Should I buy a $100 mouse?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > Should I buy a $100 mouse?

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

I bought a new MX 518 in November 2010 for $25. My old one is at the office and gets daily use, but the new one only gets use at home if I'm playing SC2. With D3 coming out, I've got the itch again to buy a new mouse, and of course I'd get the G400. The question is, is there really any reason to spend the $35? Isn't the G400 basically the MS 518 with a 4th, higher DPI option?

And to show you just how old school I am, I'm still rocking a Ratpadz GS from 2002. :chord:

Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 10:23 on May 13, 2012

# ¿ May 13, 2012 10:15

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 10:06

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

HalloKitty posted:

I have a Ratpadz before there were any options or names, before it was called the "XT", before the GS was invented as a thinner, cheaper alternative. The logo has almost entirely gone, and it is curved as hell because I use it on an armchair.

Absolutely fantastic mousing surfaces, I'd recommend them always. Only problem is, they don't wear out, ever, so I don't see how they can make money from old customers.

I actually have my original Ratpadz as well, but it became warped (center is raised) and the feet don't keep it still. Ratpadz GS is amazing, though my roommate's Steelseries surface is pretty legit.

# ¿ May 14, 2012 01:04

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Any suggestions for an affordable mousepad? The thinner the better, the slicker the better.

# ¿ May 17, 2012 12:33

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

aherdofpenguins posted:

I have two mouses, and I'm trying to figure out why one works on my shiny, black table (no mousepad) and why the other doesn't.

I don't really have a link to the one that does work, but this is the one that doesn't:
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-910-001265-Bluetooth-Mouse-M555b/dp/B002GYVSOK

Optical mice in general are terrible on reflective surfaces. Logitech darkfield is the only tech I've seen that will work on clear glass. Assuming you want a desktop mouse, this is what you should get: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Performance-Mouse-Mac/dp/B002HWRJBM

It's not bluetooth, but nothing is these days, and power consumption on this will be better over RF anyway. It uses one of those Logitech Unified super tiny USB receivers, so if you get a wireless Logitech keyboard in the future, you won't need to add another receiver.

# ¿ May 24, 2012 16:37

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

tomm posted:

My Deathadder is starting to die on me after about 3 years or something. Feels like I've had it forever. It has served me well.

So I need a replacement. Budget is like �50 or something I guess, not too fixed on a budget, I just like the simplicity of the Deathadder. I don't need a bunch of fancy buttons or whatever. Could probably do with a new surface also.

The Logitech G400 only has 2 thumb buttons as extras.

As for a mousing surface, I've actually grown fond of my $3 generic fabric mousepad. Best part is that it's 12" x 9".

# ¿ Jun 6, 2012 11:01

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

macnbc posted:

So I've got a laptop I'm going to use for gaming on the road coming in the next week. Does anyone have a recommendation for a bluetooth mouse to go along with it?

I'm currently leaning towards the Razer Orochi (since I can switch it to wired if the batteries die), with the Logitech V470 also looking not bad.

I'm not beholden to either though, so is there something else out there I should be looking at?

I would look into the Logitech MX Anywhere. Much better battery life than a BT alternative.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2012 07:44

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

How are trackballs for gaming? I've tried them in the past for fun and couldn't really get the hang of them, and they seem like they'd be fine for FPS's, but they seem like they wouldn't work very well for RTS's, especially something like Starcraft or Diablo where you have to kite.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2012 08:58

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

amitlu posted:

No, but it's sensor had a bug where whenever you would lift the mouse and put it back down the cursor would jump up and to the right. You could actually make the mouse travel across the entire screen without it physically moving in that direction on the mousepad.

I've had this experience with all laser mice. It's why I still use optical.

# ¿ Jul 2, 2012 06:59

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Whale Cancer posted:

This thread makes me feel like a loser. I just bought a G400 and felt pretty good about stepping up to my first mouse that cost more than $20.

