Best cheap gaming mouse?

Hey all,

I've been using this mouse for nearly a decade: http://www.mousearena.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/logitech-optical-mouse-2.jpg. Is there any modern mouse that's simlar in reliabilty/quality/accuracy but is wireless and isn't overly expensive? Also, I've always enjoyed this mouse because the middle button responds very quickly (near instantly)---do modern wireless mice do that, or must it be wired to be instant? Cuz the mouse I returned yesterday (Microsoft Wireless Mouse 6000) didn't instantly respond when I clicked the middle button, and I'm unsure if it was just a defective one or not.

TYIA!

 

Ambidextrous, wireless, and game-worthy response/DPI? That's a difficult set of requirements to meet. The closest mouse that comes to mind is the Razer Orochi, but it isn't exactly cheap. For general use, you usually can't go wrong with Logitech's non-gaming mice. I love the VX Nano, and its successor, the Anywhere Mouse MX, should be both comfortable and reliable. On the flipside, it's still pricey and I'm not sure the middle mouse button will be to your liking. I also use a Logitech M305 which is decent enough for everyday use. Nothing remarkable though. It has a nice, "clicky" middle mouse button that would probably suit you better than the VX/MX, although I rarely put it to use so I couldn't say for sure.

 

I'm right handed, so doesnt need to be ambidextrous

Regarding the middle button's response time, what I mean is like if you go to craiglist and search something for instance, and there's a bazillion results and if you want to open a new tab for each, you'd click the middle button on each link, right? With my oldschool mouse, I could click click click click click and they'd all open one right after the other instantly. With that mouse yesterday (MS 6000), there'd be a delay in between each middle click, like as if it took a while to respond cuz of the mouse either being sucky or cuz it was wireless.

I want something that response as fast as my old mouse and wireless. Please advise if there's something like that. Also, please enlighten me re: if the mouse yesterday was defective or not. I've had MS wired optical before, and it never failed me (was a basic optical for $20 in 2001).

 

They're both a bit pricey, but the Razer Mamba and Logitech G700 are the two current top-tier wireless gaming mice.

The Mamba has 7 programmable buttons and a responsive clickable scroll wheel. It's also been very recently upgraded to a 6,400 DPI dual laser/optical sensor.

The G700 is a bit cheaper, with 5,700 DPI and a few more buttons. Not sure about the scroll wheel, since I haven't used it.

If these are both too expensive, check out the Logteich G7 and Microsoft Sidewinder x8. These have 2ms response times instead of 1ms and they're older models, but they're both still solid wireless gaming mice.

 

+1 to checking out older models. Still offer excellent performance at a cheap price point.

 

I don't need a "gaming grade" mouse, like these $50+ mice. Any regular non-gaming grade mouse will do, but it's that middle button that bothered me... Any other suggestions, and do you think the mouse I returned was just defective?

 

Then your thread title ("Best cheap gaming mouse") is a bit misleading

 

Hmmm this might be a go to best buy and walk down the aisle checking the middle click of every mouse you see situation. The cheap mouse that I can think of is a Logitech G5, but its not wireless :/

 

anything decent and wireless is going to be $50 and more. i'd suggest looking at mice around $50 and wait for a sale or coupon.

 

Well, I want to use it for gaming and also have it be portable. That Razer Orochi might do both, but the middle button/wheel looks really flimsy from all the pix I've seen. It always looks like its going to fall right off or is tilted to the side from poor construction.

Might try that

I'm willing to spend $50 if it's good. My oldschool optical mouse seems to work well for gaming, so I'd like something that's AS responsive and AS high-quality in terms of build/construction quality. The MS one I got the other day was flimsy feeling out of the box. The demo one was way more durable for some reason... shady stores.

 

The orochi has a pretty solid constrution, the problems lie elsewhere, sleep-wake issues, poor bluetooth mode causes freezing, very uncomfortable for palm gripper, and i found it a frustrating task to connect the wire to the mouse.

