What's the difference between gaming laser Mouse and Optical?

mikeny

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I was looking to get a gaming mouse. I see Gaming laser grade, optical, Fusion Engines, and Proteus. Any one of these better than the other? Gimmicks?

I was looking into the Logitech G402 and G502. Im wondering why Logitech used a number lower than 502 which was there newer one...until 402 was released a few weeks ago.

I play a few FPS's like APB Reloaded, Archeage, and Elite: Dangerous (soon).
 
agreed. it looks to have covered the basics.

i've personally used both laser and optical so i can make a few more easily understood general statements:

-you can lift an optical mouse up and it will not track, a laser mouse will track somewhat.
-laser mice have built in mouse acceleration you cannot turn off, many optical mice do not.
-laser mice can be finicky about what surfaces they are used on however can be used on some surfaces optical can not.
-laser mice typically offer a higher dpi resolution which could result in faster mouse speed.

as for accuracy... i've personally found laser mice to be about equal to optical, at least in the ones i've personally used.

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there are only three basic types..

-optical
-laser
-ball (obsolete)

what you listed just looks like subtypes of either laser or optical.

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if you're just starting out looking for a general mouse... i'd recommend an optical since they are easy to use without having some of the "issues" laser mice have.

something like the deathadder, kone, sensei or ec1 evo are all good general shaped mice to start with. you can see more details here http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2268447/fps-mouse-thread.html#14008067

another good mouse is the proteus which i actually used myself for about a week. button placement is great compared to some other mic however it was returned because the mouse was not wide enough for my hands/grip style so was a bit uncomfortable after long periods of time. otherwise, great mouse but NOT worth $80. i managed to snag it for $55 with price match when i decided to try it.
 

BigMuffinMan

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As basic as it gets: Optical is the most accurate. The "fusion" and "proteus" is just fancy names for an IR optical sensor. Always get an optical sensor, there is no point in laser sensors as they are inherently less accurate than optical sensors and they are more expensive. Laser mice are complete gimmicks just so they can put some absurd DPI number on the box to sell mice to stupid 12 year olds. I used 400 dpi for all my games, I don't need anything more. The g502 and g402 are both great mice (although I find them to be very uncomfortable and too heavy) but the g502 will outperform the g402 by a little bit. I use a microsoft WMO, the greatest mouse ever (in my opinion, of course) because the sensor still performs better than any other gaming mice today. But it only has 400 dpi no extra buttons, so not a good RTS, MOBA, or MMO mouse
 

mikeny

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Indeed! it was a good read, thanks. Debunks the theories I had and fell for the :laser: trap :) Thank you!
 

mikeny

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I was reading what Morgilroka sent me. It was eye popping and yeah, I thought laser was more precise as I have the Logitech G500s (laser)

So, I will get a optical mouse this time. I've always gotten a Logitech gaming mouse; they've never failed me. Are they still the best? I feel stupid, IR is optical or is it laser? How come the 502 has a slight edge to the 402?

I saw:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I9BMFW8?psc=1

The low price is scary.

I was looking into the Logitechs 402 and 502 mentioned in my original post but I hear a lot concerning Razer.


By the way, I do play, MMO's and some MMO FPS'
 

BigMuffinMan

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I would recommend the g502 if you play lots off MMOs because it's got a bunch of extra buttons, and it's got the best sensor on the market. The g502, although unnecessarily heavy, has amazing build quality and is just as durable as any other logitech mouse. It's 80 bucks though
 

mikeny

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I saw this: "and that’s where the G402 can claim dominion over pretty much anything else out there. The Hyperion Fury can track movements up to around 500 inches-per-second (ips) while the quickest you’ll generally find in high-spec mice like the G502 is something in the region of 300ips."

