[FraGTaLiTy]

With MLG's expansion of the PC department, I figured you' guys would like to know a little bit about gaming mice and mouse pads, and which are good to use at a professional level. Many of you don't know this about me, but I am a very avid PC gamer. I am just most individually skilled at Halo 2/3. Halo 2 is dead, and Halo 3 is stupid, so I currently play PC games competitively more than anything else. Throughout my years of PC gaming, I have gotten really familiar with the hardware. There's a lot of marketing crap that goes about in the mouse industry, so if you are getting into PC gaming, make sure you read this.

The mouse you use will not necessarily make you a better player, but choosing a mouse that functions properly will give you the competitive edge as your hand eye coordination improves. I will be going over the mice that are commonly used by professionals FPS players, and the pros and cons of each. I have owned the 1.1, 3.0, Deathadder 3G, Deathadder 3.5G, Logitech MX518, G5, and G500 first hand. Make sure you shop around before buying; you can get really nice deals online. Even among the elite mice that professionals use, each have their pros and cons. I will list them so that you can decide which is best for you. Although I own a variety of good mice and mouse pads, I use is the IMO 1.1 overclocked to 500 hz with Hyper Glide mouse feet on a Pure Track Talent mouse pad.

You will notice a pattern with gaming mice that professionals use: almost all of them are old mice and all of them use optical sensor technology instead of laser technology. This is because new laser mice suck. Don't get caught up in the DPI marketing crap; the majority of pros play 400 at dpi. It's all you need in an FPS game. And contrary to popular belief. mouse DPI doesn't reflect accuracy. Most FPS professionals play on incredibly low sensitivities. For Counter Strike, the average distance for a 180 degree turn by a top players is between 12-16 inches. For faster games such as Quake 3, it's around 8-12 inches for a 180 degree turn by a top player. This is why big mouse pads are a necessity, and why I have included two popular mouse pads pros use at the end of this review. I have used both first hand.

Terms you need to know:

Mouse Correction: A technique most mice use to interpolate your movement in order to force straight lines. This is not good for FPS gaming.

Lift Distance: How far the mouse continues to track when you lift it vertically off your mouse pad. You want minimal lift distance because at the sensitivities most good players use, you will constantly be lifting up your mouse after swiping across your mouse pad with your arm to turn around.

DPI: A marketing concept used by mice companies that is a complete gimmick. All it does is reflect speed. It does not reflect accuracy; that is mouse FPS and mouse refresh rate.

Frames per second: The amount of "snap shots" the optical sensor takes per second. This isn't marketed much, so don't worry about trying to find a mouse with a high FPS count.

USB Refresh Rate / Mouse Polling Rate: How many times per second your mouse talks with your computer. USB defaults to 125hz, which is approximately ever 8ms. USB is capable of up to 1000hz, or 1ms. New mice have on board memory that command your computer to talk to the mouse at 500hz or 1000hz, which you can change in the driver settings. Unfortunately, all new mice except for the old Deathadder suck, so most pros force their computer to communicate with their mouse at a high hz rate manually. I will explain how to do this later on. Almost all mice have drastic increases in performance from increasing the USB refresh rate.

Calculating your real sensitivity

Use the following formula so you can keep your sensitivity consistent even if you switch DPI:

[in game sensitivity] * [DPI] * [windows mouse sensitivity value] = your real sensitivity value

Use this formula accordingly so you can maintain the same sensitivity even if you switch hardware. If you are playing Quake Live, your Windows Mouse Sensitivity does not effect your real sensitivity.

note: I do not know the value ratio between this outputted sensitivity value and the amount of inches it takes for a 180 degree turn. Also, the [windows mouse sensitivity value] does not mean you multiply by the literal notch your setting is on. If you are on the 6th notch in the Windows setting (default), do not multiply by "6". Use the following corresponding values:

"6" = 1
"5"= .75
"4"= .5
"3" = .25

I don't know 1, 2 and 7-11. You can probably find it by searching. I wouldn't recommend going higher than 6 because I believe you will lose accuracy by having Windows multiply your mouse readings by a value higher than 1. Many claim adjusting your windows sensitivity between 3 and 6 is bad and results in inconsistency. I think they are full of crap; almost every CS pro who uses the Deathadder 3G uses it with the windows sensitivity value of "3".