 

The Orochi's wheel isn't going anywhere. Bluetooth mode isn't really good for gaming though; it's inherently laggy and it does go to sleep if you leave it motionless long enough.

 

I am tempted to try the MS Comfort mouse 6000 (not the wireless mouse) myself. $29.99...but my mouse doesn't need replacing.

 

The Razer Orochi middle mouse wheel/button is fine. It's actually more stiff than most other mouse wheels I've used. However, the Razer Orochi is not cheap. It sells for $60-$70, and rarely can be found cheaper than that.

There is also a big difference between a "gaming" mouse and a "mouse-that-can-be-used-for-gaming". A "gaming" mouse is typically high-end, and usually starts at around $40-$50 for the wired versions. But even if you don't buy a "gaming" mouse, any mouse you buy can be used to play games.

Think of it like buying a "fast" car, or a "car-that-can-be-driven-fast". If you tell someone you want to buy a "fast" car, they will point you to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche. But if all you want is a "car-that-can-be-driven-fast", then even a Honda Civic can do a decent job at that.

To answer your question:

* High-performance, inexpensive wired mouse: Logitech MX518. Rock solid reputation, great history of reliability, and great performance for your money. $35 USD.

* Portable, high-quality, general-purpose wireless mouse: Logitech Marathon (M705) mouse. Good all-purpose wireless mouse, with batteries that last nearly forever.

 

agreed. go with the 518.

 

My cousin has the 518, and it's too big. I'm a "claw gripper" if I'm looking at photos correctly. The MS Wireless 6000 was perfect size for me, and my basic Logitech optical is even more perfecter in size. I prefer wireless so that I don't have to deal with wires all over the place while I'm away from home.

I'm sick of MS's flimsiness. Is the Logitech m705 Marathon any good? It looks pretty nice in the photos.

 

this one is hard to get, but see if you can find it

a4tech XG-760

X7-Products

good build-quality, bags of features, and price is only $20 usd in my place
I wrote the summary of features here http://forum.notebookreview.com/accessories/573062-best-wireless-gaming-mouse-5.html#post7600009

 

i have the vx nano. was actually a little smaller than i preferred but i got used to it and now regular size mice feel humongous. i think the vx nano has been replaced with another mouse. i don't know how it fares in games overall. i tend to use joysticks when i do play fps, and dabbled lightly with mice. it worked fine for me. but that's me. not playing competitive or seriously and not liking kb/mouse game play. great battery life too.

 

Man, I wish that I could TRULY demo mice at the stores...it's too bad they're all off.

 

Best cheap gaming mouse is like the 2nd name for a MX518 - it goes on sale quite cheap and its performance rivals mice that cost 2x more.

 

How about the AW Tact X mouse? In Europe they still cost like 40€ but if I remember correctly they are insanely cheap in the States.

 

The Alienware TactX is a rebranded Logitech G9 mouse (not a G9X), with AlienFX lighting.

It's fine if you want an Alienware mouse. But if you want a cheap gaming mouse, look elsewhere. Like the Logitech MX518.

 

Are there any wireless mice that might be suitable for gaming, and also have a wired mode too, besides the Razer one? I wish I could see the Orochi in person to be assured that it's made of high quality non-flimsy plastic, and that the wheel doesn't look as flimsy and about-to-fall-off like the photos.

 

Logitech G700.

Orochi's build quality is good, you don't need to worry about it.

 

Wait, is the G700 a wireless AND wired? Or is the wire it comes with only a charging cable? Cuz I hope to have wired, meaning full responsiveness of the mouse, and wireless for while I'm at the library or somewhere cramped.

How about the Razer one?

I definitely like the Razer's look more, cuz I don't need a bazillion kagillion buttons in my way.

 

The G700 can be used wired or wireless. The cable does charge the battery, but also allows you to use the mouse a wired mouse. But the G700 has full 1,000Hz polling and 1ms response in both wired and wireless modes, so you don't really gain any performance by going wired.

