Capsule Review: Logitech's G100s, G500s, and G700s Gaming Mice
by Dustin Sklavos on March 30, 2013 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Mouse
- Peripherals
- Gaming
- Logitech
The Logitech G100s: For Real-Time Strategy
The simplest model in the series has a pretty familiar look to it; if you bought into the first wave of optical mice from Logitech, you'll find the G100s has essentially the same shape. That's not exactly a bad thing, since that was a very functional mouse design and was popular in my circles. So why go back to this type of design?
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As Logitech tells it, those old style mice wound up being exceedingly popular outside of the United States, specifically in South Korea, where competitive StarCraft is a serious sport. The original G100 served that market as an inexpensive but very efficient mouse for RTS play. Offered in the traditional shape with virtually the exact same surface treatment, it can seem kind of chintzy compared to its larger siblings, but looks can be deceiving.
The G100s has four buttons: left click, right click, middle click (under the scrollwheel), and a DPI switch that can be configured to be just about anything in the Logitech G Software. Unlike the other two mice in for review, the G100s has no onboard memory for storing configurations, but like the other two, it features an updated sensor and higher quality switches in the buttons. The G100s utilizes a specific optical sensor (as opposed to the lasers used in the G500s and G700s) that's supposedly extremely precise; I couldn't get any more details about it except that the product developer I spoke to was absolutely psyched about it and looking forward to deploying it in more products.
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The idea behind the G100s design is that RTS players don't need a lot of extra buttons but do need to make a lot of quick, very precise motions. They tend to drive the mouse more with their fingertips than with a full grip, so a lighter mouse would be preferable for that style of play.
I opted to test their theory by playing rounds of StarCraft II and Civilization V (yes, I know Civilization V isn't actually an RTS, but it does share some of the motions), and I found that it was basically dead on. The mouse was underwhelming for playing anything super slow paced (the undemanding Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 actually wasn't very enjoyable with this mouse, surprisingly), but I noticed that my mousing style changed and adapted to the two strategy games. I'm not entirely sure how useful the DPI switch is, but having a fourth mouse button available and basically out of the way didn't negatively affect my use of the mouse.
It's also tough to adequately articulate, but the G100s really did seem ideal for strategy gaming, more so than the other two mice, and the sensor had an incredibly fluid and smooth feel to it. Like the others, the G100s is a very responsive mouse, but the entire subjective feel in hand gradually made a believer out of me.
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Dnann - Friday, June 14, 2013 - link
My Logitech mice have been doing fine so far. Recently got the G700s and it's a pretty slick upgrade. You might have unluckily gotten a lemon. But if you think Logitech mice are cheap, you should look at other mice.My Razer mouse broke after less than a year of use, buttons failed. You can see some pictures here:
http://www.squidoo.com/logitech-g700s-review-price...
And also watch the Logitech G700s push the Naga over the edge.
Well, there are no perfect mice on the market at the moment. It's the lesser of two evils. I'm going with Logitech... for the moment.
Codex77 - Saturday, July 9, 2016 - link
I've had the Logitech G9 for roughly 9 years and it still works perfectly. Absolutely no problems at all...ijozic - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Apparently, some of the previous mice had similar issues - a friend and me bought G7 and G5 respectfully as soon as they were released. His left click button gave up within the first six months, while my G5 is still working, though I'm mostly using the G9 in the last few years (G5 is a bit too big for my preferred style of handling the mouse). I also remember that the G7 was very lacquered so your hands would sweat a lot on it, while the G5 had a very nice matt texture and rubberized grip which was very much the opposite. Considering that those things were costly, the cheap button quality is really disappointing.Eugene86 - Sunday, March 31, 2013 - link
I'm currently on my third G500. The left click button failed on my first one about a year after I got it. I called up Logitech and got it replaced for free with another G500. The left click button on this second G500 failed after about 4 months of use. I called up Logitech again and got another replacement.With this third G500, I believe that Logitech has actually replaced the buttons as well as laser. The button clicks sound different from that of the first two G500's that I owned. Also, with the first two G500's, I used a blue Icemat as my mousepad. The third G500, however, does not properly track on the Icemat, which leads me to believe that the laser has been changed.
I guess time will tell if Logitech actually fixed the buttons.
sigmatau - Tuesday, April 2, 2013 - link
I'm on my 4th G500. Stupid wire keeps failing. On the 3rd replacement they asked me if I had the old one. I told them I had all 3 and they could have all that crap back. I am never buying another wired Logitech mouse.HisDivineOrder - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Didn't you see? The article says they knew it wasn't particular durable. They fixed the problem for you. You just have to pay them more money and buy the refresh. Didn't you know? They built your mouse likely after they determined the fault was common, but hey, it was a great way to ensure there was an expiration date on your mouse.They're doing it for you. They don't want you using a mouse for too long without buying the vaguely improved refresh for MORE money.
Logitech: Science! ...You're welcome.
Lyianx - Thursday, April 11, 2013 - link
I would be very happy if they found room in the G700 for a 2nd Enloop rechargeable batt for longer life.piiman - Tuesday, March 18, 2014 - link
You're an idiot.What mouse never breaks and last forever? Tell me a mouse that last longer?
I bought the 700s because I was happy with the 700 which I had since day one and it just started having a sticky button 4 BIG WHOOP! nothing last forever but if you can show me a more reliable mouse on the market I'm open to suggestions. But all I see from you is bitching and nothing to offer.
CloudFire - Wednesday, April 3, 2013 - link
I went through the same thing, on my 3rd G500 at the moment. The great thing about logitech was that there was no hassle in getting a replacement but it's quite annoying in terms of quality. My G5 lasted over 3 years without any problems yet each G500 barely made it to the 1 year mark. The current G500 seems to be running fine though, no problems yet and I also suspect that they may have upped the quality on the newer batches.jginnane - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Hoe about a quick review for left-handed mouse users? Granted, the market is only ~11%, and even less in countries with strong social taboos like China. However, many companies would love to have an 11% market share of anything!