mouse fanatic, so YMMV.

Thanks for some Mac input. I'm still on the fence about what to get, but I'm ordering a mouse this week for Diablo. I'm leaning towards the Logitech MXPerformance mouse, but I haven't heard much either regarding how the drivers are for a Mac. Have you/anyone else tried it out?

[fluffydelusions]

Naga. I'll probably never switch to anything else. I agree with the others that Razer quality control and build quality is shoddy but to me there is nothing with the same feel layout wise and buttons to it. I've already had one die on me, I really shouldn't buy another when this one inevitably dies out on me but I think I'm too entrenched playing games with a Naga to switch to something with basically less than half as many buttons on it. Basically I just wish Logitech had a real Naga clone of some sort.

After having used one for the past couple weeks, I agree. I love the naga to death. It's so convenient for MMO's and a variety of other games. If logitech ever created something similar I'd pick it up in heartbeat.

[Chittagong]

Well, if you don't enjoy it, we know something's wrong with you :P

GAF did not fail me, the G700 is a glorious gaming mouse. Finished BF3 on Hardcore with it. Loved having buttons for prone, crouch, reload, grenade and use.

Are there any sites to go for button maps for different games?

[Relaxed Muscle]

By the way, how's the R.A.T 3?. It looks dope and I saw good reviews but I didn't saw any recomendation in this thread.

Edit: I looked again and yes there are recomendations, any other opinions?

[PaulLFC]

I find myself in need of a new mouse, and I'm really overwhelmed. I've been using a Logitech M-UV55a for many, many years and I couldn't be happier with it. It's a fairly small mouse, but I have small hands so I've really enjoyed it. I was looking at the SteelSeries Kinzu, and while larger than my old mouse, it seems to be pretty close in size. It doesn't have side buttons, though, and it seems like the next step up, the Xai/Diablo 3 mouse, is a bit larger. Are there any small-ish gaming mice with side buttons? Does anybody have any thoughts on the Kinzu in terms of durability and performance? I've tried to determine exactly what my grip is, and I guess I'm closer to "palm" than "claw."

Edit: Just saw that you already bought a mouse, so no need for this post :)

[1-D_FTW]

"What the hell. PEOPLE DO THIS?" It's not uncommon, yes. I personally use the "finger grip" that is somewhat related. Instead of arching my fingers over like that, though, I simply only hold the mouse with my fingers instead of my palm.

Sounds like what I do. My palm never touches the mouse. Basically using upper portions of my fingers, although it's in a relaxed position. Have no idea what people would call that style, but I've never had issues with a single gaming mouse (and I've used quite a few different ones).

GAF did not fail me, the G700 is a glorious gaming mouse. Finished BF3 on Hardcore with it. Loved having buttons for prone, crouch, reload, grenade and use. Are there any sites to go for button maps for different games?

Glad you weren't disappointed. It really is my favorite mouse of all-time.

[Zeliard]

Sounds like what I do. My palm never touches the mouse. Basically using upper portions of my fingers, although it's in a relaxed position. Have no idea what people would call that style, but I've never had issues with a single gaming mouse (and I've used quite a few different ones).

It's called the Awesome Style.

Also, it's all about wrist movement. I've never had any use for those comically massive mousepads because I just use my wrist to move the mouse around, and my forearm stays pretty much stationary.

[meddow]

Hey

I only play SC2, and am wondering what would gaf consider the best mouse of sc2

thanks

[Totobeni]

My Logitech MX500 is still kicking, but i am thinking of getting a Logitech G400 for my next PC build, which is basically a direct descendant of the MX500. It is pretty simple, but it has enough buttons on it that it is enough for most games without becoming overly cumbersome.

It's an upgrade to the legendary MX518.

I got G400 when my MX518 died last year, It's really the same,same size,shape/design and wight which is fantastic(G400/MX518 are best mice ever imho),but improved with more dpi and with a better wheel and better surface texture.

[Aeana]

Edit: Just saw that you already bought a mouse, so no need for this post :)

Well, if you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it. If I don't like the Spawn, I'll most likely return it and look for something else, so-

[Gav47]

Man screw this thread, my Deathadder has been acting up this past month (double clicking like others have experienced) and I have been looking at different mice on amazon for the past couple of days.

