Gaming Mice THREAD/Diary

If there is a more appropriate section for this thread, I apologize...


Just wanted to dedicate a thread to gaming mice and people's experiences. I'm gonna' guess this applies really to gaming enthusiasts and first-person-shooters.
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I've used nothing but Logitech and am currently using the G9. The thing was expensive as hell ($95) but is by far the best mouse I've used to date. Programmable macros with the Setpoint software as well as on-the-fly DPI resolution changes - it's just freaking sweet. Interchangable grips. My K : D ratio on DoD: Source jumped from a steady 1.5:1 to 2.5:1 in general. In counterstrike it didn't jump up much but it definitely makes me more consistent. I use a crappy $5 mouse pad with art printed on it and it glides effortlessly. I didn't want to use a gaming pad because I heard they can wear out the teflon feet of the mouse very quickly.

I use a lower DPI for rifles (K98, Garand) when I play DOD and a higher one for autos (STG44, BAR, Mp40, Tommy gun). This lets me move the mouse more carefully around the screen when aiming long distances across a map, and the with the SMG's I can move the mouse very little and still compensate for the recoil while firing accurately. The G9 also lets me fire support class weapons while standing up fairly accurately now as well.


One con so far, however...I seem to have worn down the left-click button after 3 months of use. If you've ever played DoD: Source, you know the M1 Carbine lets you fire as quickly as you can pull the trigger, and subsequently I've grown accustomed to firing that thing lightning fast. Except now the button's getting sticky and I'm sad Think this is something that could be fixed if I dissected it? Hate like hell to buy another mouse after shelling out $95.00. A lot of people probably consider me CRAZY for shelling out as much money as I did. But it's no different from people who own 17" laptops or 4 TB of hard drive space. I bought it because it makes me happy. It's made my FPS online play in DoD and CS reach a higher level, and that's exactly what I wanted. And because it makes me happy and helps my aim, it was worth the money.

Now let's hear your mouse experiences. This would definitely help out with people shopping for mice online...real-world testimonials.

 

Moved to Accessories forum.

 

The thread been moved while I reading... That was fast lol good job NBR's moderators, I'm impressed .

Right back to topic, I owned one G9 myself too. Its really a nice mouse as pointed out by hankaaron57 but there's one thing that I'm not very happy with;

# The fact that middle mouse button is hard to press annoy me, sometimes I'll accidentally clicked left/right click or scroll the middle button while attempting to click it.

The G9 is my first gaming grade mouse with interchangeable profile which I love, especially it can be set to do it automatically upon specific software is running. That's a big plus and I'm overall happy with my purchased.

[EDIT]

And crash drop by while I'm typing... again I'm impressed .

Ok I know I typed slow but I don't care lol.

 

<ninjatext>

 

You don't need to justify the G9 if that's what you wanted and if you used it then it was worth it. If the mouse is still under warranty contact Logitech and see if there's something they can do about it, or at least ask them for what you should do to fix the sticking left click.

 

That. Would make your life whole lot easier lol.

I would like to see Razer Mamba user's impression though, anyone in the forum owned one? Or has it even release yet Very impressive piece of hardware in terms of technical achievement, maybe I would Google it after this.

 

nope, not released yet. it used to be schedule for a Q1 release, not too sure if that'll hold up. I'm on the list for a review sample, and will post my findings here if/when i recieve it.

 

Good lord I never did the product registration. I wonder if I'm still covered under warranty????

Nic - what game/apps do you use the mouse for that scroll button push is necessary?

 

That would be nice, thank you very much.

There's yet to be a game of mine that middle mouse click is necessary (Or unable to map it to some other button) but I just feel like making full use of all the buttons available to me on the mouse.

 

Logitech warranty is awesome. And on the G9 it's for 3 years. Contact them and see how it goes. They've been great to me.

I'm a Logitech fan for life. I don't like Razer so much. Steelseries products are ok too.

 

i think you're crazy when you buy poor quality stuff when there is much better stuff to be have.

ummm... you might wanna invest in some good mousepad now.

 

any opinions on the reissued intellimouse 3.0?

 

What do you recommend?