Mouse Feet

Most of the mice, excluding the Deathadder, ship with mouse feet that aren't top of the line Teflon. This means it will not be incredibly slick. There is nothing wrong with the mouse feet that ship with any of these mice; most use them as is. It comes down to preference. If you like incredibly slick glide when moving your mice, get mouse feet from this company:

http://www.hyperglide.net/

I personally use these mouse feet. Take note that new versions of the MX518 have G5 feet if you plan on ordering these for your MX518. They are easy to put on; simply remove the current mouse feet and replace with these. You can search around for tutorials if you are having a hard time doing this.

Windows Acceleration Fix

Windows has acceleration by default. You want acceleration disabled in Windows so that there is a consistency between the distance you move your mouse, and the distance you move in game, regardless of how fast you are moving your mouse. Acceleration will make muscle memory for flick shooting opponents impossible. Don't use it.

This disables Windows mouse acceleration: http://www.techpower..._Mouse_Fix.html. This works for Windows 7 and Vista, too.

If you are playing through Steam, you can do this as an alternative:



Interesting Fatal1ty blog regarding gaming sensitivity:

http://news.fatal1ty...se-sensitivity/

Note: If you want to play with mouse acceleration in Quake, do NOT disregard the windows mouse acceleration fix. You don't want that acceleration; you want it turned off. The acceleration Fatal1ty is referring to are settings within the game that you can tweak just like your sensitivity.

[FraGTaLiTy]

Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical / WMO:



http://www.newegg.co...5-184-_-Product

Price: $11.99
DPI: 400
Sensor: Optical
Drivers/Firmware updates: Don't use them
For Right and Left handed gamers

Pros: Flawless tracking. Incredibly small, almost unnoticeable lift distance. No mouse correction.

Cons: No buttons. Have to over clock the polling rate manually. Mouse wheel will randomly move up one notch when moving at high speeds. Can be hard to grip if you have dry hands.

Note: Most Quake pros currently use this mouse. The IMO 1.1, the WMO, and IME 3.0 all use the same sensor. The only difference is the shape, buttons, and grip. The IMO 1.1 and WMO use the same grip, and are both for Right and Left handed gamers. The IME 3.0 has a different coating than IMO 1.1 and WMO, which comes down to preference. The IMO 1.1 is the smallest, the WMO is a little bigger, and the IME 3.0 is a lot bigger. All need to be overclocked manually in order to perform up to potential.

They all suffer from a mouse wheel problem where it will randomly scroll up one notch when moving the mouse at high speeds. This does not happen often, but it is worth taking note. This is not a big deal because you can simply disable the mouse wheel in quake. Using the mouse wheel to switch weapons is inconvenient anyways; almost all top players have weapons bound to their keyboard so they can instantly access the exact weapon they want. Using the mouse wheel to switch between weapons is the lazy, n00b way that puts you at a disadvantage.

In quake, simply disable the mouse wheel so you don't randomly switch weapons, and learning to use keyboard bindings; it's better anyways. In CS, most disable mouse wheel up, and bind mouse wheel down to jumping in order to perform "bunny hopping". You can only do up to three jumps in most CS leagues these days. If you don't know what bunny hopping is in CS and are curious, google it.