Can anyone give me an idea as to the durability of the RAT 7? I really like its heaviness and thumb and pinkie guards but I don't want another mouse that will crap out on me after 2 years.

[Alrix]

I tried to make a new thread about this to no avail, so i'll post my query here:

So my razer naga that I've had for 2-3 years is just about dead. The cursor stalls/sticks all the time, I've tried updating any software associated with it and still nothing. It had a run-in with some liquid candle wax at one point and was never quite the same, (don't ask) but it's really shit the bed now. Sometimes the cursor doesn't even move.

If repairable let me know, otherwise I'm looking for suggestions for a replacement. Currently thinking about the new Razer naga hex, it looks pretty sweet. Even when gaming I thought the 12 button grid was a little much for the buttons. Plus, they just came out with a red one and my case is red, plus I've got a good amount of red in my room. Aesthetically it would make a good fit.

So, does anyone have the new hex and would like to share their experiences? Or does anyone have different suggestions? I haven't used many different mice and would love some feedback from the hex or other mice.

Thanks pcgaf.

[1-D_FTW]

I tried to make a new thread about this to no avail, so i'll post my query here: So my razer naga that I've had for 2-3 years is just about dead. The cursor stalls/sticks all the time, I've tried updating any software associated with it and still nothing. It had a run-in with some liquid candle wax at one point and was never quite the same, (don't ask) but it's really shit the bed now. Sometimes the cursor doesn't even move. If repairable let me know, otherwise I'm looking for suggestions for a replacement. Currently thinking about the new Razer naga hex, it looks pretty sweet. Even when gaming I thought the 12 button grid was a little much for the buttons. Plus, they just came out with a red one and my case is red, plus I've got a good amount of red in my room. Aesthetically it would make a good fit. So, does anyone have the new hex and would like to share their experiences? Or does anyone have different suggestions? I haven't used many different mice and would love some feedback from the hex or other mice. Thanks pcgaf.

GAF always throws a conniption when I offer this advice for fixing controllers, but if you're at the point of chucking it, give it a nice bath in water. Water will clean gunk out of controllers and assuming you let the thing dry before reusing, works (I've done it with zero issues in the past).

Although in your case, cold candle wax would be much more problematic. So I would turn the faucet as hot as it gets, and just let the water flow through it. It it were hot and long enough, it might get it to melt and come out (assuming the candle wax is the real issue).

Of course you're welcome to think this is crazy talk. But if it were mine, I'd definitely try it.

[F#A#Oo]

Logitech G1...or Steel Series Kinzu...

[Phife Dawg]

Another vote for the G700. Don't have a problem with battery life, using a higher capacity rechargable and it usually lasts for a good bit. If it is low I just hook it up via USB charger over the night. But I'm working so I'm not abusing the battery 24/7

GAF did not fail me, the G700 is a glorious gaming mouse. Finished BF3 on Hardcore with it. Loved having buttons for prone, crouch, reload, grenade and use. Are there any sites to go for button maps for different games?

You can assign a key press (or macro) for each button - it's what I do since a lot of games don't support extra mouse buttons out of the box.

[BigTnaples]

Bought a 518 at launch and it still works flawlessly, its precise, and feels great.

Can't go wrong with a 518.

[Aeana]

I've had the CM Storm Spawn for a couple of days now, and I'm really pleased with it. It's a great size for my hands, especially, although the wideness is taking some getting used to. I had some trouble with sensitivity and tracking interruption with the mouse pads I have, so I went and bought a plain black one and updated the firmware to v32, and now it feels pretty much perfect at 1800 DPI with 6/11 sensitivity in Windows. Thanks to krameriffic and others for recommending it.

[Druz]

It's an upgrade to the legendary MX518. I got G400 when my MX518 died last year, It's really the same,same size,shape/design and wight which is fantastic(G400/MX518 are best mice ever imho),but improved with more dpi and with a better wheel and better surface texture.

Exactly, when my 518 finally died I was offered a G500 as a replacement(since the 518 was around 60, the same as a g500) After looking at the cheaper G400 and realizing it was much closer to a 518,I asked them to send me it instead - it is just as good as the 518 ever was

[Nabs]

Exactly, when my 518 finally died I was offered a G500 as a replacement(since the 518 was around 60, the same as a g500) After looking at the cheaper G400 and realizing it was much closer to a 518,I asked them to send me it instead - it is just as good as the 518 ever was

It's even better since there's no angle snapping. I also like the look and finish.

