I've been gaming with a Razer Diamondback Mouse Limited Edition (glows blue) for a while now, and I picked this sucker up at a cool ~$45 around late 2005, as an upgrade to a really generic Logitech Mouse.
And recently, I replaced a my crappy Staples-branded plastic mousepad for a Ratpadz XL, for around $15.
And to top it all off, I'm currently typing this post with a the second gen Saitek Eclipse Keyboard, the one that glows blue.
Are they worth it, short answer is yes, and mostly for non-gaming reasons. For one, I'm deathly obsessed with the color of blue LEDs, hence the common color motif of the mouse and keyboard. But aside from that, The Diamondback is significantly lighter than most of the mouse I've played with. The high DPI, which can be changed on the fly, is a great boon for me. I could switch from a high DPI setting, for FPS twitch-fests, to a lower DPI setting, for Strategy and dabbling a bit in Inkscape (and the occasional round of me picking Sniper in TF2).
Paired with a large mousepad with the right surface, and it feels that my equipment is doing some of the killing for me.
Now, that isn't to say that it all boils down to how much money you could chuck at a mouse+keyboard. Most of the time, it really boils down the individual skill.
My suggestion: Ditch that OEM crap, it's probably made from lack-luster components that would really hinder your grove, and it may even cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in a year or two. You don't need to go overboard at your purchase, and most importantly, buy what fits you. Go to a local BB and play around with some of the display models. Is the mouse too big for you hand? can you reach all the buttons without accidentally setting off others? Do you like the general feel and weight of the mouse? Do you even like the color?
Also, ditch the cloth mousepad, and move to smooth plastic, or if you're looking to splurge, smooth glass or even steel surfaces+special teflon feets. There are many companies that makes em, dozens of "name-brand products" in the market place, and there is a plethora of sites that has run reviews on them. Do you research and see one that fits.
As for a recommendation: if you have small hands, enjoy playing with the "claw/talon grip", or both, then you might like whatever is new with Razer, like the the new DeathAdder or even the Copperhead, which is similarly shaped to the Diamondback. If you have beefier hands, and play with a relaxed "straight finger/resting grip", then the Logitech G5, or even it's older mx518 line should suite you. But again, all recommendations are pretty moot if they don't serve your needs
