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The Ultimate Gaming Mouse Guide by: CorruptEagle & h7u9i

78K views 33 replies 22 participants last post by  Ino. 
#1 ·


First of all let me say that I do NOT take credit for most of this post. I have simply transferred it over from from two months ago ( with permission )

PSA: STILL UPDATING FULL MICE INFORMATION ( WEIGHT )

Here are some other links that you should also view:

A visual guide to gaming mice

Guide to asking for mouse recommendations


Overall mouse user comparison rating, finding the best mouse on OCN

The mouse suggestions thread

MOUSES USING FLAWLESS SENSORS

Mouse Sensor Technology Guide V2.0

Of course, these are not the only gaming mice on the market. There are plenty not listed here that you could consider, this is just a general list.

As more mice are released I will try to update this. If I've included any incorrect information, or am missing some important points, please let me know! If there's a certain mouse you think I should include in this guide, post a response!

Also as for lefties, sadly the market is very short on left handed mice. Generally, you'll have to use an ambidextrous mouse, although there are some mice that have a left handed version, like the Deathadder.



There's a lot that goes into making a good mouse, and some things may get confusing. Here's list of some terms that you might come across:

DPI - Dots per inch - Basically, this describes the sensitivity of your mouse. When you move your mouse, it detects how much you've moved it, and moves the cursor accordingly. The more DPI you have, the less movement is required to move the cursor the same amount.

Acceleration - If a mouse has acceleration, it means that as you move the mouse faster, it will move your cursor faster. For example, let's say if I move my move one inch in one second, the cursor will move 500 pixels. With acceleration, if I move my mouse one inch in half a second, the cursor may move 750 pixels. Some people like acceleration, others don't. If your mouse comes with this feature, there is usually a way to enable/disable it.

Angle Snapping ( prediction, drift control )- Angle snapping, at the hardware or driver level, if your movements stay under some arbitrary threshold, the mouse input is subtly altered to keep your 'lines' straight. Severely messes with aiming in fps' ( especially with quick movements ).





Polling Rate/Response time - Ultrapolling increases the amount of times the firmware on the mouse reports its tracking data to the computer to 1ms (or 1000hz). This reduces the interval between each transmission of movement calculations, giving the cursor on -screen a smoother and more precise feel and increased responsiveness. (also see Polling Rate)

Lift/Liftoff Distance - This is the distance that your mouse will continue to work when lifted off the surface. Both optical and laser mice use some sort of light to track your movement. When lifted off of a surface, sometimes the sensor can still pick up a signal. The lower your liftoff distance is, the less likely it will affect your mouse movement when picking up and repositioning your mouse.



Choosing the right DPI for you - How much DPI is right for you? Well, it depends on what type of play-style you have. If you are a high sensitivity player, I would recommend buying a mouse that has >1600dpi. But if you are a low sensitivity player I would recommend a dpi of 100 - 1500 dpi. Do not buy a waste money on gaming mouse that has more dpi, if your never going to use it.

Customization buttons - A lot of gaming mice have extra buttons you can program to do whatever you want. Set macros, launch programs, and change dpi. Some mice only have one or two buttons, while others may have 10 to 12. This is defiantly not a necessity, but can come in hand in general use as well as gaming

Wireless vs. Wired - This almost comes down to personal preference, however, most mice work better when wired. Also there's no need for batteries with a wired mouse. Side note: Unlike keyboards, there isn't any advantage to using a PS/2 mouse over a USB mouse. Most mice today are USB mice.

Response Time - The higher the polling rate, the more often the computer receives information about the status of your mouse and the faster the computer can respond to your command. For instance, if you were to use a mouse with a polling rate of 1 Hz for a FPS, your computer would receive movement date once every second, which would result in your on screen avatar in moving once a second. Generally, a response time for 1-2ms is good. 4-8ms is perfectly fine for general use, but for gaming, this is frowned upon, as you can't react as fast with longer response times.



Profile saving - Some mice can save your settings directly to the mouse for quick access. You may have an FPS setting, an MMO setting, and a general use setting. Having a mouse that can save profiles and easily switch between these is a nice thing to have, so you don't need to open up a program every time you want to change a bunch of settings.

