Hey, Nice to see you! Today I am going to review the Logitech MX 518 gaming grade mouse; the mouse that I in fact own myself. This mouse has replaced its predecessor the MX 510 and includes various improvements to add the pleasure of using the mouse. For all you left handers out there, I’m afraid to tell you that this probably won't be for you as its ergonomics have been designed to suit that of a right handed gamer. Though the mouse is at Logitech’s gaming grade it does not mean that it is only good for gaming, I use the mouse to do various tasks daily from web browsing - to editing and creating websites in Photoshop - to gaming - to using office applications.

The Review

So let’s begin! The main feature that makes this mouse stand out and attracts attention is due to the fact mouse has support for on the fly dpi Resolution changing. There are two are the two little buttons above and below the mouse's scroll wheel which allows you to change the sensitivity (Resolution) of the mouse while gaming or working anytime and anywhere. The MX 518 has inherited this feature from its predecessor MX 510 which had on-the-fly dpi sensitivity changing to. This means you can turn up the sensitivity or turn down the sensitivity of the mouse with just a press of a button. This bonus feature is also bulit right into the hardware of the mouse meaning you can change the sensitivity with out having to install all the drivers and software, by defual as it has three sensitivity settings built into the hardware which makes the mouse truly plug and play. Whilst on the topic of buttons, the mouse features a total of 8 clickable and customizable buttons; left click + right click, scroll button, up + down sensitivity changing, application switch, and two other customizable buttons on the side of the mouse. The application flip/switch button when pressed pops up a box on the screen. This allows you to switch focus to another program without even moving your mouse down to the taskbar which can be a great time saver when you are constantly switching back and forth though programs. If you don’t want this you can customize the button to do something else using the provided software . The Two other side buttons are customizable to do what you wish. There is a fair selection of options to choose from. I have my MX 518 set up to keep the application button as the application flip and my custom buttons set to "back" and "forward" which I find useful when surfing the net. To customize the buttons you use the software provided by Logitech (Setpoint™) which I will discuss later on.

What you get

You not only get a mouse when you buy the mx 518, oh no, you even get a free instruction booklet and a papery thing with advertising on, how kind of Logitech. There is one useful piece of extra kit you get with the mouse howeverwhich is a USB -> ps/2 converter which can prove to be very useful allwing you to use the mouse in a ps/2 port if you so wish. There’s also the usual CD used to install the software included.

Setpoint™ software

Though Setpoint™, the software provided by Logitech, you can customize all buttons located on the mouse. If you wish you can change the mouse speed and acceleration, scroll line size, pointer trails and more .When you click on the gaming mouse, options tab, you are presented with gaming options. These options include things such as whether to keep the mouse speed when playing games, or whether to keep the mouse’s buttons assigned to their function. Due the this mouse being a gaming grade mouse there is also a special area which allows you to choose 5 levels of sensitivity for the mouse which is changed by the buttons on the mouse (Above and below the scroll wheel)

Install:

Customizing:

Comfort + Athetics

The software is great, but would be useless if you can’t easily access the buttons on the mouse to use the programmed functions. Although on the other hand, the mouse would be extremely frustrating if it meant you kept accidentally opening Photoshop because the buttons were pressed accidenty a lot. Not to worry through, Logitech have done a good job in placing the buttons on the mouse, they are all easy to reach with out any effort needed. To press the buttons you to press down as hard as pressing down the left mouse button down on an average mouse, maybe slightly harder. Your thumb rests just below the custom buttons in a soft curved grove which means there not in the way button still easy to access. The scroll wheel is click-able and scrolls in steps which are preferred by gamers as it’s easier to select weapons quickly. The mouse slops upwards towards the base to help keep your wrist off the desk which helps prevent damage to your wrist. The mouse as a whole is very comfortable to use and I would say that is probably the most comfortable mouse I've used to-date.

Looks

The MX 518 inherent its styling from the MX 510. The mouse looks like it has been dented by a hummer hitting it multiple times though don’t worry its only the graphics on the mouse, the mouse is very smooth all over. The styling is up to personal choice, I personally like the style but I know some people who think the styling is just too odd for there liking.

Conectivity

The mouse is wired and connected to the pc via an USB cable though the mouse does come with a little USB -> ps/2 converter so you can connect it up though either plug. The wire is good length reasonably thin, yet strong. The wire will spring back to its original shape if you bend it which stops it getting tangled up on desks.

Size + Weight

The size of the mouse is about a centimeter (cm) shorter than a CD case turned sideways. This should give a decent comparison to show the size of the mouse. The weight of the mouse is decent, at 3.7 ounces which makes it not too heavy or too light. In-fact I think I this is an ideal weight for a mouse as it doesn’t feel like you are going to break it while playing a furious game of Countstrike or Battlefield 1942 but it also does not feel like your being held back by a great big lump of a mouse.

Performance

The feet on the mouse mean it easily glides over most surfaces with out and trouble at all. I’ve tried it on my plain mouse mat, my scratched-to-death wooden desk, paper and a mirrored surface which it worked fine on so I would think it would work a dream on a high end gaming mouse mat although unfortuantly i dont have one currently to test it on. The mx 518 uses Logitech’s award-winning Logitech® MX™ Optical Engine which they are famous for and provides up-to a 1600 dpi resolution and the mouse can process up-to 5.8 mega pixels/second

Pros:
A good all around mouse. Very accurate and functional for a decent price. Nice and comfortable even when using for long periods of time.
Cons:
Not everybody likes the styling of the mouse. Wired - a wireless version would have been nice.
Final thought:
This is an excellent choice for a mouse if your a gamer or graphic design or general user alike. It offers features which are hard to find for a price like this one costs. All in all, highly recommended.