The freshly announced G400 follows that general formula to the T, but it has a few new tricks up its sleeve. For starters, the optical sensor has been upgraded from 1800DPI to 3600DPI, which will undoubtedly prove handy in fast-paced twitch-oriented games. Naturally, DPI can be adjusted at any point courtesy of dedicated hardware buttons, and you can configure the four individual increments to your liking.

Since it’s using a newer version of the MX518′s sensor, Logitech says you can expect the same tracking consistency with less than 0.5% cursor-to-hand movement variance at up to 140 IPS. The company has also pushed the report rate from 125 to 1000 reports a second (a 1ms response time — the quickest USB can handle). Speaking of USB, the G400′s cable is thinner and 25% lighter for less restrictive movement.

Logitech has also integrated the same button programming software used by its G-Series keyboards and the G13 Advanced Gameboard. This grants the G400 access to Logitech Gaming Software’s drag and drop interface, automatic game detection, macro, and scripting capabilities — not to mention the ability to share macros with G-Series keyboards. Logitech Gaming Software v8.0 includes profiles for 210 games.

Logitech only had one goal for the G400: to build upon everything that was great about the MX518. “We were very careful not to mess with the shape, tracking consistency, button layout, or legendary durability that millions of customers have grown to love and rely upon over the years — we even kept the suggested retail price the same. All we wanted to do was make a legendary FPS gaming mouse work even better.”

The G400 is coming to the US on June 19 for $49.99 with other markets to follow by mid-July. If you couldn’t tell by the swooning above, we’re pretty enthusiastic about its arrival. Several TechSpot staffers have used the MX518 for years. We deemed the best gaming mouse available in a 2005 roundup, and it’s always held a seat in our desktop buying guide. Here’s hoping the G400 can carry the torch for another six years.