Customer Reviews

Logitech MX 510 Performance Optical Gaming Mouse (Red)

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I ordered this mouse from Amazon.com last week and it arrived the day after it shipped along with another item. They just keep getting faster and faster! Now, about the product itself. I am very picky on mice and, since I've never owned a Logitech mouse of my own, was really hesitant to purchase this model. I was really spoiled by my Intellimouse Explorer optical (one of the earliest models) and wasn't looking forward to upgrading, but since the mouse was dying I had no choice. The current generation of Intellimouse Explorers weren't getting such rave reviews and I also wasn't ready to jump into wireless mice just yet, since I feel the technology there isn't advanced enough for daily gaming (though, in the case of the MX1000, I could be wrong)

After weighing this mouse (the red version, the blue was more expensive for some reason) against the MX1000, the price difference and incredible reviews won me over, so I bought the MX510. After nearly a week's worth of use, here are my impressions.

1. The MX510 is both easier to move and more accurate than my previous mouse. It moves effortlessly around the screen and my hand never gets fatigued. This mouse is not only suited for gaming, but excellent for any task that requires LOTS of mouse activity, like graphics editing for example.

2. I actually thought I would never use the two cruise control buttons, but I find them very useful. It is true that the top cruise control button is high up, and you may need to reach a bit further to get to it, but with my hands (which aren't all that large) I don't find it problematic at all.

3. The Quick Switch Program Selector is nice, but I find ALT+TAB to be faster. However, like all buttons on this mouse, the MouseWare drivers from Logitech allow you to map this button to just about any task you like, so if you don't want to use the default setting I'm sure you could think of a more useful action for this button.

4. Forward and Back buttons are easier to reach and click easier than my old Intellimouse.

5. Unlike some people here, I found the sculpt of this mouse to be very form-fitting to my hand (if you're right handed!) I believe the people having problems with that are those with either really large or really small hands, and thus can't be helped.

6. The only cavet I've found is the scroll wheel, which does not scroll quite as smoothly nor click quite as easily as my previous mouse. I'm hoping that, as time wears on, it will get "worn in" and function more to my liking. It works fine, just takes more effort. I can live with it.

I would recommend this mouse to anyone looking for a high-performance, comfortable mouse. This is probably the best non-cordless model being produced today. Great job Logitech!

P.S. be sure to get the latest MouseWare drivers from logitech.com, the ones on the CD are outdated. As of this writing the latest are 9.80.

Bar none, the best mouse I ever owned. We run a total Macintosh office, and even with the latest 10.3.6, this mouse and its Logitech software are flawless. I have the two best Exposé features (tile all windows, and clear screen) put to two of the buttons. In Safari, I have two other buttons for the back and forward functions. The optical laser is very smooth. I paid well over the fifty original retail for this thing, so at this price, you gotta get it.

By the way, I was using cordless mice before this (Intellimouse and the Logitech cordless). After using this, I can say that I much prefer a corded mouse, especially once they make one this smooth.

I recieved this mouse for free, near-new from a friend, as I did my Intellimouse Explorer 3.0a before that, so I think I can speak without the bias that comes along with wanting to justify/defend a given purchase. I think the MX510 has superior ergonomics (if you're right-handed, natch), particularly with the two side buttons located above the thumb rest. They are on a high ridge, compared to the Intellimouse, and are therefore much more difficult to press acidentally while surfing or playing games. The left- and right- click actions have their buttons seamlessly integrated into the top of the mouse, which is one less thing that can break in the long run. The scroll buttons on the top and bottom of the scroll wheel are nicely placed and useful, even for people with relatively small hands like myself. The MX510 also has some decent heft to it, considering that it doesn't have a tracking ball or batteries inside it. However, the mouse wheel itself is much stiffer than what I'm used to with most of the other mice I've used.

I don't recommend installing the software, however, as I've heard it's a bit glitchy and the pointer acceleration isn't very useful. Without it, you'll get still get functionality for all the but the task switching button. I never use that anyway, and it's also awkwardly placed. All in all, the MX510 tracks excellently and precisely, it just needs a smoother scroll wheel.