Microsoft Intellimouse Optical 1.1 / IMO 1.1:



http://www.newegg.co...5-115-_-Product

Price: $29.99 (you can find it cheaper elsewhere)
DPI: 400
Sensor: Optical
Drivers/Firmware updates: Don't use them
For Right and Left handed gamers

Pros: Same as WMO; has 2 buttons: 1 on each side

cons: Have to over clock the polling rate manually. Mouse wheel will randomly move up one notch when moving at high speeds. Can be hard to grip if you have dry hands.

note: Used a lot by CS pros and Quake pros. CS pros generally will chose this or the IME 3.0 over the WMO for the buttons. If the grip is something that you do not like, you can buy the Zowie 1.1 for $60, which is an IMO 1.1 that has better mouse feet and a different coating that is more grippy. Some may find this to be worth the price. Some pros use them, others don't. It just comes down to preference. I don't have much of a problem with the IMO 1.1/WMO coating, so it wouldn't be worth the money for me personally.

Zowie 1.1 (3 different colors): http://www.newegg.co...6-005-_-Product

Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 3.0



http://www.newegg.co...5-018-_-Product

Price: $32.99
DPI: 400
Sensor: Optical
Drivers/Firmware updates: Don't use them
For Right Handed gamers

Pros: Same as 1.1, 'better" grip (depends on the players' preference)

Cons: Same as 1.1 except the feel is a bit more grippy even with dry hands, new versions of the IME 3.0 feel cheaply made compared to the old, grey IME 3.0 and WMO/1.1. All perform the same

note: Most Counter Strike pros use this mouse. If you can, try to get the X08 model of the IME 3.0, which is the same mouse, but made sturdier (especially the side buttons). You can distinguish between the two by the color; the older version is a lighter shade of grey and the buttons are black, while the newer more common versions are a much darker shade (picture above) and have white/light grey buttons. Both buttons are on the left side of the mouse. Many believe this mouse has 450 dpi. I do not know why, and they are full of crap. I've tested it side by side with a 400 dpi mouse; it's 400 dpi. End of story. Also, the new version has white mouse feet. Microsoft claims they are slicker than the mouse feet used on the IMO 1.1/WMO and the X08 IME 3.0. I think they are full of crap; I've tested them side by side and felt no difference, and they are certainly no match for the Deathadder stock feet and the Hyperglide feet.

X08 model to new model comparison picture:

(x08 model is further away, new version is closer)

Logitech MX518



http://www.newegg.co...78&Tpk=MX%20518

Price: $42.99
DPI: 400, 800, and 1800 or 400, 800, and 1600 (depends on if you got an older version or newer version)
Sensor: Optical
Drivers/Firmware updates: Don't use them
For Right Handed Gamers

Pros: Very good tracking, doesn't need to be over clocked to 500hz for performance boost even though it defaults at 125 hz. Low lift distance. Very Sturdy build and very grippy. Can change DPI while playing using the buttons on the top of the mouse (absolutely pointless to do while playing)

Cons: Can't disable the Mouse Correction (*throws up*), Not the most attractive looking thing in the world.

notes: This mouse is pretty commonly used by Counter Strike professionals. It isn't very common by Quake professionals. The mouse correction is annoying, but many great players have won tournaments with mice that have mouse correction (FRoD and Ramb0 for CS and Fatal1ty back when he was younger in Unreal Tournament), so if you have an MX 518 and play well with it, you don't need to switch mice. I personally hate mouse correction, and theoretically it is a disadvantage in some hypothetical situations, but whatever. New mx518 models go up to 1800 dpi and have G5 mouse feet. Old mx518s go up to 1600 dpi, and have the standard mx518 mouse feet. They both use the same sensor. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Most pros who use this mouse use it at 400 dpi.

Razer Deathadder 3G and 3.5G



http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B000MF67VO

Price: roughly $50 on Amazon for the 3G, a little more for the 3.5G
DPI: 450, 900, and 1800 for 3G. 450, 900, 1800, and 3500 for 3.5G
Sensor: Optical "Infrared"
Drivers/Firmware updates: Update firmware to NDC (no drift control) and the drivers are worth using
Primarily For Right Handed Gamers

3G

Pros for 3G version: Flawless tracking once you update the firmware to disable "drift control", which is Razer's fancy word for mouse correction. Can control hand speeds of up to 4.8 M/s (top players don't go past 2 M/s in game, so this is more about bragging rights I suppose). On board memory so the mouse remembers your last DPI/polling rate settings even if you move your mouse to a different computer with no drivers installed on it.