Surface - If you're going to be spending $50-100 on a mouse, you want to make sure that it actually works the way you want. Check that mouse will work well with whatever surface you will be using it on, or buy a gaming mouse pad. I've heard good things about the Steelseries QcK, but that discussion is for another thread.

Braided Cable - Most gaming mice today come with a braided cable. This ensures that your cable won't get tangled up. Non-braided cables are usually good, but are also known to be less durable. Don't let the cable keep you from buying a certain mouse.

Ergonomic Design - This means that the shape of the mouse is designed to fit your palm. The is generally good for palm grippers (see below), while claw and fingertip users won't mind a non-ergonomic mouse as much.

Laser vs. Optical - There are certain people who swear by laser mice, while there are other who do the same for optical mice. I personally haven't seen much a different between the two. Laser sensors have no light if you pick up the mouse and look at the sensor. Probably the biggest difference between the two. If the mouse has the DPI you want, I wouldn't worry about laser vs. optical.
Quote:
Laser sensor- This is a sensor that uses a laser diode to illuminate the surface it is tracking on so successive pictures can be taken to determine the movement of the mouse it is contained within.

Optical sensor- Optical sensors are all sensors that use light, either from an LED or laser diode, to illuminate the surface it is tracking on so successive pictures can be taken to determine the movement of the mouse. However, the term optical sensor (or optical mouse) is now commonly used in reference to a mouse that uses an LED diode.


So with the plethora of mice on the market, how do you find the one that is right for you? Well, the first step would be to figure out what kind of grip you have. Everyone holds their mouse differently. However, there are three main grips seen on the majority of people. Razer has a good guide to the three grips, but I will try to summarize them.

PALM GRIP- The palm grip is the most common of the three grips. It entails laying your entire hand on the mouse, with your palm resting on top of the mouse, and the sides being held by the thumb, pinky, and sometimes the ring finger. Palm grippers use the the length of their index and middle finger to press the left and right mouse buttons respectively. The mouse is mostly moved with the arm. Due to this, palm grippers generally have the least amount of stress on their hands.



CLAW GRIP- The claw grip is similar to the palm grip, however, the user's fingers are arched, and only the fingertips are in contact with the mouse buttons. The base of the mouse is stabilized by being nested the user's palm. This grip usually allows for faster clicking than the palm grip, since you only need to press with the tips of our finger rather than the whole thing. However, this will increase the amount of stress on the hand. With the claw grip, the mouse movement is also majorly with the arm.




FINGERTIP GRIP
- The fingertip grip is "the primary grip style for game play". There are only five contact points on the mouse - the fingertips. This grip generally allows for the quickest movement of the mouse, which makes it ideal for gaming. However, fingertip grippers will find that they have the most amount of stress on their hands compared to the other two grips. With this grip, rather than moving the mouse with the arm, it is pushed with the fingertips.






Disclaimer: Price of the mouse may change. I'm going by the price on newegg, or amazon at the time of posting.


This is going to be the format in which the mice are listed:

Mouse - Price

Dimensions (Length x Width x Height)

Weight

Type of sensor

Description


Now that you know what kind of grip you use, what are some good mice for your grip? Here are some popular gaming mice.



Logitech G400 - $30


131mm/5.16" x 73mm/2.87" x 43mm/1.69"

133 grams / 0.133 Kilograms

3095 ( no angle snapping *excluding the first generation version)

The Logitech G400 is an variation of the the MX518. It has a max DPI setting of 3600, and 8 programmable buttons. Of these buttons, two of these are designed to switch DPI on the fly. This is an ergonomic right-handed mouse.

Cooler Master CM Storm Xornet - $23


107mm/4.21" x 75mm/2.95" x 35mm/1.38"

142 grams / 0.142 kilograms

A3050 ( No angle snapping )

Although it's one of the cheapest mice I have listed here, it doesn't lack quality. This mouse has a max DPI of 2000, and has 5 programmable buttons, as well as two buttons to adjust DPI. It's smaller, so it's more suitable for claw and fingertip grip users.

