Help me choose a mouse

I want to buy a mouse for my laptop. I am thinking a wireless one but any good suggestions will do. I am going to use it for everyday things like email, web, etc. I also will play 2 games (Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3) as well as do some video editing. I don't know the specs of mice and how to tell which are faster and more accurate and stuff, but If someone could explain that would be helpful. I don't want the mouse to have a lot of buttons, it doesn't need to be too fancy, I just want it to be able to respond quick and be smooth, accurate, and comfortable. If anyone knows of any discounts or coupons that would be great too. Thanks alot!

 

What would be your price range? First thing I thought of when you said wireless was the Razer Mamba.

 

not looking to spend too much unless there is a HUGE difference in performance. I want like a mid-range mouse I guess.

 

go with a mamba

 

Lol.

You mention that you wanted a wireless mouse that doesn't need to be fancy... and two people automatically recommend the Razer Mamba, one of the most expensive and highest-end wireless mice you can buy. That is the equivalent of asking some car questions, and people automatically saying "You should buy a Ferrari." That advice doesn't help you very much.




Let me try to answer your questions:

When you are looking at computer mice, there are three things that matter when it comes to performance:

1) DPI (dots-per-inch). This number rates the sensitivity of the imaging sensor in the mouse. In general, higher is better. A gaming-grade mouse will have DPI ratings that start at 3200dpi, and go all the way up to 6400dpi or higher. However, in reality, you only need to look for a minimum DPI of ~3200dpi. Anything higher than about 2000dpi is going to be wasted. So just look for a mouse that has "good enough" DPI of around 3200dpi, and move on.

2) Polling rate. This number is measured in either Hz or ms. This number determines how often your computer will be requesting data from the mouse, and updating the cursor position on the screen. This number is what determines the "smoothness" or "laggyness" of your mouse movement. Any mouse you buy will have a USB polling rate of at least 125hz or 8ms. The highest-end gaming-grade mice will have USB polling rates of 1000Hz or 1ms.

3) Feel. This is entirely personal. How does the mouse feel in your hand? How is the shape? How is the weight? The best place to find this out is to go to a retail store that has mice on display, or buy your mice from places that have a good return policy.





If you want to get started on two mice that will not break the bank, I would recommend you start with these two. I've also mentioned the Razer Mamba, for comparison purposes:

Logitech M705 Marathon Mouse (~$35 USD)

This mouse is targeted as non-gaming productivity use. The specs are ~1200dpi and 125Hz / 8ms polling rate. The performance here is great for general productivity use, and has "good enough" performance for gaming use. The big benefit here is that this mouse has battery life that lasts nearly forever (3 years on a pair of AA alkaline batteries).

If you just want a simple, reliable, inexpensive wireless mouse, this is the one to get.





Logitech G700 Gaming Mouse (~$70 USD)

This is a top-end gaming-grade wireless mouse. The specs are up to 5700dpi and 1000Hz / 1ms polling rate. The performance here is going to be great for both general productivity use and gaming use. This mouse operates in both wireless and detachable USB wired modes, and will recharge the batteries in the mouse when connected via USB cable. The drawback to this mouse (and any gaming-grade wireless mouse) is that the battery life suffers because of the high performance. Expect about 1-3 days on high USB polling rate settings (500Hz or 1000Hz), and longer battery life on lower USB polling rate settings (125Hz).

If you want a relatively inexpensive top-end gaming mouse, this is the one to get:




Razer Mamba (~$130USD)

This is a top-end gaming-grade wireless mouse from Razer. The specs are up to 6400dpi and 1000Hz / 1ms polling rate. Performance is going to be fantastic for both general productivity use and gaming use. Like the Logitech G700, the mouse operates in both wireless and USB wired modes. The mouse will recharge its internal batteries either through its USB cable, or by mounting the mouse on its "dock" that is used as a both a recharging station and wireless receiver station. Expect about 18 hours of use on wireless mode.

The big differentiating factor for this mouse is that it has an adjustable lighting system, so you can customize the color of the lights.

The big drawback for this mouse is its "dock". It is a relatively bulky item that does nto lie flat in a laptop case or backpack, making this mouse non-ideal for people that travel with their laptops and their mice. And it's also ridiculously expensive for the performance you get. You end up paying a premium for the lighting effects and the Razer brand name.

 

I see that you're mainly using this mouse for everyday tasks rather than a full blow gaming mouse. There are only two mice I would recommend for the use you described and that would be the Logitech MX Performnace or the Logitech MX Anywhere. Both are top of the line mice that track on EVERYTHING including glass. These mice have just enough buttons and a scroll wheel capable of either click scrolling or free spinning.

Prior to getting my G700 recently (I wanted a dedicated gaming mouse) I used a MX Performance mouse and it was easily one of the best if not the best mouse I've ever used. It is very versatile and I played many first person shooters with no noticeable lag. The only reason I went with the G700 is because I wanted the extra buttons. The MX Performance lasted about 3 weeks on a single charge and I believe the MX Anywhere will last over one month. I chose the MX Performance because I like full size mice. If you want something a little more portable, go with the MX Anywhere.

Lastly, I would stay away from mice like the Mamba. It is a dedicated gaming mouse that isn't very portable at all. You have to take the base station everywhere with you and it is just another peripheral you need to carry. Mice like the MX series can be charged with a USB cable and can still be used while they are charging. Thre wireless USB receiver for the MX series and most Logitech mice for that matter can remain plugged into your notebook even during transportation. It is so small, you don't even see it sticking out when looking at your notebook. It is literally impossible to snap off due to it's super small size. I believe it is the smallest receiver in the market.

 

my vote goes to Logitech mouse. I've just switched from M310 to M705. Battery last for long and it's cute. good for travelers.

 

Been using this mouse for a year plus. Great all around reliable mouse.