5 best gaming mice: best gaming mouse to buy
1. Razer DeathAdder Elite
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DPI: Up to 16,000 | Features: True tracking at 450 Inches Per Second, Resolution Accuracy of 99.4%, Mechanical mouse switches (up to 50 million clicks), Razer Chroma lighting, Up to 450 IPS / 50 g acceleration, Razer Synapse software
You know what you're getting with a Razer DeathAdder mouse, and this year's Elite model is one of the most responsive yet thanks to a new eSports-grade sensor that makes it easier than ever to keep enemies firmly in the center of your crosshair.
Razer's refreshed rodent features the same right-handed ergonomic design as its predecessor that moulds into your hand, all while adding two new buttons beneath the mouse's scroll wheel to change DPI (or dots-per-inch) on-the-fly.
While the DeathAdder Elite misses out on more advanced features such as the free-spinning scroll wheel that you'll find on Logitech's Proteus Core, the Razer's pretty RGB lighting (customizable lighting with 16.8 million color options through Razer's synapse software), big and accessible left-mounted buttons and grippable scroll wheel make it the best mice available in the price tier below.
2. SteelSeries Rival 700
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DPI: Up to 16,000 | Features: Gamesense support, OLED display, Tactile alerts, SteelSeries Engine 3 support, Programmable buttons, Onboard profile storage
SteelSeries has ventured where few gaming mouse makers dare by adding a black-and-white OLED display to its Rival 700. It can either be a useful tool for three currently supported games – Dota 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Minecraft – or can instead be used to loop animated GIFs. There's a high level of customization on offer here thanks to the Rival 700's modularity. Users can snap covers on and off and even switch between a three- or six-foot cable. Tactile alerts are also in place, which trigger vibrations to indicate when health, mana and other in-game resources are replenished in the aforementioned games. Overall, a distinct piece of equipment.
3. SteelSeries Rival 500
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DPI: 10,000 - 16,000 | Features: 14 buttons, DPI adjuster, RGB backlighting, SteelSeries 3 Engine software
The SteelSeries Rival 500 is initially overwhelming due to the number of buttons on the left-hand side. However, give it time and this becomes one of the most formidable gaming mice money can buy. This veritable swiss army knife boasts an incredible 14 buttons, making it ideal for everything from MMOs and MOBAs to shooters, strategy and simulation games. And if you don’t need all of them, a switch on the underside of the Rival 500 disables some of the buttons on the left-hand side, turning them into a comfortable thumb rest. The mouse fits nicely in the hand and is super customizable thanks to the SteelSeries Engine 3 software, which is intuitive and helps you make the most of those buttons and its RGB backlighting.
4. Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum
info:
DPI: 200 - 12,000 | Features: 11 programmable buttons and controls, including DPI shift, Customizable lighting from a palette of 16.8 million colors, Up to five 3.6g weights for personalised mass and balance, Surface-turnable gaming sensor with Delta Zero tech, 5 on-the-fly adjustable DPI settings, 3 on-board profiles
Logitech's gaming mouse makes heavy-handedness seem like a good thing. Its hexagonal core can be customized with up to six 3.6 gram weights, giving you a lighter or heavier mouse to wield. Adjusting the mass and balance isn't the G502's only trick: its surface-turnable gaming sensor packs Logitech's Delta Zero tech, which lets you use it on a wide variety of surfaces beyond your regular mouse mat.
Clicking a middle mouse button lets the G502's scroll wheel spin freely, which helps prevent knuckle strain when navigating long webpages and forms. Add to that 11 customizable buttons including four on the left-hand side, a three-speed DPI shift under the scroll wheel and a logo that lights up 16.8 million colours in the dark using RGB backlighting, and you have one attractive, tech-stuffed gaming mouse.
5. Cougar Minos X3
info:
DPI: Up to 3,200 | Features: RGB backlighting, 6 buttons, OMRON switches, On-the-fly DPI switcher
Cougar is fast developing a reputation for creating peripherals capable of going toe-to-toe with those from rival brands, but sold at a lower price point. The Minos X3 is one such mouse, one that’s targeted at esports gamers. Featuring a pro-grade optical sensor that makes mousing around the mouse pad smooth and precise, six buttons and on-the-fly DPI switching, it packs all of the essentials you would need under its plastic and rubber shell. That it sports eye-catching RGB backlighting that bleeds around the base of the mouse is the cherry on top.
