Cooler Master CM Storm Spawn - $30


107mm/4.21" x 75mm/2.95" x 35mm/1.38"

142 grams / 0.142 kilograms

A3090 ( Can switch ROM in driver for ON or OFF )

The CM Storm Spawn is an upgraded version of the Xornet, with a higher max DPI setting of 4000.



Zowie AM - $55


125mm/4.92" x 60mm/2.36" x 39mm/1.53"

88 grams / 0.88 kilograms (without cable)

A3090 ( No angle snapping )

The Zowie AM was designed for pro gaming, There is no angle snapping whatsoever. The dpi is adjustable with three dpi presets 450 / 1150 / 2300 dpi. This mouse has a very similar design to the Steelseries Kana or Sensai.

Razer Deathadder - $50


127 mm/5.00" x 70 mm/2.76" x 44 mm/1.73"

148 grams / 0.148 kilograms

S3888 (Ships with Angle Snapping OFF)

This is THE most popular mouse in amazon's gaming mouse section, and rightly so. It has an optical max 3500 DPI sensor, two side buttons, and looks amazing. It's on the larger size, and is said to be the best palm grip mouse. It has DPI settings of 450/900/1800/3500 DPI. I can personally testify that this is an amazing gaming mouse, my only gripe is with the glossy sides (this is assessed with the black rubber edition).

Logitech G9x - $70


108mm/4.25" x 73mm/2.87" × 35mm/1.38"

I could not find, someone please tell me the original weight and max weight (with & without weights added) thanks

S9500 ( Positive acceleration? )

This is another popular mouse, more suited to those with a claw or fingertip grip. It has seven buttons, and the ability to save setting profiles. The G9x can have DPIs anywhere between 200 and 5700. One feature of the G9x is that it's very customizable. The LEDs on the mouse are color customizable, so you can set a different color for different profiles. The G9x comes with two grips - a precision one and a wide grip one. The dimensions above are for the precision grip, the wide grip makes it 82mm/3.23" wide. It also comes with weight adjustments, where the user can add up to 28g of weight to the mouse. There are also two scrolling settings - notched and smooth.

Corsair Vengeance M60 - $50


120mm/4.72" x 80mm/3.15" x 40mm/1.57"

Also couldn't find weight

A9500 ( Positive acceleration? )

The M60 is advertised as the best FPS mouse. It has 8 programmable buttons, one of which is called the "Sniper" button. This is similar to the R.A.T. 7's precision aim in how this button is meant to lower your current DPI. This mouse has DPI settings anywhere from 100 to 5700 DPI. You can also adjust the response time.

Razer Naga - $60


116mm/4.57" x 70mm/2.75" x 46mm/1.81"

134 grams / 0.134 kilograms

Philips Twin Eye PLN 2032 ( Z-axis issue )

This mouse is geared towards MMO players. It has 17 programmable buttons, 12 of which are on the side. It has a max DPI setting of 5600, and it also has customizable LEDs. It comes with three different side grips that you choose from to add comfort.

Razer Imperator - $65


123mm/4.84" x 71mm/2.79" x 42mm/1.65"

139 grams / 0.139 kilograms

Philips Twin Eye PLN 2032 ( Z-axis issue )

The Razer Imperator has a max 5600 DPI sensor, and 7 programmable buttons. This mouse is optimized for comfort, one feature of which is that you can actually move the side buttons to fit where your thumb is.

Logitech G500 - $55


129mm/5.09" x 76mm/2.99" x 44mm/1.73"

Could not find weight

S9500 ( Positive acceleration )

The G500 has 10 programmable buttons and a max DPI of 5700. This mouse has two scrolling modes -click and freescrolling. It also comes with up to 27g of weight that can be added on to your liking.

Mionix Naos 3200 - $50


131mm/5.15" x 85mm/3.33" x 39mm/1.52"

152.2 grams 0.152 kilograms

A3060

The Naos 3200 is another mouse more geared towards palm grippers. As the name suggests, the max DPI is 3200. The mouse has customizable LEDs, as well as three quick change DPI settings. The Naos 3200 has seven programmable buttons. There is also a Naos 5000 which brings the max DPI up to 5040, and also has adjustable weights.

