"With the G500s available there's no reason to recommend the G500" This statement isn't quite true. Logitech is fire saling the G500 so price is a big factor at the moment (I paid $30 for one). After that, I doubt there will be any more to compare.Reply
I really wonder why you keep buying Logitech mice... Their damn buttons were always as crappy as hell... And they insist... The point is, why do you, the customers instist, likewise? Their god damn build quality is as cheap as possible; you need new mouse in a few months due to misbehaving/broken/malfunctioned buttons.Reply
My G400 has been fine, and I've used the hell out of it for the slightly more than 1 year I've had it. It's also spent a significant amount of time getting stuffed in my bag to take with me to college to use instead of the crappy Dell mice the school has in the computer labs.
The only problem I've had was the scroll wheel was stuck for a couple days, and didn't turn as freely as it normally does. Upon further inspection, all I needed to do to fix it was scrape some junk that had become lodged in the opening out of the space. It's still just as functional as ever.
Best mouse I've ever owned, and I bought an extra just in case they don't have something like it when this one finally wears out, or in case I need another mouse when I get a proper desktop PC again.Reply
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.Reply
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.Reply
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. Reply
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.
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.Reply
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!Reply
Do left-handed people generally use mouse with their left hand? I'm asking because I'm left-handed but I've always used mouse with my right hand. Reply
Same. There are a few lefties who left hand mouse, but I think a good portion right hand mouse. Means your 11% gets cut down even more, which is why it's not massively worth it to make left handed products (although there are a few).
Because these mice are pretty much set to be right handed due to additional button placement and design curvature, they aren't really left hand suitable.Reply
I'm left-handed and I always use the right hand. That's because most children don't have a computer of their own right off the bat so they just get used to using the right hand. I think it's better this way because it makes you more flexible when using other computers. I use the track-pad on my laptop with the left hand though, and that's not very healthy because it makes me do weird movements, but I barely use it so it's not a big deal.
Left-handed mouses isn't a market worth going in imho. Reply
Funny, I'm right handed and mouse left handed because of carpel tunnel. I've had very little issues with buttons. It's mostly just that I'm slower/less accurate with my off-hand.Reply
I do; but the fraction of lefties who mouse left handed and are willing to pay enough to get something beyond a cheap symmetric mouse is much smaller than the total.
Logitech lost money on it's left handed mouse; the one MS intended to launch a quarter later was canceled. Razer said they didn't expect to make it into the black when they launched theres; and implied that they were doing it for equal parts PR and because their CEO was a lefty gamer. Their second one's release was contingent on its announcement getting a huge number of Facebook likes; so I assume they're expecting to lose money on it too but felt the viralish marketing was worth the money gap.Reply
You may want to check out the Genius Gila or the Logitech G300. My son is a lefty, but uses mice with his right hand. Though, just in case we wanted to be sure the mice we buy can be used either way. So far both have been pretty great.Reply
I am left handed but I have learned to use a right handed mouse as well. The reason I want to have a left handed mouse is because of carpal strain and switching between the two helps alleviate it a bit. I have a microsoft mouse on the left with the left & right click remapped and a logitech trackman on the right. With that said, right handed people should use left handed mice more often :)Reply
About the lack of LED notification of the profile being used, I'm a bit surprised. Are you perfectly sure? The G700 (which is what I use and love) has the same three LEDs on the side of the mouse, which by default indicates the charge (in green) but will also indicate sensitivity (in red) when switching using the DPI buttons.
I'd also like to point out that the micro-USB cable bundled with the mouse has one significant advantage over generic cables: if you put it flat on your mouse pad and slide it in, it'll connect perfectly. It's also asymmetrical, so no rotating it twice to get it right. This makes it a total breeze to plug the mouse in, much more so than one could expect from trying to plug a tiny wire in front of a fairly profiled mouse.Reply
I found the bundled cable too thick and heavy. Instead I use one of those retractable-style cables that are very thin and flexible. There's very little tactile difference now between it being plugged and unplugged. Reply
Just want to add a few things about the G700: the LED display can show the battery level in green, the DPI in red and the selected on-board profile in orange. I would also like to add that although it is wireless, this is not a portable mouse. Its not designed for battery life, but for performance instead. in my experience the best you can expect on battery power is about 6-8 hrs of gaming (double that for light desktop use), which is enough for me personally, but not really comparable to standard wireless mice.Reply
It would be nice to give size comparisons. I use G300 and orochi after disliking all these larger mice.
