Total Rating: 4.3 out of 5.0
Value: 4.5
Performance: 4
Recommendation: Logitech's MX518 gives you what you want in a mouse, but we're not sure it lives up to "gaming" mouse. It may, however, be a good option for gamers who wants to continue using glass mouse pads where lasers will not work.
Standard retail: .99
What we liked:
-Comfortable, ergonomic right-handed design.
-Well-placed buttons
-On-the-fly DPI switching with indicator
-Easily customizable options for buttons, DPI settings, and more
-3-year warranty
-Highly durable
What we disliked:
-Middle mouse wheel is difficult to press in
-Sensor is 1600 DPI optical
-Good for daily use, but lacks common gaming-grade features
If you're looking for a high-quality mouse without any bells or whistles, the Logitech MX518 is the mouse for you. The grip is almost immediately comfortable for anyone who uses either palm or claw grips. The thumb rests comfortably in the large groove on the left side, and we all felt comfortable using it - small and large hands alike. While most of us liked the weight, users routinely complain that it feels too light. Unfortunately, unlike the MX518's similarly-shaped big brother, the Logitech G500, the MX518 does not come with a weight cartridge, and it uses an 1800 DPI optical engine versus a 5600 DPI laser engine. The ergonomic design is similar on both mice, but the material on the G500 is usually preferred.
The mouse has two primary buttons (obviously), two side buttons, one application switching button (by default the same function as alt+tab), and two DPI adjustment buttons. On those DPI buttons: simply clicking the + button on the mouse will make mouse move farther on your screen per inch, and the - button will have the opposite effect. In addition, the scroll wheel clicks down, left, and right for three additional "buttons," making 10 total. The mouse is fully customizable with Logitech's software, allowing you to map the two side buttons, scroll wheel, and even the DPI buttons to whatever you choose.
The MX518 is one of very few gaming mice that tracks with optical sensors (aka infared) rather than with lasers. Still, the mouse is on the top of the curve for optical mice as far as precision. The main difference between a high DPI optical mouse and a low DPI laser mouse is basically the surfaces that the mouse will track on. Laser mice track better on more surfaces, but optical mice tend to track better on old cloth pads, glass, and other surfaces with minimal contrast.
In short, we would recommend this mouse for you if the following are true:
-You want a respectable mouse, but are on a budget, and you are not a hardcore gamer.
Logitech recently dropped the price on this mouse to be about -20 cheaper than the Logitech G500. In comparison to the G500, it lacks a weight cartridge, has fewer DPI, and uses optical rather than laser tracking. Like the G500, it features on-the-fly DPI (sensitivity) adjustment, the same number and location of buttons, and about the same grip. For the average user, this is a great mouse at a great value. Most users are very happy with their purchase, the exception being gamers and users with very large monitors. We feel it's more than worth the extra money upgrade to the G500 if you play games or think you might in the future. If you think this is the mouse for you, click below to get the Logitech MX 518 or compare it to other mice on our mouse summary.
