Why get a gaming mouse?

What is the point? I'm looking into getting a new mouse soon, and I am just curious why people buy a gaming mouse w/ 9 programmable buttons and 5600 dpi. what is dpi?

Programmable buttons just seem like they would get in the way to me. the mouse I've been using is an old kensington pocketmouse pro with a retractable usb. It works out fine for me but it is falling apart and I am looking for an upgrade. it has the left/right click buttons and a scroll wheel. And even when gaming it's never really let me down. It doesn't seem slow.

anyway, I don't really know how much sense i was making, but I'm just wondering why a specific gaming mouse and programmable buttons makes it better. Any insight would be great.

Thanks.

 

well, for one thing, with a gaming mouse you can move it faster across the screen, and the "lag" between your hand movement and the corresponding movement on the screen is smaller. Regarding the programmable buttons, its a matter of personal preference; however in most competitive games you use the buttons to keybind to actions you perform most often, thus saving a fraction of a second, and freeing up some keyboard space (this is especially relevant if you play f.x. a PVP Mage in WoW; the amount of keybinds you need is sort of mind boggling)

 

I love my Logitech G500. I got it as a warranty replacement for when my G9 broke. It got it because of all the buttons and being able to adjust the DPI from directly on the mouse. When I play my FPS games I need to be able to assign all the buttons for specific functions so I can pwn noobs more effectly and efficiently, and it works. The one thing I do not like with the Logitech gaming mice is their cords. It seems like all the mice I use, the cords fray and fade, and eventually fail. That was what happened on my first G9 mouse. Also some people like the detachable weights that you can put inside the mice to adjust the weights.

 

personally, i went for a gaming mouse cause i game, and i felt i needed one. however. now that ive been using it, i LOVE this mouse. i use a razer deathadder. its EXTREMELY comfortable, and the side buttons dont get in the way. i only use one, but it is perfect for me for the crouch button.

 

I don't particularly game all that much, I just find gaming mouses mroe comfortable to use.

 

If you don't play, the price difference is not worth it...
I bought a simple small mouse for office work that costed ~ 15 euros and I am really happy.

 

I agree with Gracy, on my old xps I used a standard Microsoft PS/2 Optical mouse. Even when I played original BF2 it was awesome. Plus it was really cheap.

 

Didn't cost anymore than a higher end "consumer" mice. I spend as much as I have to on comfortable computer peripherals. Not going to take a chance with carpal tunnel.

 

Normal mice don't have bright flashy lights with multiple color >.>

 

There are two main factors that make gaming mice attractive to gamers: DPI and response time.

For reference, your "normal" office mouse will usually have 800 DPI or so, and 125Hz polling/8ms response time. Pretty much any gaming mouse these days has at least 2,000 DPI, and 1,000Hz polling/1ms response.

DPI is a measure of dots per inch, essentially how much movement data the mouse can process in a given amount of physical motion. Higher is better, although the difference becomes almost negligible beyond a certain point unless you're at an extremely high resolution.

Polling rate is directly tied into response time, aka latency. A higher polling rate = data is sent more quickly between the mouse and the computer. 8ms is pretty standard for normal mice, either wired or wireless. The majority of gaming mice have 1ms response times, although a few earlier wireless models (like the G7) have 2ms. More recent wireless models have 1ms just like the wired ones, though.

As for the amount of buttons and ergonomics, that's pretty much all down to personal preference. Some people like as many buttons as they can physically cram onto a mouse, like the Razer Naga. Others enjoy a very basic 2-button symmetrical design, like the Razer Salmosa. Some people like adjustable weights, like the Logitech G9. And there are plenty of other designs and features as well.

Long story short, pretty much any gaming mouse these days is more than good enough in terms of specifications. What it all comes down to is what you like in terms of comfort and features.

 

The biggest reason why I bought my G500 was the form factor (amazing feel in my hand, perfect fit) and its own internal memory. I reprogrammed my mouse keys to "[]*-" and anywhere I plug my mouse into, it will stay programmed to that. Makes it easy to swap from desktop to laptop during lan parties.

 

Gaming Mouse = More healthy way to surf/game. If you use a cheap mouse, expect carpel tunnel symptoms in the future.

I used to use a non gaming mouse and had to go see a specialist about my hand shaking/twitching. Ever since I invested 100$ on the G9X, I've never looked back. My hand took 1-2 months to heal, but it hasn't shaked once!

 

Ok... to be more specific:

What I do:

* Office work (documents, emails)
* Browsing
* Chatting
* Movies
* Music
* Sometimes but almost never simple games to chill out


Where:

* On the desk
* At work
* On the couch-table (often with trackpad)
* Most often - on my lap (using trackpad, as the mouse is unpractical)
* In the car (again trackpad, no mouse)

The best mouse for me (been using it for over a month now and absolutely happy):



Costs about 15 euros, very compact which is important (Hell, I don't want to carry a big gaming mouse in my backpack everyday, that's rediculous... gaming mouses AREN'T mobile) and also very silent (the clicking noise), which is also very important to me.

