There was a recent loss in my house. It was a sad day for me. My wife didn’t care, she just kept on, as if she did not care at all about my MX 518 from Logitech. Sitting over there with her own 518, playing games with smooth precision, while I searched for my replacement. I found one, but that one isn’t what we’re going to talk about today. Today, we are preparing for Overwatch and I’ll be damned if I’m going in there with anything less than FPS mouse perfection.
If you don’t know, Overwatch is Blizzard’s latest offering which is a genius amalgamation of Borderlands and Team Fortress. It is actually a refreshing spin on competitive online play where I might even have fun while 13 year olds annihilate me and hurl insults at my mother. But it doesn’t have to be that way, I can arm myself with a new mouse and be the one dealing death while they insult my mother instead.
Why Do I Need A New Mouse?
You might not. You might already be as awesome as you tell your friends you are, but many of you, myself included, like new gear whether we need it or not, and others, also like myself, may have recently purchased a holdover mouse while they researched their next super mouse. Sometimes, the right gear can help give you the edge, though, and a good mouse is critical.
To start off, we don’t want any predictive algorithms or built in acceleration. Our mouse should be an extension of the hand and only move exactly where we tell them to. The precision should come from a decent DPI and you. Anything else could be the difference between a headshot and a complete miss.
Weight Is Sign Of Reliability
You may be different than me, but I’m going to throw out wireless mice for this article (I’ll write a separate one for wireless). The problem with wireless mice is the added weight, and when you’ve been on a gaming, photo and video editing, and writing binge for 16 hours, 5 days a week, your mouse can’t weigh as much as Thor’s hammer. I’ll take every edge I can get in avoiding repetitive stress injuries. So for now, we’ll focus on the lightning fast, feather light, accuracy of wired mice.
The G900
Let’s get into it. Logitech’s current flagship gaming mouse is the G900 and it looks amazing, but it’s not making my list. Not because it doesn’t deserve to, but because I don’t think $150 is reasonable and it’s not necessary to report about it to you, the reader. If you’ve got the cash and you’re in the market for a new mouse, you’re not going to bother reading this to find one. Everyone knows Logitech makes quality products so just buy it. For everyone else, we want the best we can get at a price we find reasonable.
The Goods
| Max Res. | 12,000 dpi | 10,000 dpi | 12,000 dpi |
| Weight | 3.8 oz | 3.7 oz | 4.3 oz |
| Cost | 149.99 | ~84.00 | 93.95 |
On the top end of our spectrum we find the Logitech G502 next to the Razer DeathAdder. Two mice with absolutely brilliant optical sensors up to 12000 and 10000 dpi respectively. The difference in dpi means little here, as you won’t find many gamers using the higher end of the spectrum at all, for example my current setting is 1250 for browsing and editing. Only a little higher for sniping. The extra dpi comes into play when you start moving up in resolution toward ultra HD and multiple monitors acting as one screen. Even then, I want to meet the person playing anything at 12000. The DeathAdder is lighter at 3.7 ounces to the G502’s 4.3 and the Razer retails at a lower price of 69.99 compared to 79.99. They are often, and currently on sale on Amazon. Additionally, both mice have customizable LEDs up to 16.8 million colors and the G502 comes with repositionable weights to tune the mouse to your exact balance preference.
A Little Less Scratch
| Max Resolution | 4,000 dpi | 12,000 dpi | 12,000 dpi |
| Weight | 3.7 oz | 8.3 oz | 4.3 oz |
| Cost | 59.99 | 49.99 | 93.95 |
Want to spend a little less scratch for your gaming goodness? We can move down a peg to what are some pretty damn serviceable mice. Like I mentioned earlier, the higher dpi settings are reserved for some very specific situations, so if you don’t need it, why pay for it. The Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury (really logitech?) FPS Gaming Mouse with High Speed Fusion Engine (seriously guys, G402 or Hyperion would suffice) boasts to be the world’s fastest gaming mouse. Maybe that’s important at some competitive level, but I don’t think I can move my hand as fast as either the Hyperion or the DeathAdder claim they can handle. It’s light, at 3.7 ounces and can go to 4000 dpi, a solid resolution for most. The G303 didn’t make this slot because it weighs considerably more at 7.2 ounces but if you’re a lefty you may want to consider it.
On A Budget
| Mouse |   |
  |
  |
| Model | Logitech G300s Optical Gaming Mouse (910-004360) |
Razer Abyssus Essential Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse – 3500 DPI Sensor and Ergonomic Buttons |
Zowie Gear Gaming Mouse (FK1) |
| Max Resolution | 2,500 dpi | 3,500 dpi | 3,200 dpi |
| Weight | 2.9 oz | 3.8 oz | 3.2 oz |
| Cost | 39.99 | 49.99 | 59.99 |
On the Budget end of the spectrum we take a look at the Logitech G300s and the Razer Abyssus Mirror. If you have to have a Razer, this is a good inexpensive option, though it doesn’t have the customizability that I would like. It has 3 dpi settings, the highest being 3500 and that’s something I like to have a bit more control over. Logitech’s G300s gives you 4 options that you can set yourself. The clear winner in this category is the G300s, given it weighs only 2.9 ounces compared to the Abyssus’ 4.7.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Zowie FK1 and 2, which are exceptional mice with a great sensor. Both are lightweight at 3.2 ounces and are ambidextrous. The 1 is somewhat larger than the 2, so keep that in mind when deciding which you want to purchase. The Zowie models don’t match the performance of the top tier, here, and the price points keep them from competing in the mid tier. However, they have a nice clean design and will almost certainly fit some gamers better than Razer’s or Logitech’s offerings.
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