Thermaltake eSPORTS Black Element - $57


124mm/4.88" x 67mm/2.64" x 42mm/1.65"

Could't find

A9500 ( Positive acceleration? )

The Black Element has a max DPI of 6500, the highest of all the listed mice. It has 9 programmable keys and customizable LEDs (5 color settings). This mouse can save up to 45 different macros on five profiles.

Steelseries Ikari Optical - $50


126mm/4.96" x 68mm/2.68" x 39mm/1.54"

98 grams / 0.98 kilograms

A3060 ( Ikari laser = no angle snapping optical = angle snapping )

The Ikari has 6 programmable buttons, and a max DPI setting of 3200. It has an LCD display where you can change your settings. It also has an "On-The-fly" button where you can switch between two different settings.



Saitek Cyborg R.A.T. 7 - $90

I couldn't find any dimensions online.

Couldn't find

Philips Twin Eye PLN 2032 ( Z-axis issue )

Did I say the G9x was customizable? It's nothing compared to the R.A.T. 7. With this mouse, you can adjust the length of the mouse, as well as the thumb panel distance. So whether you are a palm or claw gripper, this mouse can fit your hand! You can also adjust the weight - up to five 6g weights can be added. The mouse has 3 profile settings that you can easily switch between. The R.A.T. 7 has a "precision aim" function which changes your DPI at the push of a button. This mouse can have DPI settings of anywhere from 25 to 6400 DPI.

The R.A.T. 9 is just a variation of the 7 that has a wireless option. Though it does cost $15-20 more.

There is also an MMO version of the R.A.T. 7.

Logitech G700 - $90


126mm/4.96" x 80mm/3.15" x 46mm/1.81"

Couldn't find

S9500 ( Positive acceleration )

The Logitech G700 boasts 13 programmable buttons and a max DPI of 5700. It is advertised as being ideal for MMO players. It can save up to five profiles. This mouse also has both wireless and wired options.

Razer Mamba - $120

115 mm/4.53" x 68 mm/2.68" x 43 mm/1.69"

136 grams / 0.136 kilograms

Philips Twin Eye PLN 2032 ( Z-axis issue )

The Razer Mamba is very visually similar to the Deathadder. It has 7 buttons rather than 5, and has a max DPI of 6400. It has customizable LEDs, and comes with wireless and wired options. It's a little smaller than the Deathadder, so it's more suitable for claw and possibly fingertip grippers.

Steelseries Sensei - $90


126mm/4.96in x 68mm/2.68mm x 39mm/1.54mm

102 grams / 0.102 kilograms

A9500 ( Positive acceleration? )

The Steelseries Sensei features 7 programmable buttons, as well as customizable LEDs. It also has an LCD screen on the bottom that you can customize with your own picture to prevent theft at big LAN events. The Sensei has a max DPI setting of 5700. The Steelseries Xai and Steelseries Kana
are very similar mice with a couple less features than the Sensei..
 
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#7 ·
Well, I look at this guide as it being confused by mouse marketing.

First. HIGH DPI does not mean quick and precise movements. What it means is your mouse moves 1 pixel while traveling less distance. High dpi actually causes you to loose precision as a gamer, due to the way your body works.(Most people use 400-800(900) dpi) Rarely going above 1600(1800)

As for laser or optical - there are so many factors that go into this. There are no good mice out there with laser sensors. Some have fluctuating acceleration, some have Z axis lift off issues, some can't track at high speed.

Polling rate - again depends on mouse model, dpi settings and so on. Some mice work best at 500hz, providing the most stable and smooth operation. That 1-8ms response time is nothing compared to your eye hand reaction time of 200ms and the other 100ms or so your screen and internet give you.

Braided/Non braided - purely preference. Braided cods tend to be more stiff and tangle just as easily. And don't really last any longer then rubber cords. Rubber cords can be awfully stiff too. Depends on model and manufacturer

As for mouse sizes - again, this is something that you need to hold to feel the difference.
One can say that the G400 from Logitech and the Deathadder from Razer are similar in size but are compeletely different in terms of feel, since the points of contact on a mouse are what matters, as well as curvature of the hump and so on.

