Looking for an alternative/replacement for my R.A.T. 5 gaming mouse

[Cyber_Akuma]

I bought a Madcatz R.A.T. 5 gaming mouse when I built my gaming pc about a year or two ago:

http://store.madcatz.com/categories/mice-category/Mad-Catz-RAT-5-Gaming-Mouse-for-PC-and-Mac.html

It wasn't until after I had gotten the mouse that I saw many reviews and forum posts complaining that they do not last and break easy.

Well, it finally happened to me. I simply rebooted my PC to install some updates.... and it stopped tracking. All the buttons still work, the system sees the mouse, but the cursor will not move no matter how much I clean it and adjust the resolution settings. I tried plugging it into another PC and same thing.

So, I am not going to buy another as this seems to be a common problem with these mice.

Thing is though, when it was working, I really REALLY liked this mouse. I liked the overall feel (the adjustable front, the thumb-rest, and it's heavy/metal design with adjustable weights), the adjustable resolution switch, the thumb-wheel, the heavy/metal feel to the mouse wheel that made it both comfortable to use and provided good tactile feedback, the snipe-button which set it into a low-speed and high-accuracy mode, and the fact that it is wired. It was the most comfortable mouse I ever used and had every features I liked, (It's just a shame these things are about as reliable as a Pinto), so I am trying to find a model from another brand that is as close to this design and features as possible.

Closest I have found so far is the Razer Ouroboros:

http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-mice/razer-ouroboros

It has the same overall design (even a dpi-clutch that functions similar to the snipe button).

Problem is though, it's wireless (I HEAVILY prefer wired), is mostly plastic, has no adjustable weights, and in being ambidextrous it has less buttons overall (no back and forward thumb buttons like on the R.A.T. 5) since they have to be repeated on both sides, and it is EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. (Also, personally, I would prefer the leds be red since the rest of my setup is but that's a very minor issue). It's basically lacking EVERY feature the r.a.t. 5 had other than the snipe-mode button, it even doesn't have adjustable resolution which is very common in many laser-based gaming mice nowadays.

So I wanted to ask if anybody here had any other recommendations on what mice I can consider that would be as close to the R.A.T. 5 as possible.

 

[Mouldread]

I am only using a very simple mouse from a mega unpopular brand which for some bizarre reason has lasted for over 5 years now so I can't really suggest anything, I just wanted to say I have very poor experience with a Razer keyboard. If all their products are as bad I would stay clear of this brand.

 

[4cloud]

Have a look at the ASUS GX series mice, GX 950 seems to be a good one, on the fly dpi switch plus weight control optimization. If you want something with a lot of macros check out the RAZER naga.

 

[Cyber_Akuma]

So uhh, looking at this:

http://forums.absurdminds.net/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1790

and this:

http://www.esreality.com/wiki/Hardware:Mice_Sensors
*Plus it's more recently updated sources:
http://extreme.pcgameshardware.de/eingabegeraete-und-peripherie/246487-maeuse-und-deren-sensoren.html
and
http://www.overclock.net/t/854100/gaming-mouse-sensor-list

Seems like the closest good quality mouse that has similar functionality is the Corsair Raptor M40. The only thing it's really missing is the snipe button (Which although the Corsair Vengeance M65 has, it also has a ADNS-A9800 sensor which is one of the worst you can get apparently).

Although the Hama URage Reaper 3090 looks good though, but it both appears to be discontinued and not available in the U.S. The Tesoro Gungnir H5 is close too, but both are the same quality as the M40 yet lacking in features (and around the same price anyway). I do like the H5's design.... although I have to ask, why purple? (Was also really surprised to see a few Thermaltake mice in the list... although just because they have a good sensor doesn't mean they have the good firmware for it... couldn't find many reviews for the Theron Infrared either, especially on if there are any glitches with the A3090 software and if it's firmware upgradable to fix these, think it might be too new. I know that technically even the R.A.T. 3 makes the list of mice with a ADNS-3090 sensor... but apparently the firmware has glitches.)

I also know the thumb-wheel was unique to the R.A.T. line so no point in looking for another mouse that has that.

(Huh, I had no idea optical was superior to laser)

So many of the good mice are pretty bare-bones. While I understand of course quality comes before bells and whistles (that's why I wasn't suckered in by those $100+ "gaming" keyboards that are all rubber dome instead of mechanical and just have a lot of fancy features.... though now I am starting to wonder what other nasty issues mine might have) I wonder why nobody seems to have made a mouse that is both quality and has features. The M65 would have been perfect if it used the same sensor as the M40.

.... then there is also the issue of sometimes manufacturers switching out components, such as the sensor, in later models. Some of those guides are a year old, dunno if any of the important components of the mice have changed since then. Some of them seem to disagree what sensors certain mice use... and it's not like this information is advertised by the manufacturer in most cases.

Any other comments? Are the M40s still being made with the 3090 sensor?