Auld

Since October of 2005 i have been using a combo of the logitech MX518 and the razer aluminum exactmat. The exactmat is missing half of the rubber feet so it slides all over the place and the MX518 scroll wheel is starting to skip and act weird. So i think it would be a good time to upgrade the ancient combo that has lasted me through three different PC's lol.

I was thinking about picking up either the Logitech G500, CM sentinel when it comes out or the cheaper deathadder. I would go for the mamba but i dont have that kind of money to spend right now. Which one of these should i choose and why? There might be others that i have overlooked.

Also which mouse pad would be best for them? Different surfaces work better with different sensors or different mice right? I would like something a little larger then my exactmat but i have no clue which to choose.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions .

lmnop

the Cooler Master Storm Sentinel Advance uses the same sensor in the Razer Mamba they are manufactured by Philips and called the Twin-Eye Series however Razer calls it the 3.5G Infared Laser Sensor.

My Top 3 Picks

1. SteelSeries Xai and SteelSeries SX
2. Razer Diamondback 3G Red and SteelSeries SP
3. Razer Krait and SteelSeries SP

SteelSeries Xai uses the Avago 9500 Sensor the same Sensor used in the Logitech G500 and G9x the fastest. it has much more features than the Logitech mice like Auto-Adjusting Lift, you can edit Jitter and Prediction values, you can edit Polling Rates in increments of 1, you can edit CPI values in increments of 1 for both X and Y Axis and do all this through the underside of the LCD Menu in fact you only need to use the drivers to create profiles and macro buttons. it's brand new as of October 30th. no reviews.

both the Razer DeathAdder and Diamondback 3G use the Avago 3688 Sensor the third fastest. you can't go wrong with either it comes down to personal preference. I chose the DiamondBack 3G because it's got a classic shape, it has less lag but we are talking .5 ms and it comes in Red which has the highest wavelength.

Razer Krait uses the same Avago 3080 Sensor used in the Logitech MX-518 which is the fourth fastest so the sensor shouldn't be alienating to you. one of the problems with the MX-518 is once you install Setpoint drivers the MX-518 takes a performance dip and thats if you can even install the Setpoint drivers in the first place. Razer drivers lock the polling rate at 125Hz but can be set to 500 or 1000Hz using HIDUSBF. you won't find any major resellers carrying the Razer Krait and I don't think it's discontinued because you can buy it on Razers Online Store for $39.99 USD however you can get a brand new one off eBay for $28.00 USD Shipped.

I chose SteelSeries Surfaces because they are great and have a lot of performance data on them however if you want to go with another brand make sure they have a similar pattern and construction to the SteelSeries Surfaces I chose.

Tips

• on the underside of a mouse there is usually a sticker surrounding the sensor, remove it. all they do is collect dirt, fade, tear and in some cases throw your sensor off. use isopropyl/isopropanol to remove the adhesive.
• according to hyperglide their heavy duty 0.5mm Teflon Feet last 3-4 months minimum on a hard surface and 12 months for a soft surface so it's safe to assume stock Teflon Feet last even less. I don't recommend buying "Mouse Skates" because they come the wrong size and shape. you should always go with factory size and shape. I do recommend you buy a sheet of PTFE and an Exacto Knife. use isopropyl/isopropanol to remove the adhesive. use a piece of paper to trace your old feet, place it over PTFE sheet and cut out new ones.
• cleaning your Teflon Feet is easy. take a White Sheet of Paper and tape all four corners down on to your desk. stroke the mouse up and down repeatedly until there are no more skid marks.
• keeping your Surface clean is important. use isopropyl/isopropanol on a tack cloth and rub up, down, left, right. let it air dry.
• there is a simple modification to fix some lift problems on mice and that is to apply a small piece of clear tape to the sensor.
• if you find there is too much friction and drag with your hand and arm because of the chair, desk or surface use a basketball or baseball sleeve they are usually made out of nylon or spandex many professional gamers I know use them. they cost between $10-20 USD and are widely available online or at a local sports store.

hope this helps and good luck.

Vitaminx

Razer Deathadder and Steelseries QcK Mouse Pad

Best combination I have ever used. And the mouse trumps Logitech G5 (my previous mouse) This mouse is really good!

__________________

The Gr33n Machine

INTEL 45 Club

ß₤ứə Çřёώ

1 GHz OC Club

Asus P5E X38 Thread

nolonger

I'm using a Xtrac Pads Logic and it just made my basic optical Microsoft mouse a lot more accurate. It sticks on the desk and so provides a hard surface that won't move at all (this is my favorite type, feels like there is no mousepad at all). If that's what you prefer, I'd recommend getting this.

Can't recommend you a good mouse as I don't have one for myself.

__________________

rastablast

I would have to say Death Adder for better performance, G500 for better comfort

Conley

If you like the MX518, I think you'll really like the G5 or G500. I'm not sure about mousepads, though. I'm just using a generic one with a wristrest. The teflon feet on the G5 glide on about anything.

__________________

Auld

Wow, that was a very thorough reply with loads of helpful information. I have decided to narrow down my mouse choice to either the logitech g500 or the cm sentinel.

Your suggestions look amazing but i dont have the cash to blow on a $40 pad and a $100 mouse. Is there a cheaper mouse pad from any company that will perform adequately with either the sentinel or the g500 while being at least the same size or bigger then my razer exactmat (330mm x 265mm)?

Again thank you all for the suggestions.

Crooksy

i went with the razer deathadder and razer eXact mat. Love them both.

__________________

Auld

I do love my exactmat but some of the rubber feet are missing after all the years of abuse. If i could buy a pack of the adhesive rubber feet i would definitely keep it.

lmnop

your welcome.

my top 3 picks are based on price to performance so the Krait and SteelSeries SP is my entry-level choice and even as a entry-level choice it leaves most lasers in the dust.

don't forget there is 2 versions of the DeathAdder the original which uses the Avago 3688 Optical Sensor and the new one which uses the 3.5G Infared Laser Sensor aka the Philips Twin-Eye Laser Sensor which is also used in the Storm Sentinel Advance and the Razer Mamba.

I think the Avago 9500 used in the Logitech G500, G9x and SteelSeries Xai is the superior sensor.

the combination of layers that makeup a surface isn't very complicated usually rubber -> sponge -> plastic pattern or vice versa. the patterns are usually discussed in detail on review sites.

there isn't many surfaces that are incompatible with mice either, any of the mice we have discussed in this thread will work on just about any surface but what you want is maximum potential for tracking regardless of what CPI setting you are using. if you spent $130 on a Razer Mamba but used it on a inexpensive surface and it performed at the same level as a $54 Ideazon Reaper wouldn't that bother you?

if I bought the Logitech G500 and needed a inexpensive surface I would probably purchase a SteelSeries S&S.

if I bought the Cooler Master Storm Sentinel Advance, Razer Mamba or Razer DeathAdder revised I would probably purchase a Razer Pro|Pad. white surfaces seem to improve the tracking of that sensor.