Gaming Peripherals updated

GL1TCH3D's Comprehensive Introduction to Gaming Peripherals

The purpose of this guide is to offer the basics to intermediate level of knowledge across most peripherals.

For those familiar with my headphone thread, unfortunately it's going to be less like that and more of a "here's the information, try your hand at it".

Though, I do encourage you to ask general questions on the guide so that I can help you understand and maybe make changes to the guide to make it more understandable.

About myself:
I'm a 12 year old shut in and all I do all day is make $800/hr using ad-fly and other methods found through eBooks, game and listen to music. Spending so much time on the computer means I spend a lot of time with the peripherals and for that reason it's extremely important I choose the right peripherals for my tastes.
In all honesty though, I spend a decent bit of time at my computer while I listen to music and type up long explanations on HF, HF (yes 2) and other places.
I try lots of different products for everything, whether it be keyboards, headphones, mice, etc.
I enjoy learning more in depth about products and getting an understanding of what makes certain products better. A good example of this was when I was starting badminton, I ended up enjoying the sport and decided to learn about, you guessed it, badminton rackets. I spent a week learning about rackets until deciding on a specific racket with string and string tension. Three years later I'm still happy with that racket because I took the time, effort and money to get a proper racket.

What you'll find in this guide:
Different variations, designs, methods and such on the various topics to be discussed.
Key points to consider when choosing peripherals in the topics to be discussed.

What you won't find in this guide:
Advanced technical data and specifications and what they do (Generally will be omitted for simplicity without having an impact, if any at all, on the average person here).
A form to fill out for a request (May come later, but for now there are no plans to be fulfilling requests here).
Reviews of specific models.
Discussions of internal components (take those to COCH)

What I'm hoping you get from this:
By the end of this you should have a solid base to choose any current and future peripherals.

To Moderators,
This thread is created in the best intentions for myself as well as the users that seek information regarding gaming peripherals.
The reserving of posts in this thread is used for linearity and organization purposes in content as is often done for tutorials in various other sections of Hackforums. This is also done to futureproof the thread incase more information has a demand to be added but no space is present due to the current character limit of a single post on Hackforums.
The section of "The Gamers Lounge" (I know this was posted in the wrong place) was chosen for the following reason:
*The topics discussed relate mainly to gaming

-GL1TCH3D

How to use the Table Of Contents
The Table Of Contents will have links to other "main posts" of the thread. For example, section 0 would be a main post which includes subsections which are linked in the table with find functions.

1) Introductory Post
2) Keyboards
3) Headsets
4) Mice
5) Mousepads
6) Monitors?
7) Further Reading


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Keyboards
This section is dedicated to Keyboards.

The first thing I need to do is specify one thing.
In reality, there are only really 2 types of keyboards for PC.
The mechanical keyboard and the rubber dome switch (regular) keyboard.

I'm going to say this right now, if you have over $40 to spend on a keyboard go for at the very least a used mechanical keyboard.
The rest of this section is to discuss the basics of mechanical keyboards while emphasizing the improvements in using a mechanical keyboard over a rubber dome.

First things first, a mechanical keyboard is determined by switches it employs, mechanical switches have a mechanism in the switch to make it, well, actually switch on and off for that key.
For rubber dome keyboards, you're basically just pushing a capacitive membrane down in a rubber dome, basically when the key is pressed down completely the switch activates.

Both of them complete a circuit so why so much hate on the rubber dome?
Well, mechanical switches are much more accurate and the same key press (when I say same key press I mean by how strong you press) will feel exactly the same across any of key using the same switch.
Rubber domes are cheaply made and variations can make them feel different even on the same keyboard.

Essentially, you'll get a more accurate/have the same feeling over the entirety of the keyboard.

Another aspect to consider is that mechanical switches activate when
you press the switch down about halfway for most switches.

What does this mean for you?

The switch activates faster!
In gaming those few milliseconds can be crucial, as gamers we regularly spend money to lower the amount of input/output lag we get.
Whether it be a mouse with 1000hz polling rate, a monitor with 1ms GTG refresh rate or just your internet speeds!
We tend to care a lot about the speed of our equipment so why settle with a slower, less accurate keyboard that doesn't make you feel like you're fingering a chick all night long.

Now that all that is out of the way, let's start with some terminology.

