Do mouse pads REALLY matter?

[Intel HD Graphics]

I have a mouse pad that is supposed to be really good with the g502, is this true or is it just advertising  and did i just buy $30 for a 20x30cm peice of cloth that benifits me in no way ?

[Droidbot]

What pad?

 

[Intel HD Graphics]

5 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

What pad?

 

Logitech G640 Large Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad

[Intel HD Graphics]

3 minutes ago, Intel HD Graphics said:

Logitech G640 Large Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad

OR g240

[MysticLTT]

I stopped using a pad 8 years ago, table surface is fine for a mouse and there are no movement limiting edges to watch out for.

[JoostinOnline]

Just now, MysticLTT said:

I stopped using a pad 8 years ago, table surface is fine for a mouse and there are no movement limiting edges to watch out for.

Movement is a lot smoother on a mousepad, at least for me.  It also doesn't wear down the bottom of the mouse.

 

I just use a promotional mousepad my mom got over 10 years ago from some CPA certification course.  It works fine.  Of course I also use a $1 keyboard I got from the thrift store (perfect condition though), because I don't really see the benefit in super fancy tech that doesn't really have a huge effect on performance.

[VolkA]

22 minutes ago, Intel HD Graphics said:

I have a mouse pad that is supposed to be really good with the g502, is this true or is it just advertising  and did i just buy $30 for a 20x30cm peice of cloth that benifits me in no way ?

To some limitation, it is true that mousepad will help you in gaming (smoother movement and slightly lesser wear and tear on the bottom of your mouse). Other than that, seriously I don't think so.

[StaffCorporal]

I can definitely tell the difference between a quality mouse mat and a cheap one. The movement is a lot smoother and the tracking is also better on quality mats. Also cheap mats tend to come apart very fast.

[jj9987]

I use a gaming mat (a wide one for pretty much whole table) simply because my hands sweat a lot and therefor keeps the table in good condition too. Also the surface is more pleasant than just the table.

[JoostinOnline]

8 minutes ago, StaffCorporal said:

Also cheap mats tend to come apart very fast.

11-12 years of regular use and my promotional mousepad has held together just fine.

[ARikozuM]

CBelieve me, your skill with the mouse stops you WAY before you need to consider changing your mousepad.

 

That said, comfort is the most important factor and if a mousepad helps deter strains...

[Guest]

For me, I always use one however that comes after 2 years of not using one on a wooden desk. Ended up polishing the desk smooth in that area from not having a mouse pad then noticed the mouse was having trouble tracking on the surface.

[You_are_a_cunt]

I find it depends on the surface you're using.

My table works just fine for my Steelseries Diablo 3 but my other mice have tracking issues due to the texture

[it_dont_work]

The easy glide of one definitely helps the rsi in my wrist.

[Droidbot]

I use a SteelSeries QcK+ because 

a) it's comfortable

b) muh mouse glide

[SPARTAN VI]

I use the SteelSeries 4HD. It's a durable hard plastic mousepad that has lasted me for the past 4 years and still looks brand new. Compared to other mouse pads (e.g. Sentey, many cloth pads) that began to show wear within months. It's so good that I bought another one for my wife's gaming setup too. 

 

I prefer this over using the table because the gliding friction doesn't feel right and it will inevitably lead to unsightly wear marks on the wood surface. It used to be a necessity when I was using a glass desk with metallic keyboard tray since smooth reflective/transparent surfaces suck for optical (and perhaps laser) tracking. I generally avoid cloth now because they tend to fray on the edges and they're sponges for debris and liquids. With the 4HD, I can simply wipe it clean and and it will never fray. 

[Sniperfox47]

7 hours ago, Intel HD Graphics said:

I have a mouse pad that is supposed to be really good with the g502, is this true or is it just advertising  and did i just buy $30 for a 20x30cm peice of cloth that benifits me in no way ?

It's true, but it's also just advertising.

 

Do mouse sensors behave differently on different surfaces? Yes.

 

Are gaming mice sensors typically optimized poorly for multi-surface use? Yes.

 

Will the texture of a mousepad help the sensor track position more accurately and help the mouse glide more smoothly? Yes

 

Will any of this meaningfully change your performance in game? Not likely unless:

A) you're insanely skilled.

B) you're desk has a really poor surface like glass.

[mariushm]

My Logitech MX518 works better / smoother with dark gray / black mouse pads. I have an A4Tech X7 Gaming mouse pad (some cheap $10 thing) that works great for my mouse.

 

Though I admit I'm not a serious gamer and don't care about high dpi and all that super fast reaction times and all that.

[spat55]

8 hours ago, Droidbot said:

I use a SteelSeries QcK+ because 

a) it's comfortable

b) muh mouse glide

I use the exact same pad, has the perfect size with good build quality.

[Sir_Loin_Ofsteak]

I have a 10 year old Diamondback and always just used the table surface. Then a year ago I got one of those mouse and keyboard mats thrown in for free with a graphics card purchase; it's actually a decent cloth one.

 

At first I thought something had happened to my mouse as I just couldn't control it any more; then I realised that that is just the way it was always supposed to be and I hadn't been getting the full experience for almost a decade. Thing is I'd used mouse mats before on and off, but never a really good quality one.

 

So as far as my experience goes, table = standard cheap mouse mat <<<<<<<<<<<expensive cloth mouse mat.

 

That said, I know that new mice have stupidly high DPI and software to allow them to make better use of your table top, but personally I'd never go back. Cloth mat feels nicer to use the mouse on too.