Having been a computer gamer and user most of my life, I've come in contact with many different mice. The mx510 is the best.

The design is the same as the mx500, mx700, and mx900 series, a somewhat tried-and-true style. The forward and back buttons (on the left side of the mouse) are close enough to use easily, but aren't in danger of being accidentally clicked. The up and down buttons (positioned above and below the scrollwheel) take some getting used to, but are useful enough to outweigh this. The up button *isn't* the most natural button, but I'm able to click it with my forefinger easily (despite reviews to the contrary), and my hands are average sized.
The switch application button seems to be the only downfall of the mouse. It isn't as easy to reach as the other buttons and its usefulness is questionable. A friend of mine with the mx700 (same design, just a little older and wireless), however, swears by that button and says he couldn't be happier that it was included. Even in the case of someone who doesn't like it, it really doesn't take away from the mouse; you'd don't have to use it if you don't want to.
Note: I would not recommend this to anyone that uses a mouse with their left hand.

The optical engine is newer and supposedly better than the older mx500s and mx700s. I, however, haven't really noticed a difference, having used an mx700 before. Despite that, it's amazingly smooth. I have heard people online and in person complain that it "jerks" or is "twitchy," but I'd venture a guess that most of those people either do not have quality mousepads or have incorrect sensitivity settings in their OS. One person who mentioned the twitchiness to me in person showed it to me, and then was surprised when I fixed it easily by turning on "Enhance pointer precision" and lowering the sensitivity. The mouse will track on virtually anything: fabrics (if you're using a laptop while sitting on the couch), just about any hard shiny surface (that traditional trackball mice have difficulty with), plastic, paper, metal, you name it.

The software included is easy to use and has never had a compatibility issue that I've seen. Remapping *any* of the buttons to a variety of different controls is easy. For example: I was able to map the up and down buttons to "next song"/"last song" in Winamp, which is one of the coolest things I've seen a mouse do.

Overall it is a wonderful product and a great deal for someone looking for a new, stylish, light, and feature intensive corded mouse.

I am not a gamer, but spend many hours every day in front of the computer. The Logitech mouse is beautiful, functional, comfortable. Microsoft screwed up with their latest clunky, huge and hugely uncomfortable optical mouse offering. The Logitech 510 fits in the hand and is a delight to operate. BUT I spend a lot of time flicking between different applications and the MS mouse has application specific button allocations eg on some programs you want a button to activate "close window", but on another program you want the same button to be "escape". You can do that easily with the MS mouse, but not at all with the Logitech mouse. Don't let the game tuned hardware sticker fool you - that is just a way that the registry can remember orientations and acceleration parameters, not button allocation. I wished I had known this before buying - Not sure it would have changed my mind, there just aren't that many options when it comes to multi-button, optical corded mice, but it's certainly a shame. The good news is that any keystroke (include CTRL + ALT combinations) are allocatable to any button and there are plenty of 'em. Final annoyance is the spam software that gets packaged with the driver install. I want a mouse. I do not want (although I was offered it during various pop ups during the install) a shortcut to ebay, a media center player, a subscription to a game arcade or the possibility for Logitech to send me messages from "trusted parties" through their desktop alert system. This is like seeing ads before the movie, I have just paid to be spammed at, and I don't appreciate that at all. Poor show.

I am a hardcore gamer. I sometimes play games 12 hours at a time. This mouse is excellent for gaming, I have big hands and it fits perfect. It is also beautiful to look at. I use a Func Surface Mouse Pad and usually use teflon tape on my mouse feet. This mouse feels so good I haven't even put any on yet.

I like the feet, they are very small and there are 5 instead of the usual 4 for extra smooth sliding. The fact that they are so small will save on the expensive teflon feet tape too :)

The mouse is very light, I really cannot find anything bad to say about it. The only thing in question in my book is how long it will last and it seems built well so I expect to be happy a while :) Highly recommended.

I bought this mouse after losing my old MX500 during a move. In general, I would say that you should buy the MX510 only if you don't have the MX500 and play games a lot. It's definitely better than the MX500 in terms of tracking but only if you turn the sensitivity way up. There are few situations outside of certain games where this is necessary so it's questionable how benefitial this improved tracking really is.