The Orochi uses Bluetooth wireless rather than USB, which is inherently relatively high-latency, at around 8ms response time. Virtually unnoticeable in normal browsing and use, but it's not so good at fast-paced gaming. When you plug it in, you get the full 1,000Hz polling and 1ms response, like any other gaming mouse.

I have the Orochi. Its build quality is quite sturdy, and the wheel is in no danger.

 

Does the G700 come with a battery that's rechargeable? How about the Orochi?

The Logitech sounds really good because of fast response time even when wireless, which is really nice. The fact that it can be wired is cool too, for recharging (which will be like the only time it needs to be wired, right?)

 

Not sure about the G700, though I would expect it to. The Orochi uses two regular AA batteries and does not charge them via the cable.

As for the G700, yes, battery charging is the only practical application of wired mode, since it performs the same wired and wireless.

 

The Logitech G700 comes with a Sanyo Eneloop NiMH rechargeable battery, that can be directly recharged in the mouse through the G700's USB cable.

The Razer Orochi comes with 2xAA alkaline batteries. You could always put rechargeable batteries in the mouse yourself if you wanted. There is no way to charge the batteries while installed in the mouse.

Personally, if you are going with the Razer Orochi, I would recommend you buy a pair of AA Lithium batteries, because they are lighter. AA alkaline batteries tend to shift the balance of the mouse towards the rear, whereas AA Lithium batteries make the mouse more center-balanced.

In most cases, you are correct.

The other situation when you would want to go wired is if there is a lot of interference where you are... if you are near 2.4Ghz wireless phones, near microwave ovens, or near a lot of other people using wireless mice (e.g. a LAN gaming event).

The cable on the Logitech G700 is pretty stiff, so you will feel some cable resistance if you use it in wired mode. So keep that in mind before buying... a wireless mouse is not simply a better version of a wired mouse that has the extra nice-to-have benefit of being wireless. There are definitely drawbacks to going wireless.

 

The most important thing with a mouse is its comfort. This is very individual, as people hold their mice differently. You should go to a local computer store, and try the different models out. Pick the one you find comfortable.

I have a lot of razer mice (as seen in my sig). The best one I own atm is the Naga. Even though the Naga does not come cheap, I recommend you to check it out. It is really comfortable to hold.

Remember: Comfort is number one. A mouse that is not comfortable can do serious damage to your hand/wrist.

 

Does it matter if the laptop has Bluetooth 3.0? would that cut down on the latency for the Orochi? I've never used any bluetooth devices, but was interested in a bluetooth mouse, because you dont need a usb reciever for it.

 

Nope, Bluetooth 3.0 doesn't matter. That affects bandwidth, not latency.

I would not consider the Razer Orochi to be a wireless gaming mouse. I would consider it to be a wired gaming mouse, that happens to coincidentally have a non-gaming wireless mode.

 

^Agreed. I use mine in Bluetooth mode in class and for just general browsing stuff. If I'm going to game with it, I plug it in. Luckily, the cable is only 3 feet long and it tucks neatly into the included carrying pouch, which is nice.

As for the Naga, it may be comfortable, but keep in mind whether or not you need 12 thumb buttons

 

I'm leaning more towards a mouse that can game while wired or wireless and have the same responsiveness, and also have a good middle click (the scroll wheel's click). If the G700 is it, then I'm gonna have to find a good deal then, cuz the cheapest I see is $80total on amazon.com: Amazon.com: Logitech Wireless Gaming Mouse G700: Electronics. But by the looks of it, it might be kinda big, and more for the "palm grip" user, which isn't me. If it's sized like the MX 518: Amazon.com: Logitech MX 518 High Performance Optical Gaming Mouse (Metal): Electronics, then I don't think I'll get it, cuz my cousin has the 518, and it's huge and uncomfortable to use while doing the "claw grip", which is how I've always held mice (petite hands here).

