by 12 people |
So what is the best gaming mouse?
You could easily spend anything up to $100 and for that money you don't want to be making the wrong choice. To help you out, here are my recommendations.
Contents at a Glance
Important Features
There isn't a set definition to say what is and isn't a gaming mouse, but there are a few key features that you should look for.
- High Sensitivity (DPI/CPI)
The higher the DPI or CPI value the better, up to a point. Higher sensitivity means less physical movemement of the mouse to move the cursor a set distance on screen, but very high sensitivity (3200dpi or more) needs a steady hand to get the best out of it. - Adjustable Sensitivity
With a highly sensitive mouse it's good to be able to adjust that sensitivity without having to take your hand from the mouse. Some mice feature buttons or keyboard shortcuts to swap between different levels, so you can go for full sensitivity in-game and turn it down for desktop apps. - Programmable Buttons
Some mice allow the buttons to be programmed to perform specific actions, or even a series of actions (a macro). Great for gaming, and obviously the more programmable buttons the better. - Lighting
Purely a question of taste, some mice have cool lighting effects to make them stand out from the crowd. Glowing or pulsing, red, green or blue, you should be able to find a mouse to suit your taste. - Adjustable Weight
Some gamers prefer a light mouse, others prefer something a bit more chunky - being able to customise the weight of the mouse gives you the best of both worlds. - Claw versus Palm Grip
How you hold your mouse can play a big part in choosing the best gaming mouse for you. If you hold the mouse with your fingertips (claw grip) you should pick a smaller mouse, whereas if you rest your hand on the top of the mouse (palm grip) you need a bigger mouse to be comfortable.
So now you know what you're looking for, let's take a look at some of the candidates.
Logitech MX518
The Logitech MX518 is something of a classic amongst gamers. It's powered by an 1800dpi optical sensor with adjustable sensitivity and has eight programmable buttons. Not bad, but it's a really old design so why would you want one instead of a newer design? Two things - build quality and price.
The MX518 has been around for a few years now, and despite a cosmetic facelift it is largely unchanged. That's good, because it means that any problems with the mouse were ironed out long ago. The MX518 was also a good design from the start and it is built to last. There are many tales of gamers who are still using an old MX518 even though they've managed to trash new mice from other manufacturers.
Price is also a factor, as you can pick up an MX518 for under $20. That gives you a good sensor that should be more than adequate for most games, eight programmable buttons and a mouse that will last for years for just a quarter of the price of a Razer Lachesis. Bargain!
Visit the Logitech website
Buy a Logitech MX518 from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
Check for cheap MX518s on Ebay
Logitech G9
Logitech have a history of producing good gaming mice and their latest mouse, the G9, is another great product.
At 3,200dpi it falls behind the Razer Lachesis in the sensitivity stakes but more than makes up for it with its other features.
The Logitech G9 comes with two swappable grips, so you can change the shape of your mouse to suit your preferred style of grip - fingertip grip or resting your palm on the mouse.
It's also got a cartridge system that allows you to customise the weight of the mouse until it feels just right.
Visit the Logitech website
Buy a Logitech G9 from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
Check for cheap G9s on Ebay
Razer Lachesis
The Razer Lachesis currently holds the title of having the laser sensor with the highest rate of dpi, rated at 4,000dpi. Its nearest competitors are still running at 3,200dpi so if you really need a sensitive mouse then this is the one to go for! The DPI rating is also adjustable on-the-fly in increments of 125dpi.
It has nine programmable buttons and onboard memory to store up to five different profiles. This means you can plug the mouse into another PC that hasn't got the driver software installed and still be able to access your profiles.
You also get a stylish shape, as well as Razer's typically cool lighting. There are three colours available - Banshee Blue, Phantom White and Wraith Red.
Visit the Razer website
Buy a Razer Lachesis from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
Check for cheap Lachesis on Ebay
Microsoft Sidewinder
With a long list of features the Microsoft Sidewinder mouse makes a great case for itself. While it might only have a 2000dpi laser sensor it manages to make up for this by including some useful extra features.
The first is the variable weight system as used in the Logitech G9, that allows additional weights from 5 to 30 grams to be added. It also has a choice of feet with different glide characteristics.
There are 5 programmable buttons, on-the-fly DPI adjustment (400, 800 and 2000), an LCD display that shows DPI and icons for macro recording.
Best of all - it's cheaper than the Lachesis and G9 by a considerable margin.
Visit the Microsoft website
Buy a Microsoft Sidewinder from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
Check for cheap Sidewinders on Ebay
Vote For Your Favourite
What's your favourite gaming mouse? Cast your vote now!
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Penny For Your Thoughts
What do you think of gaming mice? Do you have a favourite manufacturer? Do you prefer high dpi or low dpi?
siba wrote
i think guys microsoft inteli is the best gaming mice ic hole world
Posted May 12, 2009
Naturzwrath wrote
I use several different gaming mice from all manufacturers, but Razer has to be my favorite. This was a great article in the sense of mentioning the different companies, but the one thing this article lacked was how a gaming mouse is "held", which will definitely sway the buyer into which mouse to choose. The holding positions I am referring to are the Palm, Fingertip and Claw grippers. Depending on which type you are will definitely make a difference in choosing which mouse to purchase.
Posted December 07, 2008
Tanker987 wrote
Does having such a big mouse really help?
These mice look comfortable, and are great to use from experience, however I find them horrendous for gaming due to their lack of up and go speed. I mostly play older style games like Q3 and UT99 where I found that standard office mice were far more desirable due to being easy to knock around when you need to increase your angle a bit to dodge that rocket.
Though I am new to gaming specific hardware, I can't see why all mice are designed to be comfortable like this, limiting the movement from twitch reflexes to increase aiming seems like a bit much...
Posted November 07, 2008
a_willow wrote...
Hi! Just to let you know: You are one of Graduates from September 2008 Class! :)
Posted November 06, 2008
KevCon wrote
G5 is the mouse durable mouse I have ever used. I had MSFT optical mice but would go through one in 2-3 months. I moved to a crosshair, broke in 1 month. Then I bought my first g5 in 2005. When the G9 came out it gave it a run, it broke at month 5... fell back to my G5, and I have used the same G5 until july 2008, when I spilled a coke all over my desk and didn't get to the mouse until my desktop and lappie were safe. it had drowned. Got a G5 version 2, and it's been just as good as my first g5. I'm a pro gamer and I'll stick with the G5 until it breaks and I can't get a replacement. (all mice i have used break at the 200,00 click mark... The g5 in click tests broke the machine testing it.
Posted October 10, 2008
Berger wrote
I got this one, and is very good
Posted September 26, 2008
TheMyst wrote
You forgot one more major factor in a gaming mouse, the IPS. That means Inches Per Second, and it is the number of times the mouse refreshes the inage it takes per second. How does this affect how good it is? Take any old bargain mouse and swipe it as fast across your mouse pad as you can, but keep an eye on that cursor. Does the cursor lock up? Then your mouse has low IPS. Many gaming mice do not have this problem. This level is ofted advertised as "Megapixels per second" or as with the Logitech MX518 on Newegg, "5.8 megapixel/second image processing, Up to 15 g of acceleration."
Posted September 04, 2008
WritingforYourWealth wrote...
I never thought of a mouse specifically for gaming (would it make me a better PvPer in WoW? ;) but I like the logitech products I've used.
Posted September 01, 2008
LucyVet wrote...
Great info, not being a gamer, I didn't know there were such specialized mouses out there!
Posted August 30, 2008
by DividingLine
I'm a fan of PC gaming, fast cars (hot hatches in particular) ... and Squidoo, of course. (more)