[kitchenmotors]

Deathadder.

Bought this at Best Buy today on sale for $40 for Diablo III.

[kevinski]

Given how inefficient it is to use a scroll wheel for certain functions in games, I'm surprised that gaming mice even have scroll wheels. I just purchased the Microsoft Explorer Touch Mouse with the intention of using it as a gaming mouse, despite the mouse not necessarily being intended for sue as a gaming mouse. I was looking for a mouse without a scroll wheel, and that's the closest thing that I could find.

Does anyone else here feel that mice should be evolving differently? It seems like the solution to making a gaming mouse is to put as many buttons as possible on it, but I honestly feel that there's more to it than that. Any thoughts?

[abasm]

Does anyone else here feel that mice should be evolving differently? It seems like the solution to making a gaming mouse is to put as many buttons as possible on it, but I honestly feel that there's more to it than that. Any thoughts?

The future is capacitive touch surfaces. It's just more straight-forward. Just as we look at the command-line interface as archaic, our children will look at mice and keyboards as archaic.

[The_Player]

Bought a 518 at launch and it still works flawlessly, its precise, and feels great. Can't go wrong with a 518.

So much yes. I ain't gonna trade my 518 for any other gaming mouse.

[blackwatchplad]

Without wanting to derail the thread, has anyone seriously tried to use a trackball for gaming purposes? I'm seriously considering an M570 but want to know if anyone's tried this experiment first.

Had a friend who played everything from quake up to UT2004 with a track ball.. he got pretty good at it. It takes some getting used to, but even I couldn't complain when I played on his PC.
Not sure how well it would work for some games with elaborate camera systems though.

[Aeana]

The future is capacitive touch surfaces. It's just more straight-forward. Just as we look at the command-line interface as archaic, our children will look at mice and keyboards as archaic.

Well, when those surfaces can offer tactile feedback, perhaps. I know that there's stuff like that being developed, but I'm not sure when it'll become a suitable replacement for what we have.

[SapientWolf]

What the hell. PEOPLE DO THIS?

Yeah, some do. Razers are for claw people.

[abasm]

Well, when those surfaces can offer tactile feedback, perhaps. I know that there's stuff like that being developed, but I'm not sure when it'll become a suitable replacement for what we have.

I would imagine that, if tablets were to natively support chorded keyboard input, then one could easily type at speeds well in excess of a QWERTY keyboard, physical or otherwise.

As for gaming, almost any genre can be accommodated to a tablet interface. The problem is the fact that most game designers get hung up on figuring out ways to imitate button inputs, leading to the misconception that physical buttons/sticks are even necessary.

[BigJonsson]

Do gaming mice make much of an impact over a regular mouse?

[tci]

Do gaming mice make much of an impact over a regular mouse?

I would say yes, but it really depends. If you only play now and then I don't see the point. Gaming mouses offer better grip, higher precision and more customization (not all). Over time it will make a difference.

But you really have to find a mouse that fits you and that you feel comfortable with. Otherwise it will not matter much.

[antiquegamer]

Do gaming mice make much of an impact over a regular mouse?

Yes, my G700, definitely is better for gaming. It's faster, more responsive, higher precision and most of all programable.

I just wish I can have more profile set up .. I want to set one up for Diablo but want to keep my SWTOR and my Photoshop profile.

[Revoh]

I'm still rocking this oldschool combo (almost 8 years). MS 1.1 & QcK+
Love it.

[Dice]

Just ordered a Cooler Master Inferno (using amazon prime trial, yay!) I'll let you guys know what's up when I get it.

[JonCha]

Bought the Deathadder today.

[nextgeneration]

After having used the Coolermaster Spawn for a couple of weeks now, thought I'd offer my opinions on it, since I have a differing opinion on it than what others have noted in this thread. Tracking and movements are super smooth. It feels like it's gliding. What kills the mouse for me, though, are the ergonomics and the scroll wheel. The scroll wheel is too stiff, and the mouse is too wide for me. Having a rest for your ring finger doesn't work for me and proves to be uncomfortable. I need to have both my ring and pinky finger at base of the mouse. Not sure if I'll return this back to Amazon or not. In the meantime, I've ordered a G400 from Newegg. Hopefully, that mouse is more comfortable in my hands.