Comparison Corsair Dark Core RGB SE vs Logitech G903 Lightspeed Wireless Mouse

The type of connection used by the mouse.

All types of mouse connection can be divided into wired and wireless. There are also combined models that allow both methods; however, for a number of reasons, they have not received much distribution.

Wired mice can vary in connector type; however, the universal standard nowadays is USB, other options are much less common (see "Cable" for them). Anyway, such mice are much cheaper than wireless counterparts, moreover, they do not require batteries / accumulators and have an almost unlimited lifespan. On the other hand, the wire restricts mobility and can be inconvenient when connecting, especially if the computer is located far away or in a hard-to-reach place.

Wireless devices, in turn, can connect via radio, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi ; in some models, two options are combined — at the user's choice, (usually radio and Bluetooth). Regardless of the interface used, all such models are more convenient than wired ones due, in fact, to the absence of a cable; and their range is at least a few metres, so a wireless mouse can also work as a kind of remote control. At the same time, a wireless connection is more expensive than a wired connection, and besides, it requires autonomous power supply — as a result, the per...iod of continuous operation of the mouse is limited.

As for the different types of wireless connection, here are their features:

— Radio. To connect over the air, usually, a wireless adapter is used, which is connected to the USB port of the computer. This method is convenient in that it can be used with any computer, including systems that do not have built-in Bluetooth or Wi-Fi modules. The disadvantages of this option include the fact that the adapter requires a free connector; as a result, with a small number of USB ports, difficulties can arise. However, this moment, if necessary, can be easily corrected by connecting a USB hub; so it is this connection method that is most popular among modern wireless mice.

— Bluetooth. The main advantage of this connection method is that many modern devices — laptops, most monoblock computers, smart TVs, etc. — have built-in Bluetooth modules. Thus, you can connect the mouse to such equipment directly, without occupying hardware connectors. And for PCs not equipped with internal Bluetooth modules, appropriate adapters are available (which may even be included with the mouse). In addition, some advanced models with such a connection are able to remember several Bluetooth devices at the same time and switch between them literally “with the touch of a button”. The Bluetooth communication range is at least 10 m with line of sight.

— Wi-Fi. A rather specific option, which is extremely rare — in certain models of laptop mice (see "In the direction"). In many respects it is similar to Bluetooth — in particular, it is designed mainly to work with built-in modules and allows you to use a mouse without occupying hardware connectors. At the same time, the range of communication via Wi-Fi is much greater. On the other hand, this advantage is not of fundamental importance, and on the technical side, the creation of Wi-Fi mice is associated with certain difficulties. That is why this type of connection has not received distribution.

The range of the wireless connection provided in the mouse (see "Connection Type").

Almost all modern wireless models work confidently at a distance of at least 2 – 3 metres. So you need to pay attention to this parameter mainly when you plan to use the mouse at a greater distance from the computer — for example, when working with a projector at a presentation. At the same time, when evaluating the range, note that it is indicated for perfect conditions: the absence of interference and obstacles in the signal path, the full charge of the battery in the mouse, etc. In fact, the communication range may be somewhat less, so when choosing, it is worth taking a certain stock. Nevertheless, according to the claimed range, it is quite possible to evaluate the practical capabilities of different models and compare them with each other.

The model of the sensor installed in the mouse. This information is indicated mainly for models equipped with high-end sensors, which are significantly superior in their capabilities to simpler solutions. Such characteristics are important primarily for gaming mice, so most of the devices for which the sensor model is specified belong to this category.

Knowing the name, you can find detailed data on the sensor and evaluate its capabilities. Note that one of the most popular brands nowadays, under which advanced sensors are produced, is PixArt ; on the market are often found, in particular, sensors PixArt 3212, PixArt 3325, PixArt 3327, PixArt 3335, PixArt 3360, PixArt 3389, PixArt 3395. The second common brand is Avago (recently owned by the same PixArt); the most popular model of this brand is Avago 3050, the simplest and most affordable representative of gaming sensors.

