Have a Zowie AM mouse on the way to replace an aging Microsoft/Razor Habu! Mice are a very personal thing, but will report back with my own thoughts. I find people don't attach enough importance to their choice of mouse - it's one of the key interfaces between you and your PC! Don't just go on recommendations, research what suits you. Everyone has varying preferences.
Here are some tips you might find useful for choosing a mouse:-
- Do you us a claw or palm grip? Some mice are designed for a specific grip type.
- Do you have big or small hands? If you have big clubs, you'll probably want a mouse with a larger shell.
- Lefty or righty?
- Do your palms sweat? A rubber coated shell is better for sweaters, otherwise you might prefer a glossy shell.
- Do you lift your mouse your while gaming? If so an optical might be more suitable, as laser sensors usually have a higher lift off, causing the cursor to briefly do it's own thing while the mouse is in the air. Lasers track on any surface. Opticals need a mat, preferably uniform in colour.
- What kind of games do you play? fps/rts etc. Some mice are purpose built for specific types. Pay attention to whether the mouse has built in acceleration or prediction, and whether it can be turned off (on many models you can't).
- Wireless/wired. Do you need to feed it batteries? Some (not all) wireless mouse have high lag, so wired is more suitable for gaming.
- What DPI do you currently use? You're unlikely to need more unless you know for certain that your current mouse needs need higher sensitivity. Very high monitor resolutions are a factor - you might want at least a 1600 DPI model for 1440p gaming. Again, this is a personal thing, people have wildly different preferences.
- Would you prefer a driverless mouse? Very useful for LANs, and automatically avoids problems with software. On the flip-side you may want access to all the configuration options in one place.
- Do you care for lights/decoration?
- Do you like lots of buttons on your mouse?
- Would you like a mouse with adjustable weights?
- Does the mouse support high polling (500/1000hz)? It reduces lag between your movement and your game. Again, this is a personal preference.
- Are you sensitive to stiff/loose buttons/wheel? Research the type of switches the mouse uses (Omron vs Huano for instance), some are stiffer/looser than others.
- Try to find out if the sensor is located in the middle/front/back of the mouse base. This seems to be a personal preference, probably depends on what your used to.
- Research specific models for driver/firmware issues, or incompatibility with other hardware.
- Find out about warrenty and RMA process.
Some suggestions in no particular order:-
Steelseries Raw
Razor Deathadder Respawn (not heard much about the new 2013 model)
Zowie AM
Logitech G400/G500
) try and get your hands on a few first.
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