There's nothing wrong with the G400. It's certainly the one I'd take for free over any other mouse today.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2012 14:17

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Tenderloin posted:

Logitech mice sale-a-palooza on Amazon right now:

Logitech G400 Optical Wired Gaming Mouse $21.75
Logitech G500 Wired Programmable Gaming Laser Mouse $32
Logitech G600 Wired Programmable MMO Gaming Mouse $48
Logitech G700 Wireless Gaming Mouse $48

gently caress, the G400 for $22 was an all time low price.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2013 16:39

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Alereon posted:

Is it possible to completely disable prediction/angle-snapping on the upcoming Logitech G500s?

Edit: Also, rantmode on, G500s is a terrible name because it's indistinguishable from plural G500. It's crazy hard to Google anything about these new products.

Agreed. Call it G510 or G5000.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2013 16:23

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Is there any point to trying to get a G400s this Black Friday or should I just stick with my MX518?

Jan posted:

After a little bit of use, I'm finding one thing that bothers me about the G602. Its sliding feet seem to snag easily on minor particles, so suddenly instead of sliding smoothly I'll feel something scraping. I recall that's a problem I had with the G7 and RAT7 that both went away with time, I think.

Since it's happened with every previous mouse, I suppose it's just something to be expected with this kind of sliding surface, but I'm wondering if using a mousepad or not might affect it. Never bothered with fancy gaming mousepads, for instance.

Just Another Lurker posted:

I'm getting that on my Func M3, think i need to be more tidy.

I got a 11"x9" plain black cloth mousepad from Fry's for like $1.99. It blows my old Ratpad and Ratpad GS out of the water.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2013 06:07

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Byolante posted:

I have a g700 which works nicely. There is always the option of somehow finding a mx518 (the greatest mouse ever made)

The G400s is the current version of the MX518. Why not recommend that?

# ¿ Dec 6, 2013 04:48

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

The Lord Bude posted:

if you're talking about those Microsoft mice with blue sensors I'm 99% sure they're Phillips optical sensors.

Microsoft Bluetrack is a wide beam blue LED. It's crap compared Logitech Darkfield. I have the Anywhere MX and it will indeed track on glass.

# ¿ Dec 15, 2013 05:46

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

After extended gaming sessions with my MX518, my index finger and thumb get sore from holding down those buttons. Would a lower profile mouse help with that?

I know, taking more breaks would help.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2014 10:18

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

HalloKitty posted:

That's why IBM invented the TrackPoint. The World's Lowest Effort Mousing Device.

The trackpoint is actually the best pointing device when your laptop is in your chest in bed. gently caress trackpads at that point.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2014 05:40

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

CodeJanitor posted:

Bought a Logitech G502 mouse from Amazon, and am probably returning it.

Current Setup:
- Microsoft Intellimouse 4
- Iogrear USB KVM between 3 computers (Windows, Windows, Linux)
- Screen sharing software (Mouse without borders, Synergy)

The good:
1. Style and feel are wonderful. Has a good shape for grip and placement of fingers.
2. Mouse buttons are firm but click well.
3. Slightly heavier than other mice I have tried, but also feels solid.
4. Didn't think I would care about the weights, but they are actually nice to change how heavy the mouse feels.

The bad:
1. The mouse wheel is way too loose. Move the mouse too fast and the wheel will spin on its own, scrolling windows the mouse cursor is over. Gets annoying very, very fast. Spent quite some time with the sensitivity settings to try and fix this, but it never really goes away.
2. Using the Wheel mode shift button resolves this issue, but then the wheel is very slow, clciks loudly as it turns, and feels very clunky and slow to scroll.
3. Using screen sharing software (Mouse without Borders or Synergy) moving the mouse location across screens will screw up constantly. Mouse coordinates will stick to some screen areas, sometimes will loop back on itself and actually go in the opposite direction. First mouse I have seen with this problem.
4. The Logitech drivers (which crash occasionally) do not recognize the mouse through my USB KVM switch. Also the first mouse I have used where this was a problem.
5. Most of the buttons are awkward to reach for, such as the DPI settings ones next to the left mouse button. This would probably be something you can just get used to after a while.

I was going to try out something else, like the Logitech G500, but with #4 & #5, I am concerned their other mouse products would have issues as well.

I've been looking for a reason to replace my MX 518, not because I need to but because I've been using the same model for almost a decade. It's good to know the G502 isn't an instabuy and I can keep my $80.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2014 11:14

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

dpbjinc posted:

I wish the G502 had six side buttons instead of four so I could have back/forward+volume+DPI, like with the G700s. The shift key is nice, though.