If Anandtech is going to review any more mice, I'd suggest bluetooth mice, especially notebook bluetooth mice. I think the orochi is the only one.Reply
I gave up on Logitech mice and keyboards a few years ago as they have become totally unreliable. Even the replacment mice fail in a few months. Logitech has lost their way IME.Reply
Are you buying the cheap $10 Logitech mice from Walmart or something? Even those last a long time for me. I'm still using my G500 mouse from 2009, working as good as ever.Reply
My G7 lasted me about 6 or 7 years before the mouse buttons started acting erratically. I'm pretty sure that had I wanted, I could've cleaned it and it would've worked fine, but by then the coating was gone in places from excessive use so I just went ahead and replaced it. I'd say that considering the kind of usage I made out of it, it was an excellent purchase.Reply
I just picked up a G700 mouse from Best Buy for $50. I also own a G300 and a G500 and I like the G300 the best. The G300 is the cheapest one but has the most tactile buttons. It's lack of a laser sensor is the only drawback. The G500 is okay but the extra buttons are small and there's only one on-mouse profile. The G700's buttons are the mushiest of the 3. The button labeled G10 (top left button) is useless for gaming and was broken on the first G700 I bought.Reply
I have a G700 and the G10 button is one of my most used extra buttons, I hit it twice every 20 seconds during a boss fight in my current MMO. Just goes to show it is hard to design a single mouse for everyone.
What changed between the G700 and the G700s besides the paint job?Reply
One thing I hate about the Logitech software is the game/application detection. The software has trouble detecting whether I'm playing the game or tabbed out and the profile do not change accordingly. Reply
My main mouse is a well-used 5-year old Microsoft Sidewinder (the left-click sensor seems like its starting to go - it occasionally registers single clicks as doubles). The feature I enjoy the most on it that doesn't seem to be offered on newer mice (and Microsoft's office mouse line now that they've again discontinued the Sidewinder branding) are the vertically stacked thumb buttons. I love it and wish it was a feature that others making non-ambidextrous mice would use more often.Reply
I also used a Sidewinder for years, but as I'm a claw/fingertip person the thumb buttons were too far forward. Wish they were adjustable! And in general I find thumb buttons to be unusable on any mouse I've ever seenReply
The g100 looks like an mx300, finally they are releasing a mouse with this shape again. I still use my mx300 it was such a great mouse. Only difference seems to be the feet.Reply
Dustin, it's disappointing you didn't compare the G500s or 700s to the Roccat Pure and Kone XTD that you reviewed recently. You seemed to like the Pure/Kone XTD a lot. What are your thoughts?
Tracking benchmarks would also be nice, and maybe tests on different surfaces. Don't think you go in to enough detail in these reviews.
I went from a G500 to the Kone XTD and think it's superior is pretty much every way, including software. The improvements Logitech have made here don't seem to be enough to make any of these new mice as good as the Kone XTD.
The new markings on the Logitech mice look tacky and i can see them starting to wear off after a few months, which ALWAYS happens with every Logitech mouse i've had that has a coating/markings on it (usually silver, always comes off). You end up with a worn down ugly mouse. Any mouse that has this, especially around the buttons, should instantly get marked down for such a ridiculously obvious design flaw.Reply
Truthfully I'm on the fence about whether I want to jump to the G500s or G700s or stick with the Kone XTD which is occupying my desktop presently. The coatings on the G500s and G700s don't generate as much raunchy handsweat as the XTD and they have the toggle freewheel, but the XTD's software is so ridiculously good it's tough to choose.