Weighting

Also known as actuation force, it is the amount of weight required to press the key down.
For example, a 55g switch is harder to press down than a 45g switch, for most people this doesn't matter all too much because most switches are roughly the same weighting but you do get into more specialized switches that can have much different weightings and it's up to you to decide what weight is comfortable for you.
Unlike most people, I'm VERY light handed which means I tend to prefer lighter switch types.
My main keyboard uses a 30g switch while most rubber dome keyboards are roughly 60g, that means it takes me half the force as it takes you to write your response to this thread (obviously only applies if you're using a rubber dome keyboard).

Layout

There are different key layouts to match preferences of certain people, different layouts will change the positioning and size of certain keys.

Keyboard size

This goes along nicely with layout. Keyboard size is the size of the keyboard.
You have your normal full sized 104 key, your "tenkeyless" (or TKL for short) which chops off the numpad and your 60% keyboard size (referred to as 60%) which is much smaller than both the full sized and TKL, usually around 66 keys and leaves the main keys used for general typing intact and relies on key combinations for the rest of the keys (E.G FN+1 to make the F1 key press).
Different layouts and sizes can result in some very interesting keyboards.

Switches

This refers to the type of mechanical switch being employed in the keyboard.
Some keyboards have different switches in certain parts of the keyboard.
For example, some keyboards use a heavier switch in the space bar because most people press the spacebar with their thumb and generally apply more force so the keyboard company puts a heavier switch so that the spacebar doesn't feel so light.
Another great example are the realforce variable weight keyboards. These usually employ 3 different weightings for the keys with the purpose of making every key feel roughly equivalent by accounting for higher force presses in certain areas.

Tactility

Also known as tactile feedback, this describes the way the keys FEEL when typing. Tactile feedback gives you a bit of a "jolt" in a sense when the switch activates.

Audibility

Also known as audible feedback, this describes the way the keys SOUND when typing. Audible feedback keys make a noise when the switch activates.

Mounting

This refers to how the mechanical switches are attached to the keyboard. You have plate mount and PCB mount. Plate mount is sturdier for the keys and is more preferable.

Stabilizers

This is something I should mention but not make you worry too much about. Stabilizers are additional parts found in longer keys (backspace, spacebar, etc) meant to cause force applied on any part of the key to be distributed equally.
Stabilizers will generally cause the key to be heavier. The best stabilizers don't change the weight or feel of the key and don't rattle. This is generally very difficult to acheive so depending on the quality of the stabilizers used you'll have trade offs.
Don't worry too much about this for your first couple of keyboards, if you buy a keyboard and really detest the stabilizers, look up the
stabilizers used and for your next keyboard buy one with different stabilizers.

Materials used

This is more focused on the materials used for making the keycaps.

Keycaps tend to wear out over time, it's normal. Lucky for you, certain keycaps are made to last longer.
You usually see 2 materials being used, ABS and PBT.
ABS is cheaper, will start to slick / go shiny and the key printing will wear off. PBT is more of a matte material but properly done, high quality PBT keys will last a lifetime.
Generally I recommend getting keycaps in PBT.

Key roll over

Key roll over is the effect of having key presses delayed or not registered when pressing too many keys at once.

Your average keyboard has 6 key rollover. A lot of "higher quality" ones will boast 10-20. Save yourself the headache and just use the PS2 port on your motherboard since it's better for keyboards anyway and will remove any key rollover. You could essentially press the whole keyboard down at once and all keys would be registered on the computer.
This is known as "no key rollover" or "NKRO".

Ghosting

Ghosting occurs when the keyboard thinks you pressed a key down because you pressed the other keys around it.
Better keyboards don't have this problem. This is generally not something listed in specs though. Some gaming gear companies push this feature as if it's completely revolutionary.

Jeez, that took a while to get through basic terminology. But here's the fun part, you get to learn about the various switches now.
I won't go into depth about every switch because there's a lot of documentation so for the purposes of this beginner to intermediate level guide I'll be covering the main switches.

Cherry MX series switches

They all follow a similar design but feel different based off springs and mechanism.
The most common ones today are red, black, blue and brown. Chances are if you're buying a ready made mechanical keyboard at the store it's one of those switches.

Cherry MX Red. Weighting: 45g. Audible: No. Tactile: No (Linear)

Cherry MX Blue. Weighting: 50g. Audible: Yes. Tactile: Yes

Cherry MX Black. Weighting: 55g. Audible: No. Tactile: No (linear).
(Also known as a heavier red switch.)

Cherry MX Brown.Weighting: 45g. Audible: No. Tactile: Yes.

