I recently upgraded my Logitech MX 518 gaming mouse to the new SteelSeries Rival 700, and after several days of using it, it was a worthy upgrade indeed.
One thing I’ve always loved about SteelSeries’ mice is their simple yet functional, ergonomic design. The Rival 700 comes with tactile alerts (yes, vibration within a gaming mouse), prism RGB illumination, and the ability to swap out the USB cable, cover plate, or even sensor module! A rather unnecessary (but cool) feature is an OLED display for in-game stats, sensitivity, and alerts.
| MX 518 | Rival 700 | |
| Release | April 2005 | May 2016 |
| Sensor | 1400 – 1600 cpi | 100 – 16000 cpi |
| Weight | 106 grams | 135 grams |
It’s also very easy to customize the tactile alerts, settings (acceleration, CPI, button configuration, illumination, polling rate, angle snapping), and OLED display using SteelSeries’ Engine software.
My basic set up for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) uses a CPI of 800, in-game sensitivity of 1.05, polling rate of 1000, and absolutely zero acceleration or angle snapping.
Gaming with any new mouse takes some time to get used to, but hey, I top fragged in my first CS:GO competitive match with the Rival 700. Things are looking good. 😉
