Best gaming mice 2011

Best Gaming Mice

Comfort, design and precision. The holy trinity of gaming mice. But if you ask me, there's one factor missing -- yes -- price. Despite the relatively low price tag even the best gaming miceoffer nowadays, buying the right one is still a high profile decision. For most people, forgoing a gaming mouse in favor of a couple of gigs of quality RAM may be money better spend, but for those who are looking to favorably tweak their gaming performance and give carpal tunnels a rest buying a quality mouse is the epitomy of awesomeness.

This article is geared towards the general public, and so I've tried to be succinct in the details of how these mice are measured up. I will do my best to pinpoint what qualities and comparative advantages each model offers as we go down the list.

The Razer Deathadder 3500

The Deathadder 3500, as the name implies, is the older brother of the Deathadder 1800, with an identical design but with almost double its DPIcount.

Right off the bat what strikes both reviewers and myself is the sleekright-handed ergonomic design. But is it all fluff? Aside from the promise of hours of intense gaming without 10 second hand exercises every minute, as with many Razer products the design is stunning to look at. I do have a light problem with the pulsing logo (I'd prefer it if it was fixed -- especially in the dark), but hey, that might be a personal quirk. Let's have a look at some of it's other highlights:

1ms response time (1000Hz Ultrapolling).
3.5g infrared sensor (almost four times more precise than a regular 800 DPI mouse!).
7 meter fibre cable (again, wired mice are by definition more reactive and 7 metres of cable should be enough).
USB connector is gold-plated (oh, yes).
The ability to adjust sensitivity on-the-fly.
Non-slip surface and independently programmable buttons.

The price of this model has also come down quite a bit recently (over 30%) making the Razer Deathadder 3500 a fail-safe solution to all your gaming needs. Me want.

Recommended for: Large-medium hands.

Logitech G500

The addition of a 27 gram weight-cage makes switching between gaming genres very easy indeed. The extra load can single-handedly improve precision in FPS games, whereas a lighter configuration will ease screen-wide arcs.

But this is certainly not the only thing that makes the G500 a top-quality mouse in terms of precision, with a stunning tracking resolution of up to5700 DPI and an acceleration of 30g (double the Deathadder!). Here's a more succinct list of what you're in for:

On-the-fly adjustable DPI.
10 programmable buttons.
Hyper-fast scrolling wheel (dual mode).
Intelligent and powerful on-board memory which can save and load customized settings.
USB sleep mode disabled (always on).
High-quality gaming laser.

I'm not a huge fan of the design itself, but beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder.

Recommended for: Small-medium sized hands.

Razer Naga MMOG

The Razer Naga is geared towards MMO players rather than FPS players, and offers a truck-load of addons with that in mind. This would obviously (beyond the clunky, retro look) be a poor choice for FPS players who would undoubtedly prefer a weighted and more trimmed solution.

What makes the Naga an MMO player's dream?

17 optimized buttons, yes, 17!
Custom interface addons for in-game ease of use.
Up to 5600 DPI.
Button placement may have a learning curve, but with a little practice keybind and macro like never before.
1 ms response rate.
A unique look (I'll let you decide). Some reviews claim the mouse itself became comfortably with repeated use, and not on arrival. It may take some getting used to.

The main focus of the Naga is undoubtedly it's 12 button pad (right). My take is that switching to the Naga may make keybinding and macroing easier -- but it's a mid to long-term solution. The buttons, while well placed are undoubtedly small, and clicking some of them will require some fancy hand-work. Nevertheless, once you've got it down on instinct you will have an enviable comparative advantage.