I'm interested in knowing what exactly did they do with the internals. I got my G700 as soon as it was released. The micro-switches gave way about a year later. They are omoron brand made in china. Replaced those with omoron made in Japan and they are working ever since. If any one have more technical info about what Logitech really did under the hood please share.Reply
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.Reply
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.Reply
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?Reply
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.Reply
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.Reply
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....Reply
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?Reply
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.Reply
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. Reply
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.Reply
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?Reply
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.Reply
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?Reply
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.
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.Reply
I purchased an MX Revolution and G700 at the same time (for laptop and desktop respectively) but ended up benching the revolution and buying a second G700 (seriously, don't ask me to tally the dollars I've spent on Logitech gear over the years, its disgustingly high). Love both of them, and these can only be improvements. <3 Logitech.Reply
Been using a MX Revolution for years, works plenty fine for gaming of all types, and can't really see a need to upgrade. Once you go wireless you can never go back and I've never felt that there has ever been any lag or the lik.eReply
I have to say that the G100 sounds like the perfect mouse for my gaming kit bag (containing my Surface Pro, a USB hub and a bunch of XBox 360 controllers for portable old-console gaming).
The G100 + plus a keyboard (currently investigating mechanical numpadless designs for inclusion also) would be the final piece of my portable gaming Nirvana puzzle. (It would enable Starcraft, console games are already enabled thanks to emulators, same with PC racing/fighting/etc games).Reply
I'm still rocking an MX-1000, even though the laser light went dead several years ago. All the buttons still work but i want to trade up to something with more accuracy.
Is the G700 roughly comparable in size and shape to the G1000? With the G1000, my small hands place my thumb exactly at the center of the left-side button cluster.Reply
Actually have one of these rare original G700 convertible (wired/wireless) mice.
Beyond the body graphics I don't really see any difference with the G700s. Mice look the same, have the same detachable cord. I use mine primarily in wired mode.
Don't let the drivers fool you. While they say they are downloading configurations to the onboard mouse memory, If you don't have them installed, the buttons revert to factory defaults. It seems the onboard memory and config is only active when the mouse is driven by Logitech's setpoint driver.Reply
Well-made software, sure, if you're on a supported platform. It would be nice, though, if they made it truly cross-platform so that linux users had some nice, fully supported peripheral options too.Reply
When I got a G700 I had to return it because the coarse texture caused my hands to get sweaty almost instantly. I much prefer the soft touch of the MX500 or MX Revolution mice. The G600 also has a nicer texture, still second to the high quality (anti-bacterial I believe) texture on the MX Revolution. I wish all mice had that texture. Because for me, the texture of the G700 made it completely unusable. Sad since other than that it's my idea of the ideal mouse. This picture looks like the same texture.Reply
I have a "before refresh" G700 and I have to say, it is the best mouse I've ever used. The weight of the thing is nice, and it fits my larger-sized hands nicely. The 3 finger buttons can be difficult to use, but not overly so. One feature I especially like is that once the mouse is plugged in, it doesn't rely on its wireless receiver anymore, essentially making the mouse wired or not at your discretion.
One issue I do have with it is its ability to drain batteries. I swapped to a set of 2200mah batteries, and the mouse will drain one in a full day of use, under the "normal gaming" setting. Having a wallcharger or the USB connector close by is pretty much needed.Reply
I'm still using my G5 and have no plans to upgrade until it breaks (no signs of that happening any time soon); but it's nice to know there's a fresh round of quality mice to pick from should the need arise.Reply
I've been using the G700 for a bit over a year now and I love the design, layout, scroll wheel, software, and wired or wireless, but PLEASE Logitech change the texture on the next update to feel similar to the MX grips!
I can overlook it because the other features outweigh one downside, but I've tried other mice simply because the texture still bothers me after a year of trying to put it out of my mind...I still go back to it though, but no reason to go to the 700S when they didn't change that.Reply
When I got a Logitech mouse, the software insisted on controlling both the mouse and the keyboard. Which meant that I could use either the programmable keys of my Microsoft Natural keyboard, or the SW capabilities of the Logitech mouse, but not both because the software would conflict.
Needless to say that the Logitech software got uninstalled pretty quickly.
