ISYS100 Online Gaming Blog: How to Improve (Part 1): Hardware

Hardware

Similar to all games, CS:GO, also requires traditional computing hardware to play. But to improve externally, upgrades to your hardware and accessories can be made.

Mouse

When it comes to CS:GO or any FPS game in that matter, most people would imagine the mouse would be the most important hardware component for solid performance. Although it is crucial to have a mouse, the quality of the mouse does not have to be state of the art. Instead, majority of mice can be used for CS:GO. This is because it's vital to have a mouse with low DPI as it facilitates steady and precise crosshair movement, thus better aim. An overwhelming number of professionals use 400 DPI which is half the standard DPI (800 DPI) of default mice. Now knowing that, here's some specifications when upgrading your mouse:

Budget - Obviously knowing your budget is the most important part of upgrading your mouse because you don't want to end up in debt. You want the most bang for your buck.
DPI - Ensure that the mouse your planning to buy has the ability to adjust DPI settings. This is because 400 DPI is way too slow for everyday browsing of the internet or other computer usage. You will exhaust yourself just trying to find a file or open a program.
Sensor - Optical mice are generally better for FPS gaming compared to laser. As with laser, despite being mechanically more accurate than laser, it has many inaccuracies with mouse acceleration and fast flick movements of the mice.
Durability - Do research prior to buying the mouse and read reviews to determine the quality and durability of the mouse. As a consumer, you don't want to buy an expensive mouse which is amazing for the few days before it breaks.

Examples of Good Mice for CS:GO

Logitech Gaming Mouse G300

~$30, Amazon

Razer DeathAdder Chroma

$59, MSY

Steelseries Rival

~$110, SteelSeries

Keyboards

Similar to mice, keyboards are not as vital as they seem. In CS:GO, there is only a few selection of keys that are being repeatedly pressed. Hence choosing a good keyboard is completely personal preference. The only requirements for a good CS:GO keyboard are:

Mechanical - Mechanical keyboards are much superior to normal rubber dome keyboards as they are much more responsive to keys being pressed and durable.
Budget - Similar to mice, you want to make sure you can afford the keyboard. Selecting the keyboard you want to buy online beforehand is the best way to go.
Durability - In general mechanical keyboards are higher quality and more durable than normal keyboards. Nonetheless, you still want to find the best quality keyboard. This can be done through reading reviews.

Examples of Good Keyboards for CS:GO

Razer DeathStalker Essential

$54, MSY

SteelSeries Apex

$139, MSY

Mouse Pads

As insignificant as mouse pads seem, they are actually very important when it comes to CS:GO. Since, in game professional CS:GO players have their mouse DPI set to 400 DPI (slower movement), to account for these changes in DPI, they use a big mouse pad. Otherwise the mouse is likely to scroll off a normal sized mouse pad. Specifications for a good mouse pads are:

Size - The mouse pads should be as large as possible because doing a 180 degree turn on 400 DPI requires a large amount of mouse pad space.
Durability - Like mice and keyboards, it's also important to buy a mouse pad that's of good quality - no stretching or ripping.
Budget - Since all mouse pads are relatively the same price, this comes down to personal preference.
Material - Soft cloth is preferred over hard materials. Hard materials is better for laser mice whilst soft cloth is better for optical mice. Also, hard materials are less comfortable on your wrist.

Examples of Good Mouse Pads for CS:GO