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 G700s: Convertible for the MMO Player
When Logitech showed me the G700s, I was actually pretty impressed by it and disappointed that I never saw the G700 in retail. Apparently I wasn't the only one; other gamers I know never saw the G700 floating around, either. Maybe it was too expensive, who can tell, but it wasn't an eyecatcher on the shelf (something the G500's ostentatious paint job undoubtedly helped.) That's kind of a shame, because if you're a fan of the G500 and G500s, this is basically a beefed up version of that mouse.
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For starters, the switches, textures, and sensors used between the two mice are the same. Where the G700s diverges is that it's a slightly larger mouse without the potentially oversized grip the G600 had. If you need a gaming mouse with more buttons, but the G600 was too big, the G700s might actually be exactly the ticket.
The G700s features eleven configurable buttons, up from the eight on the G500s. Instead of the trio of buttons under the thumb, there are now four. The pair of DPI switch buttons have had a third added beneath them, and then below the mechanical freewheel switch is an additional configurable button. I like that almost all of these buttons are basically where your fingers are going to be anyhow, and they require very little searching. The buttons all have fairly sharp angles to them to make them readily identifiable, but those wedges can be uncomfortable at first and may take some getting used to.
Unlike the G500s, there's no LED on the mouse to tell you what speed it's running at, but where the G700s deviates the most wildly from the G500s is that it's a combination wired and wireless mouse. It comes with a single user replaceable AA rechargeable battery, a wireless sensor, and then a special micro-USB cable that locks into the mouse firmly. I had a few concerns when it came to the potential pitfalls of the convertible design of the G700s, since something like this can be bungled badly in the details.
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My first concern was that the micro-USB connector (and you can use any micro-USB cable) would either wear out, or would be loose, but impressively, the cable that ships with the G700s is very secure. You can still use the mouse while it's charging as a conventional wired mouse, or you can take it off the mains and use the tiny wireless receiver. Note that this is not a unifying receiver similar to the ones used in Logitech's more consumer-oriented products; Logitech stated that the bandwidth required to reach their target 1ms latency meant using a dedicated receiver.
I switched back to corded mice after dealing with latency issues with two of my older wireless Logitech mice; they were great once they got rolling, and the MX Revolution remains a fantastic mouse if exceedingly hard to come by, but there was always a little bit of a hiccup when you started moving the mouse. The G700s doesn't have this problem; it has configurable wireless power levels, and the default one is actually imperceptible from a wired connection.
The G700s is almost flatly superior to the G500s, but I found the feedback on the thumb buttons to be a little too mushy, and the right click was actually too easy to accidentally hit and needed more resistance. If you're willing to make the tradeoffs, though, and are desperate to lose the cable without losing the sensitivity and responsiveness, I don't think you can really beat the G700s.
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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!