This is an extremely boneheaded design, one that convinced me to stay away from Logitech mice.Reply
Dustin, if I remember correctly, you're not based in the United States, and that might be the reason why you had poor G700 availability. I don't exactly go around looking for the mouse, but I've certainly seen it in Best Buy and various online retailers. I actually own two of them! One of the more interesting aspects of the G700 is the fact that the data cable supersedes the wireless connection if it's connected (it also charges the mouse). That means that you can use it as a wired mouse if you need to, and it also allows you to easily use the mouse on more than one PC. For example, I could plug the mouse into my laptop and use it like a normal wired mouse. When I was done, I could unplug the mouse and use it on a HTPC (that has the wireless transmitter plugged in).Reply
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Flunk - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
"With the G500s available there's no reason to recommend the G500" This statement isn't quite true. Logitech is fire saling the G500 so price is a big factor at the moment (I paid $30 for one). After that, I doubt there will be any more to compare. ReplyDustin Sklavos - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
The problem is that the G500's primary buttons aren't particularly durable. I wore out my first G500 and I have a friend who wore his out as well.You can get a G500 at a fire sale price, but there's really no point when you'll just wind up replacing it with the G500s anyhow. Reply
shahrooz - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
mine too ReplyDeo Domuique - Wednesday, April 03, 2013 - link
I really wonder why you keep buying Logitech mice... Their damn buttons were always as crappy as hell... And they insist... The point is, why do you, the customers instist, likewise? Their god damn build quality is as cheap as possible; you need new mouse in a few months due to misbehaving/broken/malfunctioned buttons. Replynickb64 - Thursday, April 04, 2013 - link
My G400 has been fine, and I've used the hell out of it for the slightly more than 1 year I've had it. It's also spent a significant amount of time getting stuffed in my bag to take with me to college to use instead of the crappy Dell mice the school has in the computer labs.The only problem I've had was the scroll wheel was stuck for a couple days, and didn't turn as freely as it normally does. Upon further inspection, all I needed to do to fix it was scrape some junk that had become lodged in the opening out of the space. It's still just as functional as ever.
Best mouse I've ever owned, and I bought an extra just in case they don't have something like it when this one finally wears out, or in case I need another mouse when I get a proper desktop PC again. Reply
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. ReplyEugene86 - 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. Reply
sigmatau - Tuesday, April 02, 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. ReplyHisDivineOrder - 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. Reply
CloudFire - Wednesday, April 03, 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. Replyjginnane - 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! ReplyKristian Vättö - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Do left-handed people generally use mouse with their left hand? I'm asking because I'm left-handed but I've always used mouse with my right hand. ReplyAwesomeAD - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I don't know about lefties in general, but I'm lefthanded and wield the mouse with my right hand. ReplyLonyo - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Same.There are a few lefties who left hand mouse, but I think a good portion right hand mouse.
Means your 11% gets cut down even more, which is why it's not massively worth it to make left handed products (although there are a few).
Because these mice are pretty much set to be right handed due to additional button placement and design curvature, they aren't really left hand suitable. Reply
Murloc - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I'm left-handed and I always use the right hand. That's because most children don't have a computer of their own right off the bat so they just get used to using the right hand. I think it's better this way because it makes you more flexible when using other computers. I use the track-pad on my laptop with the left hand though, and that's not very healthy because it makes me do weird movements, but I barely use it so it's not a big deal.Left-handed mouses isn't a market worth going in imho. Reply
snuuggles - Monday, April 01, 2013 - link
Funny, I'm right handed and mouse left handed because of carpel tunnel. I've had very little issues with buttons. It's mostly just that I'm slower/less accurate with my off-hand. ReplyDanNeely - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I do; but the fraction of lefties who mouse left handed and are willing to pay enough to get something beyond a cheap symmetric mouse is much smaller than the total.Logitech lost money on it's left handed mouse; the one MS intended to launch a quarter later was canceled. Razer said they didn't expect to make it into the black when they launched theres; and implied that they were doing it for equal parts PR and because their CEO was a lefty gamer. Their second one's release was contingent on its announcement getting a huge number of Facebook likes; so I assume they're expecting to lose money on it too but felt the viralish marketing was worth the money gap. Reply
Traciatim - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
You may want to check out the Genius Gila or the Logitech G300. My son is a lefty, but uses mice with his right hand. Though, just in case we wanted to be sure the mice we buy can be used either way. So far both have been pretty great. Replygroundhogdaze - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I am left handed but I have learned to use a right handed mouse as well. The reason I want to have a left handed mouse is because of carpal strain and switching between the two helps alleviate it a bit. I have a microsoft mouse on the left with the left & right click remapped and a logitech trackman on the right. With that said, right handed people should use left handed mice more often :) ReplyFriendly0Fire - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