Browns are preferred for people who want a tactile feedback but don't want to make a lot of noise with a blue switch keyboard. Blue switches make A LOT of noise so do keep that in mind if planning on buying one while you share a room / house / apartment with people or if you regularly use VOIP for chatting.

There you have it, those are the basic 4 common switches.

Also in the cherry MX series that's fairly popular but not readily made are the green and clear keys.
Green is about 80g, tactile and audible (basically a heavier blue) while the clears are 65g, tactile but not audible (heavier browns).
There are companies that make keyboards with these keys already in place but it's not something to search a store for.
Then you have others like grey, milky, white, etc.

You also have proprietary switch types from the likes of Matias.
You have Topre which makes REALLY high end switches and Topre switch keyboards generally sell for a lot.
I paid $280 for my Realforce 89s which is a limited edition release of a full 30g topre switch keyboard in tenkeyless format.
You have alps which aren't particularly popular and generally just hard to find nowadays.

Finally you have buckling switches.
These have a long history since late 1970s, IBM made these higher end keyboards for companies and it was known as the IBM Model M. They used a proprietary switch type; the switch is tactile and audible and is activated when the spring inside buckles (hence the name buckling) and slams against the wall of the switch making for extremely accurate audible and tactile feedback.
The switches are also fairly heavy depending on the variations.
The ones I have are roughly 80g.
Buckling switch keyboards are still sought after today for the unique and accurate feeling when typing with them.
Many people exclusively use buckling switch keyboards.

That's about it for a starter guide to switches. If you want to learn more about how switches activate in the different types of keys and how they make the feedback and such, see the link in further reading.

Now I'll move onto common traps and pitfalls when buying mechanical keyboards.

1)Backlighting

Honestly for most people it's a completely useless feature, you're not even supposed to be looking at your keyboard while typing or gaming so why do you even need this? For the e-penis?
Avoid spending too much money on backlighting as a lot of companies use it as a lure to cover up cheaper quality products while even the good companies will end up charging substantially more for backlighting features.
For example the ducky shine 3 (ducky is a great brand) comes with backlighting. A comparable ducky keyboard without backlighting (Ducky Zero) is $20 (or more) less than the backlit Shine 3.

2)Razer(Scrap plastic)

I'm sorry but I can't repeat this enough, Razer products are designed to break.
A good, well built mechanical keyboard should last 5+ years.
Razer products have a habit of breaking in 6-12 months. Furthermore, Razer uses cheaper plastics and PCBs.
They also claim their switch types are "revolutionary" when they're using the same old cherry MX Blues and Browns.

3)Extra features

Be wary of keyboards that spout a lot of crap about extra features, chances are you can do the same thing with software or other modifications and such.
For example, one thing I get asked a lot about are mechanical keyboards with macro keys, these are keys dedicated to binding one or more keystrokes in a certain order.
For example, Macro Key 1 would be programmed to press xyz so the next time you press Macro Key 1, you'll see xyz typed in.
Software such as autohotkey (free) lets you set macros and other computer functions through keyboard shortcuts.
For example, if I wanted to set a macro for xyz on my regular keyboard, I could, for example, set Ctrl+1 to type xyz for me.
Usually macro keys are set off to the side so in terms of time advantage you won't gain anything from using macro keys or shortcuts.
For this reason I would avoid keyboards that have dedicated macro keys simply because you most likely don't need them and there are other options if you find you want to set macros.

4)High end rubber dome keyboards

These keyboards usually are marketed with tons of add-on features such as anti ghosting, higher key roll over (maybe 20 for the more expensive ones), extra macro keys, backlighting and all that jazz. These keyboards generally have cheaper plastics and are really targeted for the unknowing consumer just looking for something flashy. (Razer keyboards, steel series apex, Logitech g19, etc).

Now after all that information you'll hopefully have a decent understanding of mechanical keyboards and features / differences / qualities of different types of keyboards and what determines them.

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Headsets
This section is dedicated to gaming headsets.

How is a gaming headset defined?

Well, that's a tough one because there's no real definition for gaming headset. Generally what gaming headset means nowadays is a headset (headphones with mic built-in (not to be confused with inline microphones)) produced by a company for gaming purposes on one or multiple consoles (I count PC as a console for this purpose).

But what does it mean to be produced specifically for gaming purposes?
When searching for a headset, you ideally want to aim for one of the following types of sound signatures:

Competitive sound which usually lacks in the bass area but overall has great detail, soundstage and accuracy. As the name suggests, this would be best for competitive situations when hearing that footstep coming down the stairs behind you is important.

