Logitech MX510 Optical Mouse

There's been plethora of computer mice in the market. They all have something unique in terms of features and price. Today I take a look at Logitech's next mouse released in the MX series, the MX510. It's basically an improved version of the MX500, but the main feature with this mouse is the 800-dpi, 5.8 megapixel MX optical sensor, which is about 25% more accurate than even the MX900 (MX500/MX700/MX900 mices have an 800 dpi sensor but only processes 4.7 megapixels)

The package contains MouseWare CD (I recommend you to download the latest version from Logitech website), Quick Start Guide, and the popular 20% saving product guide. The quick start guide is very easy to understand and follow. The mouse uses a USB connector, but includes a USB to PS2 converter for use in older machines, or where USB ports are all taken up.

The MX510 comes in both red and blue colors, and features a random holographic finish, making these units somewhat unique. The physical design of the mouse remains consistent with the MX500, and features the standard left and right mouse buttons, with these being in the seamless so called "one piece" format. The mouse comes with 8 total buttons, which you can see in the following picture.

As you can see, the mouse includes five other buttons, with three mounted on top and two more on side, near the thumb rest. The MX510 also includes clickable scroll-wheel (spins freely with a very light click to the rotation) which also functions as a middle button when pressed and up/down scrollers (if you hold these buttons down, it scrolls up/down in a document). The side has Forward/Back buttons which can be reconfigured for gaming. The MouseWare (mouse driver which is included on the CD) tabs let you change from the default setup, enabling standard Windows functions, and also allows custom keystrokes. The software and drivers are rock solid and don't hog your system resources. I've read complaints about MouseWare before, but I have never had any issues with Logitech's drivers.

I think Logitech's button layout is definitely one of the best on the market. However, some of the buttons were too far spaced to make them very effective for gaming, especially the small button in front of the scroll wheel.

On the bottom of the mouse, we see the typical red sensor. However, this 800dpi sensor is much more accurate than the other MX series mice and gives you a nice smooth scroll around the screen. As I mentioned above, the MX510 features a capture rate of 5.8 megapixels/sec, tracking of up to 15 G's of acceleration (10 G's for the MX500), along with the hefty 12-bit data path.

Games are what we are about here and games are what we're more interested at so I took the mouse on a spin of various action games. Before I continue, I should mention that gaming testing was done on an Everglide Giganta Ray Mouse Pad. I played numerous games, including Call of Duty, UT2004, Far Cry, Painkiller and Breed, with the MX510, and I have no complaints. I really liked the response, control and accuracy of the mouse. When compared to the MX500 mouse, though, there is not much of a noticeable difference. Of course, if you use and like the MX500, then it's a safe bet to say you would like the MX510.

pros

smooth, fast, and predictable
upgraded MX Optical Engine
scroll-wheel spins freely with a very light click to the rotation
attractive looking (cool Holographic look)
extremely well constructed
eight programmable buttons
long USB cord (1.8m ~ 6 feet long)
solid drivers

cons

right-hand only design ( if you're a lefty, go for the MX310)
the secondary buttons are not exactly within easy reach
price $49.95

Overall, the MX510 is an outstanding mouse. There isn't a better optical engine out there right now. So, if you're a serious gamer who's not tired of wires, it's the mouse for you. But if you're solely a business user, this mouse is probably overkill. If you're willing to stomach the $49.95 price tag, you can have yourself a great looking, high-performance gaming peripheral. Not cheap but it's well worth it

Special note: I'd like to thank Logitech for making this review possible.