You wan't volume control on your mouse? Get that MMO poo poo outta here!

# ¿ Apr 21, 2014 10:06

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

isndl posted:

I'd have to second the Intellimouse as a fairly robust mouse. There's something like 15-20 of them still in use at my work, and several of them even have Windows XP 'made for gaming' logos on them. That model (looks like this) doesn't look like it's still in production though.

For ambidextrous use, that was definitely the pinnacle, but I hated using it compared to the Explorer because I would always hit the right side button (I'm right handed) with my ring finger.

Explorer 3.0 4 lyfe :cool:

# ¿ Jun 9, 2014 06:24

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

kaschei posted:

The 402 replaces the 400s so you can look at that until the 402 is in stores.

The 402 button layout looks crazy to me.

Can't wait for the 400s to go on clearance.

# ¿ Aug 16, 2014 06:24

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Is the G502 or G402 supposed to be the successor to the MX518? I thought it's the G402, but if the G502 has the same shape plus a side-scrolling wheel and braided cable, it may be worth it.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2014 17:31

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Chuu posted:

Just went from a MX518 to a G502. The shape is actually very different. After using the 502 a couple days, for some reason, my thumb hurts, specifically the joint at the base of the thumb. I think there are two root causes, the "indent" where your thumb sits is much shallower which keeps your thumb much straighter, and while on a MX518 your thumb naturally sits on the "back" button on a G502 it sits on the "forward" button so hitting the "back" button requires an odd contortion.

I wish they made literally the MX518 shape with this sensor.

I was originally looking at the G402, but review indicate the G502 is slightly more comfortable, specifically with respect to the thumbrest. Can anyone speak to this? I have average to slightly short finger and use a mostly claw/slightly palm grip. The best way to describe my hand position is that the back button on the MX518 doesn't take any effort to hit, but I have to reach for the forward button.

Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Dec 1, 2014

# ¿ Dec 1, 2014 16:55

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Josh Lyman posted:

I was originally looking at the G402, but review indicate the G502 is slightly more comfortable, specifically with respect to the thumbrest. Can anyone speak to this? I have average to slightly short finger and use a mostly claw/slightly palm grip. The best way to describe my hand position is that the back button on the MX518 doesn't take any effort to hit, but I have to reach for the forward button.

As a follow-up, I ordered a G502 sight unseen and it arrive today. Initial impressions without any extra weights or installing the drivers, the DPI switching is pretty cool, the extra buttons are pretty intuitive, and the braided cable is awesome.

Base weight is a little higher than the MX518 but not uncomfortably so. Of course, I haven't fired up Starcraft 2 or Counter-Strike yet, but it seems alright.

Ergonomics, the "hump" for your palm is more pronounced. Time will tell whether this is uncomfortable. Along with flatter left and right clicks that I like, it reminds me of a Razer Boomslang.

Importantly, the forward/back thumb buttons are now easily reachable; the forward button was too hard to hit on my MX518 (and MX510 before that).

The free scrolling wheel, I've experienced before with my MX Anywhere and it's great here, though the wheel itself is a bit heavier than I'd like.

All in all, my initial impression is a solid A.

Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 19:12 on Dec 12, 2014

# ¿ Dec 12, 2014 19:08

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

After a day with my G502, I'm warming up to it, but it'll take a long time to get used to the shape. You don't have something MX518-shaped in your hand for hours a day, every day for 10 years and just change without hiccups. The mouse wheel is still a bit heavy but I'm getting used to it.

The most annoying thing that happens right now is when I try to hit the forward thumb button, sometimes I inadvertently left click. I think this is because I'm stretching my thumb out a little and that causes the tendon in my index finger to tighten a little, depressing the left click. Maybe I'll figure a way to slightly alter my hand positioning to avoid that.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2014 11:40

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Jippa posted:

People have different sized hands and use different ways to grip the mouse. I just use my fingertips but some (most) people put their whole hand over it (palm grip).