All in all a good try, but this looks more like an explanition of all the marketing crap mouse manufacturares put on the box, more than anything else.

Personally, the way I would do a guide is:

Pick a mouse manufacturer that's fairly well known: Logitech, Razer, Roccat, Mionix, Steelseries etc.
Go into a retail shop and hold some mice that are within your budget
Get the one that FEELS the best to you

Use and don't worry abbout stats.

My 2 ranting cents
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by CorruptEagle View Post

You forget that this a GUIDE, it does not find the best mouse for you. It simply guides you and lets you compare many different mice and easily find one that is in your budget.
But, as I pointed out, there are plenty of issues in this guide which could guide you in the wrong direction. Following this guide I would be choosing a mouse with a braided cable and the highest amount of dpi possible and gazillions of buttons or whatever. I don't have any of that. I have a logitech G400 which has none of those things.

But in reality if you want to make a guide, you really need to factor in details that are also important, like the type of wheel encoder - optical or mechanical, how hard the detends are, how stiff or mushy the main buttons are. What material the mouse is made out of. It's weight. It's sensor position and weight distribution. And so on.

Yes - this is a GUIDE that sorts out all the marketing bull that's on the boxes of every gaming mouse. But it's not much use when you dvelve into the technical aspects of each mouse. The components used and so on.

It's propably even good for the complete newbie who is sittinng there and has no idea what DPI is and where ultrpolling factors in and why he should choose ultrapolling over bacon and eggs..
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Response Time - Generally, a response time for 1-2ms is good. 4-8ms is perfectly fine for general use, but for gaming, this is frowned upon, as you can't react as fast with longer response times.
Too subjective to hardware and input latency. Faster response time can be worse in certain situations.
Quote:
Laser vs. Optical - There are certain people who swear by laser mice, while there are other who do the same for optical mice. I personally haven't seen much a different between the two. Laser sensors have no light if you pick up the mouse and look at the sensor. Probably the biggest difference between the two. If the mouse has the DPI you want, I wouldn't worry about laser vs. optical.
Laser vs. optical is nothing more than an illumination source. People are dumb.
Quote:
High DPI - And the ability to switch between different DPI settings - a high DPI allows for quick or precise movement while gaming. The ability to quickly change your DPI settings allow you to be more accurate when you need to be, for example when zooming in with a sniper. For most people, a DPI from 1000-3500 works best. Though, some mice can go up to 5000 DPI or more.
DPI is nothing more than sensitivity. A higher DPI count has nothing to do with being more precise. Anything to do with precision is done on windows/engine level.
 
#11 ·
In my experience, I would say that the Logitech G9x is NOT suitable for fingertip grippers (and perhaps claw grippers). I bought one recently and, while the switchable shell is great for customizing the feel of the body, this also causes me to unintentionally press the thumb buttons when I lift the mouse because the shells contact the button pressure points on the mouse body. Not a problem for regular tasks but it's a PITA for gaming when I tend to grip extra hard in tense situations.

ETA: I forgot to add, this is a nice resource. Thanks for putting this together!
 
#12 ·
Not that I'm a hater but I don't agree with any of the criteria suggested by the guide writer.
Don't look for high cpi or customizable buttons... You don't need that.

The sensor technology guide was more than enough, I think this one will just trick people into buying the most expensive ADNS-9500 mice.
 
#13 ·
Okay, critic mode ON for a second, since I like resources like this and want them to be as good as possible...

I'm not very keen on the "what to look for" section, for a few reasons.
--First, high DPI is only useful for people who use high sensitivity, which is certainly not everyone. Many people get their best results with lower DPI, and for them, higher DPI is not an advantage.
--Secondly, no mention is made of tracking quality. While the DPI of a sensor tells you how sensitive the sensor is, sensitivity is not the same as accuracy, and in many cases, sensors with a high DPI have flaws that compromise their accuracy, such as (unpredictable) acceleration or prediction.
--Thirdly, no mention is made of important aspects of mouse construction, such as weight (especially important), glide quality, sensor position, or switches. After all, if a mouse doesn't move and click the way you mean it to, no degree of tracking quality is going to make it suitable.

