Tweak3D.net - Mouse

Updated: December 5, 1999
Written by: Dan "Tweak Monkey" Kennedy

PS2 Rate

PS2 Rate is probably the single most popular mouse tweaking program to date. Recently, PS2 Rate Plus was released by the authors of the original mouse tweak. The program adjusts the mouse sampling rate of a PS/2 mouse and it has an area where you can test your settings to make sure your mouse rate is actually at what you set it to. When you increase the mouse sampling rate, the mouse cursor's position is refreshed on screen at a much higher rate than by default. This allows for much smoother operation. It's hard to explain how it works, but trust me.. it works wonders. Use this program for a week or two and play your favorite games and programs, then stop using it and you'll definitely be able to see the difference. At 200 Hz, my average mouse rate is around 120 Hz. It's a lot better than 40 Hz though!

You cannot use this program with serial mice and there is no need to adjust the mouse sampling rate with USB mice (because the rate is already much higher than others). If you have a PS/2 mouse (this connects with a small round connector to your PC), download the program here. The file size is 348 KB. Once you have downloaded the program, run the program and it will install the PS2 Rate Plus program to your hard drive. To run it, choose Start, Programs, PS2 Rate Adjuster Plus, then either Check or Adjust PS2 Rate. If you choose Adjust PS2 Rate, Choose OK at the first screen and it should pop-up the following menu:

Set the rate to 80Hz and try it out by clicking Set rate. Now try 100Hz. Then, try 200Hz. It should seem damn smooth. Play around with your mouse for a bit, then try choosing Win default at the bottom of the sampling rate dropbox. This is how things were before you tweaked it. Disgusting, isn't it!? Check the Make default box and set the rate to 100 or 200 (or whichever you prefer), then choose Set rate. Choose Yes to the question that pops up. Now hit Exit and try out some games... you should definitely see the difference. After you reboot, check out your rate using the Check PS2 Rate program and confirm that it's still using the high refresh rate. If it is, congratulations, you're done!

If you have a Logitech mouse with Mouseware 8.3 or later installed, you do not need to download PS2Rate. Open up Regedit (Start, run, regedit) and browse to the key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Logitech\MouseWare\CurrentVersion\Technical\]
Now, change the "PS2ReportRate" DWORD to equal either 40, 80, or 200. These are the refresh rates, as explained above. Note that 40 is default. Set it to 80 or 200 for smooth operation. Thanks Jason "FragMaker" Brockdorf for this info.

Mouse Pad

The mouse pad you're using - is it getting old and worn? Having a nice, shiny new mouse pad can make a big difference in games and general use of your PC. If you're just looking for a replacement, try out some different surfaces to get an idea of what you're looking for. I personally recommend slick surfaces as opposed to those fabric-cotton surfaces that have fibers that act as speed bumps to slow down your mouse. If you're looking for a seriously kick ass mouse pad, look no further than an Everglide pad. These mouse pads were designed for gaming and really do help by providing excellent grip and the perfect surface. They do cost a bit more than an average mouse pad, however, and they must be ordered online.

Read Tweak3D's review of the Everglide mouse pad here, or check out the Everglide site here for more info.

Now that your mouse is tweaked to the core and you've got a good mouse pad, you need to clean your mouse!

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