Good, smooth mouse and mouse pad?

[hans030390]

I've noticed that mouse movements in many games I play are not perfectly smooth, in that it almost looks like micro stuttering. Moving around without using my mouse delivers smooth movement. Even my 360 gamepad seems to deliver a smoother performance when looking around. I have gone as far as testing frametimes as well to ensure it was not that.

So, I have a simple question. What is a good mouse for gaming that will deliver a smooth experience? Is there a particularly good mouse pad I should use with it as well? And are there particular mouse settings that make this better or worse? Could it also have something to do with me plugging it into a USB hub? (Just thought of that...will test that later tonight if I can)

It might also help to mention that I have very large, slender hands. My current mouse is a Gigabyte GM-M6800, and I find it very comfortable.

 

[BrightCandle]

Draw a picture like the one below. Use MS Paint and add vertical lines as well as diagonal lines to the image.

In addition to just drawing them move the mouse as fast as you can, see if going a certain distance across the mat always produces a similar line length regardless of the speed involved.

So what are you looking for? Flat spots, overally straight bits especially on the spirals and any acceleration/deacceleration resulting in uneven motion. It could be the mouse, could be the mouse on that particular mat or there could be no particular problem with the mouses accuracy but you don't get on with the mouse. Either way these pictures and tests will tell you what is going on.

 

[hans030390]

OK, does something like this help? The first five spirals are at 800dpi with increasing movement speed. The others are 1600dpi, again with increasing speed. I tried different speeds and dpi on all the lines.

It seems as though moving my mouse faster causes lines to be drawn faster as well, in that it takes less distance moving the mouse quickly than moving slowly to make the same line length.

It does appear as though it's very easy to make straight horizontal and vertical lines. What does this likely mean?

I am still wondering if anyone has any suggestions on good mice and pads as well.

 

[hans030390]

Oh, wow. Just tried my roommate's old, cheap HP mouse. Instantly noticed the difference. Nearly impossible to draw straight lines, and the spirals seem smoother overall. Same mouse pad and everything else. Screenshot:

 

[bononos]

The straight lines comes from the angle-snapping/prediction function of some mice. Just do a google search for the model + angle snapping to see if that mouse has that function. The G400 is one model which doesn't have angle snapping and is basically the old mx518 with the angle snapping removed.

 

[BrightCandle]

Your mouse shows severe amounts of angle snapping and sounds like it has positive acceleration. So its not you, its definitely the mouse.

To determine what you want new we need to know how you grip and use the mouse. Palm, claw or finger tip and whether you are low or high sensitivity. Also do you prefer acceleration and what sorts of games do you play. What mice models have you liked the shape of in the past. Once we know that we can start to give you an idea of some models that will fit your style.

 

[hans030390]

I'm having a hard time finding any information on angle snapping for my mouse (Gigabyte GM-M6800). There are apparently drivers for my mouse that I've never installed. I'm going to tinker around with those.

I'm not sure if I should say I prefer a palm grip or a finger tip grip. It's somewhere in-between. The reason for this is because my hands are very large and slender. From the bottom of my palm to the tip of my middle finger is about 8.5 inches. Spread out, the straight-line distance from the tip of my thumb to the tip of my pink is about 9.5 inches.

Because of this, most mice are too small for me to truly palm grip. So, like I said, my grip is somewhere in-between palm and finger tip. If I had to pick, I'd say I gravitate more towards a palm grip.

I'm also not sure what you mean exactly by low or high sensitivity. I tend to use my current mouse at the 800dpi settings vs 1600dpi. Does this mean I'd be on the lower side? I have a tendency to get a bit, um, antsy when playing games, and lower sensitivities help me keep my controls in check.

I'm not sure if I prefer acceleration or not. I'm leaning towards probably not, given that it is probably not conducive to when I accidentally make quicker movements than I meant to.

As for mice I've found comfortable, I quite like the feel of my current Gigabyte mouse. I've found very few mice that fit as well, though my experience with mice is rather limited. I've tried the MX518 before but did not like how my ring and pinky fingers rested on it.

It might also help to mention that I'm right-handed.

 

[hans030390]

I've been doing a bit of research, and it appears as though a higher polling rate might be beneficial for me. I saw one video on Youtube with someone comparing 125Hz with 500Hz. The 500Hz polling rate provided noticeably smoother mouse movements, where as the 125Hz polling rate looked to have the same type of stutter I've been experiencing.

I'm also not sure if I answered the acceleration question correctly, nor am I sure if you were referring to what a lot of mouse specifications mention (say, 30g or 50g). Still trying to learn these things...

Update: With a bit more testing, I'm no longer sure if my current mouse has acceleration or not. It's hard to tell. Based on what I've mentioned, though, do you think it is something I should try to avoid? Still not sure if the acceleration listings on many mice specifications (in g) are the same thing or not.

As for what games I play...I play about everything. FPS games are pretty common.

 

[BrightCandle]

http://www.esreality.com/post/2024663/mouses-using-flawless-sensors/ is a list of mice without some of the flaws your mouse exhibits.

800 DPI is medium to low sensitivity, you might get more accurate after some practice at 400 DPI since you are already relatively lowish. Of the mice on esreality's list I think you should be able to find one that you think will suit your hand shape and is similar to your gigabyte mouse. I suspect you might get on with a deathadder more than a G400 since you don't like the MX518, but have a look through the list and see what looks about right.

Then in Windows when you get the mouse turn off mouse acceleration in the control panel, set the DPI to 400 and turn off any acceleration and then relearn how to use a mouse!

As to mats I am a huge fan of the Puretrak Talent, but some mice have tracking issues on it so you'll want to check that. The Steelseries QCK is also a good mat and works well with mice wanting a black mat.

 

[hans030390]

I was actually looking at the Deathadder, and so far it's at the top of my list. If I were to go with that, are there certain pads I should consider or stay away from? For example, does the Puretrak Talent have any issues with it?

 

[hans030390]

Ended up getting the Deathadder 2013. It makes an amazing difference! Mouse movements in FPS games is noticeably smoother/less jittery. Very impressed. Comfort is quite good too. I just went ahead and got the goliathus mouse pad (speed version), which will be in later. Thanks for all the help! Really appreciate it!