About the lack of LED notification of the profile being used, I'm a bit surprised. Are you perfectly sure? The G700 (which is what I use and love) has the same three LEDs on the side of the mouse, which by default indicates the charge (in green) but will also indicate sensitivity (in red) when switching using the DPI buttons.I'd also like to point out that the micro-USB cable bundled with the mouse has one significant advantage over generic cables: if you put it flat on your mouse pad and slide it in, it'll connect perfectly. It's also asymmetrical, so no rotating it twice to get it right. This makes it a total breeze to plug the mouse in, much more so than one could expect from trying to plug a tiny wire in front of a fairly profiled mouse. Reply
yefi - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I found the bundled cable too thick and heavy. Instead I use one of those retractable-style cables that are very thin and flexible. There's very little tactile difference now between it being plugged and unplugged. ReplyNexos - Sunday, March 31, 2013 - link
Just want to add a few things about the G700: the LED display can show the battery level in green, the DPI in red and the selected on-board profile in orange. I would also like to add that although it is wireless, this is not a portable mouse. Its not designed for battery life, but for performance instead. in my experience the best you can expect on battery power is about 6-8 hrs of gaming (double that for light desktop use), which is enough for me personally, but not really comparable to standard wireless mice. Replymeacupla - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
It would be nice to give size comparisons. I use G300 and orochi after disliking all these larger mice.If Anandtech is going to review any more mice, I'd suggest bluetooth mice, especially notebook bluetooth mice. I think the orochi is the only one. Reply
Beenthere - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I gave up on Logitech mice and keyboards a few years ago as they have become totally unreliable. Even the replacment mice fail in a few months. Logitech has lost their way IME. Replykmmatney - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Are you buying the cheap $10 Logitech mice from Walmart or something? Even those last a long time for me. I'm still using my G500 mouse from 2009, working as good as ever. ReplyFriendly0Fire - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
My G7 lasted me about 6 or 7 years before the mouse buttons started acting erratically. I'm pretty sure that had I wanted, I could've cleaned it and it would've worked fine, but by then the coating was gone in places from excessive use so I just went ahead and replaced it. I'd say that considering the kind of usage I made out of it, it was an excellent purchase. Replyapudapus - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I just picked up a G700 mouse from Best Buy for $50. I also own a G300 and a G500 and I like the G300 the best. The G300 is the cheapest one but has the most tactile buttons. It's lack of a laser sensor is the only drawback. The G500 is okay but the extra buttons are small and there's only one on-mouse profile. The G700's buttons are the mushiest of the 3. The button labeled G10 (top left button) is useless for gaming and was broken on the first G700 I bought. ReplyAsmodian - Wednesday, April 03, 2013 - link
I have a G700 and the G10 button is one of my most used extra buttons, I hit it twice every 20 seconds during a boss fight in my current MMO. Just goes to show it is hard to design a single mouse for everyone.What changed between the G700 and the G700s besides the paint job? Reply
mgl888 - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
One thing I hate about the Logitech software is the game/application detection. The software has trouble detecting whether I'm playing the game or tabbed out and the profile do not change accordingly. Replychanman - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
My main mouse is a well-used 5-year old Microsoft Sidewinder (the left-click sensor seems like its starting to go - it occasionally registers single clicks as doubles). The feature I enjoy the most on it that doesn't seem to be offered on newer mice (and Microsoft's office mouse line now that they've again discontinued the Sidewinder branding) are the vertically stacked thumb buttons. I love it and wish it was a feature that others making non-ambidextrous mice would use more often. Replyrms - Sunday, March 31, 2013 - link
I also used a Sidewinder for years, but as I'm a claw/fingertip person the thumb buttons were too far forward. Wish they were adjustable! And in general I find thumb buttons to be unusable on any mouse I've ever seen Replyzehoo - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
The g100 looks like an mx300, finally they are releasing a mouse with this shape again. I still use my mx300 it was such a great mouse. Only difference seems to be the feet. Replydbcoopernz - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Do any of them have automatic switching between click to click and freewheeling mousewheel scrolling modes, like the original MX Revolution has? ReplyDustin Sklavos - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
No, and that makes me sad all day. :(The MX Revolution's automatic switching was fantastic, I wish they'd use it more. Reply
B3an - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Dustin, it's disappointing you didn't compare the G500s or 700s to the Roccat Pure and Kone XTD that you reviewed recently. You seemed to like the Pure/Kone XTD a lot. What are your thoughts?Tracking benchmarks would also be nice, and maybe tests on different surfaces. Don't think you go in to enough detail in these reviews.
