I need me a nice mousepad for my G500

[ChorniyVolk]

Alright, so I need a mousepad, a really nice one, for my G500.

- Budget is around $20-$50. I only have it so high because of some of those kickass looking higher end ones, though I can probably find them on ebay and such for much less.

- 8" x 10" would be decent, nothing too humongous, I have a small desk with a width of 31" and my G11 takes up around 22" of that.

- Something nice, none of that cloth nonsense; it gets dirty and filthy and so on. Something nice and smooth that will stay that way, so I suppose plastic, glass or aluminum. Is aluminum or glass better?

I've been recommended a few, like the SteelSeries pads, and I'm really enchanted by the I series which is glass, and that aluminum one. Another one is the Razer Exactmat, I read it's aluminum and it doesn't cost too much.

Let me know what you know about mousepads as well, for all I know I'm wasting money on "huge DPI" or something like that. I figured that cloth pads aren't worth considering, but maybe the better ones are?

 

[ChorniyVolk]

I see some decent options in the sub $20 area like the Sphex.

Interesting.

Another thing I'd like to know is, with a glass mousepad can you really feel the glass? The only reason I'm so enchanted by such a glass pad is the idea that I'm moving my mouse over glass of all things, without having to use a glass desk or something. If it's just glass for the build and then covered with some other material, then that's lame.

Also, what's this I hear about tile?

 

[lsv]

I use this, it's big though but I put the keyboard over the left edge I don't use. Been excellent for 4~ years now.

http://www.hardwarehounds.com/reviews/qck.shtml

 

[ChorniyVolk]

Don't really want a cloth pad all that much though, for many reasons. But thanks.

 

[schneiderguy]

I have a Ratpadz XT that I like. If you spray a little Pledge furniture polish on it, you just have to give the mouse a nudge and it'll slide across the entire pad - it is very slick.

http://ratpadz.com/

They'll also give you a full refund if you don't like it. The company is owned by the owner of hardocp.com

 

[Maximilian]

I use a steelpad 5L, one of the ones thats actually made of steel Its pretty big but its ok because i put stuff on top of it and only really use the left side of it.

 

[lsquare]

I have a Ratpadz XT that I like. If you spray a little Pledge furniture polish on it, you just have to give the mouse a nudge and it'll slide across the entire pad - it is very slick.

http://ratpadz.com/

They'll also give you a full refund if you don't like it. The company is owned by the owner of hardocp.com

What's the advantage of using a mousepad such as the Ratpadz? I've heard of it, but I'm not sure what advantages it provides. Is a GS good enough for most people? Is it a big mouse pad?

Currently I'm using my mouse on the desk and this inevitably leads to scratches on the bottom of the mouse. Would a mouse pad prevent that?

 

[corkyg]

A pad is only really necessary if you have a ball mouse. Opticals dom't require pads - just smooth surfaces. But, be careful of glass. Some opticals go crazy on glass due to spurious reflections. I find the polished wood desktop as good as anything, and more flexible than a pad.

I can't see how a polished desktop would cause scratches unless you have grains of sand, sugar or other dirt on the desktop.

 

[lsquare]

A pad is only really necessary if you have a ball mouse. Opticals dom't require pads - just smooth surfaces. But, be careful of glass. Some opticals go crazy on glass due to spurious reflections. I find the polished wood desktop as good as anything, and more flexible than a pad.

I can't see how a polished desktop would cause scratches unless you have grains of sand, sugar or other dirt on the desktop.

Yea, that was what I had known for years, but using a mouse on a wooden desk causes scratch marks to the bottom of the mouse due to friction. I'm not saying there wouldn't be any friction using a mouse on a mousepad, but would it prevent scratch marks from appearing to the mouse?

 

[corkyg]

Scratches from a polished wood surface don't make sense. Optical mice have glide pads that keep the bottom away from the desk surface.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Corky-G/mice.jpg

Perhaps these are worn down on your mouse? If so, you need a new one.

Anyway, a pad probably would prevent scratch marks unless there were the same grains of dust, etcv. on the pad.

 

[billyb0b]

razer exactmat is a great pad

 

[Capt Caveman]

razer exactmat is a great pad

I've been using one for several years and love it.

