Does Anyone Have A Gaming Mouse Pad? Getting The SteelSerise9HD

Cassius101

Member
Aug 29, 2013
159
2
81
Hi I am planning on getting this mouse pad but is it only designed for Laser Mice, this reviewer says it is but I don't believe it. Or Am I wrong?

http://www.amazon.ca/SteelSeries-Lar...+Pad+%289HD%29

5.0 out of 5 stars Smooth Jan 19 2012
By Clement H. - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm an avid gamer and have been gaming for a while. I play both FPS and RTS (BF3, SC2 and LOL just to name a few) I purchased the Steelseries Sensei mouse and on the website, it stated that the HD series mousepads were recommended and " specifically designed for Laser mouse." So I got the 9HD together with the Sensei mouse.
 

Cassius101

Member
Aug 29, 2013
159
2
81
My game mouse is Optical, I did read it was designed with testing it using some steel series laser mouse, would anyone recommenced another hard surface gaming mouse pad? If this one is not sufficient.
 

Zeze

Lifer
Mar 4, 2011
11,395
1,189
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You're spending $35 on a mouse pad? Man, you're exactly the type the company want to make $$ from.

The mousepad has almost NOTHING to do with your gaming skill. I have a piece of crap $2 mousepad from Staples and I was top 0.5% percentile in Dota 2 and pretty damn good at Counterstrike.

Save yourself $30 and thank me.
 

Stringjam

Golden Member
Jun 30, 2011
1,871
33
91
I cut off a flap from a soft-vinyl binder and stick it to my desk. As long as you cut it properly down the middle of the seam, it is sealed all the way around after the cut.

I think they have the perfect firmness, smoothness, and texture.

Plus, you can usually find them for less than $5 (that's 2 mousepads! ;) ).

UNV34401-1.JPG
 

Fox5

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2005
5,957
7
81
I've got a steel series mouse pad. It's pretty nice having a hard, stable surface that doesn't deform over time. It's just a piece of hard plastic though, nothing magical. It should work with ball mice too, although I didn't know those were still made.
 

KaOTiK

Lifer
Feb 5, 2001
10,877
8
81
I have the 4HD (smaller version of the 9HD) and love it. I use a laser mouse myself, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work with optical, the HD pads have just been optimized to be used with lasers since most gaming mice use lasers.

I use to just use the top of my desk as a mouse pad for years and didn't have any issue. One day i decided to give a nice pad a try and grabbed the 4HD. I was very happy with it. While I didn't notice any difference in mouse performance, it just felt a lot better. I like the feel of the pad a lot, it is sort of like sandpaper.
 

{bad}

Senior member
Feb 1, 2012
375
0
76
i have been using Steel Series QcK+ Limited Edition Moon Mouse Pad for 5-6 years and still happy with it(used it for mx 518, intelli 3.0, intelli 1.0, death adder, g400 and g 500 etc).

i have used most of steelseries headphones and mousepads and i love them bcoz of quality.

i also love Razer Goliathus Control Edition, not sure its for laser mouse or nto u should check it.

though some people prefer Razer Goliathus Speed Edition. it all comes to your personal choice
 
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cbrunny

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 2007
6,791
406
126
I have a comfy chair that I sit in to game, not a desk. I got the cheapest smallest cutting board I could find, stuck the cheapest mouse pad I could find to one side of it, and to the other side I stuck "non-slip" cabinet lining (http://www.rona.ca/en/non-slip-shelf-liner-3213055--1 <- like this, but the cheapest one I could find from WalMart). It works perfectly.
 

Grooveriding

Diamond Member
Dec 25, 2008
9,147
1,330
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I have that mouse pad and it is awesome. It's as good as the day I bought it, which was around three years ago. It's worth the price considering how resilient it is and I do prefer the quality of motion when my mouse moves across it vs cheap mouse pads.
 

BrightCandle

Diamond Member
Mar 15, 2007
4,762
0
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There is definitely value in having a decent mouse mat, you are looking for the ideal point of friction and glide as well as a nice big area for moving the mouse around. The two that keep coming up in the pro circuit are the Qck Heavy and the Puretrak talent. Lots of other pads are used but a lot of very good FPS players rave about these two pads and the reviews kind of speak for themselves.

