gamers - how do you deal with mouse cable snag?

[Special K]

I have been using an MX518 for quite awhile now. While I really like this mouse, the cable snagging drives me nuts. My PC is on the ground under my desk, and there isn't any room to put it on top of the desk, so I am forced to let the mouse cord run down the back of the desk. This creates a number of problems - the cable bumps into and/or gets snagged on the desk, on other cables behind the desk, and on objects on the desk itself, such as my monitor's base. These disruptions really screw up my movement in games.

Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do about it? I did some searching and found a few products that claim to fix this issue:

1. Mouse Bungee
2. Razer Armadillo
3. Surface 1030 (with cord clip)
4. wireless mouse (Logitech MX1100)

Has anyone used any of these products? The problem I can see with options 1 and 2 are that the bungee and armadillo themselves are not bolted to the desk, so what's to keep them from simply sliding around with the mouse cord as I move the mouse around? Are they extremely heavy to prevent movement? What about option 3?

Right now I try to pin down the mouse cord underneath one of my speakers, but it doesn't work very well because the speakers aren't very heavy and are turned on and off by pressing two buttons on the top of the speaker simultaneously, which usually causes my mouse cord to slip loose. Also this setup still doesn't prevent the slack in the mouse cord from hitting things on my desk and interfering with my mouse movement.

Option 4 sounds good except for all the horror stories I have read about wireless mice and gaming.

What do you guys do?

 

[Rifter]

get a wireless mouse.

 

[mpilchfamily]

Save your money. Go out to your local hardware store and pick up some of these cable tiedowns and some zipties.

http://www.frozencpu.com/produ...Tie_Down.html?tl=g2c34

Stick it on the back side of the desk/KB tray and zip tie the cable in place so the slack sits on teh Desk/KB tray and your good to go. If your worried about a zip tie being a bit too permanent then use a twist tie.

Its always good to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)!

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Originally posted by: mpilchfamily
Save your money. Go out to your local hardware store and pick up some of these cable tiedowns and some zipties.

http://www.frozencpu.com/produ...Tie_Down.html?tl=g2c34

Stick it on the back side of the desk/KB tray and zip tie the cable in place so the slack sits on teh Desk/KB tray and your good to go. If your worried about a zip tie being a bit too permanent then use a twist tie.

Its always good to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)!

zip tie! +1

 

[AmberClad]

Cable ties, plus I have a USB hub taped to my keyboard tray. The only two USB cables running out the back of my PC are the ones connected to the keyboard tray hub and the hub in my monitor.

 

[ivan2]

I have 1. and am currently using 3. IMO 3 is the easiest solution and it also comes with a great mouse pad.

1 can be had for pretty cheap now and IMO a better solution. the mouse is virtually weightless with 1.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

cable ties + a clutter free surface

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: ivan2
I have 1. and am currently using 3. IMO 3 is the easiest solution and it also comes with a great mouse pad.

1 can be had for pretty cheap now and IMO a better solution. the mouse is virtually weightless with 1.

Yeah the only problem is they haven't had the black mouse bungee in stock for months now. Only the white one is available. I know it's a minor gripe, but all of my PC gear is black, and the white mouse bungee would stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[zagood]

+1 for mount/zip tie. Provides a specific channel for your cord to slide, or you can clamp it down to keep the cord static depending on your preference.

Otherwise I'd get the bungee. It's one of those convenience items where, sure, you can do something similar yourself, but more gear is always good

-z

 

[TidusZ]

the cord on the logitech g9 is nylon and doesn't have as much weight or drag or whatever you wanna call it compared to any other mice I've used. It's as close to wireless as you can get without using gizmos.

 

[corkyg]

Like was said way back - what's wrong with getting rid of the cable?

MX

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: corkyg
Like was said way back - what's wrong with getting rid of the cable?

MX

As was mentioned in that thread, that particular mouse has an infinite liftoff distance, which would be a huge PITA in games.

More generally, I've just read lots of horror stories about wireless mice dropping out or lagging, which would also make fast gaming impossible.

 

[Mem]

I use Mouse bungee works great.

 

[TidusZ]

Originally posted by: Mem
I use Mouse bungee works great.