I went from a G500 to the Kone XTD and think it's superior is pretty much every way, including software. The improvements Logitech have made here don't seem to be enough to make any of these new mice as good as the Kone XTD.
The new markings on the Logitech mice look tacky and i can see them starting to wear off after a few months, which ALWAYS happens with every Logitech mouse i've had that has a coating/markings on it (usually silver, always comes off). You end up with a worn down ugly mouse. Any mouse that has this, especially around the buttons, should instantly get marked down for such a ridiculously obvious design flaw. Reply
Dustin Sklavos - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Truthfully I'm on the fence about whether I want to jump to the G500s or G700s or stick with the Kone XTD which is occupying my desktop presently. The coatings on the G500s and G700s don't generate as much raunchy handsweat as the XTD and they have the toggle freewheel, but the XTD's software is so ridiculously good it's tough to choose.That and the XTD *totally* matches my K90. Reply
DarKHawK - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I'm interested in knowing what exactly did they do with the internals. I got my G700 as soon as it was released. The micro-switches gave way about a year later. They are omoron brand made in china. Replaced those with omoron made in Japan and they are working ever since. If any one have more technical info about what Logitech really did under the hood please share. ReplyBoopop - 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. Replyemgarf - 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. Reply7amood - 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? ReplyDustin Sklavos - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
I never heard it on the G500 or the G500s. ReplyWraithtek - 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. Reply
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. ReplyJBaich - 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.... ReplyLaststop311 - 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? ReplyWJames - 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. Replyspunlex - 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. ReplyHisDivineOrder - 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. Reply
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? ReplyUltraTech79 - 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? Replyscaramoosh - 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. Reply
scaramoosh - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
Worn down after 6 years of use everyday for hours though... Replysearanox - 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? ReplyMadAd - 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. Reply
ilkhan - Sunday, March 31, 2013 - link
I purchased an MX Revolution and G700 at the same time (for laptop and desktop respectively) but ended up benching the revolution and buying a second G700 (seriously, don't ask me to tally the dollars I've spent on Logitech gear over the years, its disgustingly high). Love both of them, and these can only be improvements. <3 Logitech. ReplyHardtarget - Sunday, March 31, 2013 - link
Been using a MX Revolution for years, works plenty fine for gaming of all types, and can't really see a need to upgrade. Once you go wireless you can never go back and I've never felt that there has ever been any lag or the lik.e Replyalthaz - Sunday, March 31, 2013 - link
I have to say that the G100 sounds like the perfect mouse for my gaming kit bag (containing my Surface Pro, a USB hub and a bunch of XBox 360 controllers for portable old-console gaming).The G100 + plus a keyboard (currently investigating mechanical numpadless designs for inclusion also) would be the final piece of my portable gaming Nirvana puzzle. (It would enable Starcraft, console games are already enabled thanks to emulators, same with PC racing/fighting/etc games). Reply
sparkuss - Sunday, March 31, 2013 - link
I'm still rocking an MX-1000, even though the laser light went dead several years ago. All the buttons still work but i want to trade up to something with more accuracy.Is the G700 roughly comparable in size and shape to the G1000? With the G1000, my small hands place my thumb exactly at the center of the left-side button cluster. Reply
cyberguyz - Sunday, March 31, 2013 - link
Actually have one of these rare original G700 convertible (wired/wireless) mice.Beyond the body graphics I don't really see any difference with the G700s. Mice look the same, have the same detachable cord. I use mine primarily in wired mode.