Fun sound is a signature that usually has boomy and rumbling bass to give explosions a great feel with overall thick sound to give sounds in games a bit of a punch.

That being said, for higher end audio products, you can still have a competitive sound (in that accuracy, soundstage and detail are all very good) while still having them sound a bit fun, but you generally won't get that same boomy, rumbling low quality bass as you would with something designed with that in mind.

Summary of terms

Drivers in this case mean the moving part in the headset / headphones that produce the sound.
Soundstage is basically the way the headphones naturally produce a "surround sound effect".

This is NOT done through software but the way the headphones, damping and other internals are shaped as well as the accuracy of the drivers themselves.

Detail and accuracy mean exactly as they sound, basically how refined the sounds are. The sounds will be more precise.

When thinking of a boomy, rumbling bass, just think of the shitty subwoofers playing a crappy bass test that the kiddies here post about. It sounds inflated / unclean / unrefined.

Punch is like being able to feel the air move when you hear a gun shot in a game. The competitive headsets really just say "here's a a sound of a gun shot" while a fun headset will give the gun shot sound an impact.

Connections

There are a few common types of connections.
For PC Gaming the majority of headsets use either 2x3.5mm jacks to usually plug into the front case of your computer or they use USB.
For consoles there's a whole mix of options but I think the most common ones optical.

Differentiation due to connection type

Any USB or optical input headset means that sound processing is done by a unit in or near the headset.

The best example is the Astro A40 system. You have the Astro Mixamp which accepts lots of inputs, including optical and I believe still USB.

The Mixamp takes the digital data that it's given and processes all the data itself, applies all its filters and fake surround sound software before adding a bit of amping and pumping it into the headphones.

All headsets that are digital (USB or optical) do this. A PC example where this isn't so obvious is the Logitech G35 which has all that sound processing equipment in the earpieces.

On the other hand, headsets that use 2x3.5mm jacks are analogue headsets and rely on the sound processing to be done by an external unit. Some headsets are 2x3.5mm jacks but also ship with a USB adapter.

A good example of this is the Plantronics Gamecom 777 (discontinued but was a good headset) which had the standard 2x3.5mm jacks but a USB adapter which also applied the fake surround sound processing.

Now you may be asking the obvious question... What's better?

This is a tricky question to answer and I'll give the really vague answer: neither.

Depending on the situation you're in, one can be better than the other. I cannot say that 100% of the time without fail one connection setup is better than the other.

Why is that?
Simply put, most digital processing units for headsets are very cheap and really just a small step above what's offered through default means. For example, motherboard audio is garbage no matter what MOBO you have. For that reason, a lot of PC headsets are USB based so they can take the digital data, process it themselves before the headphones play it.

On the other hand, if you have a dedicated sound card or better, an audiophile level setup, you'll get a lot more out of the 2x3.5mm setup because the dedicated sound card or audiophile setup will be of higher quality than both MOBO audio and the sound processing done in USB / other digital input headsets.

If you look at all the "top of the line gaming headsets" (Sennheiser PC350 and the Audio Technica ADG1 (See further reading for links)) they usually come as a standard 2x3.5mm connection because it's assumed you'll invest in better sound processing and amping hardware to get the most out of them.

Though when it comes to consoles it can be a bit tricky.
One trick I've used is the following:
Most people play consoles on TVs and most modern TVs will have an RCA output (it will be one red and one white jack). You can get yourself a cheap male RCA to female 3.5mm cable (see further reading product links) then plug your standard headset / headphone connection in.
A note about this trick is that it ONLY handles the headphone portion and NOT the mic. Each console will have a different way to connect the mic to the console after.

For the PS4 specifically, I believe each controller has a 4 prong 3.5mm jack on the bottom and with a conversion cable (see further reading product links) you can connect a standard 2x3.5mm connection to your controller which gives you another option.
As for Xbox One I really haven't bothered reading much about it because I dislike Xbox.

Virtual surround sound.

This is a big topic nowadays and one usually filled with bad information that gets spread around like butter.
When a headset says that it employs 7.1 surround sound (may also actually state virtual surround sound or use Dolby surround or some other names for it) it's really just an algorithm that takes the digital data and edits specific parts to distort the sound.

This is a way to intentionally induce distortion with the end result being a distorted sound that sounds like it has better directional accuracy. You're losing sound quality to simulate directional audio.
In my opinion this is bad and I'll get to why in a bit, but I have to cover one quick topic:

TRUE surround sound headsets.

