Is there any real difference between gaming mouses and regular mouses?

Nothing other than gaming mice are designed a with gamers in mind who click a lot for a long amount of time. Also gaming mice tend to have quicker response times.hongkingkong

They have ALOT more DPI (Accuracy)

Gaming mouses have dpi settings which really is quite useful.They also have thumb buttons which although by no means necessary can come handy if you use them properly like in doom 3 having the torch with a mouse thumb button is fantastic.

Just from a common sense standpoint:

A good mouse will usually last 4 years or more, and cost between $30-$80. That's around $15 per year on average, for something you're constantly using on your computer (unless you're a programmer).

A graphics card that you spend $300+ on will usually only last for two years before it's out of date, and it will only be used while gaming. That's around $150 per year.

A good mouse is a solid investment, and one well worth your money. It doesn't have to be a gaming mouse, just something that tracks well, fits your hand comfortably, and is generally nice to use.