 

ever since i got my ROCCAT Taito, I've become a firm believer in textile-based mousepads. Also, an oversized mousepad may sound like a waste, but it's a pretty neat and useful thing to have.

 

I'm also a very satisfied G9 user. For the record, these things have a 3 year warranty. As long as the PID and P/N numbers are still legible on the tag on the USB plug, you should be just fine getting support for it. Also, a good gaming pad will not wear down your mouse feet any faster. I think it was a problem with some older basic acrylic mats, but pretty much anything you can get from Razer or Steelseries will be just fine. And worst case, Logitech offers replacement pads for the mouse and all its grips, for very cheap, if not free. I'm using a Thermaltake Gamma Pad, and I'm quite happy with it. Good surface area, and nice low friction between the pad and teflon feet.

Odd, I've never really had problems with the wheel-click. Silly question, but have you tried setting the wheel to operate in notched mode instead of free-spinning? When you do that, it's much easier to click the wheel without accidentally rotating it forward or backward.

 

I've found that mice that have a big bubble/bulge shape like any of the logitech mice is extremely uncomfortable after several hours of use. The Razer Diamondback and Diamondback 3G are a bit flatter and held with your fingers so your hand is kept in a more natural position and there's no pain even after an entire day of use.

 

I've always found Logitech mice to fit quite naturally in my hand. The G9 comfort grip definitely takes it a step further, though.

 

I agree the claw grip on the G9 is only for precision sniping/aiming in my FPS games. For everyday use I use the comfort grip. But a piece of rubber has begun to flake on the grip now - I need to call Logitech and talk about the warranty and hopefully get this bad boy replaced. Should I call or is there a good online contact?

 

Their online service is just the standard support ticket type of thing. You know, you leave a message of your complaint, get the instant auto-response, wait a day or so for a Logitech rep to ask you for your serial number, date of purchase, time of purchase, clothes worn during purchase, blood type, fingerprint scan, etc. (I exaggerate). Eventually it will get your problem solved, but it will take a while.

It took 6 days for the support reps to agree to send me just a replacement Teflon foot for the custom grip (which I had to install myself anyway); mine came without one. I had to provide all the relevant info, then I had to take a picture of the underside of the grip and send it, then I had to send a Googled pic of the grip as it should be with the grip, then I had to wait for the rep's manager approval, then I had to re-enter all my shipping info.

Like I say, it worked, but probably could have been done quicker.

I recommend just calling them. Phone conversations tend to go much quicker than support tickets, unless you're extremely antisocial.

 

Quite the contrary - I'm good on the phone. Got an ole' faulty Inspiron e1705 replaced with an XPS 1730 from Dell because the motherboard fried. I just wanted to know if Logitech had a good website outlet for this or if there is anyone who's experienced the phone support?? It could go either way with Dell - that's for sure.

Thanks for your story. I will definitely call them sometime this week.

 

Gonna' link this thread over from another for a current deal on a G9 from Amazon. I bought mine for $95.00, so hop on this $48.00 deal if you can!!!!

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=362137

 

Well, I haven't written in this thread in half a year, but it's still relevant. I have been using my G9 everyday for gaming, and the buttons are quite worn. I'd like to get my mouse replaced.

Last time I tried this, my efforts were derailed trying to find a serial number for the mouse. Could someone help me out? I'm trying to just get my mouse replaced with another Logitech G9 because the buttons on this are worn out. Is there a faster way to do this? Over the phone maybe?

 

Since the last time I posted in this thread, I ended up giving the G9 to my girlfriend as a gift, and got myself a Razer DeathAdder, which I've been quite happy with. I find its grip to be a little more natural-feeling than the G9's. It doesn't have quite the insanely high DPI, but I think it suits me better.

Shouldn't your serial number be on a little tag on your USB cord, near the plug?

 

My Logitech MX518 is still alive and kicking after a year and a half. Been playing everything from RTS to FPS. (Hack'n'slash warrants a gamepad).

 

I think I'm gonna' be sick. I threw that away months ago. I was hoping Belarc advisor could find some serial number software wise, but I didn't even see the mouse come up as a general USB device.


