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Mouse Pad Importance

E

egroeg555

n00b
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
59
How big of a deal is it to have a mouse pad? I haven't used a mouse pad in years. I just use the mouse on the surface of my desk, and it seems fine to me. I've also never had a super nice mouse, and I'm not a particularly heavy gamer. Although, I am on the computer a lot.

I'm currently planning to get a G500.(seems to be highly recommended and I like the shape/size) Would it make a significant difference for me to get a nice mouse pad? I've always just thought that a mouse pad was just one more thing to take up space on my desk, but I've seen some people saying that it makes a big difference. Would the mouse feet wear more slowly on the mouse pad? Is tracking really much better?
 
It's all about personal preference. What do you like the most? I bought a $20 Ratpadz XT but I found I didn't like the slippery feel of it although most people do. On the other hand, I find a $1 foam pad to be much more comfortable to rest my wrist against.
 
It's not just personal preference.
Having a fine, uniform surface allows the optical sensor in mice to more accurately track your moments. For normal clicking around it won't make a big difference. But when gaming or doing graphic design, or anything that requires smooth, accurate moments, you'll notice it.
Of course, this also depends on your mouse's DPI and other factors.

I'm very happy with my $20 Func sUrface 1030 pad.
 
Very pleased with my Func Archtype 1030. I use the "rough" side with my G9 and it is excellent. Curious to see how it will fare with my Mamba once it comes in.
 
Depends on application.

At home for gaming, I have a MX1000 and a Func1030 original, it's like 5+ years old. Bought way back in college. Best mousing surface I've found. About the right size, not overly massive like some are being done and stays in place. Seems very durable too, as it's fine texture has held up perfectly. Yes tracking is far better, more precise. As well as how smoothly it glides across the surface.

Ratpadz didn't work out for me either, but mine might have been an older generation *shrug*.

At work, I use a standard two button, scroll wheel, optical USB mouse and just the plain old desk surface. It's fine for moving around the desktop, documents and such.
 
Well, the worst pad i've had was one of those rubber ones with designs on them. Some parts were very reflective, some parts were opaque, and it played havok on my mousework.

Dunno how you guys actually fare in gaming, but when you're doing CAD and Photo editing, a mouse that suddenly slips will make you want to throw it against the wall.

So yeah, mousepads make a heck of a difference. Dunno how those expensive mouse pads actually feel, but i always look for the ones with a uniform dots or grid on it that the mouse can easily track. Despite all those companies bragging that their mouse can run on anything, a cheap mouse paired with a good mousepad will run them into the ground.

My mousepad is over 10 years old and it still works pretty well. It's from the time when optical mouse can only run on specific mousepads, funny that despite all the apparent progress, it's still the best way to run a mouse on.
 
Thanks for the information. I think I'll get one of these nice pads, and see how much I like it. The Func Archtype 1030 is sounding nice with the ability to swap the surface textures, and I can pick the one I like better.


*****edit****

One more thing... I've read that some mouse pads with the rough surfaces can increase wear on the feet of the mice. How big a deal is it? Any experience with mice feet wearing like this?
 
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Yes, it is possible. I've got a G5 I was using on an old cloth mouse pad and after 1 1/2 - 2 years the feet on the G5 had worn so much that the actual bottom of the mouse was showing some signs of wear. Not a lot, but you could see where it was rubbing. When it got to that point, that was when I felt it dragging a tiny bit harder, etc.

Picked up some new feet off Performance-PCs.
 
It's a night & day difference for me. My G5 tracks like crap on my table but on my cloth Roccat Taito pad it's a dream, can pop heads in FPS shooters with reliable pinpoint accuracy.
 
I find myself switching between an Icemat and QCK cloth pad every couple of months. Maybe I just get bored. :p Both are better than just using my desk surface.
 
Besides the accuracy issues that have already been highlighted, I like mousepads because they provide an even and smooth surface. Also, I'd rather have the pad get worn in over time than my desk.

Mouse feet will wear down over time no matter what the surface. Luckily, they are a cheap fix.
 
Some mouse doesn't work on the surface of the desk especially if the surface is glass.

Anyhow, I couldn't live without my Razer Goliathus!!
 