The "fingertip grip" IS the claw grip. Nobody literally uses a claw grip in the manner depicted.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2014 11:57

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Just Another Lurker posted:

My palm grip has my fingers overhanging the front by near half an inch.... stop making small mice dammit!

Get your stinking monkey paws off our mice!

# ¿ Dec 14, 2014 13:49

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Panty Saluter posted:

I'm warming up to a "slow" mouse now. Having a decent mouse for the first time ever really helps. I've owned more than a few Microsoft and Logitech mice and while none may have been bad, none were anything special either. The G402 works so much more smoothly and precisely than any other mouse I've used and it really is something. It's nice to not constantly overshoot small adjustments and even though it does well with that on high speed low speed makes it so much better. The adjustable DPI is nice too, although I don't find myself changing it on the fly much.

Wait, so progamers use low sensitivity? I always though they used high sensitivity, otherwise what's the point of 10,000 dpi or whatever the top end mice are up to these days?

# ¿ Dec 14, 2014 21:56

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Turns out I'm a noob in more ways than one: https://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/2hanfu/starcraft_2_progamer_mouse_dpi_settings/

Looks like 450, 600, 800, and a couple outliers at 1600. Dropped the number of preset DPIs on my G502 from 5 to 4 and set them to those numbers. Also figured out that of the low/mid/high default DPIs available without a driver on my MX518, the middle one I used was 800. Now all is right in the world. :getin:

But seriously, the G502 feels a lot better now that I'm using the same 800 DPI from my MX518.

Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 12:00 on Dec 15, 2014

# ¿ Dec 15, 2014 11:51

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Horizontal Tree posted:

Having just bought a G502 tonight... yup.
This thing is getting a sponge or some foam taped to the side of it, otherwise its perfect.

Now that you mention it, putting it side by side with my MX518, the G502 is slightly narrower. That would explain one of the differences I feel while using the G502.

Please make the G503 slightly wider.

quote:

Kudos on getting the toggled freescroll wheel to have proper indexing, without feeling mushy, by the way. Its actually a cool feature to have when its not utter ruining the feel of the wheel when trying to game.

I'm very happy with the wheel now. I pretty much never use it in freescroll mode, but after half a week with the heavier wheel compared to my MX518, I'm fully acclimated.

# ¿ Dec 16, 2014 14:24

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Chickenwalker posted:

You'll have a hard time, they sell for $42 on Amazon.

They're listed at that price. Who knows if they actually sell for that.

# ¿ Dec 21, 2014 06:27

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Storm- posted:

The weirdest thing happened. I accidentally dropped my G9x, not the first time and the drop wasn't so severe but it seems to have broken the microgear button and now my scroll wheel is stuck in smooth-scroll mode. Tilting the wheel doesn't seem to work either. I guess the entire scroll system got wrecked. The weird part is now whenever I press the microgear button it makes me unable to click on my taskbar, minimize/close buttons and desktop icons. Clicking in Firefox works fine. I have to either restart or switch users. I have no clue how is that even possible. Seriously, I'd love an explanation.

I guess my question is: should I go for the G502 or one of its cheaper bros? Been pretty happy with the G9x and I'm mostly interested in Logitech/claw-grip/corded mice.

I went from the MX518 to the G502 and I couldn't be happier.

# ¿ Dec 31, 2014 21:35

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Tab8715 posted:

How solid does the G502 feel?

I'm still sporting a MX518, it's the perfect size/shape but a lot of the newer mice feel cheap? I can't crush it in my hand but I hate how I can feel it bend.

Absolutely no complaints about build quality.

Sh4 posted:

Can't bend it at all, feels really solid except the scroll wheel, the wheel itself seems strong (it's aluminium) but the mechanism feels it will not last long, mine is already starting to skip notches after a few days

Are you using it in freescroll mode? If so, "skipping notches" is probably the result of your browser/application/window not being able to keep up. I use mine in normal mode 99% of the time and even when I spin it quickly there are no issues with skipping.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2015 15:53

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Thom P. Tiers posted:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318

Weird.

That's not being sold by Newegg. It's being sold by a 3rd party on Newegg's website, same as Amazon's marketplace seller or eBay for that matter.

That mouse never sold for $150. These kinds of sellers charge a ridiculous price in case some moron accidentally buys it.

