MX518 - Anyone held one?

InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2005-08-19 08:01pm

I've been mulling over getting a new wired mouse, and logitec seems to have come out with their next line of gaming mice, the MX518. They are going for pretty cheap on ebay, and the MX510 are now extra cheap retail. But my question is, how do these mice feel? I like the MX500 mouse feel, but I'm not sure about the crazy looking top the new ones have. Anyone, comment?

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2005-08-19 08:10pm

I have the 510, and it has an excellent feel. I've held the 518 at Bestbuy, and it feels pretty much the same. Either one would be good mouse (I'll probably get the 518 with my next computer), and there prices should be going down again when Logitech starts selling the G5 and G7 gaming mice.

Post by **Beowulf** » 2005-08-19 08:14pm

MX 518 feels the same as the MX 500. The crazy looking top is just crazy looking. It's some sort of hologram. Feels exactly the same, and fairly smooth.

InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2005-08-19 08:19pm

Any idea when the G5's are coming out?

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2005-08-19 09:37pm

I've read they'll be out mid to late September.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2005-08-19 10:08pm

My MX500 feels absolutely wonderful. Of course, you have to be right-handed, but I'm really happy with mine.

Ypoknons · Post by **Ypoknons** » 2005-08-19 10:45pm

Feels great. I like the texture of the new top better than that of the MX500 - it feel a bit like expensive plastic. Why not wait for the laser-based G5 or G7 though?

Medic · Post by **Medic** » 2005-08-19 10:50pm

Master of Ossus wrote:My MX500 feels absolutely wonderful. Of course, you have to be right-handed, but I'm really happy with mine.

Feels great and it just glides across surfaces superbly. Mine isn't that particular model -- mine's wireless laser -- but eyeballing it it's got the exact same ergonomics (same chasis if you will). Plus the forward and back buttons are great.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2005-08-19 11:08pm

I bought the MX500 two years ago and loved it. When I saw the MX518, I knew I had to get it. It feels identical, but its a much smoother and more purpose built mouse for gaming. The LED never turns off so that means there is no lag between no mouse movement and movement in a game. The mouse can change DPI on the fly with the click of a button, meaning you can shift sensitivity for advantagous situations. The grip and surface is not what it looks like, its a hologram of some sort. Very nice mouse.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2005-08-20 12:19am

If you are into 3D gaming, the difference between MX518 and MX510 is immense. If you are not, it is still a fair bit different especially if you want the mouse to feel like it is gliding. Besides, after two years, my MX510's mouse feet have become a bit worn, and I needed a replacement. The DPI switch is incredible. I am the kind of user that loves clicking on little buttons -- for example rather than use the scroll wheel, I drag the bar on the browser up and down, or even use the little triangle buttons. The MX518 offers even more precision and lets me use my mouse pointer the way I want.

Brian

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2005-08-20 08:09am

The only differance between an MX500 and a 518 is the adjustable sensetivity, but both are awesome, I'm holding one as we speak.

Embracer Of Darkness · Post by **Embracer Of Darkness** » 2005-08-20 11:52am

I'm holding one right now, and it's an amazing mouse. It shares a lot in common with its little brother, the MX510, but I consider it a far superior peripheral.

The surface of the mouse is solid, as opposed to many mice which are just painted plastic, and the detail on the mouse resembles a metallic surface which has been dented and perforated. The mouse is smaller than images online suggest, and is very light. It's actually very comfortable to use, as it feels slightly "soft" along the sides.

There are eight buttons in total; The obvious ones are the right/left clicking buttons, which are actually part of the case, and are not actually noticeable until you click them. There are two buttons above the "thumb" part of the mouse, which are configureable, but control back/forward in web browsers or folders by default. There are also buttons to increase or decrease the sensitivity of the mouse, a button to switch between tasks (much like ALT-tab), and of course the scroll wheel can be used as a button. All are configurable to different tasks.

The main features of the mouse, of course, are related to the sensitivity. Not only does the mouse sensitivity go up to a gorgeous 1600dpi, it's adjustable and configurable. You can set up to five sensitivity presets (anywhere between 1600dpi and 400dpi each), which can be toggled using the +/- buttons on either end of the scrollwheel.

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2005-08-20 12:33pm

Question by somebody uninformed about mouses (or mice?): What is the point of having a mouse with such a high sensitivity? Couldn't you adjust the sensitivity in-game or in your control panel? Ergonomics, weight, and smoothness aside, what exactly makes this mouse so good?

The LED never turns off so that means there is no lag between no mouse movement and movement in a game.

How long is this delay?

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2005-08-20 01:33pm

Basicly, high sensetivity is great in FPSes, quickly do a 180, while rapidly switching to low for that perfect sniper shot.

Thats a nice example.

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2005-08-20 02:38pm

Ace Pace wrote:Basicly, high sensetivity is great in FPSes, quickly do a 180, while rapidly switching to low for that perfect sniper shot.

Thats a nice example.

You can just script to change your mouse sensitivity by pressing a button on your keyboard...

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2005-08-20 02:41pm

But can the mouse handle it?

Also, while sensetivity changes are nice, having the button on the mouse is faster.

Embracer Of Darkness · Post by **Embracer Of Darkness** » 2005-08-20 04:04pm

Exonoerate wrote:What is the point of having a mouse with such a high sensitivity? Couldn't you adjust the sensitivity in-game or in your control panel? Ergonomics, weight, and smoothness aside, what exactly makes this mouse so good?

The reason for "on the fly" sensitivity changing is mainly due to the growing emphasis of playstyles in FPS gaming. If you're playing as a regular soldier, and have to make your way through urban terrain to reach an objective, the ability to rotate the screen 180º (or even 360º) is crucial, and a mouse with 1600dpi sensitivity would help greatly. However, if you're covered and sniping, the last thing you want when trying to target an opponent is a mouse with 1600dpi sensitivity, so the Logitech MX518 allows you to switch the sensitivity all the way down to 400dpi in one or two clicks. It's all about convenience and versatility, and you're going to see many more mice with this function from now on.

It also has applications on the desktop, for example: Using an MX518, a graphics artist can alter the sensitivity of their mouse "on the fly" when dealing with less or more detail. As someone who's done plenty of graphics work by mouse in the past, I can tell you that having a mouse with adjustable sensitivity is a great time-saver when you're running on the clock.

Spyder · Post by **Spyder** » 2005-08-20 04:32pm

I use the MX510, it's sweet.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2005-08-20 04:39pm

The ability to change the sensitivity is also useful for some other games such as Battlefield where different vehicles have different turret sensitivity. It can take half of forever to move artillery or EE9 turrets under normal settings, but you crank up the sensitivity and you can have a lot of fun moving those turrets around easily.

Naaman · Post by **Naaman** » 2005-08-22 06:44am

brianeyci wrote:If you are into 3D gaming, the difference between MX518 and MX510 is immense. If you are not, it is still a fair bit different especially if you want the mouse to feel like it is gliding. Besides, after two years, my MX510's mouse feet have become a bit worn, and I needed a replacement. The DPI switch is incredible.
Brian

I grabbed a sheet of thesea while ago and haven't looked back

.