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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spunlex - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
If you're comfortable with replacing the switches yourself it can still be a good deal. I got two replacement switches for my G500 for about $5 and the repair process wasn't to painful.HisDivineOrder - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
So wait. The buttons sticking is not an uncommon problem for the G500 and... they admit it? Isn't that enough for people to go, "Hey, if you know this is so common, you best replace it FOREVER."?If the company continues to manufacture something they know is likely to fail in a time past their warranty period (but within a reasonable amount of time), it seems like there's an obligation to... fix the problem before you choose to do a refresh of the line.
Also, that seems like a pretty crappy company. Just sayin'.
I wonder what problems these new products have that they know about that they'll acknowledge after a refresh... in the future? Do you take the chance?
If so, Logitech is apparently for you. Science! ENUFF SAID.
piiman - Wednesday, March 19, 2014 - link
You are obviously a troll for one of their competitors. Which one is it?And no if it last past the warranty they are not obligated to replace them forever if at all.
So tell us all what amazing a wonderful mouse you use?
JDG1980 - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
The Logitech MX Performance mouse has a lot of good reviews, but I've also seen a lot of complaints that the microswitches wear out early. This review says that Logitech will be updating their gaming mice with better-quality switches; will that also be done with the MX?UltraTech79 - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I hope these actually do play better than they look. Really ugly design, but I will take function over form. But why not both?scaramoosh - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I have a G5 2007, been fine for me.I bought a Razer Mamba in like 2010 but I hate it, just sitting in the attic lol. I even made new feet on the G5 that worn down rather than using that shit.
scaramoosh - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Worn down after 6 years of use everyday for hours though...searanox - Sunday, March 31, 2013 - link
Jesus. These mice are some of the ugliest I have ever seen. I like Logitech products but I think I'd feel embarrassed with one of these on my desk. This is supposed to be what gamers want? Is Logitech's target market 8 year old boys?Etern205 - Tuesday, April 9, 2013 - link
These are the new ones, the originals are in all black.MadAd - Sunday, March 31, 2013 - link
Ive owned many Logitech products through 12 years of gaming. I currently have a G700, a G500, an MX518 (now G400), an Extreme 3d Pro Joystick (actually, several, I keep wearing them out), several desksets for both myself and use their cheap wireless kits for additional pcs.The good: The MX518. Most awesome mouse for gaming, well balanced, light, doesnt drop out of my palm on lifts. Feels good. For basic gaming there was no other, sadly the lack of more buttons and no constant or side scroll means its not fantastic as a desktop mouse and when it became aged I moved on. The G400 is a shadow of its former self, but feels the same and for me comfort is 90% of a mouse, sadly my fps gaming style uses way more buttons now but if I was still into Quake style DMs id probably be using one.
The bad:
G700:
I wont rehash a long speech about why I think this is the most badly designed gaming mouse ive every come across, in short its badly weighted, the shape simply does not allow for comfort keeping it under control in my palm and simple pick and drop operations see it wrestle itself into the heel of my hand. The entire thumb control area is a curvy mess meaning very little angular control no matter how much grip you apply because its (unsuccessfully) all going into keeping it flat.
I wrote a much longer explanation here on the Logitech forums for any who care to research.
http://forums.logitech.com/t5/G-series-Gaming-Mice...
The annoying:
The G500. The biggest drawback to me is it feels plasticky. Its right here, I push it at friends if I need a second mouse on screen but mostly it stays plugged in unused. Even loaded with more weight than a ship of scrap metal to the orient it still feels like a cheap toy. While the main 2 buttons are flawless, the additional buttons arent positive and feel cheap, plus the curve of the heel started to not fit my hand as good as the 518 at this point of the development.