For a laser mouse it's very important, for an optical not so much. I use a QCK+ for comfort and it tracks really well.
 
I use a Ratpadz XT currently. I've used some other things int he past. Steel Series, etc. IT really is just about preference more than anything. Unless your mouse doesn't work on the desk surface.
 
I used a Duke Nukem 3d mousepad for about 6 years till I finally wore it out. I haven't used a mousepad since at home. At work I have this nice leather/bamboo mousepad that Office Depot sold. Someone quit so I promptly walked away with it ;)
 
egroeg555 said:
How big of a deal is it to have a mouse pad? I haven't used a mouse pad in years. I just use the mouse on the surface of my desk, and it seems fine to me. I've also never had a super nice mouse, and I'm not a particularly heavy gamer. Although, I am on the computer a lot.

I'm currently planning to get a G500.(seems to be highly recommended and I like the shape/size) Would it make a significant difference for me to get a nice mouse pad? I've always just thought that a mouse pad was just one more thing to take up space on my desk, but I've seen some people saying that it makes a big difference. Would the mouse feet wear more slowly on the mouse pad? Is tracking really much better?
Click to expand...

If your used to just using the desk as your pad these pads give you the feel of just using your desk "Thin profile" less of a footprint . but gives better tracking than just a desk surface.

http://www.microthin.com/prod_graphite.htm
 
What are you going to be doing? FPS Gaming/ MMOs/RTS/Graphic Design? I can provide some color on my experiences for FPS/MMOs which hopefully helps. If you simply want recommendations, go to the bottom.

I should also mention there is a pretty huge difference between cloth or hard surfaces.

FPS Gaming : You definitely want something. The mice used in the following examples were the MX518 and Razer Deathadder.

When I used to play CS competitively I started out with the SteelSeries QcK+ and a very low sensitivity. Cloth pads generally have more friction and space which is ideal for people who like low sensitivity. There are a few other pros to a cloth pad, such as not having to worry about breaking it while carrying it to a LAN, as well as being able to throw it in the dish washer to clean it. Any "professional gaming" cloth pad is going to be huge though, so make sure you have enough desk space for it.

After my QcK+, I switched to the Qpad EC-R. I also switched to a high sensitivity. Even at the same sensitivity I used on my QcK+ the hard surface felt way faster. In game I felt more accurate, although I don't have any actual evidence to prove that the mouse movements were registering any better. While most hard pads come with a case to carry them in, it is kind of a hassle to travel (my EC-R broke on a trip back home from college). They also carry a higher price point (on average). However, I can say without a doubt that the EC-R is my favorite mousepad of the ones I've owned.

Regarding MMOS: Not sure a super expensive mousepad is quite as important as in an FPS. This is because of /assist and tab targeting macros, the use of your mouse is diminished significantly. I still think having some kind of surface other than a desk would be good though. When I was doing tons of raiding in EQ, I used a Thunder 8 (hard pad), although this was like 7 years ago, so I don't really remember much about that haha. In WoW I used the Everglide Titan (Fnatic series) cloth pad. Either way, the raid bosses' hp was going to 0 =p.

RTS: Can't really comment since I only played WC3 and stuff casually where I didn't care about performance.

Graphic Design: Again, can't really comment, but I would assume you would want ultra-precision (although one would think a serious graphic artist would use a Wacom tablet or comparable). The friction of a cloth surface might work a little bit better?

Are you going to notice a difference between your desk's surface and using a quality mousepad? Absolutely. Does it matter whether or not you use a hard or soft surface? That is 100% personal preference in my opinion. I know after years of gaming that I enjoy hard mousepads more so than cloth.

Hard Surface: Qpad EC-R or XT-R (or heatON's new enormous mousepad)
Cloth Surface: Steelseries QcK or QcK+

Hope this helps!
 
Thanks a lot for all the suggestions. Between cloth and hard, I'm probably going to go hard. I'm a little concerned about tracking on the cloth surface. This is mainly because I suspect that my G500 will track better on the hard surface (this is from stuff I've read and tests that I've done drawing lines in paint). Still, I'm not really sure if it would be noticeable in game, but why not just be safe. Also, I think I would prefer the lower friction of the hard pads.