# ¿ Jan 15, 2015 11:18

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Tab8715 posted:

Just tested out the following

Logitech G402 - Looks interesting but feels so light but in a cheap way? There's a click but to much give on the buttons before you actually click. I don't like the glossiness either, looks gaudy.

Steelseries Sensi - Feels solid and very click with good feedback - tactile and audible. It's meant to be ambidextrous so no curvature of the mouse, which I think is a big drawback. Great cord.

Logitech M500 - Standard mouse but an improvement on the shape of the MX518. The buttons are a little squisher than I'd like but alright all around.

Overall, I'd want a combination of the Sensi and M500. I'm thinking I am going to keep the M500 just because I can't stand the ambidextrous design of the Sensi.

Have you felt the G502?

# ¿ Jan 16, 2015 16:23

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

GokieKS posted:

The fact that people think hyperscroll is something you use all the time rather than a setting you selectively switch to only when you need it pretty much cements my notion that most of the complaints are stemming from people who don't realize how it's supposed to work.

I have 2 G502s, and other than it being a bit louder than most, the mouse wheel on each works wonderfully, and it also is much less prone to having middle click result in a wheel tilt instead.

And I have no idea what the problem with drivers are. I've used them on both OS X (using app detection) and Windows (using on-board profile), and no problems with either.

People are dumb, blame products instead of themselves, and create a perception of defects.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2015 03:12

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Gwyrgyn Blood posted:

Nope, the scrollwheel is just awful on the G502. In freespin it has issues with reverse scrolling for no apparent reason, and in regular mode it's quite inconsistent about when it actually scrolls due to the terrible design of how it polls for inputs. This is not people "blaming products instead of themselves", jesus christ.

It may be as rarbatrol suggested and there is a quality control issue or something. But on top of the scrolling being a bit inconsistent, I personally dislike the weight of the wheel and think the MMB Click is terrible (overly stiff and hard to activate). YMMV as always, if you like it then you're welcome to it.

I'll agree the weight is a little strange and it took me a while to get used to, but that's fine now.

Normal scrolling has never, ever been a problem for me.

In freescroll mode, I will periodically notice it reverse scroll 1 line, but that's always because I'm nudging the wheel with the tip of my index finger as I'm raising it back up. As mentioned earlier, you should not be using freescroll most of the time.

Anecdotally, most of the complaints seem to be people too stubborn to accept that a new mouse might be different (heavier wheel) and that you might be ~~holding~~ scrolling it wrong (freescroll all the time), but it could also be bad QC.

# ¿ Jan 20, 2015 00:07

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Party Plane Jones posted:

My MX518 is getting a little scroungey and I find mywpself wishing I had bought multiples of them so I could replace it.

What's the equivalent Logitech model to it these days?

I upgraded to a G502 and while the shape is very slightly different, I love it.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2015 01:23

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

mind the walrus posted:

So I looked back a few pages and Googled around, but couldn't get a solid answer-- does Logitech and Razer and all the major mice companies roll out new models each year, or how often does that happen? I want to know if taking the plunge on a Proteus Core now is a cost-effective idea, because if there's a new line of mice in April or something I really can just wait and look for a deal.

The G502 is a relatively new mouse and I can't imagine them releasing a replacement anytime soon.

# ¿ Feb 9, 2015 01:03

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

Filthy Monkey posted:

This is actually a much better review than Anandtech's. He mentions that the side buttons do feel mushy after the actuation point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5VbVX40TIA
I've always liked anandtech, but that was a surprisingly lovely review from them. Two pages, not much detail, and filled with comments like these.

The guy who wrote the review doesn't seem to have done many. The "review" seems like something whipped up an hour before a deadline.

# ¿ Mar 16, 2015 03:08

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 10:06

Josh Lyman: May 24, 2009

After playing some Diablo 3 with my Logitech Anywhere MX, a travel mouse that I love, it really drove home how nice it is to have a proper gaming mouse like the G502.

BlueBlazer posted:

There can be only one.

with a 12ft cable who needs wireless.

That was the first mouse I ever bought for the first computer I ever built. RIP.

Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 03:15 on Mar 16, 2015

# ¿ Mar 16, 2015 03:10

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