Has anyone gotten their mouse replaced with Logitech that's familiar with the system and could help me out?

By the way, I love this mouse. IT is the ultimate. I love it to death. I use the highest DPI setting for gaming. In FPS, having the most accurate mouse is second to nothing. I still can't believe I used to use a wireless one...the difference is night and day.

 

I never could get used to the shape of the G9. My ring and pinkie finger would always hurt.

 

Anyone ever try a Razer Orochi? Sounds like the first gaming grade bluetooth mouse (first gaming grade wireless goes to the G7). I really wouldn't want a receiver sticking out of my laptop. I mean if there's something sticking out, you might as well get a wired mouse. So that's why I was considering the Orochi.

 

What is the DPI on it? I was under the impression the wireless and BT protocols were way too low to provide any real accurate cursor movements.

 

The Orochi has a 4,000 DPI laser sensor, same one as the corded Lachesis, and beyond the original G9. Supposedly its Bluetooth mode is surprisingly good for gaming, although it comes with a detachable USB cable if you want to use it in wired mode or if your batteries die.

 

yea i own one. best mouse ever!!! got it at 50% discount, making it even a sweeter deal. you could say im a deal hunter, got my mamba at 50%, my G51Vx-A1 at 26% off (1252USD vs 1680USD original).

but yea srsly this mouse pwns. the rite amount of customizable buttons. the buttons on the top near the left are way better placed then my copperhead's right side ones. the mouse is perfect tracking on my destructor. it also has the awesome blue glow that matches perfectly with my laptop + copperhead. i guess i need to show you it for you guys to see this awesome mouse, how well it suits me. o yae i forgot to mention...FREAKIN WIRELESS. thats the main point. it srsly has no lag, and it goes on my dock after every use where it charges. it uses trickle charge so you odnt need the computer to be on. wireless really makes it worth it since sometimes i have speakre cable, printer, pwoer cable, external hdd, monitor and it gets really really cluttered. adding a hub and putting it around the back makes things muhc easier. not too mention, you never have to readjust ur wire when it gets stuck.

2morrow iwill take a pic of my desktop, mouse and all. waiting for my asus 23" LCD monitor to arrive. dam G20 summit delayed it.

 

4000 DPI!!
COME ONNNN


I paid $95 for this damn mouse. I hate Moore's Law.

 

Hey, that's just the nature of technology. My 1,800 DPI DeathAdder is commonly considered technologically obsolete (even compared to new DeathAdders, which are 3,500 DPI), but it's still the best gaming mouse I've ever owned.

Just the same, your G9 is still an excellent mouse (when it's in working order, anyway ). Although I recommend that if you do buy another mouse anytime soon, get a G9X; it's physically identical but 5,000 DPI, second only to the Razer Mamba and Naga.

 

haha i wouldnt consider the NAGA as a professional gaming mouse. that mouse only appeals to like a minority of gamers. who would want those 12 buttons on your thumb location, and such an awkward looking mouse... pretty bad design imo

4000dpi, that is nothing, new mouse have 5600dpi!!! haha jk no srsly who uses higher than 3000DPI? i use 2000DPI on my 1080p screen. its pretty good for my screen. i wouldnt use any higher/any lower. dpi is gimmick to lure you in, the new DA and G9x arent revolutionary imo, but i guess there are some ppl in the world who play at super-sensitive speeds.

 

I currently have a logitech vx nano but it doesnt seem to respond well to my new laptop (m17x). i have disabled the synaptics touchpad and now it has less conflicts but still fails sometimes. I may look for a new one. Any suggestions?

 

Since you have an M17X, I'm assuming you intend to use this mouse for gaming.

The VX Nano is really not a mouse meant for gaming. If you want wireless, you may like the Logitech G7 (USB wireless), or the Razer Mamba (USB wireless/wired) or the Razer Orochi (Bluetooth/USB wired). If you don't mind wires, then the possibilities are pretty vast. Do you use a palm-style or claw-style grip?

