Razer Naga Review by Peter Brennon

My Overall Rating:

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Designed with MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) players (World of Warcraft,…) foremost in mind, the Razer Naga will please a wide variety of gamers, online or off.

Named after a Buddhist serpentine deity, there is something divine about this gaming mouse. Not for nothing is the Naga a symbol of wisdom and secret knowledge. Users will seem to acquire those when they take this model in hand.

Before you even get a close-up look at this animal, you find yourself awestruck. The pouch included in the package lets you easily take it to LAN parties or with you on vacation. There’s also a very cool mouse pad that rolls up for easy transport.

Pull out the mouse and you’ll be faced with a sleek unit that is ready to behave like a Hydra-headed snake, slaying a dozen men at once . That Hydra-like ability is most obvious when you look at the left side of the mouse where you find the Naga’s dozen customizable buttons.

Forget reaching for function keys on the keyboard once you install this baby. You can’t miss them, either, thanks to the blue light that emanates from them when you plug it in to a free USB port. In addition, there are two fully programmable smaller buttons near the left mouse button defaulting to forward/back for Web browsing.

Watch this great review of the Razer Naga gaming mouse

See how to become a World of Warcraft “non-clicker” using the Razer Naga

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By default, the 12 button keypad on the left side corresponds to the 10 numeric keys (including the + and – keys) on a standard keyboard, which in turn correspond to the standard array of MMO game quick-slots.

The software suite provides yet more control. It lets you program the keypad and the other buttons with virtually any keyboard command or even complete macros, resulting in 17 flexible, powerful buttons that can be adapted to virtually any game or application.

Capable of up to 5,600 dpi and 1 ms response time (or, as Razer puts it “1,000 Hz Ultrapolling”), you have a gaming mouse that will never lag behind your ability. Move the mouse as gently as you like and find yourself at the other end of the battlefield in a flash.

That zippy behavior is assisted by the integrated Teflon feet that Razer labels “Zero-acoustic” and “Ultraslick.” Ok, those do sound like marketing buzzwords but they apply in this case. The movement is smooth and nearly soundless allowing for very fast motion without resistance or distraction.

That high level of sensitivity is also handy when you want to pick a pixel from a photo or trace a line carefully in an image. But, sometimes, it can cause other tasks to be a bit twitchy. If that setting is a little unnerving, you can always adjust the dpi down to your personal taste or needs.

The Razer Naga may have been designed with MMO gamers uppermost in mind, but first person shooter fans will get a real edge in play, too. In fact, no matter what game you enjoy, this model is a great gaming mouse.

Read what other users of the Razer Naga have to say about it:

Jennifer N.,
“As soon as I saw this mouse, I knew there was something special here. Suddenly we’ve jumped light years ahead of our standard 5-button mice to a 17 (!!!) button mouse. I knew after doing a bit of research that I had to try this mouse and I am so glad I did. Some reviews are calling this mouse a gimmick. You can go ahead thinking that while I continue to have more control over my games than I ever have before…” Read full review

Jeff A.,
“I don’t normally get on here and write reviews…as I’m normally too busy between a full time job, a full raid schedule and other stuff going on, but after reading some of these reviews I felt the need to post this. This mouse is absolutely wonderful. It feels very comfortable and all buttons are reachable. There is a little bit of a learning curve with initial use. My advice is to start small; bind three of the number buttons first and then once you have those down, add three more. You will be up to all twelve side buttons in no time…” Read full review

Alvaroc,
“I’ve been playing with this mouse for a month, and I have to say that I’m pretty satisfied with the product. I play quite a lot of MMOs and I’ve tried it in all of them, and now my keyboard besides movement is kinda useless (MMO PoV) because I just play with the mouse. As far as quality goes, it feels pretty comfortable for my gorilla sized hands (Tall guy here), and it responds smoothly. If you plan to play it with other MMOs or games, I’ve tried it with Aion, LotRO, and Silkroad Online and it functions perfectly. From RTS PoV, the thumb buttons aren’t as useful for a quick game, but you can bind some stuff to the mouse…” Read full review

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Logitech MX518 Review by Peter Brennon

My Overall Rating:

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The Logitech MX518 High Performance Optical Gaming Mouse is not the company’s top of the line model. But, thanks to a wealth of features, many gamers will find that this mid-priced model is all they need or want without breaking the bank. The MX518 is the follow on to the MX510 and retains all its good attributes, while representing a very respectable improvement.

