Cheap, effective gaming mouse + keyboard?

[KingSaif]

Hey guys, so I'm new to gaming on a PC and I purchased a "gaming" laptop (Ideapad y580) about 2 days ago. Initially I was going to BUILD my own desktop but I don't have the space for it at the moment.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on a cheap, effective gaming mouse and keyboard.
The keyboard doesn't really have to be good (at all) and I would like it to be 10-15 USD. Doesn't need ANY cool buttons, just simple and comfortable.
The mouse, on the other hand, needs to perform extremely well because the only thing I pay are FPS's.
The mouse can be 20-40 USD. It doesn't need to have more than 5 or 6 buttons. I don't want anything flashy, just a comfortable sweat resistant mouse that won't hurt my wrist or anything after a few hours of gaming.

Also, I've been reading a lot of different thoughts on wireless vs. wired mice, so what do you guys think? Do wireless mice really make that big of a difference in FPS's? What do you guys recommend?

What do you guys think about the Logitech M510, M305 and M325? Too cheap?

Thanks!

 

[KingSaif]

Anyone...?

 

[bystander]

I don't know about the keyboard, but it isn't as important anyways, but the Logitech G400 is an excellent gaming mouse and quite reasonable in price.

 

[KingSaif]

I don't know about the keyboard, but it isn't as important anyways, but the Logitech G400 is an excellent gaming mouse and quite reasonable in price.

Okay, cool. I was actually interested in that mouse...
So you prefer wired mice for FPS gaming?

 

[ssddx]

first things first: a keyboard is just as important or even more so then a mouse.

for instance using a small, stiff or otherwise bad keyboard can increase your chances of having carpal tunnel or other such injury. a bad keyboard could also have a poor key matrix causing low key rollover (if too many keys are pressed, some wont register). some low end keyboards also feel gummy and the key return is slower acting.

a good keyboard can be more comfortable to use and easier on your hands and wrists as well as increase typing speed and accuracy. a good key matrix allows for many keypresses at once and good keyswitches allow for faster response times.

mechanical keyboards are far superior to rubber dome keyboards but cost more. they also typically make more noise but are available in silent models as well. they are crisp feeling and not spongey like some rubber dome keyboards.

since you will be using a laptop you most likely do not have a ps2 port for NKRO so you will most likely be looking for a usb model.

with all of this said you can game on just about every keyboard made.

--

just about any laser or led (optical) mouse will work for gaming. between 800 to 1800 dpi should be more than sufficient. as mice typically range far above this, normally you need to set them lower then their maximums for best use.

laser mice work well only for people not accustomed to picking their mouse off of the surface frequently as they can track in midair to some degree. if you do this then a laser mouse is not a good idea and a led mouse would be prefered.

most gamers will state that wired mice are the only way to game but this is untrue and is merely opinion. good wireless mice are just as capable. just watch what you buy.

--

recommendations:

mouse high $: razer deathadder
mouse low $: logitech m305, m510, m518
keyboard mechanical high $: das, deck, wasd keyboards
keyboard mechanical low $:unicomp customizer
keyboard rubber dome high $:logitech G series gaming keyboards
keyboard rubber dome low $:logitech or microsoft keyboards

of course you could always go with other brands but i am not as familiar with them.

i've used both wired and wireless mice and keyboards and i can honestly tell you my gameplay was about equal. keyboard and mouse quality however can and do affect your gameplay performance. a good mechanical keyboard is also leaps and bounds better than the best rubber dome keyboard.

 

[KingSaif]

Wow, thanks dude! Tons of info.

 

[KingSaif]

first things first: a keyboard is just as important or even more so then a mouse.

for instance using a small, stiff or otherwise bad keyboard can increase your chances of having carpal tunnel or other such injury. a bad keyboard could also have a poor key matrix causing low key rollover (if too many keys are pressed, some wont register). some low end keyboards also feel gummy and the key return is slower acting.

a good keyboard can be more comfortable to use and easier on your hands and wrists as well as increase typing speed and accuracy. a good key matrix allows for many keypresses at once and good keyswitches allow for faster response times.

mechanical keyboards are far superior to rubber dome keyboards but cost more. they also typically make more noise but are available in silent models as well. they are crisp feeling and not spongey like some rubber dome keyboards.

since you will be using a laptop you most likely do not have a ps2 port for NKRO so you will most likely be looking for a usb model.

with all of this said you can game on just about every keyboard made.