Resolution of the sensor responsible for tracking mouse movements on the work surface. Specified in DPI — dots per inch.

The physical meaning of DPI as a whole is as follows. The sensor of a modern mouse works on the same principle as the camera matrix, and consists of pixels. And DPI is the number of pixels that fall on 1 inch of the underlying surface (length or width), "visible" by the sensor.

It is believed that more DPI means a more advanced sensor and mouse in general; nowadays, models for 3500 – 5000 DPI, 12000 DPI, 16000 DPI even more are not uncommon. In a way, it is — high resolution contributes to accuracy. However, the only thing that is directly determined by this indicator is the speed at which the cursor moves across the screen: the higher the resolution of the sensor, the greater the number of pixels that the cursor will move when the mouse itself moves a certain distance. At the same time, it is worth recalling that too high a speed is even more undesirable than too low. So the real need for high DPI ( 1000 and above) arises mainly when working on large screens (4K resolution and more); for more modest displays (HD and Full HD), smaller values are often enough.

The number of buttons provided in the design of the mouse. However, the term "buttons" can also refer to specific hardware solutions — for example, a solid touch area used in many Apple mice counts as two buttons, because. it is divided into two working areas. But the clickable wheels, as well as the power button, are not taken into account in this calculation.

The minimum number of buttons for modern mice and other similar manipulators is two : this is the number that is necessary for comfortable work in most modern operating systems. If there are more than two keys, this means that there are additional buttons responsible for specific actions. So, even relatively inexpensive devices can be equipped with 3 – 4 buttons ; in addition to the 2 main buttons, they can have, for example, 2 side thumb keys, or 1 double/triple click button (see below). Solutions for 5 – 6 buttons are extremely popular nowadays; among them are many gaming mice, where the mentioned thumb buttons are supplemented with a double / triple click, a sniper button and/or a DPI switch (see also below about these functions). And in the most multifunctional models, 7 – 8 buttons and even more can be installed. In some cases, this number exceeds a dozen and a half; such mice are usually gaming devices designed for RPGs and other simil...ar genres where it is important to have a wide range of actions at your fingertips.

The presence in the mouse of 4D-wheels — wheels with the function of navigating in four directions. In other words, such equipment allows you to scroll the image on the screen not only up and down, but also left and right. The specific implementation of this function may be different: in some models for horizontal navigation, the wheel can tilt to the sides, in others, switching between horizontal and vertical scrolling is carried out using a separate button. However, anyway, this feature expands the functionality of the mouse, while the 4D wheel is cheaper and takes up less space than two separate wheels (see "Number of scroll wheels").

A wheel with an accelerated scrolling mode that allows you to scroll through a large “sheet” of pages in text documents, spreadsheets or on Internet resources in just one movement. The inertial wheel is a hallmark of a number of Logitech mouse models.

An indicator showing the current resolution of the mouse sensor.

The DPI value indicator is found only in models that allow you to switch the sensor resolution and are equipped with the appropriate buttons (see above). The indicator allows you to easily monitor the set DPI settings. Note that it does not necessarily show specific numbers — conventions can be used, for example, different backlight colours.

The mouse has additional lighting effects. For more information about the backlight itself, see above, and its effects can be different — ranging from a smooth change in brightness and/or colour to colour and light signals, as well as backlight synchronization(for models with synchronization, this paragraph indicates the supported synchronization technology).

The last function is worth dwelling on separately. Synchronization itself allows you to "match" the mouse backlight with the backlight of other system components — the case, graphics card, keyboard, monitor, etc. Thanks to this matching, you can create various unusual effects: synchronous colour and brightness changes, "colour waves", "running lights" etc. However, for such work, all components of the system must support the same synchronization technology — and such a technology, usually, each manufacturer has its own. So before buying it's ok to check compatibility. However, some mice are able to work with several options at once — for example, iCUE from Corsair and MLS (Mystic Light Sync) from MSI.