It is offered in different colors (black, blue, red...)

 

With all my respect - if you play games 8-12 hours a day that's the least that will happen to your body and mind!!

I've been using cheap mouses for 10 years now and still have my hands working fine too...

 

That has a lot more to do with the ergonomics of the mouse, rather than the "gaming" features. The reason that the Logitech G9X is better for you is because of better ergonomics than your old mouse. The Logitech G9X also happens to be a "gaming" mouse, but that is just a coincidence.

As an example: The Logitech Performance MX is not a "gaming" mouse, because it uses a relatively low DPI sensor (est. 1700dpi) and has a relatively low polling rate (125Hz) when compared to true "gaming" mice. But it has fantastic ergonomics, and will help avoid forcing your wrist into weird positions that aggravate RSI and CTS.

 

Ok, thank you very much for your input.


Now, the one thing that DOES bother me about my set up is my mouse pad. I got it as a freebie and it is really thin and just sticks to the desk. Even after a half hour of browsing, however, my wrist starts to hurt. Would you guys suggest a different mouse pad? Maybe one of those with a gel wrist rest? what do you guys use?

 

I'd definitely get something with a wristpad. My Razer eXactMat included a memory foam wristpad that is extremely comfortable, and the Vespula has something similar as well.

I'm not saying you have to go out and get an aluminum gaming pad, but I'm just sharing my experience here. If you go to Best Buy or Office Max, you should be able to find plenty of mouse pads with integrated wrist cushions, or even standalone wristpads that you can use in conjunction with the mouse pad you already have.

 

You don't have any problems with the scrolling wheel then? Its very rough to use the scrol wheel click option by pushing it down. Ofc there are plenty of other buttons available but I expected everything to work from my G500.
The g5 had the same problem btw.
My next mouse will probably be a plain mouse, with more than 3 buttons, and probably for half the price, working just as good for most games. The higher dpi settings are useless to me.

 

Still using my Logitech MX Revolution.
But im considering getting a new mouse for ny next notebook and Logitech Performance Mouse MX (M950) looks okay.
Its the same design and has that small USB dongle that doesent stick out from the notebook.

 

The reason I buy "gaming"-grade devices is because they are usually better-built and more durable than standard peripherals. In my experience, they last longer as a result.

I always invest in top-dollar input devices (screen, keyboard, mouse) because those are the means of your interaction with the computer. The right mouse/keyboard/etc. can greatly improve your computing experience.

 

For those interested in solid aluminum billet mouse pads (or pads made with and offer a metal surface), I would strongly urge you to reconsider. The surface scratches easily and in time, wears out the teflon feet of your mouse quicker than a synthetic plastic mouse pad.

 

I think you're overestimating it. I've been using my eXactMat, purchased in 2008, on my original 2007 DeathAdder until I bought the refresh in 2009, which I used until I got my Mamba earlier this year. The mat and all my mouse feet are just fine.

 

I don't necessarily buy gaming mice, but I tend towards them for better weight distribution and ergonomics. I don't give a damn about buttons, lights, or dpi beyond a pair of forward/back browser buttons and enough responsiveness so that if my hand moves, the cursor does too.

I did care about dpi once, when I played FPS games and poll rates were all over the board. Now, I don't play those and polling is fast enough for what I do play.

 

As far as i know, my exactmat is in good condition after 10 months of usage , im not sure if my teflon feet has degraded (seems fine to me). But i do like how nicely my mouse glides along the surface and i only use the control side as i like its tactile feedback. However, i did originally use the wristrest and the razer logo on it rubbed off in a month, i have since ditched the wristrest as i fine it affects my gameplay.

 

gaming mouse tend to be ergonomic , which i like because normal mouses are made ambidexterous , we talk about comfort here

gaming mouses have higher accuracy ( im not sure how it works IRL when doing surfing but i found my clicks to be more accurate especially when hitting small links compare to me using normal mouse or touchpad )

last is that , gaming mouse have more buttons , means volume control , media controls , alt tab switch programs are all in your fingertips

 

Same here. My DeathAdder that I used On my eXactMat since 08 untill I got the 3500 dpi is still on the original feet.

Razer OMGBBQ

 

It will still be on its original feet if you dont replace it, but new feets usually lose that "out of the box" smoothness in a week.

 

A lot of that depends on the surface you are using. I use a ratpad and my mice feet stay buttery smooth.

 

In my opinion all you need is a good wrist rest, I use just this basic one that I don't even think has a name but it works great



And I use it alongside with a basic Logitech LS1, I don't do much gaming but when I do it works fairly well.