Which is the slower mouse connection: USB or PS2 ?

[erwin1978]

Do you find using a mouse connected to usb slower than if it's connected to ps/2?

Do you find using a mouse connected to usb slower than if it's connected to ps/2? I have a Logitech trackball and my game slows down by a few frames if I use usb. The cpu usage is also higher; around 15% when I'm dragging a window in circles. With ps/2, cpu usage is within 6%. The only good thing with usb that I notice is the higher refresh rate, which could also be the cause of the higher cpu usage. I really thought usb was the way to go.

 

[MrGaribaldi]

Re: Do you find using a mouse connected to usb slower than if it's connected to ps/2?

Originally posted by erwin1978
Do you find using a mouse connected to usb slower than if it's connected to ps/2? I have a Logitech trackball and my game slows down by a few frames if I use usb. The cpu usage is also higher; around 15% when I'm dragging a window in circles. With ps/2, cpu usage is within 6%. The only good thing with usb that I notice is the higher refresh rate, which could also be the cause of the higher cpu usage. I really thought usb was the way to go.

If you notice a performance drop whilst using USB, you should use PS/2 instead... (USB is much more cpu heavy than PS/2)
And if you want more performace out of the PS/2, tweak your rate... 3DS has a very good guide on how to do that here

USB is the way to go with the fastest cpu's on the market, or if you don't care about a couple of fps...

.02$

 

[Arris]

Read this detailed article at firingsquad describing the pros and cons of both types of connections. I read this sometime ago and found it most informative...

It should answer all the questions you might have

 

[svtcobra]

To add to Mr.G's post, I had great luck increasing my PS2 mouse's "rate" with a smal program called ps2 rate. Here is a download link for it: http://www.students.tut.fi/~zibbo/other/ps2rate/ps2rate.zip

I played around with the different settings until it felt just right. Then a month later I sold my Razor Boomslang and got an optical mouse.

 

[lokem]

To add to svtcobra's post...

You don't really need the ps2rate proggie if you're using Win2k/XP. You can do the adjustments yourself right in the Mouse options. In XP:

Settings -> Control Panel -> Mouse -> Hardware -> Properties -> Advanced Settings -> Sample Rate

I think Win2k's interface is somewhat similar.

 

[Vehementi]

I have an optical mouse, and when I connect it to PS/2 it says that it may not support the full 400 dpi performance of it. Definitely USB for optical mouse people, but I don't really think it matters for ball mice and trackballs.

 

[lokem]

Originally posted by Vehementi
I have an optical mouse, and when I connect it to PS/2 it says that it may not support the full 400 dpi performance of it. Definitely USB for optical mouse people, but I don't really think it matters for ball mice and trackballs.

Wow, didn't know the USB supports 400dpi. Just a question, does the PS/2 port max out at 200dpi?

 

[Vehementi]

Probably around there, I'm not sure, but to me USB seems the better choice, especially when you can daisy chain 127 devices up to one port.

 

[lokem]

Originally posted by Vehementi
Probably around there, I'm not sure, but to me USB seems the better choice, especially when you can daisy chain 127 devices up to one port.

Doesn't the USB mouse take more CPU resources than PS/2? If so, by how much?

 

[Arris]

I see from links and information that some of you read the article link that I posted. If you read through it you will see that its not the use of USB that increases the CPU utilization but the sample rate. If you could run PS2 at the same sample rate you would most likely find that it would be using roughly if not exactly the same amount of the CPU....

And Lokem, the dual sensor logitech optical mice have an 800dpi.

 

[lokem]

I see from links and information that some of you read the article link that I posted. If you read through it you will see that its not the use of USB that increases the CPU utilization but the sample rate. If you could run PS2 at the same sample rate you would most likely find that it would be using roughly if not exactly the same amount of the CPU....

Read the article; good stuff

And Lokem, the dual sensor logitech optical mice have an 800dpi.

Wow.... That should be REALLY smooth. One thing though, I remember I tried to up the sampling rate in Win2k higher than 200 or so, the mouse went berzerk. As strange as it may seem, Win98 was fine. Guess 200 is more than enuf