There are actually gaming headsets that employ true surround sound and this is an even worse idea than virtual surround sound. But why? Shouldn't the headset that doesn't use fake surround sound software to distort the sound be better?

While in theory removing the software which causes a lot of distortion should be better, the problems arise when you're cramming insane amounts of drivers in each earcup to actually produce sound from different directions. You're using lots of small, cheap drivers instead of one good driver and it makes for a really bad idea.

Now, remember when I talked about what a good competitive headset should have? Remember that part about soundstage? Yea. That's right.
Soundstage is the natural property of headphones to give a sense of space and position and is found more often in properly engineered headphones and some select headsets.

But GL1TCH3D, you've spent all this time writing about headsets but I've seen you bashing headsets constantly in other thread.

That's true, and for the following simple reasons:
As I mentioned right at the beginning of this section, there's no real definition for gaming headset besides the company manufacturing it for gaming purposes, usually having the proper connectors to make it easily usable with the system(s) it was designed for.

A few other differences are that some gaming headsets are tuned to emphasize specific frequency ranges (for example, for a more fun headset the mid bass can be emphasized a lot to make explosions sound more impactful and boomy).

One more thing I'd like to point out is that most gaming companies release cheap headsets with a lot of gimmicks and a really inflated price tag to try and grab gamers that don't know any better. For this reason I end up bashing headsets a lot.

Headphones aimed at audiophiles are usually designed with sound quality in mind which is something you can always use more of for gaming while gaming headsets are made with profits in mind.

Good examples of profit snatching brands are Razer, Turtle Beach and Tritton. Really cheap plastics, really cheaply made overall with poor tuning and engineering. They'll often turn to gimmicks like wireless, virtual surround sound, bass boost and other crap to cover up all the flaws in the sound quality.

This is why when it comes to audio I would really avoid anything with gaming in the title because generally they're hoping the buyer doesn't know enough about sound quality to tell how bad the headset really is.

There are a few exceptions to this from companies like Sennheiser and Audio Technica who actually made their gaming headsets because knowledgeable gamers were often using their Sennheiser and Audio Technica headphones for gaming.

Going along with that, it's generally very easy to use your headphones for gaming. The biggest thing for most people is getting the conversion cables to use with consoles as well as getting the mic.

When using headphones for gaming, the most popular option is the Antlion Modmic (see further reading, product links) which can attach to any pair of headphones almost exactly like a headset microphone.

It usually surpasses the mics on headsets in quality and isn't too expensive. The best past? You now have a high quality mic and high quality headphones for the same price you would have spent on an overpriced gaming headset.

Key points to consider when buying your audio setup for home

For under $100 headphones and a mic.
For over $100, headphones, mic and dedicated sound card would be a good idea.

Do you need isolation?

Make sure if you don't want sound getting in or out of the headphones / headsets to get something that is closed back.

Do you want something for competitive or fun gaming? Any headsets or headphones you find should have reviews.
Make sure to read reviews by knowledgeable individuals and pay attention to parts relating to soundstage, accuracy, detail, bass, mid-bass and clarity as the key words to watch for in reviews.

It may be hard to find good reviews, check audiophile forums or forums dedicated to hardware.
Avoid reviews on sales sites (amazon, newegg, etc) as most reviewers have no previous knowledge of anything.

Using the correct cables, can it hookup to the console you want it to?

What to avoid when buying

Speakers. I can guarantee with 99% that if you went out and bought a speaker setup that the room would not be properly treated.
You'll be hearing echoes and such. I would avoid speakers as they won't be terribly good for competitive gaming.
Of course if you don't care too much about quality and just want that bass for explosions and such, who am I to stop you?

Virtual surround sound.

As I discussed about quality, headphone soundstage is better than virtual surround sound. Aim for products with good soundstage instead of virtual surround sound.

Wireless. It's so rare that I see anybody that actually makes good use of a wireless peripheral. Most of the time you'll be fine with a cable. If it's short ? Get an extension cable. Wireless products are very gimmicky and usually aimed to just get the buyer to go "oh! Wireless! I want it now!".

Brands aiming specifically at gamers

As I mentioned earlier, audiophile companies usually put in a bit more work to get their headphones and headsets sounding proper.

Hopefully at this point you should be able to search for an audio setup on your own now!

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Mice

Easily one of the most important aspects for gamers. Each person has a different grip style, hand size, button requirement, layout preference, DPI preference and loads more.
Choosing the correct mouse for yourself can be a long and arduous task.
Manufacturers all say their mouse is one of the best in the world but that obviously can't be true. There has to be an aspect that sets them apart and in 99% of cases they're hiding this aspect from you.