On, http://www.tomshardware.com/news/logitech-hyperion-fury-g402,27345.html
optical vs. laser, it said high IPS is where to concentrate on and the g402 has 500 ips
http://www.pcgamer.com/review/logitech-g402-hyperion-fury-review/


Toms coming soon bit:

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/logitech-hyperion-fury-g402,27345.html

Just wanting to make sure; Im not insisting on buying the 402, just making sure it's a good buy (even though both seem to be very good). The g502 has high DPI but even the the g402 is no slouch, it has a higher IPS.
 

BigMuffinMan

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The g502 has a malfunction speed of about 7.2 m/s, which you will never exceed in game. My mouse has a malfunction speed of 1.6 m/s and I never exceed that when playing, except on the rare occasion I flick at light speed, in which case I wouldn't be accurate anyway. The g502 sensor (pixart 3366) will beat out the g402's sensor any day. The g402's hyperion fury is just a marketing gimmick, to get to that speed (about 10 m/s) you would need a machine or maybe the rare martial arts master who can move his arm at lightning speed. There's no reason to get the g402 unless you want it for the cheaper price than the g502.
With that being said, the g402 is an exceptional mouse and will beat out pretty much anything in its price range
 

mikeny

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Ha! For cyborgs then, the mouse would be exceptional. By the way, is Optical Laser; a laser or are they the same as optical? I was looking at this one also:

http://www.amazon.com/Lumenata-Programmable-Transport-Indicating-Different/dp/B00I9BMFW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408943550&sr=8-1&keywords=sentey+gaming+mouse

Never heard of them but reading reviews and chatting with some who have this one; love it. I was looking at it's specs, and it's a optical laser.

 

BigMuffinMan

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"Optical laser" is just an optical sensor, because technically all sensors are lasers. I wouldn't get that mouse linked, it's gonna have a crappy sensor and it has a bunch of gimmicks you don't need. It will work fine for casual games and browsing the web, but you could get a better mice for that price. If you want something in that price range you could get a roccat http://www.amazon.com/ROCCAT-Tri-Button-Gaming-Mouse-ROC-11-310/dp/B009DYOPJ6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1408996928&sr=8-2&keywords=roccat+mouse http://www.amazon.com/ROCCAT-Performance-Gaming-Mouse-ROC-11-520/dp/B004E4FY4U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1408996928&sr=8-3&keywords=roccat+mouse or a wheel mouse optical http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-D66-00029-Wheel-Mouse-Optical/dp/B00006B7HB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408996972&sr=8-1&keywords=microsoft+wheel+mouse+optical or a steelseries http://www.amazon.com/SteelSeries-Kinzu-Optical-Gaming-Rubberized/dp/B007AP8RJ4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1408997059&sr=8-4&keywords=steelseries+mouse or a deathadder http://www.amazon.com/Razer-DeathAdder-Infrared-1800dpi-PC-bang/dp/B00B6AYXTW/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1408997165&sr=8-7&keywords=razer+mouse or a g100s http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-G100s-Optical-Gaming-Mouse/dp/B00BCEK2LK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1408997258&sr=8-5&keywords=logitech+gaming+mouse all those mice are better than the Lumenata mouse linked
 

mikeny

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So, then the Logitech g502 would be the best?
 

BigMuffinMan

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It has the best sensor on the market, but the rest is up to you. It's heavy and awkwardly shaped, but it's durable and it will probably last you 5+ years. The wheel mouse optical similarly has a near perfect sensor, but it has fewer buttons and it doesn't appeal to many people. It's all about what games you play, what grip you use, how often you use side buttons, etc.
 

mikeny

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Great, thanks a bunch :)
 

yzhang738

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Completely agree. I used laser mouse like Logitech M500 and feel pain in my arm. After using optical mouse like Logitech g303, thing gets better. This could be due to the fact that laser sensors are inherently less accurate than optical sensors. I used to think that laser sensors are more accurate than optical sensors. Now I believe it is not true. Optical mouse is more stable and accurate than laser mouse, with more smooth movement. One point, I just use mouse for daily work, not gaming. One thing not sure though, is it possible to change acceleration of movement besides speed? In Logitech gaming panel, it seems only can change dpi levels, no acceleration.
 

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