If you like the palm grip, then you might enjoy the Logitech MX518 (2,000 DPI optical), Logitech G5 (2,000 DPI laser), G9 with the detachable wide-load grip (3,200 DPI, or 5,000 for the G9X, both laser), the Razer DeathAdder (1,800 originally, recently refreshed with 3,500 DPI, both optical), Razer Mamba (5,600 DPI laser).

If you use the claw-style grip, then you might like the Logitech G9/G9X with the Precision grip, or the Razer Lachesis (4,000 DPI laser), Copperhead or Diamondback (I forget the DPI ratings on these, sorry).

 

What is "claw-style grip"? Noob type question I know. I have always used regular type mice. Now that ive ordered my system, I intend to buy a gaming mouse. Right now im leaning towards a Deathadder.

 

Here you go kryptonian, and no worries, as people who talk about mouse grip styles are mega-nerds anyways :

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As for the g9x recommendation, thanks for the notice shroom. Damn mice are progressing so far it's hard to keep track. And for what it's worth, I use 3200 DPI (the highest) for my gaming. Makes a WORLD of difference. DoD: Source requires precision aiming when using the rifles. Recoil and readjust firing on the fly with semi auto and bolt action guns. I could never go back to wireless mice now. And I use both palm and claw style grips. Claw for the rifles, and palm for the auto guns, as I need to continually move the crosshair down to accomodate recoil.

 

Hankaaron57, thank you very much for that! Definitely clarifyed things for me a lot. I keep hearing and seeing people chat about DPI settings and how some of these mice are able to achieve high DPI numbers. What does that translate into "real world" usage? I mean does it make it super sensitive when the DPW is turned all the way up? Example: Playing an FPS game and making the person shoot faster or turn quicker? That sort of thing?

 

Razer also has a nice grip guide on their site, with a few suggestions for each style. They separate into Palm, Claw, and Fingertip grips (fingertip is for really small mice, like the Salmosa, Orochi, and most travel-sized notebook mice):

http://www2.razerzone.com/MouseGuide/html/palmgrip.php

DPI is dots per inch, which is basically a measure of how many "dots" of data the mouse reads per inch of physical movement on your mousepad/desk/whatever. Higher numbers mean more accuracy. Most mice are 800 DPI, which means the mouse reads 800 points of data over the course of moving one inch. The Razer Mamba, on the opposite end of the spectrum, reads 5,600 points of data in the same physical space.

When using two different DPI mice at the same in-game sensitivity settings, the higher DPI mouse will appear faster, because it is feeding more points of data into the game, basically. This can be compensated for by turning down your in-game or in-Windows sensitivity setting, so you get the benefit of high DPI accuracy and precision, without the sometimes overwhelming twitchy speed of high DPI mice. When I had my 3,200 DPI G9, I always set my in-game sensitivity settings to around 1/3 of their default value to prevent the mouse from being too hard to control.

Hope you find this helpful.

 

DPI is basically the resolution at which the lazer/optics coming out from the mouse can turn on a dime. The more DPI [or resolution] you have to deal with, the more closely you could theoretically move your cursor along the screen and point at each individual pixel, because it's so sensitive. I use the MAX DPI (3200) for my mouse's profile, but in-game I have the mouse sensitivity turned down, so I get a good mix of the ability to move my cursor very minutely, but very accurately. This is crucial for my gaming because I use a small, black crosshair option when aiming, and I have to often switch between aiming at a guy's head from 20 feet away to stepping around a corner and pointing at a guy 200 feet away.

So, not shooter faster, but turn quicker yes. You can also adjust the X and Y axes independently of one another on the G9's profile manager. So, if you want to be able to turn quicker than you do aiming up or down, you can.

Typically wireless mice were miles behind wired mice in DPI capability, but apparently over night when I wasn't paying attention they now surpass even my mouse. This was because the 2.4 ghz protocol of wireless transmitting from the little radio transmitter to the USB receiver could only pack so much punch per transmission. It's apparently better now than ever.

More DPI means in a sense more seamless moving of the mouse. More natural. Note the difference between running your screen at 800 x 600 and running it at 1024 x 768. The lower the resolution, the more blocky or pixellated images may look. The more pixels on the screen, the sharper and more detailed images can look. Translate this to the area a mouse has to operate on, and you have more precise aiming. It's the difference between aiming only at a guy's torso on the fly, or aiming for the nose on his face. I think DPI makes a world of difference.