The only other difference between this and the MX500 is the holographic cover. This "feature" has no functional purpose other than to look pretty so it's of dubious value.

The MX510 retails for approximately $10-$15 more than the MX500 but aside from better performace in certain games and a different look, it's functionally the same. Thus one has to make a value judgement as to which is better.

At the time of writing, Logitech announced the MX1000, the replacement of the MX700, which is the cordless version of the MX500. The MX1000 features "laser tracking" which is supposedly 20 times better than the current MX sensor and also has a 5.8 megabit resolution. Since Logitech is sure to release a corded version of the MX1000, one might want to wait for this instead of buying the MX510 now.

Issues:

1) Customization of buttons is questionable. You can't bind some in games, mainly the program switcher and sometimes the scroll up and down buttons on opposite ends of the wheel.

2) The software Logitech provides is poor. Instead of something similar to Microsoft's mouseware, Logitech appears only to give drivers and not custom software to litterally make your mouse do tricks. As such, button binding is not avaliable for all buttons in many programs.

3) The famed program switch button is incredibly difficult to get to. You litterally have to crinch your middle finger up to hit it, raising all of your fingers as well. Also, for some reason, I does not appear to function with many programs, meaning it does nothing.

The Good:
1) Ergonomic, your hand won't get tired at all, (except if you use the program switch button, which is located in the center of the top of the mouse). The foward and back buttons are easily in reach, and do not get in the way due to the thumb impression in the mouse's design.

2) It is very percise, perhaps, too percise at times. For games, it responds well, especially shooters. Haven't had a hardware issue with games yet.

3) The holographic part is pretty cool, and the lack of texture makes cleaning a breeze.

EDIT: The application switcher does work if you install the software from the logitech site. The CD they package doesn't do anything except provide simple drivers. Download the mouseware from the site to actually be able to use most of the buttons. There is a review saying that you are able to bind the mouse to Winamp but currently there is no way way to do it, since the software from the site does not allow you to add programs. If you install the CD first, the software from the site will not install until you uninstall the CD first.

Overall, the mouse is worthy of the awards, and for some reason is a good $20 cheaper then the same model in blue.The 8 button custom function appeal is a overstated, but the mouse is still worth every penny. Basically a great mouse with REALLY Sub par software

I own 2 of these mice, one bought new shortly after the model came out, one bought used. They've gotten daily use and still work just as well as when I first bought them. They're high enough quality that I recommended them to friends back then, but they're an even better value now. Let me explain.
With the MX518 and G5 Laser mice (both by Logitech) being marketed right now for gamers, the MX510 has gone by the wayside somewhat. It lacks the ability to change DPI settings with just a buttonpress, has half the DPI of the MX518 (& much less than the G5), and the scroll wheel only goes up/down instead of having the tilt feature the G5 has. (Perhaps the 518 has this too, but I haven't checked).
But remember that the MX510's 800DPI is still well above average quality. Its shape/comfort is similar to the G5 and equal to the MX518. And it has 2 thumb buttons instead of just 1 like the G5. Also note that the MX510 DOES have buttons where these other two "gaming" mice have on-the-fly DPI changing buttons. It's just that on the MX510 they're used for fast scrolling up/down instead -- something many people may find more useful so they won't have to be flicking their middle finger many times to go through a document.
Yes, the G5 and MX518 are technically better. But because of their release, the MX510 is a far better quality-for-price value for all but the most demanding gamers & photoshop artists. My experience with the MX518 and G5 is limited to store display models hooked up to store display computers, and as long as their price stays high & my MX510's keep running this well, it'll probably stay that way.

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I bought a red MX-510 earlier this year from Best Buy for $40.00 plus tax; about $12 more than what Amazon is charging for them now. It's an excellent mouse for just about everything from just basic net surfing and especially FPS games. I'm impressed with how smooth and accurate it really is.

I recently bought a wireless MX 1000 laser mouse. I honestly can't tell any difference performance wise between the MX 510 optical and the MX 1000 Laser mouse with the exception of the cordless MX 1000 is heavier and molds to my hand slightly better. The MX 510 is a solid high performance mouse at about half the cost of MX 1000.