Don't let the drivers fool you. While they say they are downloading configurations to the onboard mouse memory, If you don't have them installed, the buttons revert to factory defaults. It seems the onboard memory and config is only active when the mouse is driven by Logitech's setpoint driver. Reply
Ws6_ - Monday, April 01, 2013 - link
Logitech MX 518. Best mouse I have owned. I've had it for 3-4 years and never had a problem with it. Replyjohnny_boy - Monday, April 01, 2013 - link
Well-made software, sure, if you're on a supported platform. It would be nice, though, if they made it truly cross-platform so that linux users had some nice, fully supported peripheral options too. ReplyHrel - Monday, April 01, 2013 - link
When I got a G700 I had to return it because the coarse texture caused my hands to get sweaty almost instantly. I much prefer the soft touch of the MX500 or MX Revolution mice. The G600 also has a nicer texture, still second to the high quality (anti-bacterial I believe) texture on the MX Revolution. I wish all mice had that texture. Because for me, the texture of the G700 made it completely unusable. Sad since other than that it's my idea of the ideal mouse. This picture looks like the same texture. Reply1nf1d3l - Monday, April 01, 2013 - link
I have a "before refresh" G700 and I have to say, it is the best mouse I've ever used. The weight of the thing is nice, and it fits my larger-sized hands nicely. The 3 finger buttons can be difficult to use, but not overly so. One feature I especially like is that once the mouse is plugged in, it doesn't rely on its wireless receiver anymore, essentially making the mouse wired or not at your discretion.One issue I do have with it is its ability to drain batteries. I swapped to a set of 2200mah batteries, and the mouse will drain one in a full day of use, under the "normal gaming" setting. Having a wallcharger or the USB connector close by is pretty much needed. Reply
yougotkicked - Monday, April 01, 2013 - link
I'm still using my G5 and have no plans to upgrade until it breaks (no signs of that happening any time soon); but it's nice to know there's a fresh round of quality mice to pick from should the need arise. Replyryccoh - Tuesday, April 02, 2013 - link
I love my G700, but what's with the cheesy graphics on this revision Replyperry1mm - Tuesday, April 02, 2013 - link
I've been using the G700 for a bit over a year now and I love the design, layout, scroll wheel, software, and wired or wireless, but PLEASE Logitech change the texture on the next update to feel similar to the MX grips!I can overlook it because the other features outweigh one downside, but I've tried other mice simply because the texture still bothers me after a year of trying to put it out of my mind...I still go back to it though, but no reason to go to the 700S when they didn't change that. Reply
Alexo - Tuesday, April 02, 2013 - link
Re Software:When I got a Logitech mouse, the software insisted on controlling both the mouse and the keyboard. Which meant that I could use either the programmable keys of my Microsoft Natural keyboard, or the SW capabilities of the Logitech mouse, but not both because the software would conflict.
Needless to say that the Logitech software got uninstalled pretty quickly.
This is an extremely boneheaded design, one that convinced me to stay away from Logitech mice. Reply
Aikouka - Tuesday, April 02, 2013 - link
Dustin, if I remember correctly, you're not based in the United States, and that might be the reason why you had poor G700 availability. I don't exactly go around looking for the mouse, but I've certainly seen it in Best Buy and various online retailers. I actually own two of them! One of the more interesting aspects of the G700 is the fact that the data cable supersedes the wireless connection if it's connected (it also charges the mouse). That means that you can use it as a wired mouse if you need to, and it also allows you to easily use the mouse on more than one PC. For example, I could plug the mouse into my laptop and use it like a normal wired mouse. When I was done, I could unplug the mouse and use it on a HTPC (that has the wireless transmitter plugged in). Reply