"Don't get fragged cus your cord got snagged"

One of the best slogans I've ever seen.

 

[LtPage1]

ziptie/wire it to something that doesn't move. or just stick something on top of it with enough slack for you to move freely. Anyone who's suggested a wireless mouse has never used one to play games.

 

[greenbean]

Use a trackball. Logitech Trackman Wheel works well for fast gaming, it will take some time (weeks & months) to adjust to and build your accuracy, but you'll never go back. No pain, no gain.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16826104156

 

[potato28]

Clear desk so I never snag.

 

[Special K]

Well I just ordered a mouse bungee to go along with my MX518. Hopefully this solves my problem, as I'm having second thoughts about buying a MX1100 for gaming. If the mouse bungee works, then I'll probably pick up a gaming surface like the Razer Exactmat to go along with it.

I might even get a new MX518, as the feet on the one I have now are almost worn off. The new MX518s use the smooth PTFE feet used by the G5, which is nice. I tried the G5 in Best Buy and honestly think the MX518 is superior. The G5 has a slick surface near the thumb rest area, whereas the MX518 has a nice rubbery surface, which helps keep my thumb steady. The side buttons on the G5 don't have the tactile feedback that the ones on the MX518 do - they just kind of "mush" inward when you press them. I don't think the adjustable weight cartridge of the G5 would help much, either.

 

[zagood]

Email Logitech and they may send you a new set of feet - or even (as happened to me once) a brand new mouse. Their customer service can be over the top sometimes.

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?

 

[TidusZ]

Originally posted by: zagood
Email Logitech and they may send you a new set of feet - or even (as happened to me once) a brand new mouse. Their customer service can be over the top sometimes.

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?

Vouch for logitech support. My g9 had a minor issue and they sent me a brand new one w/o even having to send mine to them. The issue resolved itself too, so I got 2 for the price of 1

 

[Jader88]

I have a G5 blue and I use the Razer Armadillo. I love it, its made of heavy steal so it stays in place and I dont have any snags, I dont even notice its there. it works great. I also have the Mouse bungee but it will tend to fray the wire on the G5 but you said you have a MX518 so its not a problem.

Your best bet is to get the Razer Armadillo. Its expensive at $ 20 but it will last forever. You can purchase it at Amazon or directly from Razer.
The Mouse bungee is good if you can find it but its made of cheap plastic.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: zagood
Email Logitech and they may send you a new set of feet - or even (as happened to me once) a brand new mouse. Their customer service can be over the top sometimes.

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?

Thanks zagood, I'll try that. It would be very nice if they would replace my MX518 with one of the newer models with the large PTFE feet. They glide much smoother than the older models, and I bet they last longer as well.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: Jader88
I have a G5 blue and I use the Razer Armadillo. I love it, its made of heavy steal so it stays in place and I dont have any snags, I dont even notice its there. it works great. I also have the Mouse bungee but it will tend to fray the wire on the G5 but you said you have a MX518 so its not a problem.

Your best bet is to get the Razer Armadillo. Its expensive at $ 20 but it will last forever. You can purchase it at Amazon or directly from Razer.
The Mouse bungee is good if you can find it but its made of cheap plastic.

I just got my Mouse Bungee today. So far it's doing exactly what I need it to, although I disagree with the manufacturer's claim that it makes a wired mouse feel as though it were wireless.

I just need a good mousing surface and a new mouse now. Sliding this MX518 across my IKEA tabletop feels like I'm grinding sandpaper - not exactly conducive to FPS games.

That armadillo looks good too. Ultimately I went with the bungee because it lifts the cord higher up in the air and has a spring for better movement, which I thought would help. It was only $15 and they offer a full refund if you don't like it, so I'll keep the armadillo in mind in case the bungee doesn't work out.

 

[nomunk]

what ever you dont dont get a wireless mouse for gaming, I have the MX 518 also and its the best gaming mouse I have had, I use my wireless mouse strictly for surfing the web and everything else besides gaming

 

[ericgomes]

I just tug on my mouse so I have extra cable and more flexibility with it. My case is right next to me so that's why I'm able to do it.