PC Gamer Reader Awards - tell us about the mice you love!

[PCG Dave]

What's the PC gaming gear that you've fallen in love with? It doesn't matter whether it's the latest Nvidia graphics card, a 2000-series AMD CPU, or that grinty gaming mouse you picked up a few years back but now can't bear to be without. Whatever it is, we want to know about it.

And we're not necessarily talking about what you think your most powerful superstar component is, or your most expensive purchase, we'd like you to tell us about the different parts of your gaming setup that mean the most to you. If you're regularly gaming with it today, and it sparks joy, then we want you to tell us just why that particular slice of PC gaming has found a place in your heart.

Over the next two weeks we're going to find out just what our PC Gamer readers are gaming with and why you love the kit you do. So each day there will be a new category of gear and we'd love you to get involved and tell us which products speak to you and why. Then we will gather all the entries together, come up with a shortlist for each of the following categories, and you will then have the chance to vote on which products should get the coveted PC Gamer Readers' Award.

• Graphics card
• Processor
• Laptop
• Monitor
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Headset
• Microphone
• Wildcard entry!

Today we're asking about which gaming mouse has sparked joy in your heart.

Is there a much-loved Logitech G9 still being gripped in your claw, does your green-tinged mouse have to be named after some sort of snake, or are you still holding onto that Microsoft Intellimouse and see no reason to ever change? Tell us in the thread below, without quoting the original post, first with the name of the product in question, and then just a line or two about why it means so much to you.

And who knows... you might even find yourself featured on the site in our Readers' Awards coverage too.

 

[Woodyrson]

It's not specifically marketed only as a gaming mouse, I guess, but the Swiftpoint Z is the single piece of hardware that continues to make PC gaming enjoyable for me.

I was a late convert to the PC community. I grew up with consoles and didn't build my first gaming PC until I was 25. Since I had so little experience PC gaming, I immediately had a tough time because of my "dumb" left hand. I found it extremely difficult to do much other than manipulate QWER ASDF and spacebar. So in most shooters or other games where I had to control a character, sprinting, crouching, going prone, using throwables, etc. were all a nightmare for me. That was especially clear when playing competitive games. I just couldn't work my left hand fast enough to hit those keys. I had to think about it and look at my keyboard far too often, which put me at a huge disadvantage. My solution was to find a mouse with the most programmable buttons so I could leave all the secondary operations to my right hand and leave my left hand for movement, interacting, and reloading only. I first turned to the Logitech G502. At the time, it had the most programmable buttons (outside an MMO mouse), and the software auto-switching profiles was a great feature. But as I got into games that had more advanced controls (think ARMA mods and the like) I quickly realized that I was either going to be bad at them, or I was going to have to find another solution. Despite playing and practicing quite a bit, I never could train my left hand.

Enter the Swiftpoint Z. It was immediately interesting to me when I first saw it. It looked like the perfect solution to my specific problems. It was prohibitively expensive at first, and was still very expensive for a mouse when I ultimately pulled the trigger on a sale. But I hit the ground running with it and have never looked back. It is the most perfect mouse I have ever used for gaming. I have yet to play a game that the Z didn't offer more than enough programmability for. It has become one of those pieces of hardware that I'll see on sale (still not "cheap" in the case of the Z, unfortunately) and pick up a spare just so I know I'm set for years to come if it ever gets discontinued.

 

[The Zapper]

Corsair M65 Pro. Probably not the world's best mouse, but it's comfortable as heck, has an adjustable speed button, the iCUE software works well, and it's just a light and responsive mouse. It also helps that it pairs well with my Corsair K70 LUX. I'm not particular with mice. I don't play MMOs that require mice with 35 buttons. This one works well with First Person Shooters and just general use. Same as my keyboard, once I fell in love with it, I also bought the same mouse for the office. Consistency is key.

Cheers!

 

[MonzterChaz]

Glorious Gaming PC's Model D. The price is right, the weight is great, and the mouse is simple and not overly complicated. Glorious Model D

 

[the_SLVRFOX]

The mouse pictured for this article, the Logitech G9, was hands down my most favorite mouse ever. So much so, that I ended up going through 3 before having to finally upgrade to the G502, which took some getting used to considering the size difference. I heard Dell / Alienware continued with their own version of the G9 for some time after Logitech discontinued it.

