Razer mice?

[AmberClad]

I'm thinking about getting a new mouse, as my old MX-500 is looking a little beat-up. Permanent fingerprint-shaped grease stains, the black paint over the Logitech logo is all chipped off, the mouse feet fell off at some point, etc.

So I was thinking about either the 2007 G5, or a Razer mouse. Never owned a Razer before -- how do they fare as far as regular desktop applications? They don't seem to have many buttons. Are the buttons that are there easily customizable? (I'm the type that uses the extra buttons heavily for things like navigation and shortcuts.)

Or should I just stick with Logitech if I want a multi-purpose mouse?

 

[CaptainJackSwallows]

i have a razer diamondback right now. i love it in gaming, but for desktop use, i think you should stick with logitech or microsoft.

the diamondback has 4 side buttons, 2 on each side, it is symmetrical, so if you're left handed it will feel the same as a right handed guy. the buttons are easy to press but hard to hit on accident.

 

[Evacide]

I love my Razer DeathAdder, but I mostly use it for gaming. It's fine for desktop use too. The On-The-Fly sensitivity is useful and it's really comfortable.

 

[anindrew]

I'm in the same situation as AmberClad. My MX500 works fine, but the rubberized material in the thumb groove is worn down to the shiny black plastic. Oddly, the opposite side has a similar, but smaller shiny area; I'm guessing my fingers did that. Plus, you have to add little entries into the registry to make the thumb buttons work with some games. It's a little annoying and doesn't always work.

I like having the two thumb buttons, but I could live without the "scroll up/down" buttons and the "change application" button (that I never use and hit far too often by accident). The MX518 and G5 have the exact same shape as the MX500. The weight of the MX500 never bothered me one bit, so I'm not sure I'd care about the weights with the G5. Plus, I think another product may be more comfortable to me.

I love playing some FPS games and the occasional RTS, etc. I really like what I've read about the Razer Deathadder. Plus, that's just a cool name for a product. It reminds me of Golden Axe, too. Hopefully, I would notice a difference in games with higher dpi. Since I've never had a mouse that could switch between them, I'd probably just find the dpi I like best and stick with that. The only negative thing I've read about the Deathadder is that there are no working Vista drivers yet. I haven't made the switch from XP yet, but most likely will in the future. Hopefully Razer will get that sorted out soon.

I'll have to make a trip to Best Buy or CompUSA to try out some mice.

 

[torpid]

The G5 doesn't have a "forward" button. It only has the one side button. I just had to decide between the same two mice and I chose the copperhead, although I'm slightly concerned that I am not actually a "twitch" user and as such should have ordered the MS / Razer mouse.

 

[kachaffeous]

Originally posted by: torpid
The G5 doesn't have a "forward" button. It only has the one side button...

The "old" G5 only had 1 button; the "new" G5 has 2.

 

[torpid]

Ah... I was wondering why the new one was $10 more

 

[potato28]

The DeathAdder has the 2 thumb buttons, same shape of a Logitech mouse and is supposed to be one of the best mice out on the market. This is what I've heard though, I own a Habu which is great too.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

i have both a g7 and a razer copperhead laser.
G7
Pros: wireless, comfortable, easy to press side button
Cons: horrible battery life, only 1 side button, right handers only

Copperhead
Pros: light, quick for gaming since you'll only be using ur fingers to control it, secure rubber grip, nice dim, blue light, pulsating razer symbol. ambidextrous
Cons: not comfortable for desktop gaming bc it doesn't fit you hand right, sometimes mine would change sensitity on its own when gaming cause me to die in CS.

 

[anindrew]

I went to Circuit City today since I knew they had some Razer mice. The display model Deathadder seemed all right. I like the rubberized material on the top, but the sides are just slick plastic. The thumb buttons felt a bit loose, but that might be from being a display model. I'm not sure how keen I am on the large scroll wheel. I want to give it another try to really tell what I think.

The G5 is shaped exactly like what I'm using now (MX500), so it felt very familiar. I may end up buying it.

Any G5 owners have any issues with buttons being recognized in games?

 

[dds14u]

Why not try the Logitech G3.
It's logitech's very own "finger-tip" mouse. You also get the two side buttons common on Razer mice, it's got a dry grip side so it's not slick, and it's shaped like a regular mouse!

You'll be able to use it for regular desktop applications very easily.
There's a deal on it right now at CC if you hurry. Check out my thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2076096&enterthread=y

 

[nerp]

Love my G5. Only mouse I've ever owned that has had two firmware updates to improve tracking.