Let's start with grip styles.

There are generally 3 different grips that most humans follow when using a mouse.

Examples here
Spoiler (Click to View)

1) Palm grip. The grip type where you're resting your entire hand on the mouse. People with big hands who use this grip type can face a lot of problems when looking for mice because most of them will be too small and will result in improper hand placement.

2) Touch grip. This grip style has the user extend his fingertips out so they touch all the necessary buttons but WILL NOT rest his hand / palm on the mouse. This is my preferred mouse grip and usually I rest my wrist on a wrist rest or just on the desk.

3) Claw grip. A bit of an orthodox grip if you're thinking in terms of ergonomics. This grip has you placing your palm on the palm rest or a bit moved up with your fingers in a claw like form to reach the buttons.
Usually mice dedicated to claw grippers will have different button layout to accommodate this type of grip such as the logitech G9x having the scroll wheel significantly closer to the center than most mice (such as the razer deathadder).

Depending on your grip style some mice will feel leagues better than other mice. If I had to be more technically accurate I probably use something of a bit of a cross between a touch grip and claw grip so I prefer small to medium sized mice that are lower (don't have a hump which is usually present for ergonomic reasons with palm grippers).

If the mouse doesn't fit your hand well DON'T buy it. You'll regret it because it just won't make the gaming experience pleasurable even if the quality of the mouse is amazing.

Now, let's get into some aspects that will determine your optimal mouse.

1) Button layout.

Very intuitive. I'm sure you've all been in a situation where you were considering getting a mouse with 100 buttons on the side so you could completely replace your keyboard.
I won't say that this is or isn't useful. I play a lot of mobas and having mouse buttons can definitely help (for example I can macro a VGS command for smite like "vf1" instead of actually having to press those buttons on the keyboard) to save time in those crucial moments.

The biggest problem some people find when playing more intensive games (like Dota 2) is that the keyboard just doesn't have enough keys in a certain space.

In Smite you need 8 keys for abilities (4 actual abilities and 4 keys to automate leveling up abilities instead of opening a window), your wasd keys for movement, 2 active abilities and 2 shop abilities as well as your VGS commands and spacebar for pings (usually those 2 are really only necessary when playing with randoms).

Now you only have 5 appendages on your left hand (or right hand if you're a lefty with your mouse) so having a mouse with a few side buttons to allow for some quick access to some of those keys that you would otherwise have to shift / reach with your left hand can be a real time saver if you're training with it.

Though, a lot of games really don't make any use for extra buttons such as FPS games (which is usually why mice dedicated to FPS games are very plain). So decide if you need the extra buttons. Like I mentioned for the part on keyboards, you can use a program like autohotkey to make macros using simple hotkeys (like ctrl+shift+a to input x string of commands) but the difference here for mice is that it's readily accessible.

2) Refresh rates

Also known as polling rate for mice. This is the number of samples per second that the mouse sensor takes. The "High end" mice usually all have 1MHz (1000hz) or 1000 samples per second. Though some mice just completely ignore this like the Rat mice which are capped at about 127h (1/8th of the samples per second of most higher end mice) so while they may feel comfortable, the rat mice honestly feel like I'm lagging when using them because of the reduced / capped polling rates.

I'd say always get a mouse with 1k polling rate since it's not even that difficult to achieve but is the equivalent of having a slow monitor (actually it's worse).

Though notice that if you go look at the Rat mice they don't really mention that their polling rates are capped at 8ms? I bought one and while it felt nice for my grip style, I immediately noticed input lag when using it and when I looked up the polling rate I found that it was capped so I returned it.

3) DPI (Dots per inch)

Most mice you see nowadays offer more DPI than you can even accurately handle, seriously. Some mice have customizable DPI, some have a handful of presets and some come with a fixed DPI.

"Well why would I want a mouse with fixed DPI?" is probably the question most readers are asking themselves here and the answer is going to be explained later in the optically perfect section. I have the new logitech proteus core which offers DPI of up to 11k.

You can bet that when I game I don't get anywhere near that amount. I end up closer to about 3.3k on the proteus core (though because of the type of sensor / resolution it has this ends up being close to a 2.3k dpi mouse) which is far more than most people even game at.