 

[veoviscool12]

Definitely my Cyborg R.A.T. 7. I requested it as a Christmas present ten years ago because I was drawn to its extreme customization, especially the pinky rest. I adjusted it so that it felt perfect in my hand, and promptly forgot about it. It has traveled with me for ten years; witnessing Portal 2 and Skyrim in college, playing Rocket League and Witcher 3 in my first apartment, and launching Half-Life: Alyx, Stardew Valley, and Factorio during this pandemic.

Recently the right mouse button stopped working, and that was when I realized how integral and special this mouse has been to my journey in gaming. With the original discontinued, I discovered how hard it would be to find something else that feels just right; a couple of days with a PS/2 Rosewill backup mouse proved that. The many options I looked at were too expensive, didn't have certain features, were poorly built, or had other compromises. And the pandemic meant I couldn't physically test any mice out, leaving the feel of it in my hand to chance. So instead, I decided to fix my R.A.T. 7.

I figured out how to take it apart, found the culprit (broken microswitch), tried fixing the switch itself, failed miserably, ordered a new one through eBay, gingerly replaced it using some rusty Arduino/Raspberry Pi soldering skills, fixed some other issues, and finally gave it a good cleaning with rubbing alcohol. Now it works as well as ever, and I'm looking forward to another ten years of gaming with the R.A.T. 7 at my side.

 

[Biggly]

I had the very first Razer Naga, an MMO mouse with around a dozen buttons next to your thumb that you could assign shorcuts and macros to. This was at a time when I was neck-deep in LOTRO. It was comfortable and the most fit-for-purpose mouse I've ever owned. It wasn't even wireless, but I must have used it for nearly 10 years for all games (including MMOs) before the braiding frayed away and the switches dulled.

 

[half_empty_soul]

Logitech g305 hends down the best mouse in recent history
- yeah ii remember that logi g9 mouse i have a Modern Worfare 3 edition

 

[Rivereyes]

I think competitive gaming is for the birds, so as long as the cursor rolls and the buttons click? I'm keeping it. I got a Razer Abyssus Mirror SE maybe 6 or 7 years back. Didn't need a gaming mouse back then, still don't. My Abyssus & I will roll happily into walking sim/interactive drama retirement together.

 

[Frindis]

Zowie ZA12. My favorite mouse for fingertip/claw grip: not too small; good cable; good clicking sound; accurate response, and with a comfortable ambidextrous design.

 

[bh3bh3]

I have a ROG Gladius II, but I admit it i love the glorious model D. =) Would love to test the logitechs too. =)

 

[Anthraxx00]

Logitech G203 Prodigy. Simple and effective.

 

[MaxVis]

I have tried many devices over the years, but still, not one has overcame the legendary MX518 from Logitech!

 

[DXCHASE]

My Razor Deathadder Elite is a great mouse and its super cheap, that rings good for me also very durable. I also love my alienware AW958 with detachable sides for weight.

 

[Spino Prime]

Logitech MX Master 3. While it's not a "gaming" mouse with all those associated bells and whistles, how the mouse feels in hand is far more important to me personally than getting something with half a dozen extra function keys or a crazy DPI stat; and no mouse I've ever tried has even come close to feeling as comfortable as the MX ones. The MX Master line in particular have always felt perfectly molded to fit my palm. The scroll wheel with it's continuous scrolling function is really nice for general web browsing and has even come in handy a few times in game as well. Also it's wireless which makes it massively more comfortable for me to use, especially in shooters where the cable would often feel like it is getting in my way whenever I try to turn around and aim quickly. Been using MX mice pretty much exclusively ever since the Performance MX and I don't see that changing any time soon.

 

[Toaphst]

Steelseries Rival 500 is by far my favorite mouse ive used, ergonomic button placement and a dpi switch are very nice and its a hefty one so it feels rock solid.

 

[Rolfil]

Steelseries Rival 300 is my favourite. Fit's my hand well, nicely placed buttons. Just overall a good "normal" mouse at an affordable price.