***Edit: posted this at the same time as Master.

 

Thanks for educating me on this subject guys. I am soon joining the world of PC gaming (as soon as my system arrives) and I want to hit the ground running so to speak. Deathadder looks good. if you have any other gaming mice sugguestions feel free to share. Again, thanks!

 

If it helps, I'll explain what I use and why I do. I have a Razer DeathAdder 1,800 DPI optical, which is an ergonomically right-handed mouse. I use the palm-style grip and very low in-game sensitivity. I use this on a Razer eXactMat (speed surface), which is quite large, and perfect for me. The palm-style grip makes it easier to do wider sweeping motions with the mouse, which requires a good amount of surface area on your mousepad/desk/whatever. The way my settings are ideally set up, one full side-to-side sweep of my mouse is about a turn and a half (540 degrees) in-game. Combined with my low sensitivity settings, this makes for my ideal experience: very wide range of motion with my hand and very controlled and precise in-game motion. Long story short: big, fast hand motions = more precise in-game motion. This is commonly called low sensitivity/high speed gaming.

On the other hand, there are players who prefer high sensitivity and claw/fingertip style grips. This means that less physical hand motion is required to achieve insane speed and range of motion in game, often meaning gamers can perform multiple 360 degree turns in one mouse motion. This is often described as "twitch" style, because players can rapidly "twitch" from looking in the other direction to pointing a barrel at your face. This means some subtle accuracy must be sacrificed, but gamers who are good with high sensitivity (usually coupled with the claw grip) can pull off very impressive instinctive actions, leading to surprisingly unlikely kills that may not work with lower sensitivity or a different grip style. Fittingly, this is referred to as high sensitivity/low speed style of play.

Of course, none of this is concrete. You can mix and match whatever grip style you like with whatever sensitivity settings you work best with. Plenty of gamers have maxed out sensitivity and palm grip their mice, or claw grip at low sensitivity. And there are plenty who change it up, too. Palm grip for certain games, claw for others, or even switching for different situations within a game. Same goes for sensitivity; some will keep it high and twitchy for run & gun play, but tone it down for greater precision when sniping.

Like I say, it's all about what's good for you. Some experimentation may be required to find out *your* ideal combination. However, keep in mind that it's best to at least figure out your preferred grip style before choosing a mouse, because that is a significant factor.

Jeeze, if I put half the effort I put into these posts into my English papers...

 

Thanks for the specifics

 

Im more the wireless kind even if it means losing performance. I like the looks and portability of the orochi, is bleutooth a good technology to use with a mouse?

 

Bluetooth is great if your laptop has a BT card installed. The Orochi has an optional USB wired mode if you want even better performance.

 

I have been using the new Microsoft Sidewinder X8 for about 2 weeks now, if anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask! Some quick stats:

- On-the-fly DPI Switching, up to 4000dpi.
- 2.4GHz wireless (no noticeable lag at all!), with quick USB magnet plugin to recharge
- Bluetrack technology (can work on most surfaces)
- LED Screen showing DPI settings
- Macro recording capabilities (yet to figure out how it works)
- Interchangeable mouse feet/pad things (can't tell the difference between them)
- Ergonomically designed for right-hand use
- Good for both "palm-grip" and "tiger-claw" style gaming lol (Kung-fu voice: "your palm-grip style is no match for my tiger-claw!")
- Sweet and stylish design with smooth surfaces and backlit LED lighting

Any other questions, let me know!

 

Mastershroom, thanks for the great explanation of high sens vs low sens; I've been looking around for a good comparison. +rep

Do high sens gamers typically want max dpi + raise in game sens? Where does Windows mouse sensitivity factor into the two styles?

 

High sensitivity gamers tend to prefer high DPI. Windows sensitivity is just another way of setting the exact same thing as in-game sensitivity, except it affects everything in Windows, not just within one program/game.

 

Thanks again!

 

How do you like it? Im looking for a good gaming mouse, and Im no closer now then I was 2 weeks ago when I started looking. Too many to choose from..