Of the two I personally really like the Puretrak talent, unfortunately my Zowie AM jitters a little on it but I do find it improves my control of the mouse and allows high speed movement. For a low sensitivty gamer like myself a big pad is essential, and it needs to provide the right surface for speed and accuracy. Like most things peripheral based most mouse pads are kind of bad but most of us don't test enough of them to really know if the one we have is a problem and the reviewers also don't know what or how to test them properly. I had a Razer Goliathuis control for example which I got after some positive reviews and that was a dreadful pad. Not only did it shred my hand due to the weave and edging but the weave is so wide that my MX518 actually skipped regularly on it. Yet I have seen it recommended at least twice on these forums this year, yet it is without a doubt pure rubbish.

Since no one does these reviews well other than obscure pro circuit gamers its very hard to know what is good and how the new stuff compares as the pros once happy keep their kit for years just buying the same thing over and over.
 

lord_emperor

Golden Member
Nov 4, 2009
1,380
1
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I've been using an Everglide Ricochet for about 8 years. The surface is still like new.

$30 well spent IMO, I probably would have worn out 100 3-ring binders or cloth mousepads in that time.
 

Rhezuss

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2006
4,118
34
91
Razer Goliathus Control edition medium size.
Really happy with this one since I bought it 2 years ago.

282nhi.jpg
 

AdamantC

Senior member
Apr 19, 2011
478
0
76
I've been using a FuncPad 1030 along with some form of Teflon tape (currently CS Hyde Mouse Tape. Look it up on Amazon. The stuff rocks) for about the last 8-9 years. I definitely recommend a half decent plastic or metal pad because 1. they last longer, especially if you have low friction mouse feet or tape. 2. they they're much easier to clean and don't collect gunk like foam/rubber pads do.
 

PowerYoga

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2001
4,603
0
0
I have one of those pads with the gel thing for your wrist from staples and never really felt like it was too small. Why do you guys need a big flat pad?
 

BrightCandle

Diamond Member
Mar 15, 2007
4,762
0
76
I have one of those pads with the gel thing for your wrist from staples and never really felt like it was too small. Why do you guys need a big flat pad?

Because we play at a lower sensitivity than you so we are move accurately and faster. Takes me a foot of movement on my mouse to turn 180 degrees, which I do so fast you would barely believe it. I move so quick many ordinary mice just fail to pick up my movements accurately. I am far from world class nowadays (getting old) but I have won championships.

At the low end of skill it likely doesn't matter much, but the kit and using it well really does lift your game. Getting reliable 100 fps in counter strike overnight took me from almost no where to high ranked and very hard to beat. Most personal reviews of mice and keyboards and mouse pads don't come from pro/expro players so they have neither tested multiple products nor pushed them to their limit of capability. A lot of the time the skill of the player is more the problem of course. But all these suboptimal products slow down progress to getting better. I am not going to change anyones opinion, they are after all happy. Alas it doesn't mean they are right, they just don't play at my level and are making choices that mean they likely never will.
 

imaheadcase

Diamond Member
May 9, 2005
3,850
7
76
That mousepad is junk, every Razer one i've got was. It lasted about a month and the coating literally wears off, after it will actually bend in the middle causing you to lose mouse cursor when pressing down.
 
Oct 30, 2004
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I second the Funcpad. I've been very happy with this pad and it's only $6 at Amazon. I have the smooth version.

http://www.amazon.com/Func-Single-Si...=func+mousepad

http://www.amazon.com/Func-Single-Ro...=func+mousepad

Having never used a gaming mouse pad before (and always just used whatever was around) and being very skeptical about the value of a gaming mouse pad, I was very pleased and impressed with how much better this is over an ordinary pad. My mouse moves more smoothly and it seems much more responsive and accurate.
 
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sash1

Diamond Member
Jul 20, 2001
8,896
1
0
I have the 4HD (smaller version of the 9HD) and love it. I use a laser mouse myself, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work with optical, the HD pads have just been optimized to be used with lasers since most gaming mice use lasers.

same here. i use the 4HD. been happy with it