Depending on the type of game a higher DPI can actually be more problematic but if it's more comfortable for you, you should use it. For example, snipers in FPS games usually requries pinpoint accuracy for shooting over long distances but with a mouse that's too high DPI you find your crosshair jumping around your target rather than being able to line up that shot and this is due mostly to the fact that the smallest movements on a high DPI mouse will still move the mouse significantly on the screen which is the perfect way to screw up your snipes.

This leads us to 2 different methods to deal with this problem. The first is the on the go DPI change. Mice like the Corsair M65 and Logitech Proteus core have a function where pressing a certain button (on the M65 it's a button specifically designed for this purpose called the "sniper button") to change the DPI while the button is pressed down.

So you'd scope in, move the crosshair close to the target while on your higher dpi setting then hold down you sniper button to finish off your adjustments with pinpoint accuracy. Another similar method implemented with a lot of mice nowadays is that the mice will have preset DPI settings and you can change them at the press of a button.

Maybe you'll have a lower DPI sniper setting, higher DPI SMG setting for FPS games and you just switch between them with a button.

Another option that's less commonly seen with most gamers is using a lower DPI mouse and a big ass fucking mousepad which you literally throw your mouse across to make turns. This is a tiring method, requires a lot of desk space, but the advantages are that you don't have to keep changing DPI settings and this ends up working better with a lot of the optically perfect mice (which I'll explain later).

To summarize: Low DPI = better accuracy but longer movements.

Higher DPI = much faster movements but lower accuracy.

Switching between DPI settings can be a bit of a pain because you won't be used to the different DPI settings as well as if you just used one.

Note: If you play in LAN tournaments you'll want a mouse with on-board memory for all the profiles you'll use because they generally don't let you install mouse software on the tournament computers (on-board memory will allow you to save your DPI / macros to the mouse and they'll work with any compatible computer without requiring installation).

4) Software

This isn't the biggest factor for most people since after they set up their mouse they usually just forget about the software until they need to change something. What I want to address here is that the mouse you're going to buy can be customized in the way you WANT.

The simplicity of the customization generally depends on the software. If you want a mouse macro that can do, for example, "up up down down left right left right b a enter" then you might need something a bit more advanced than registering the mouse key to copy another specific key. Generally macroing programs are more advanced nowadays so you hopefully should be able to set any macro you need if the mouse offers macroing customization.

Also be very careful with DPI customization as not all mice have it. While it's especially a given with mice in the $50+ range it might not be the same when buying a mouse in the $20-30 range and always look to see if it's fixed, preset or adjustable (if it matters to you).

Another important aspect that's often forgotten about which I'll discuss a bit further in the optically perfect section are the questions of angle snapping (prediction) and acceleration. For the best accuracy, you want neither. Both of these are finicky topics.

Windows has both built into itself but can be disabled. Some mice have the option in the software to disable / enable them, some mice have specific firmwares that have them enabled / disabled while some mice just have them built in with no options to disable them.

Prediction is exactly what it sounds like, the mouse predicts the way you're moving. Try drawing a perfectly straight line. I can bet that the majority of you failed here. Even imagining yourself drawing a perfectly straight line is difficult (jokes).

This is what mouse prediction / angle snapping aims to fix. If you're trying to move in a straight line, the mouse or other software employed will adjust the input to make it straight. While this sounds like some magical technology from the future, this can make it difficult to make certain mouse movements in games as the software / hardware might predict that you're trying to move in a straight line and offset the input to follow a straight line which might not be what you want.

It's often not obvious which mice have this enabled / disabled by default and if they can be changed. Google is your friend for specific mice.

Acceleration is exactly what it sounds like to anyone who's been outdoors. The mouse moves faster over time from the same input. Let's say you're slowly moving your hand in a perfectly straight line across your mousepad, a mouse with acceleration enabled will get faster and faster without you changing your hand speed.

This is incredibly useless for gaming and I won't even bother saying more on this subject. You want to have a mouse with as little acceleration ( or deceleration/negative acceleration as possible). This is also very difficult to tell from manufacturers notes as some sensors have some degree of acceleration enabled, even if the manufacturer doesn't add it in themselves or if it's disabled in windows.

Google is your friend for this as well. Asking here on hackforums about mouse acceleration for X mouse is pointless because so few people would even know and chances are the people who even understand what you're talking about will end up looking it up anyway.

This finally brings us to the optically perfect section. While the term suggests this is used mainly for optical mice (because it is), I believe it can still apply to laser mice (citation needed).

This is very technical and most people don't need to go this far for their mouse but an optically perfect mouse captures and submits every sample exactly as is to the computer. This sounds easier than it seems. This means literally no acceleration, prediction or drops (basically samples not being submitted properly or lost).

