Logitech MX518 Gaming Mouse Review

Logitech MX518 - Gaming Mouse

The humble mouse is an essential part of any PC setup, but most users tend to just stick with whatever rodent comes with their PC when they buy it. However, the difference between a bog standard mouse and the high-end pointing devices available is stark, and you would be amazed how much difference a good mouse can make. Of course having a good mouse to navigate Windows will definitely aid your productivity, but if like me, you’re a serious gamer, having the right mouse can mean the difference between life and death.

The Logitech MX 518 Gaming-Grade Optical Mouse delivers maximum performance and ultimate flexibility for gamers. Resolution of up to 1600 dots per inch (dpi) allows gamers to make lightning fast movements. The mouse also puts quick-shift controls at gamers' fingertips - with one click, gamers can instantly increase and decrease mouse resolution from 1600 dpi to as low as 400 dpi. The lower settings give gamers the advanced precision they need to succeed in scenes where accuracy is required. And, no software is required - though special gaming software is provided for those who want to optimize their mouse settings to suit their preferences.

Key Features:

* Quick-shift controls change resolution from 400 dpi up to 1600 dpi
* No software required - mouse defaults to 1600, 400 and 400 dpi. With Logitech Setpoint, gamers can set as many as five resolution settings and can customize other button functions on the mouse.
* Super-click gaming feet help reduce friction and noise
* MX Performance optical engine

Features and Benefits:

* Award-winning Logitech MX Optical Engine
* In-game sensitivity switching to 1,600, 800, and 400-dpi resolution
* 5.8 megapixel/second image processing
* Up to 15 g of acceleration
* Expanded 16-bit data format supports blazing fast moves with pure precision.
* 125/sec USB report rate
* Advanced gaming software, exclusive to Gaming-Grade mice, for up to five custom sensitivity settings
* Super-slick gaming feet for effortless, precise tracking
* Contoured grip ensures peak performance and comfort even in the most intense gaming sessions
* Three-year warranty


System Requirements:

* Windows XP
* One USB port
* CD-ROM drive

Gaming Performance
In order to properly test the Logitech MX518, we used the three most common mousing environments - the bare imitation oak finish of a computer desk, a generic CompUSA mousepad, and a professional gaming mousepad, namely the fUnc sUrface 1030. The mouse glided well over each surface with its slick feet, with less friction than a brand new Logitech MX510. Over the fUnc surface, it literally felt like a puck on an air hockey table.

About the only thing that could interfere with the gliding other than spilt Bawls is the mouse cord, so some sort of cable management like a Mouse Bungee or cable clip can be extremely useful. As for tracking, both of the mousepads were generally on target - when using the CompUSA pad, twitching the mouse would land within the enemy's hitbox, while the fUnc surface was dead on the center of the hitbox landing several headshots. The desk didn't do as well, often missing the target slightly.

We tested the mouse in a variety of shooter games, including Battlefield 1942: Desert Combat, Call of Duty: United Offensive, Quake III Arena, and Unreal Tournament 2004. In Desert Combat, we generally left the mouse at 800 dpi since aiming isn't as much of an issue as being able to quickly turn around and fire at whoever is shooting you. While in the M-109 Howitzer, cranking up the resolution to 1600 did wonders in quickly turning the main cannon, something that takes ages otherwise.

Call of Duty was on cue with every twitch to check corridors and blast people with the MP40, and switching to 400 dpi for sniping with the Springfield. The thumb button made for a good melee attack after running out of bullets. In the gore-fests of UT2004 and Quake III we cranked up the DPI all the way to 1600 and went crazy with the flak cannon / shotgun, then dropped it to 600 dpi for sniping. Being able to switch sensitivity in these games is a godsend since there's less time to line up a shot accurately with as powerful scope as the games have, especially with Quake since there's only one level of zoom.

Throughout each game played no deaths could be attributed to lag, the MX518 keeping up to every twitch and click thanks to the corded design and powerful 5.8 megapixel/second image processing with a 16-bit data format that reports 125 times per second. And no, this isn't our minds playing tricks on us as the MX518 was more responsive than the Logitech MX510 while set at 800 dpi. Finally, we didn't have to worry about not moving the mouse when sniping from a nest, as there's no sleep mode to wake from that could take crucial milliseconds away in the event of an ambush.

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