Quiet clicking mouse?

[Animeniax]

Anyone have recommendations for a gaming mouse that has quiet clicking? I've used a Logitech MX518, G400, and G500 and they all click loudly. I used the damper mod on the micro-switch on the G400 but it's still quite loud and makes the click action too squishy and less responsive. I also ruined the left-clicker on the MX518 (broke the micro-switch) but got the middle clicker to work very quietly with the damper mod. Why are mice made so loud??

[Buffalobiian]

Partly I think the loudness comes from the resistance the button puts up before it gives way so you don't accidentally click via anticipation (and slight pressure).

(edit: I see you've already seen this for yourself.)

I used the damper mod on the micro-switch on the G400 but it's still quite loud and makes the click action too squishy and less responsive

That said, don't get the Zowie FK1 (or the newer FKs either) if you're worried about loud clicking. They're moderately loud, which appears to be too loud by your tastes. That said, it lacks hollowness to the sound, which is good. That means the click sounds finite and not like it's in a reverb box.




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tried this mod yet?

http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=48682

[Animeniax]

Partly I think the loudness comes from the resistance the button puts up before it gives way so you don't accidentally click via anticipation (and slight pressure).

(edit: I see you've already seen this for yourself.)


That said, don't get the Zowie FK1 (or the newer FKs either) if you're worried about loud clicking. They're moderately loud, which appears to be too loud by your tastes. That said, it lacks hollowness to the sound, which is good. That means the click sounds finite and not like it's in a reverb box.
Unfortunately something like 90% of all mice (quoting an unverified post here) use the same micro switches so they are all fairly loud. Even the ones advertised as silent mice still get bad reviews for not being significantly quieter than normal mice.


tried this mod yet?

http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=48682I tried another one with a similar principle: http://randerson.hubpages.com/hub/Ridiculously-Easy-DIY-Silent-Click-Mouse-Tutorial-No-Soldering
This one works so the clicking is noticeably quieter but far from silent. Also it makes the left click squishier and easier to randomly click without meaning to.

And this one: http://www.instructables.com/id/Ninja-Mouse-The-Silent-Click/
Notice the db meter, it's significantly quieter from 74 db down to 52db.

I'm going to try the one you linked to see if it works any better. Thanks!

[Ryllharu]

Pardon my ignorance, but this is a problem?

I love audio feedback. I can't stand touchscreen keyboards at all unless I turn on the click sound.

I'm just trying to understand, because unless I'm playing some shitty steam sale click game, I don't notice it at all on my razer mamba. The clicking noise is merely a confirmation of my will. ;)

[Animeniax]

Pardon my ignorance, but this is a problem?

I love audio feedback. I can't stand touchscreen keyboards at all unless I turn on the click sound.

I'm just trying to understand, because unless I'm playing some shitty steam sale click game, I don't notice it at all on my razer mamba. The clicking noise is merely a confirmation of my will. ;)

It's a bigger problem for some than even I imagined while researching it. People want quiet clicking to spare their significant others, sleeping children, surreptitious browsing in class, and like me: playing games at the office. I work in an office adjacent to a computer lab with many users yet the room remains fairly quiet and sound carries between the rooms. I was playing a game of Plants vs Zombies on hard survival mode and the sheer amount of clicking was ridiculously loud and fervent.

I also like the tactile and audio feedback of the mouse click, more so since I've altered my mouse to reduce both forms of feedback. But I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff to be able to kill time at the office in a manner of my choosing rather than just twiddling my thumbs, which I've found makes me want to quit my job and find another line of work.

[Buffalobiian]

Some of us like to use our PCs covertly :p

[Buffalobiian]

The Nexus Silent Mouse is a welcome addition to my silent domain. Especially when that domain has to relocate to quiet libraries and lecture halls for study and work purposes!

.....

At least someone's catering for this market.

http://nexustek.us/nexus_silent_mouse.htm

[Animeniax]

At least someone's catering for this market.

http://nexustek.us/nexus_silent_mouse.htm

Thanks, I saw a bunch of other silent mice while looking at that one. Unfortunately there seems to be a problem of durability and longevity with these small brand products with the consensus being that they aren't good for heavy gaming use.

I'm getting more used to the modified clicker on my G500 and I'm looking at buying some higher quality replacement micro-switchs which I can experiment with to get both a quieter click and some tactile feedback. Most of the switches used in mice are cheap ones made in China. These from the same company but made in Japan get excellent reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/OMRON D2F-01F-T (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IJ38YQ2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A39I16OC00EQP6)

Fun part will be to desolder the existing switches and soldering on the new ones.

[Buffalobiian]

Aren't those magic mouse things that Apple or Microsoft was developing some time ago touch-based? If so those would be interesting, except that you can't rest your fingers on them. They'd probably also not be designed for the accuracy that gaming requires (ie lack of acceleration).

[Animeniax]

Yeah it'd be too much like using a touchpad to control in-game actions. I also suck with a trackball, though that would also require clicking.

[Buffalobiian]

Did you end up finding a quiet mouse Ani?

[Animeniax]

Did you end up finding a quiet mouse Ani?

No, I modified the microswitch to dampen the clicking sound and it's worked pretty well once I got used to the decrease in tactile response. The stock microswitch in the Logitech mice are these cheap Chinese deals that don't hold up to that many clicks which is one of the main reasons mice go bad after a few years, especially gaming mice. So I bought some higher end Japanese made microswitches but I haven't bothered to alter them or install them in my G500s because the modified stock one works well enough. Replacing the microswitches involves de-soldering and soldering and I'm not great at either.

[Buffalobiian]

Interesting. Logitech gaming mice are said to have low click latency compared to many others on the market. I wouldn't know how changing the switches would affect that.

On a side note, the Steelseries Rival has a pretty soft click. Mushy too, some say.

[Animeniax]

I think SteelSeries is one of the companies that came up when I searched for quiet mice. I forget why it didn't make the cut; reliability, availability, or what? Anyway, when I get around to it I can replace the switch on my MX518 and get that working again if the G500 doesn't hold up.