PC gaming mouse review round up

This gaming mouse review round up features more than 15 (and counting) gaming mice from top-tier gaming mouse makers such as Razer, SteelSeries, Logitech, and more.

The mice are divided into three (approximate) price categories. Because prices can and will vary, these are simply 'average' price ranges for the mice listed, typically derived from online vendors such as Amazon.com and Newegg.com. The prices typically drop as much as 33% over the lifespan of the peripheral.

Also, don't forget to check out my PC gaming mouse buyer's guide for tips on what to look for and information about some of our favorite gaming mouse features.

My favorite gaming mice are marked with asterisks *****, but the number of asterisks doesn't necessarily correspond to the number of stars awarded in the mouse's review.

ELITE: AROUND $100 (and up)
Gaming mice at this price-point generally represent the best of the best, with the most powerful sensors and feature sets. Generally these mice "do it all" short of making you coffee and shooting your cat with laser beams to get it off your keyboard.

• Logitech G700 Wireless *****
  The G700 is Logitech's best gaming mouse yet, combining a robust feature set, thoughtful design, wireless operation, and portability into an outstanding all-around package.
• Mad Catz Cyborg R.A.T. 9 *****
  An outstanding wireless mouse featuring adjustable weight, programmable buttons,and the ability to be physically reconfigured to fit nearly any hand size or grip preference.
• Mad Catz Cyborg MMO7 *****
  Mad Catz takes one of the best and most customizable mouse designs available, and gives it a bunch more buttons. The result: Pure awesome.
• Razer Mamba Wireless
  The Razer Mamba brings a whole new level of freedom and precision to your PC gaming with a comfortable (right-handed) ergonomic grip, extremely fast and precise 5600 DPI resolution, programmable macro buttons, and wireless operation.
• Razer Naga Epic *****
  The Razer Naga Epic is a wireless version of its Naga siblings. It also included 3 snap-on hand grips to adjust the shape of  the mouse, full color spectrum backlighting, and some modest design improvements over its predecessors.
• Razer Naga Hex *****
  The Razer Naga Hex has half the buttons of the other members of the Naga family, but it's also easier to use and features a better button layout, which makes it better suited to a larger array of games.
• Razer TRON gaming mouse
  Even though the TRON mouse comes with a cool, bio-luminescent mouse mat that shows light trails behind the mouse, the TRON mouse is ultimately a triumph of form over function.
• SteelSeries Sensei
  The Sensei gaming mouse boasts an impressive array of powerful features and equally impressive hardware under its shiny, chrome-colored carapace. But a little more ‘ugly’ might do it some good.
• SteelSeries World of Warcraft Cataclysm MMO gaming mouse *****
  Large and in charge, this enormous beautiful beast of a mouse is perfect for World of Warcraft and easy to program thanks to its intutive control panel pre-populated with more than 130 WoW commands. It's also well-suited to nearly any other game you'd care to level its 11 programmable buttons at.
• SteelSeries World of Warcraft MMO gaming mouse Legendary Edition
  The WoW Legendary Edition is a smaller cousin to the Cataclysm MMO gaming mouse. Although it boasts several design improvements, it takes a significant step backwards by using glossy plastic construction on its backside, which makes it a very sticky, tacky and smudge-prone mouse after relatively short play periods.

UPPER CLASS: AROUND $75
Generally this is the 'sweet spot' for gaming mice. They are typically very nearly as feature-rich as mice in the $100 category when it comes to nuts-and-bolts gaming, programmable buttons, and bells and whistles.

