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Logitech’s G MX518 gaming mouse pairs classic looks with all-new tech

Introducing MX518 Gaming Mouse - The Legend Reborn

A good mouse is a weapon for your PC gaming wars that will be by your side for years with only minor maintenance required. But even firm friends must be put out to pasture eventually. If your Logitech MX518 gaming mouse is on its last legs, then Logitech has you covered. It’s bringing back that iconic design, reviving it as the G MX518. It looks and feels the same, but it’s got a whole host of new hardware under the hood.

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The original MX518 was a palm-grippers dream when it debuted back in 2005. An upgrade of the already-popular MX510, the MX518 offered an optical sensor with a sensitivity of 1,600 dots per inch (DPI), which at the time was quite high. It also boasted five programmable buttons, a sensitivity cycle switch, and an application switching button. The most iconic and beloved part of the mouse, though, was its bulbous shape, which has kept it in operation on some gamers’ desks well into the second decade of the 21st century.

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Logitech’s reborn G MX518 is much the same wired mouse on the outside, but on the inside, it’s quite a different story. Its optical sensor has been upgraded to Logitech’s “Hero” sensor, according to Engadget. Logitech claims it is as accurate as standouts like Pixart’s PMW3366 (or Razer’s 3389) sensors, while offering as much as a 10 times improvement in energy efficiency. It sports a 16,000 DPI sensitivity, which is more than enough for even those with a minuscule desk space to work with, but can be adjusted between that and 100 DPI to help users find their perfect balance of speed and accuracy.

The G MX518 also sports a new 32-bit ARM processor that allows for a 1,000Hz polling rate, and facilitates the management of five on board profiles so that you can take your mouse with you and still maintain any custom button remaps you’ve set up. There are also five DPI steps you can take advantage of, cycling through them using the switch behind the scroll wheel. There’s even a quick-default DPI switch next to it for getting back to your preferred sensitivity as quickly as possible.

All options for the mouse can be controlled through Logitech’s latest release of the Logitech Gaming Software or Logitech G Hub.

The Logitech G MX518 is available for pre-order now for $60, with free shipping. Logitech hasn’t announced when that will take place, though.

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…
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