Next, the "gaming mice" section. What is the purpose of this section? Is it to provide recommendations, or to compile information?
--If you are trying to provide recommendations, popularity isn't a good way to do it. Popular doesn't mean "good", after all, and doing things that way might scare people off of discovering new mice/brands with potential. The last thing we need is yet another document working to blind people to the fact that there is a world outside of the biggest and most marketing-heavy brands.
--If your goal is to compile information about the most widely available mice, then in order to create a useful resource, you need to focus on digging up information that is harder to find. For example, for each popular mouse, what is the exact model of the sensor used? Does it use a standard or non-standard lens? What is the weight of the mouse? What kind of switches does it use? As things are, you're just repeating information that would be trivial for anyone smart enough to be worth caring amount to find on their own in a few seconds.
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by CorruptEagle View Post

You forget that this a GUIDE, it does not find the best mouse for you. It simply guides you and lets you compare many different mice and easily find one that is in your budget.
You forget that this guide contains a lot of misinformation. Just because it's sticked on reddit doesn't mean it's worthwhile.

The higher priced tier contains mice with bad performance (acceleration, z-axis issues, etc).
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2shellbonus View Post

But, as I pointed out, there are plenty of issues in this guide which could guide you in the wrong direction. Following this guide I would be choosing a mouse with a braided cable and the highest amount of dpi possible and gazillions of buttons or whatever. I don't have any of that. I have a logitech G400 which has none of those things.
But in reality if you want to make a guide, you really need to factor in details that are also important, like the type of wheel encoder - optical or mechanical, how hard the detends are, how stiff or mushy the main buttons are. What material the mouse is made out of. It's weight. It's sensor position and weight distribution. And so on.
Yes - this is a GUIDE that sorts out all the marketing bull that's on the boxes of every gaming mouse. But it's not much use when you dvelve into the technical aspects of each mouse. The components used and so on.
It's propably even good for the complete newbie who is sittinng there and has no idea what DPI is and where ultrpolling factors in and why he should choose ultrapolling over bacon and eggs..
Reminds me of headphones. You can (try to) objectively measure data and qualities, though it's meaningless if comfort or specific properties aren't of your liking.

Subjective guides as this one do a fine job at representing how products are marketed and received, but take no account for the plethora of little things one may encounter. I actually purposely avoid recommending and reviewing mice for this very reason ^^
 
#19 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skylit View Post

Reminds me of headphones. You can (try to) objectively measure data and qualities, though it's meaningless if comfort or specific properties aren't of your liking.
Subjective guides as this one do a fine job at representing how products are marketed and received, but take no account for the plethora of little things one may encounter. I actually purposely avoid recommending and reviewing mice for this very reason ^^
Headphones are a little different since in that area at least seems to be a consensus that the best headphone has a plain freq response.
In mice we seem to have a consensus sensorwise, still the shape, LOD and buttons are quite personal appreciations.
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Methoxetamine View Post

You forget that this guide contains a lot of misinformation. Just because it's sticked on reddit doesn't mean it's worthwhile.
The higher priced tier contains mice with bad performance (acceleration, z-axis issues, etc).
Just a note, it's not stickied to the sidebar of /r/buildapc and there's a reason for that.
 
#22 ·
I'm sad I don't see any Zowie mice anywhere in this guide.
I think it's nice you took the time to write all this up, as I'm sure it took you a bit, but IMO it's lacking in some major areas as pointed out by other members. Hopefully you'll fix those and update it.
smile.gif
 
#24 ·
v 1.5 CHANGE-LOG:
-Added mouse weight for: G400, Xornet, Spawn, Deathadder, Naga, Imperator, Naos 3200, Ikari, Mamba, Sensei.

-Added mouse sensor for: G400, Xornet, Spawn, Deathadder, Naga, Imperator, Naos 3200, Ikari, Mamba, Sensei, G700, G9x, G500, R.A.T 7, Black Element, M60.

-Added new link: MOUSES USING FLAWLESS SENSORS ( http://www.esreality.com/index.php?a=post&id=2024663 )

-Added angle snapping to terms

-Updated response time / refresh rate definition

-Added quote from razer's guide about sensors
 
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