If you google for optically perfect mice you'll notice your choices are slim and depending on your grip style / button preferences you'll be extremely hard pressed to find an optically perfect mouse that's affordable and available. This is to say that optically perfect mice are fairly rare on the market and a lot of them get discontinued fairly quickly.

This is where it's tricky with DPI, optically perfect mice are sometimes only optimized for a handful of preset dpi settings (or maybe even just one fixed DPI setting)(actually this is the majority of the optically perfect mice) so you'll either have to adjust to one of the preset settings on one of the mice or settle for something that isn't optically perfect. The choice is up to you here.

Most people won't even realize the small bit of adjustment/acceleration/dropping that some mice have. I'd be willing to bet 80% of gamers who owned the logitech G9x didn't know it had a small accuracy issue (I sure as hell didn't until I looked it up).

There are some lists of optically perfect mice floating around and often they included mice that are almost perfect (maybe have a teensy bit of hardware acceleration or the likes).

This more or less concludes the section on mice. Make sure to buy your mouse to fit your needs before looking for the little extras to stack on top.

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Mousepads
This post is designated to Mousepads (yes, mousepads)

I'm going to start typing the part on mousepads now. Hopefully I get the information out that I need to here.
Now for most people a mousepad is a fairly minor investment but do consider the fact that it's directly interacting with your mouse which is a fairly important aspect when gaming!

You might go to the store and see tons and tons of mousepads from different brands at different prices but you're sitting there with absolutely no idea what to do with it .

There aren't as many aspects to consider when buying mousepads as with mice, keyboards and headsets but you should at least be aware of what can change and if it applies to you.

First and foremost, size.

Depending on the DPI settings you play at you'll need a larger or smaller mousepad. Some people get giant mousepads because they play at much lower sensitivity settings and therefore must take wide swipes across the mousepad for quick movements. Some play at higher DPI and don't need a larger mousepad that will just take up more space (such as myself).

Second, the surface material.

This ends up getting very intertwined with the friction (next section) but I'm splitting them because the type of material and coating used can have an impact on how well the sensor tracks. Most laser mice do not have this issue and it's really up to the optical mouse. Reflective surfaces or lighter surfaces tend not to track as well as dark, matte surfaces for optical mice.
Most coatings are a cloth or plastic coating for gaming mice but there are the occassional metal coatings (aluminum such as one of the razer manticore) as well as glass coatings (which is seen on the Artizan Shiden and Shidenkai models which I own). Different surfaces will feel differently and it also depends on the texturing of the surface. This mainly applies to types of cloth and metals used as well as the way the plastic is molded. For example, the razer vespula has two sides, one with a slick plastic finish and one with a textured plastic finish (though in all honesty all the razer mousepads are just garbage).

Friction.

This is the section I'd argue is the most important for a mousepad. The level of friction of the mousepad is what's going to directly influence how it feels when you use your mouse on it. For those who haven't been to high school yet, friction is the conversion of directional force into heat. The heat part isn't really important but it's basically a counteracting force. A high friction mousepad will be harder to glide across than a lower friction mousepad. Though, a higher friction mousepad will make those times where you need high accuracy that much easier simply because the mouse isn't sliding around while you're aiming, you're able to control it better, keep it sturdier. Personally I prefer the extreme glide mousepads (low friction) because I have a fairly accurate hand eye coordination and can stop the mouse with my own force rather than use the friction of a mousepad to stop the mouse accurately. Not everyone is the same! My friend's dad uses an extremely high friction mousepad because he likes that the mousepad slows down his swipes for him and offers him greater control.

The underside.

This is more just a question of quality. Different companies have different methods of finishing off the underside of their mousepad. This is generally not something you see the manufacturer talking about it but basically you want a mousepad that actually stays in place. Depending on the surface of your desk as well as the underside of your mousepad you may have issues where the mousepad just slides from it's original position which will screw up whatever you're doing. Obviously this is not something that you want happening to you while you play. A quick google search to see if the specific mousepad you want has any issues with this. Generally for any mousepad over $10 you won't have an issue unless it's razer.

The density of the mousepad.

Another fairly minor aspect but still do consider it, most people rest their hands on their mouse. Therefore there's the weight of the mouse an the weight of your hand being applied downwards on the mousepad. This causes the mouse to sink in a bit depending on the density of the mousepad. This can cause a bit of friction when moving from a resting position.