It's beginning to wear out but still holding up nicely for a mouse abused by more than 2 years of CS:S.

When it's finally done (next year maybe) I'll probably replace it with another G5.

 

[imported_Imp]

Just managed to nail a G5 for only $30 today at Futureshop (if you're Canadian, run to a store or go get a G7 for $60). Can't say anything about gaming since I haven't tried anything yet, but desktop use is great. The weights are nice, but I just made it the heaviest I could. The dpi change is a great feature for quick change of sensitivity for applications I'll probably never use. The single thumb button is fine, since I rarely use the forward button, maybe twice a day compared to 50+ times with the back button. Essentially, I just like having everything controllable in a single hand, which many other cheaper (reg. price) mice are capable of, but this was on sale.

 

[narzy]

Can't go wrong with a Razer mouse, I have the copperhead 2000dpi of laser goodness. I liked it so much I got one for my mom and she loves it. The other ones I'd look at are the Haibu (microsoft but made by razer) or the deathadder, they both use 1800dpi IR sensors but still very respectable mice.

 

[needalife]

As for gaming, I'd go either Mx518 or Deathadder...

 

[matas]

Razer diamondback rocks. Especially in CSS or other fps games.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

another recommendation for the DeathAdder here - the most important aspect of any mouse is the technology that translates your hand movement to cursor movement, of which the DeathAdder has the best sensor on the market. Most people would also tend to agree it easily has one of the best ergonomic shapes (for right handed users). It's only weaknesses would be that it only has 5 buttons (although all still programmable with drivers) compared to many other high end mice. And unlike the Copperhead and Habu, the DeathAdder does not come with the built in memory for storing driver profiles (a very awesome feature that I was bummed it didn't have like my Copperhead and Habu). Yet despite the weaknesses I'm still using the DeathAdder...

 

[tecgriff]

The DeathAdder is an AWESOME mouse, it is extremely precise and is the most comfortable mouse I have ever used. If you do choose to get one, check out this guide here : http://www.esreality.com/?a=post&id=1334185 to help you get the most out of it gl

 

[anindrew]

It seems that the only store near me that has the newer G5 also has the Deathadder (for the same price, too): Circuit City. Since their display is at an angle, I decided to get down on a knee, so I would be closer to the position in which I would actually use the mouse. This time, I found the Deathadder to be extremely comfortable. The G5 feels okay, but a bit small (like my worn out MX500).

So now I'm debating between the two again. Do I go for comfort, but less buttons/features on the Deathadder? Or do I go with less comfort, but more buttons/features with the new G5? Considering my MX500 only has 5 usable buttons in games, I wouldn't be missing much if I went with the Deathadder. I do wish the Deathadder didn't have that giant gap in front of the scroll wheel. How is the build quality on those? While it feels very comfy, it doesn't feel quite as solid as the Logitechs.

Right now, I'm pretty tempted by the Deathadder's comfort. And looking at my mouse pad, I definitely need a new one.

I think I'll have to pick up one of them tomorrow.

 

[rangda]

I just went through the process of buying a new mouse for gaming, my short list was DeathAdder, Copperhead, and G5, I ended up with the Deathadder. I too, played with the mice in circuit city, and felt the DA was the most comfortable in my hand. The biggest cons I have are that the sides are shiny plastic and may get hard to grip when hands get sweaty and that the driver software doesn't allow profiles to be setup for specific games, you have to manually select a profile.

I agree it feels less solid than the Logitech mice, only time will tell if that is an issue.

EDIT: I forgot to mention I am using the mouse with the latest drivers in Vista x64 w/o any problems.

 

[anindrew]

Hi everybody!

I observed myself using my MX500 to see how I hold it. I have my wrist hanging off the end of it. When I tried out the Deathadder and G5, of course my wrist was still doing that. Apparently, I am not one who "palms" his mouse, even though I thought I was. While the Deathadder is very comfy if you palm it, with the way I hold a mouse, the G5 felt more comfy to me. The thumb groove it has is just perfect for me.

So, I went with the G5 2007 updated version. It's VERY comfortable, feels very solid, and glides across my new mouse pad incredibly fast. I bought a Handstands Ergo-Mat mouse pad. It's made out of memory foam. It's slightly sloped, so I keep my wrist on the thicker part. I'm still deciding if I like it.

I've tried the G5 with F.E.A.R. Combat. I need to tweak my settings with Steam/HL2. I'll have to see how it performs in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. I feel that I am more accurate at aiming with this mouse than my old one. Thanks to all for your advice and recommendations.