First and foremost is the comfortable grip. Ergonomics is always a personal affair but the MX518 will fit a very wide range of right-handers, and left-handers will still find it usable with some practice. The slick feet on the bottom surface add to the usability, making fast gliding easy.

Also nice is the ability to change the resolution on the fly without special drivers. All the control you need is built right into the mouse. Accessing the web is, of course, a breeze for everyone these days but keeping up with driver changes and dealing with bugs is not always. That lack of driver needed is also beneficial for Linux users who can plug this mouse in and get going right away.

Watch this great review of the Logitech MX518 gaming mouse

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The resolution can be set (or changed on the fly) up to 1600 dpi, too. That number doesn’t wow quite the way, say, the company’s G500 model’s 5,700 dpi does. But past a certain point – around 2,000 or less for almost any game – the difference is probably undetectable anyway.

Even better, a simple press on the + or – buttons lets you raise or lower it to find your personal sweet spot. You can cut the number in half with a single tap of the minus button; a second press puts you down to 400 dpi in a snap.

That high dpi count and fine level of control is also very beneficial when you’re not gaming. Yes, there are times when you have to do other things. Bummer. Editing photos is a breeze since the high setting lets you pick out individual pixels easily. Lowering it lets you decrease the sensitivity so the mouse doesn’t drive you crazy while performing ordinary tasks.

If you do install the driver software, you then have access to the Advanced Game Settings panel. It lets you assign up to five different dpi toggles, change defaults, and add even more granularity to tailor the MX518 to your personal style. While the case is clearly designed with right-handed players in mind, the ability to tweak the handedness of the buttons can make this mouse usable for everyone.

The most demanding gamers may want to pay extra for something like the G700. But for just about anyone else, this model is a fine piece of gaming gear. Five programmable buttons, with two more located above and below the scrollwheel, as well as an application-switching button (equivalent to Alt-Tab), make it highly flexible. That it works so well for everyday tasks – photo and document editing, web browsing, and dozens more – is icing on the cake.

Few mid-priced mice offer so many features as the Logitech MX518 in such an ergonomically friendly case.

Read what other users of the Logitech MX518 have to say about it:

Yu-jin C.,
“I’ve used an MX-518 for over 3 years, during which it saw extensive daily use both for work and games. Aside from some of the paint wearing off, it works just as well today as it did when I got it. The precision of this mouse is such that it’s really not distinguishable from much more expensive laser mice. The buttons are fully configurable and very well placed; it’s second nature using them and does not cause any finger or wrist strain even after hours of use. If you need to adjust sensitivity on the fly, there’s controls for that as well. The shape is ergonomically superior without being totally weird, and it functions well with or without a mousepad. It is also extremely tough- I’ve dropped it, stepped on it, tripped over the wire… you name it, it’s survived it. On that note, it isn’t a wireless and that’s a plus in my opinion- it really seems the batteries on wireless mice die at the worst possible times…” Read full review

RunninWild,
“I bought this mouse to replace my Logitech G5. I like this mouse just as much as my G5 and I can tell no difference other than the feel of the gray outside and it’s a tiny bit lighter. The G5 was a little rougher and this is smooth. It is easier to keep clean because of this. The buttons are all easy to touch. I highly recommend this mouse for any gamer that wants a comfortable responsive mouse. This mouse is worth every penny…” Read full review

Alter,
“I’m an ambidextrous mouse user and this mouse, although designed for a right hand, is also comfortable with the left. The smooth rubber sides on it are good and its very responsive. On the fly sensitivity adjustments are a great bonus, with no special software required to take advantage of it. I’m a gamer and am very picky about hardware… if there was a weakness with its performance I would have found it by now…” Read full review

C.R. Heady,
“I bought this mouse 8 years ago. The mouse has held up perfectly, and performs just as well now as it did the day I bought it. I came online a couple weeks ago and saw that the mouse I bought 8 years ago was still for sale, unchanged, and about 2/3 the price so I did the only logical thing I could think of: bought another. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!…” Read full review

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