As for what specific pad? I'm still leaning toward the Func pads. They don't seem to be the most popular, but they kinda caught my eye (good marketing? I don't know.). They also aren't as expensive as some of the other pads, like many of the steelseries. I can't see myself paying much more than $20-25 on a mousepad. Also if I get the archetype 1030, I get 2 different surfaces. This is a bonus because I'm not totally sure what amount of roughness/smoothness I would like the best (I've never used a pad like these). However, I am thinking that I would prefer a smoothish hard pad, perhaps the smoother func surface (F10.s I think). I could get this surface by buying the archetype and using the smoother side or I could by the simple single sided pad.
 
A very good friend of mine swears by the Func pads, and you really can't beat the price.

I would suggest picking up some mouse skatez or equivalent though, since hard surfaces tend to wear out the standard feet on your mice (they are pretty inexpensive).
 
I used to use Func pads for a while but I prefer cloth pads now (even with my G500, it tracks fine)

So now I've got xTrac pads... super cheap for how big they are...
 
I switch between a Ripper XL and Ripper XXL... just depends on when one gets dirty really, I clean one and swap it out with the other one.. haha

The XXL basically covers your entire desk and you use for both the keyboard and mouse, XL is really good for just the mouse.

But they're cheap... like $15-20
 
100% happy with the Ratpadz XT, been using for a bit over a year & it's still like new.

Performance aside, it's definitely nicer than cloth pads because there's no need to clean it or replace it, which is alone worth the 20$ to me.
 
I see no difference using a mouse pad and my desk. I'm not a fan of mouse pads. I can't find the right size.
 
Noke said:
I see no difference using a mouse pad and my desk. I'm not a fan of mouse pads. I can't find the right size.
Click to expand...

What size are you looking for? I don't think I've seen a feasible mousepad size that isn't sold.
 
my QcK+ is a godsend. it did make a difference to me when i got it after just using my desk.
 
Is there a high quality cloth 'gamer' mousepad that is not ginormous? I'd like to have something I can fit in my keyboard tray and the only cloth pads are either $1 everyday mouse pads or huge 2 foot long gamer pads.
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
For a laser mouse it's very important, for an optical not so much. I use a QCK+ for comfort and it tracks really well.
Click to expand...

You have this backwards...

The old optical mice were horrendous without a decent mouse pad - the reason I went laser as soon as I could.

My G9 can track fine on just about anything.
 
IMHO its VERY important if you want total accuracy in FPS. I've been using a Razer Destructor for a long time now. Its outlasted many of the other popular gaming pads I've bought over the years. Money well spent.
 
Vittra said:
Very pleased with my Func Archtype 1030. I use the "rough" side with my G9 and it is excellent. Curious to see how it will fare with my Mamba once it comes in.
Click to expand...

I have the exact same setup and it's perfect.
 
I had to get one when I got my MX1000 laser mouse.
If I moved slowly left or right the cursor would jump due to the wood grain on my desk.
I chose a Ripper 17"x11"
 
Using a mousepad will help prevent the mouse feet from wearing out as fast, but honestly i don't notice much of a difference in tracking accuracy using my table or a mousepad as a tracking surface. Then again i dont really play fps games.
 
Doldrim said:
Is there a high quality cloth 'gamer' mousepad that is not ginormous? I'd like to have something I can fit in my keyboard tray and the only cloth pads are either $1 everyday mouse pads or huge 2 foot long gamer pads.
Click to expand...

Look at the Steelseries QcK mousepads. They've been mentioned a few times in this thread, they have a cloth surface, and they come in a few different sizes:

http://www.steelseries.com/us/products/surfaces/qck/information

The QcK Mini and the normal QcK seem to be what exactly what you're looking for. I just ordered a Mini myself.
 
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Doldrim said:
Is there a high quality cloth 'gamer' mousepad that is not ginormous? I'd like to have something I can fit in my keyboard tray and the only cloth pads are either $1 everyday mouse pads or huge 2 foot long gamer pads.
Click to expand...

Could always buy a large pad and just cut it in 2 (or 4.)
 
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