Cons for 3G version: Really annoyingly high lift distance even after updating the firmware that "fixes the lift distance". Cord is cheaply made. Many have had problems with Deathadders breaking. I personally have not. Many do not like the shape, and the slipper sides make it less convenient for lifting up. The bottom of the mouse can touch the mouse pad because it sticks out almost past the mouse feet.

3.5G

Pros for 3.5G version: cord is more sturdy

Cons for 3.5G version: It goes out of control when you move it at high speeds. Don't buy the 3.5G version unless they fix this problem.

notes: Many CS pros use the 3G version, and some Quake pros use the 3G version. Don't buy the 3.5G version. Also, many claim you can fix the bottom from scratching the mouse pad by doubling up on mouse feet. Don't do this; the mouse will lose its ability to track well at high speeds and your aim will go out of control. I have a theory that Razer increased the thickness of the 3.5G mouse feet in order to prevent the bottom from sticking out so close to pad, which is why it tracks terribly at high speeds. The Razer Deathadder 3G performs best at 1800dpi; the polling rate doesn't change the performance but it does make it "feel" a bit different. Whether you play on 125, 500, or 1000 hz, it comes down to preference with this mouse. Also, the mouse lighting up makes it look like a kid's toy. Luckily, you can disable the glowing crap in the drivers. If you don't do this, everyone will make fun of you if you are over the age of 12.

[FraGTaLiTy]

Laser Mice Suck

Don't buy them. Laser sensor technology has incredibly high lift distance, and up until recently, they couldn't handle high speed movement. The newest laser sensor, which is in the Logitech G500, the Logitech G9X, and the Steel Series Xai, can handle high speed movements. However, there is one big problem with these new sensors: unfixable acceleration within the sensor itself. It is literally measurable (see pictures below). Don't buy them. They are crap. Yes, these mice have gotten good reviews by "reputable magazines and people". Those "reputable magazines and people" are not gamers, they are journalists. They can't tell the difference between acceleration and no acceleration because they are not experienced gamers. It does make a difference within your muscle memory and mastery over the game. Don't listen to them; you are wasting your money and getting a crap product if you buy any laser mouse.





I couldn't find a picture graph of the G500's acceleration, but it does use the same sensor and suffers from the same problem. You can join me and a bunch of other unhappy customers here:

http://forums.logite...ware/m-p/404068


Mouse Pads

99% of professional PC gamers who play shooting games play on incredibly low sensitivities. If you play on a low sensitivity, you need a big mouse pad.

Almost every top player uses the Steel Series QCK Heavy. It's big, it's sturdy, it's cloth. It works very nicely. I own one myself, and they work very well. However, there is a new mouse pad called the PureTrak Talent which is absolutely phenomenal. I own it as well, and I love it. It's wider and it's slicker. The Steel Series QCK Heavy is taller and more square shaped, whereas the Talent emulated the shape of a wide screen monitor. You can purchase whichever you want. The Steel Series QCK heavy is more popular since it's been around since the dawn of time and has never failed anyone. Why fix something that isn't broken, right? However, I highly recommend getting the PureTrak Talent over the Steel Series QCK Heavy if you like having minimal friction.

Steel Series QCK Heavy:



http://www.steelseri...qck/information

Price: $24.99
Dimensions: 17.7" x 15.7" - thickness 0.23"
Material: Cloth

PureTrak Talent:



Price: $24.99
Dimensions: 19" x 14" - thickness 0.25"
Material: Cloth

Manually Overclocking Your Polling Rate

Technically, it's not even overclocking because your USB supports 1000hz on its own. You are just telling your computer to take advantage of that since the mouse you are using doesn't have the memory to do that on its own. Nearly all pros who use Microsoft optical mice use this overclocking technique at home and at tournaments.

refer to this guide: http://www.overclock...00hz-lower.html

On older 32bit operating systems such as XP, there were much easier methods. You can google them if this seems to inconvenient. Also, I'd recommend only overclocking the Microsoft mice to 500hz. At 1000hz, it fluctuates too much according to experts. You won't notice a difference between 500hz and 1000hz since its only a 1ms difference. The big difference is from 125hz to 500hz, which is a 6ms difference.

