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 G500s: For Action Games
I've been a very longtime advocate of Logitech's G500 as one of the most perfect gaming mice ever made. I never got much mileage out of changing the DPI of the sensor on the fly, and the default weight (no weights added) was perfectly fine; it was more about the coarse but breathable material used in its side grips, the toggleable freewheel, and the overall grip and response of the mouse.
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I'm not really shedding tears about the G500s being basically a carbon copy of the G500 but with a higher quality laser and a less exciting paint job. The G500 had one annoying habit that should basically be fixed in the G500s: the switches in the mouse buttons would actually eventually wear out and begin holding inconsistently. It's my understanding this wasn't an uncommon problem, so the new switches in the G500s shouldd go a long way towards ameliorating it.
The G500s sports a total of eight buttons: left click, right click, mouse wheel, DPI up and down next to the left click, and then the back and forward buttons with a third button nestled under them. Beneath the wheel is a mechanical switch that toggles Logitech's secret sauce, the freewheel. You can choose to have the wheel click one step at a time the way mouse wheels typically do, or you can take the brakes off and use it as an analog mouse wheel, controlling scrolling speed with the speed of the wheel. I have a friend with a G500 who never used this, but I get a tremendous amount of mileage out of it.
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For a brass tacks FPS mouse, the G500 and now the G500s are pretty solid, but unlike the G100s with its more timeless design, the G500s does have a little more room for improvement. A realtime DPI shift button is becoming increasingly common in gaming mice (Corsair called it their "Sniper button"), but that's not an available option in the G500s software unless you're using the software mode instead of the mouse's onboard memory. You can do DPI up or DPI down, but you can't hold one of the side buttons to temporarily lower or raise the sensitivity. That's a shame, because the functionality is available in the G600, and the G500s could really use it.
With the G500s available there's no reason to recommend the G500; the G500s sports higher quality switches in the buttons and received a slight increase in the top end of its laser's sensitivity (up to 8200 DPI.) At an MSRP of $69 it's a little pricey, but it has a fantastic grip if textures like those used on Razer's mice cause your skin to sweat, the adjustable weight is fantastic for some users, and the buttons are all in logical and easy to use places. The G500s is a workhorse if ever there were one.
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Boopop - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
These are all well and good but I'm still not seeing anything compelling about these compared to my trusty MX518. I'd quite happily get a G700s for the wireless-ness but for me it just doesn't look as nice as my current mouse and actually has too many buttons.emgarf - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
The current equivalent to your MX518 is the G400s (which wasn't reviewed in this article). Mouse shape and button locations have stayed the same throughout the MX510 -> MX518 -> G400 -> G400s evolution.7amood - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Some reported that there is a very weak annoying sound of sine frequency that comes from the old G500 laser when idling, does it exist in the G500s?Dustin Sklavos - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I never heard it on the G500 or the G500s.Wraithtek - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I switched to a G500 last summer and have been liking it so far. Much better than the Razer Lachesis I was using (better for my grip and less rubber texture surface).One issue I see with the G500s in this review is... it *looks* worse than the existing G500. Sure, a mouse is a tool you use, and maybe you don't really care how it looks if it works well. But the visual design makes it look like a cheaper mouse, and the big "G" logo doesn't make me think Logitech, either. I don't know if the new design is meant to look more "gamery," but it doesn't work for me.
And a really minor comment about the G100s... why do manufacturers sell mice without forward/back buttons? At least in this price range. I know these are a deal breaker for me, not for any particular use in gaming, but for everyday web browsing. At least to me, that's far more useful than a dpi switching button. Anyway, I'm not really looking at the G100s, as I'm pleased with my G500, just don't know why so many mice leave out this super basic feature.
kmmatney - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I agree - I'm also using the older G500, and think it looks better than the new one. I'm sure it works fine, and I don't care what my moue looks like that much, but I don't want it to look cheesy.JBaich - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I rarely game but my Logitech gaming mouse is one of the best general purpose computing accessories I have ever purchased. Adjustable dpi resolution, wickedly fast and smooth scrolling wheel, great feel in hand; All these have positive impacts on all day UI effectiveness. A good mouse and keyboard are as important as a good screen. If you care about these things....Laststop311 - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I wish I had a larger selection of mice to choose from. My desk is a glass top surface and I have to use the performance mx since it has darkfield technology so I can use it on top of glass without a mouse pad. Good job logitech for making the only mouse in the entire world that works on glass without a mouse pad, now will you please expand darkfield to more products?WJames - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I have had a G700 for close to two years. The feel and the programmability are fantastic. However, I did initially have one issue with this mouse. After a couple months of use, I began to develop "tennis elbow" - the mouse is just a bit too heavy (imo). After removing the battery and switching the USB cable to a thinner, lighter cable, the mouse was noticeably lighter, and my "tennis elbow" issue went away. I am really not sure why mouse manufacturers are favoring a heavy mouse. However, with the weight issue "resolved", this is a great mouse.piiman - Wednesday, March 19, 2014 - link
Tennis elbow from a heavy mouse? I don't think your using it correctly.LOL