Link

 

[lsquare]

Scratches from a polished wood surface don't make sense. Optical mice have glide pads that keep the bottom away from the desk surface.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Corky-G/mice.jpg

Perhaps these are worn down on your mouse? If so, you need a new one.

Anyway, a pad probably would prevent scratch marks unless there were the same grains of dust, etcv. on the pad.

Well, I'm looking at my 1 week old Wireless Comfort 5000 mouse and while you're right there should be scratch marks on the pad, there are also some feather-like scratches on the bottom of the mouse as well. Those pads aren't very thick and I would presume that parts of the body would make contact with the mouse as well.

I'm thinking of purchasing a Ratpad, but I'm really not sure if it'll prevent any scratches from form or building. While I realize it's not the end of the world, all of my mice have had heavy scratches forming in the bottom since I dumped my mouse years ago when I switched to optical.

 

[corkyg]

The only way I can think of that scratches could be made on the bottom of the mouse body is if the surface to have moved it on has a curvature, like the arm of a chair or something.

Could it be from how you store the mouse or pack it for travel?

 

[zagood]

Steelseries 5L. Don't look back.

 

[konakona]

went from plastic everglide (=ratpadz) -> CS4 Hyde -> wooden desk -> destrukt -> xtrac hybrid.

I did try some steel and glass pads from my friends / cousin, but my hands get too cold from those. steel eats thru your mouse feet like crazy too.

can't say I was a big fan of a bare desk, works fine for desktop use but leaves a lot to be desired for gaming if you like low friction of rough surfaces.

xtrac hybrid was the best I have used so far, and most reviews seem to agree.

 

[toronado97]

I second the eXactmat. Had mine for three years; the speed side has worn down so i have to use the Control side only but it's been a great pad. Best 30 bucks I ever spent.

 

[konakona]

A pad is only really necessary if you have a ball mouse. Opticals dom't require pads - just smooth surfaces. But, be careful of glass. Some opticals go crazy on glass due to spurious reflections. I find the polished wood desktop as good as anything, and more flexible than a pad.

I can't see how a polished desktop would cause scratches unless you have grains of sand, sugar or other dirt on the desktop.

Just curious, may I ask you if you are into competitive multiplayer FPS games? If you are, I find it surprising you don't think pads don't make much difference. For general use and less quickness oriented games I would be in agreement however.

 

[lsquare]

The only way I can think of that scratches could be made on the bottom of the mouse body is if the surface to have moved it on has a curvature, like the arm of a chair or something.

Could it be from how you store the mouse or pack it for travel?

No, I use it on a flat desk, but it may not be 100% flat if you were to use a microscope to analyse the structure of the material.

Check the bottom of your mouse. I'm pretty sure that it's not just those rubber pads that are scratched. Just look carefully.

 

[borisvodofsky]

CLOTH pads are BEST... low friction, and wisper quiet..

Ripper XXXL,, or w/e the biggest pad they have now is..

it's only like 25 dollars or something.. it's 3 feet by 1.5 feet HUGE.

Covers a good portion of your desk.. awesome.

MADE BY XTRAC

 

[~Kio~]

Do NOT I repeat do NOT get a glass mousepad for the g500 or any G9 related mouses.The g500 boasts that it can work on any surface including "glass" - with its superior "gaming grade" laser, and it can... but....

it LAGS, on glass surfaces, and pretty badly at that. I suggest a hard surface plastic or steel surface pad (maybe a rubberized pad like the razor exactpad).

 

[corkyg]

Just curious, may I ask you if you are into competitive multiplayer FPS games?

No, and I will not venture into what is best for gamers. My focus is the workplace not the playpen.

 

[konakona]

No, and I will not venture into what is best for gamers. My focus is the workplace not the playpen.

Fair enough Like I said, for no gaming, no pad is just fine.

OP did not specify what his specific needs were, but the candidates he brought up suggests he would most likely spend some time gaming.
As a gamer myself, my endorsement for xtracpads hybrid stands.

Actually I went by this guy's suggestion: http://users.kymp.net/feuer/mousepads/mousepads05.html
Was going to get a funcpad initially, then got weary of how fast it wears out and got me some alternatives instead.
Everglide Destrukt was $22.10 shipped from performance-pcs
XtracPads Hybrid was $26.95 shipped from cable crazy