Many different types of pads are out there, and they are by no means created equal. For gamers, surfaces on which mice are maneuvered need to allow for headshots or placing the unit on exact coordinates. Other mouse pads are geared for other uses - such as serving as a marketing outlet for vendors, akin to a printed t-shirt or ink pen.

When choosing a mouse pad, you should assess various aspects of the mouse pad, as well as what you need the mouse to do. For example:

The answers to these queries should factor in before you spend $20 to $50 on your next mouse pad. You will kick yourself if you end up with a dud for the price of a new game.

Last month, THG reviewed six gaming mouse pads . Since that review, we have received four more to test drive.

Test Process

I used a number of mice to make sure that each surface would live up to differing levels of technologies. For the old-school users who for some unknown reason still prefer a trackball mouse or are too lazy to buy a new one, I used an inexpensive HP MO15K that I picked up for $5. For the rest of the world who have switched over to optical, I used a variety of mice. To cover all levels of the spectrum, I used mice ranging from the low end, like the Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse, and all the way up to the MonsterGecko PistolMouse at 800dpi.

I tested each mouse pad doing simple office tasks like Microsoft Excel, browsing the Web, graphics editing and writing articles such as this one. I also used them to test more important day-to-day tasks like playing Battlefield Vietnam, Counter-Strike: Source, Tribes: Vengeance and Men of Valor. (Look out for the upcoming MoV review).

On cheap pads, you can expect to have "cheap" edges and a "cheap" surface. All of these pads were designed for gamers who demand nothing but high precision and comfort during extended periods of play.