That's about it. Happy fragging, everyone.

[TyKwonDoe]

took me about 20 min to scroll down. i'd be saying good read, but i'll say that in 1-2 hours after reading it lol. good post, very thorough

[Acoelus]

FraG only you would waste so much time to do something like this... And that's why we love you :P

Good read and very thorough examinations kind sir.

[FraGTaLiTy]

CR0553D said:

FraG only you would waste so much time to do something like this... And that's why we love you :P

Good read and very thorough examinations kind sir.

Morning class got canceled; didn't realize it until I already arrived. And it was too early to devote my gained free time to studying for my Psychology and Calculus midterms on Friday.

I figured this thread would be helpful since a little birdy hinted at MLG adding Quake-Live:

http://www.djwheat.t...finals-w-rapha/

16:50 roughly in the podcast.

[Wombattttttttt]

Awesome write up. Will help so much when I actually get around to building my gaming PC.

And then maybe I'll be able to get a kill on you...

[Mattymace666]

Now that, is one thorough guide. Took me a while to read but it's a great guide.

[XIF4talBRIX]

Very awesome guide. I can tell a big diff, idk about cs yet cause i havnt gotten on that sense but quake i can deff. tell. Imma look into some hyperglides. Seems cool. But yeah thanks. This will for sure impact my aiming alot =)

[Rmxwanny]

Dam awesome write up, i didn't read all of them because i have played on most of them. My favorite is the razer DG. I love there products great stuff.

[Nepnwzyox]

FraGTaLiTy said:

I figured this thread would be helpful since a little birdy hinted at MLG adding Quake-Live:

http://www.djwheat.t...finals-w-rapha/

16:50 roughly in the podcast.

I saw it on GB in early 09, but it's gone now.

MLG should DEFINITELY pick up quake live. Very competitive game. Been competitive since it came out in 1999 lol (that was q3, but QL is the new Q3 which came out in late 07). Especially the duels.

[FraGTaLiTy]

Nepnwzyox said:

I saw it on GB in early 09, but it's gone now.

MLG should DEFINITELY pick up quake live. Very competitive game. Especially the duels.

:D indeed, such an amazing game. The mechanics of it allow for such an insanely broad skill gap.

[FraGTaLiTy]

Rmxwanny said:

Dam awesome write up, i didn't read all of them because i have played on most of them. My favorite is the razer DG. I love there products great stuff.

Razer DA you mean?

[Rmxwanny]

FraGTaLiTy said:

Razer DA you mean?

Yes yes sorry

[SticKTaLiTy]

Cute guide.

[Zola-]

I've been using the basic Microsoft Optical mouse for 7 years, cost me $5, and still works great

[AnestheticXI]

FraGTaLiTy said:

Morning class got canceled; didn't realize it until I already arrived. And it was too early to devote my gained free time to studying for my Psychology and Calculus midterms on Friday.

I figured this thread would be helpful since a little birdy hinted at MLG adding Quake-Live:

http://www.djwheat.t...finals-w-rapha/

16:50 roughly in the podcast.

Wow, that would be so legit.

[zeBrutal]

Nice write up. I wanted to play Quake with you yesterday, Hans. But you were in the homework zone.

We shall play later.

[Sheney_CV]

Awesome post man, your the best. We should have little fragtalitys and teach them how to play video games together.

[Sheney_CV]

AnestheticXI said:

Wow, that would be so legit.

Hey tom you smell like ****.