This is how I hold my mouse: Claw Grip- Razer Gaming Mouse Advisor - Razer™ | For Gamers. By Gamers.™, and sometimes like this if I'm feeling fun: On The Fly - Razer Gaming Mouse Advisor - Razer™ | For Gamers. By Gamers.™

EDIT: Forgot to add that I like mice that have TWO separate buttons for left and right clicks. These modern mice seem to be made of one sheet of plastic which flexes, instead of old school style with TWO distinct buttons. I seriously wish we could demo mice at the stores

 

Hey guys,

Please see attached pic. Am I a "claw grip" user? Just wanted to make sure lolz.

Note: I hold all mice like this. There's about 1/4-1/2" of gap space between the rear of the mouse and my palm.

TYIA!

 

That looks like a fingertip grip, which is pretty much a specific type of claw grip. With a normal claw grip, your hand rests on the back of the mouse; with a fingertip grip, only your fingers touch the mouse; the palm of your hand does not rest on the back of the mouse.

 

Ah ha! So are there any mice marketed towards claw or finger-tip grip? The razer site only has the guide, but doesn't really recommend any of their mice toward a particular model besides the one in the pic, which is only 1 mouse per grip style lolz.

 

I hold my mouse the same way as you do. I find all the mice I have (see my sig) superb to use. Especially the Naga. I always fingertip grip my mouse.

 

Went to Staples this morning to check out some mice. The Logitech ones are all very nice and comfy. They had a "Marathon" mouse which was pretty nice. Also, an "MX" mouse which was nice too. They were a bit pricey though, so I'm gonna wait to see if they drop next month.

 

Wireless gaming mouses aren't exactly cheap. You have to shell out $40+ moneyz for a GOOD wireless mouse. My Cousin has a Logitech m705 Marathon, it's quite impressive and has a hyperscrolling feature and it comes at $45 bucks. The middle button is pretty good on that machine and with standard 2 AA batteries you can get 3 years of battery life, you can also just use 1 AA battery but that's up to you.

 

A Honda Civic gets a lot more gas mileage than a Ferrari. But the two cars don't belong in the same sentence together, because the difference in performance is so great.

Logitech m705 Marathon Mouse:
DPI: 1000dpi
USB Polling rate: 125Hz
Two side buttons

Logitech G700 Gaming Mouse:
DPI: 5700dpi
USB Polling rate: adjustable up to 1000Hz
Four side buttons, plus three additional top-left buttons
On-the-fly DPI adjustment for up to 5 profiles.
Allows keystroke binding to mouse buttons.
Allows different performance profiles on a per-application basis.

 

I don't think m705 marathon is 1600 dpi.
I think it's around 800~1000 dpi

 

Yep, you are right. Post updated

 

Well duh, BUT the G700 is VERY expensive and he wants a subpar wireless gaming mouse and I've tested the M705, you don't need anything with DPi higher then 800DPi. Also the M705 has one phantom button that is in the grip but I don't think you can customize its macros. If you can afford the G700, get it, don't think twice.

 

Microsoft Comfort Mouse 6000

I picked this up during some business travel so that I could enjoy Portal 2 and I was a bit surprised at how well it worked with such basic features. It reminded me of the old Explorer mouse (which at the time it came out was my favorite).

I use an MS Habu mouse at home.

 

Yah, I think that's the mouse I was looking at at Staples. It's pretty nice size for me too.

Btw, your sig is hilarious. I kept clicking out of curiosity hhahahah!

 

I think this is the cheapest mouse , and its "Gaming" you can play with the mouse too!

 

Haha lol, thanks. Trust me, the mouse it pretty good.

 

is mx518 still there?
I am using it for like 5 years and its still strong
Price tag was around $40-50

 

I have a feeling BT3.0 will have reduced latency its using 802.11 wireless now but the .important thing to note is that even if you have a BT3.0 card the device must also be BT3.0 to take advantage of it.