• Chameleon X-1
  The Chameleon X-1 is a wireless mouse that also functions as a gamepad and media remote all into a single mouse. And it's actually pretty good at all three functions.
• Logitech G9x Laser *****
  Accuracy, a rich feature set, and a slick dual-mode scroll-wheel make the Logitech G9x Laser mouse one of the best gaming mice and general purpose desktop/ Web-surfing mice that $100 can buy.
• Raptor Gaming M3X
  A comfortable mouse with a decent feature set. Pity it's hampered by a strange, physical design flaw that makes it utterly annoying and frustrating to use. 
• Razer DeathAdder Left-Handed Edition
  Razer's DeathAdder Left Handed Edition (LHE) mouse packs Razer's usual technological prowess into a left-handed ergonomic shape, and while not quite as sophisticated as some of its right-handed brethren, Razer's first gaming mouse for 'lefties' doesn't disappoint.
• Razer Imperator 2012
  The Imperator gets new sensor technology and rubber side grips. In short, it's better than its predecessor in every way.
• Razer Imperator (original)
  The Razer Imperator offers a virtually perfect blend of high-end performance, features, and ergonomics for its price range—and it may be one of Razer's best gaming mice yet. It's only weakness: glossy plastic sides.
• Razer Lachesis 2.0
  Razer goes under the hood and upgrades their award-winning Razer Lachesis gaming mouse. The result? An already great mouse made even better—and more expensive, of course.
• Razer Naga MMO *****
  New drivers turn the already excellent Razer Naga MMOG gaming mouse into one of the most flexible, powerful gaming mice ever.
• Razer Orochi Mobile Gaming Mouse *****
  The Razer Orochi mobile gaming mouse packs the best features of a good gaming mouse into a small, travel-friendly, flexible package for gamers-on-the-go.
• Razer Spectre StarCraft II mouse
  The Spectre is a good general gaming mouse, but it's APM (Actions-Per-Minute) lighting system isn't terribly useful when your hand covers the lights most of the time. Minus the APM lighting system, there are better, more feature-rich mice in its price range that will serve you equally well in StarCraft II or other games.
• SteelSeries Ikari laser *****
  The SteelSeries Ikari Laser gaming mouse offers a virtually perfect blend of features and performance, and it’s quite possibly one of the most (if not THE most) comfortable right-handed gaming mice ever made.
• SteelSeeries Xai Laser *****
  The SteelSeries Xai Laser gaming mouse is powerful, accurate, and virtually flawless, packing many unique, versatile customization features into a very unassuming package.

MIDDLE CLASS: AROUND $50
Gaming mice around the $50 price range typically provide good tracking and precision (topping out at 1600-3200DPI typically) well beyond that of standard optical mice. However, keeping the price down also means making some compromises, so you may have to make some choices about which features are the most important to you.

• Coolermaster (CM Storm) Spawn *****
  Good things come in small packages, and Coolermaster’s Spawn gaming mouse is one of them, packing a good balance of features and comfort into a small, inexpensive, capable gaming mouse.
• Mionix Naos 3200 *****
  The Mionix Naos 3200 USB Gaming Mouse offers a capable (if modest) feature set, but sports top notch comfort in a design that mimics one of our favorite gaming mice: the SteelSeries Ikari Laser.
• Raptor Gaming M3-DKT
  Raptor Gaming's M3-DKT is a solid, no-frills gaming mouse with a wider-than-average scroll wheel and firm buttons that provide great tactile feedback.
• Razer Abyssus
  The Razer Abyssus is a "no frills" gaming mouse that is definitely superior to a standard optical mouse in every respect. If you're looking for an inexpensive "back to basics" gaming mouse that gets the job done without a lot of fancy features, the Abyssus may serve you well.
• Rude Gameware Fierce 3200
  Rude Gameware's Fierce Laser Gaming Mouse holds its own against budget-priced gaming mice from industry heavyweights such as SteelSeries, Logitech, and Razer—and even one-ups them with a unique feature all its own.
• SteelSeries Kinzu Optical
  At $35, the SteelSeries Kinzu represents the "budget gaming" end of SteelSeries' gaming mice. But despite it's budget-friendly price, the Kinzu has just about all the most important features a gamer could want.
• Thermaltake Tt eSports Black Laser
  Thermaltake’s Tt eSports Black 4000DPI laser gaming mouse competently provides essential ‘nuts and bolts’ gaming mouse features in terms of tracking and precision, but it falls a little short in overall design.