--

just about any laser or led (optical) mouse will work for gaming. between 800 to 1800 dpi should be more than sufficient. as mice typically range far above this, normally you need to set them lower then their maximums for best use.

laser mice work well only for people not accustomed to picking their mouse off of the surface frequently as they can track in midair to some degree. if you do this then a laser mouse is not a good idea and a led mouse would be prefered.

most gamers will state that wired mice are the only way to game but this is untrue and is merely opinion. good wireless mice are just as capable. just watch what you buy.

--

recommendations:

mouse high $: razer deathadder
mouse low $: logitech m305, m510, m518
keyboard mechanical high $: das, deck, wasd keyboards
keyboard mechanical low $:unicomp customizer
keyboard rubber dome high $:logitech G series gaming keyboards
keyboard rubber dome low $:logitech or microsoft keyboards

of course you could always go with other brands but i am not as familiar with them.

i've used both wired and wireless mice and keyboards and i can honestly tell you my gameplay was about equal. keyboard and mouse quality however can and do affect your gameplay performance. a good mechanical keyboard is also leaps and bounds better than the best rubber dome keyboard.

Sorry for this noob question, but how do I mark best answer?

 

[bystander]

Your list of mice are out dated, many of those are extremely old.

The G400 is the newer, updated version of the old m518/m510. I don't even think you can buy those anymore. Also, the Razer mice have spyware built into their drivers, so I'd definitely recommend not going with Razer.

 

[bystander]

As far as keyboards go. I recommend going to the store and testing out keyboards. Their feel is more important than the gaming features in most cases. What you like is a personal choice and hard for anyone to recommend.

 

[KingSaif]

As far as keyboards go. I recommend going to the store and testing out keyboards. Their feel is more important than the gaming features in most cases. What you like is a personal choice and hard for anyone to recommend.

I don't want any gaming features, just a plain old keyboard. I'm not a hardcore gamer, I'll just mostly be playing Battlefield 3 on my laptop with external mouse+keyboard. The mouse I want to be EXTREMELY comfortable with my average sized hands. I sweat a lot also, LIKE a lot. I have some disease that causes my palms to sweat a lot, I think. In the summer, its awful.

Anyways, back to the mouse and keyboard. The keyboard is not really a difficult decision, I'll just choose a $20 one from Amazon or something with reading the reviews. About the mouse, you said those mouses were old, but that doesn't matter. What really matters is the quality. The G400 has an extremely good rating on Amazon.com, but some people had problems with the scroll wheel.

For example: "My only gripe is in regards to the scroll wheel - it seems to be a little hard to use as you could almost say it feels a little sticky. Of course, it's not actually sticky but their does seem to be some kind of resistance beyond the normal or what I'm used to. I'm hoping that after some breaking in, it will smooth out a little bit."

Other concerns with the weight. Considering this is MY first mouse AND gaming computer, does a light mouse feel weird? I want to go and try these things out myself but Bestbuy and stuff are really far from where I live and I'm so caught up with school to go and test them.

Thanks for the help!

 

[bystander]

I have used the logitech m518 for years, and the G400 felt pretty much exactly the same as the m518 did when it was new and yes, the type of mouse wheel those had smoothed out when they got broken in.

If you can, test them out. My local stores no longer display mice to test, but they still have keyboards out.

off topic:
I think I call someone with a similar condition back when I was in high school. We played clarinet in the San Francisco Symphony Youth Symphony. I remember his sweat was very acidic as well. His fingers caused the silver plating on his clarinet keys to wear off in a few months of use, and it was a high end instrument, not a cheapo.

 

[bystander]

Oh, as far as the keyboard, you do still want to pay attention to the keyboard matrix that ssddx mentioned. For gaming, you still may want to look at gaming keyboards, as they usually improve the key matrix around the wasd keys to allow more than 2 key presses at once. The rest of the features I tend to not care about, and mostly just test out one with a good feel to it.

 

[KingSaif]

Okay, thanks dude. Really appreciate the help. =)

 

[KingSaif]

Think I might go with the G400 slightly after my laptop gets here (probably weeks from now). The keyboard, I'll decide in a few days.

 

[KingSaif]

Your list of mice are out dated, many of those are extremely old.

The G400 is the newer, updated version of the old m518/m510. I don't even think you can buy those anymore. Also, the Razer mice have spyware built into their drivers, so I'd definitely recommend not going with Razer.

Ordered a Logitech G400 yesterday for $28 on Amazon.com. Thanks for your input! You really helped.
I also ordered a Sharkoon Skiller Gaming Keyboard for $30. It seems great for the extremely low price.