Which is better for keyboard/mouse... USB , or stick with PS2?

[csu]

If I go with USB keyboard and mouse, I'll have less wiring behind the computer, since the keyboard, mouse, webcam, and printer can be hooked to a USB hub behind my monitor.

If I go with PS/2, I'll have more annoying wires under the desk. So what's the advantage of having PS/2 keyboard and mouse?

a couple things come to mind:

1. no bandwidth competition between USB devices? therefore no signal loss with mouse or keyboard in CS matches?

2. I can still use the mouse and keyboard in older versions of windows and dos

anymore advantages?

[David]

USB devices suck CPU time. It uses a lot of CPU power moving a USB mouse, than it does using a PS2 mouse.

Also, backwards compatibility is guaranteed, as DOS cannot use USB devices.

As well as that, USB devices require a high level implementation, ie the Operating system must implement the USB drivers. However, with PS2, the implementation is often at BIOS level, or very low in the OS layers.

This means basically, that some USB keyboards cannot be used to access the BIOS, so to alter BIOS settings you need to attach a PS2 keyboard.

Some BIOSes do support USB Keyboards, but I dont think many older ones do.

If you want less wires, try a wireless keyboard and mouse :)

David

[Captain Slug]

Originally posted by David
USB devices suck CPU time. It uses a lot of CPU power moving a USB mouse, than it does using a PS2 mouse.

Also, backwards compatibility is guaranteed, as DOS cannot use USB devices.

As well as that, USB devices require a high level implementation, ie the Operating system must implement the USB drivers. However, with PS2, the implementation is often at BIOS level, or very low in the OS layers.

This means basically, that some USB keyboards cannot be used to access the BIOS, so to alter BIOS settings you need to attach a PS2 keyboard.

Some BIOSes do support USB Keyboards, but I dont think many older ones do.

If you want less wires, try a wireless keyboard and mouse :)

David

BIOS support for USB keyboards started showing up with Socket 7 boards that included or supported an ATX form factor card.

But, I recommend sticking with PS/2. You can overclock a PS/2 mouse to 200hz response rate with a handy program called PS2Rate.
That makes a PS/2 mouse 75hz faster than ANY USB mouse. Optical or not.
All but the cruddiest PS/2 mice are capable of doing this.

[gingo]

My logitech optical came with an adapter to connect it to the PS2 port, the only reason I use it with USB is b/c the optical light doesn't turn off when my comp is shutdown when I use PS2.

[csu]

thanks for the advice

You can overclock a PS/2 mouse to 200hz response rate with a handy program called PS2Rate.
That makes a PS/2 mouse 75hz faster than ANY USB mouse. Optical or not.
All but the cruddiest PS/2 mice are capable of doing this.

What difference does it make when I have a faster mouse respose rate? Does that give me more advantage in CS?

[csu]

thanks for the advice

You can overclock a PS/2 mouse to 200hz response rate with a handy program called PS2Rate.
That makes a PS/2 mouse 75hz faster than ANY USB mouse. Optical or not.
All but the cruddiest PS/2 mice are capable of doing this.

What difference does it make when I have a faster mouse respose rate? Does that give me more advantage in CS?

[Captain Slug]

Originally posted by csu
What difference does it make when I have a faster mouse respose rate? Does that give me more advantage in CS?

It doubles the sensitivity of your mouse by letting it send data 200 times per second versus the regular 80hz of standard PS/2 or 120hz of USB.
This makes the mouse extremely sensitive and precise. I can draw or select single pixels in 1024 x 768 when my mouse is at 200hz.

It really improves my FPS accuracy as well.

[csu]

Originally posted by Captain Slug


It doubles the sensitivity of your mouse by letting it send data 200 times per second versus the regular 80hz of standard PS/2 or 120hz of USB.
This makes the mouse extremely sensitive and precise. I can draw or select single pixels in 1024 x 768 when my mouse is at 200hz.

It really improves my FPS accuracy as well.

oh that's cool. I have a PS/2 wheel mouse, how do I overclock it?

btw, there's no such thing as increasing keyboard sensitivity is there? :D