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
Conclusion: Three Mice for Three Users
I think what I may very well like best about the Logitech G100s, G500s, and G700s is that they're not one-size-fits-all mice. Undoubtedly I've been glowing throughout this review, but honestly I'd be happy using any one of these three mice, and if you've been keeping up with my peripheral reviews you'd know I tend to be fairly picky. Everybody should be; the mouse, keyboard, and display are the ways you interact with the computer and thus should be as enjoyable to use and even as seamless as possible. As far as I'm concerned, that should be the overarching mentality of virtually any vendor making technology products: people should enjoy using these devices, and the devices should not get in the way of what people want to do with them.
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Starting at $39, I think the G100s is actually a little bit of a tough sell, at least superficially. This looks like a garden variety mouse, and it does feel a little cheap, but those wind up being the prices you pay for what the mouse is intended for. As an RTS mouse I suspect it's going to be a very popular and effective weapon, and the optical sensor is actually the most fluid and enjoyable to use of the three mice tested here. There's no reason to think this mouse won't go on sale at some point, and at $29 it'd be an absolute steal.
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At $69 the G500s continues the G500's reign as the elder statesman workhouse mouse. If you loved the G500, you'll love the G500s, because all Logitech has done is fix their software, upgrade the laser slightly, and make the buttons more durable. I'm madly in love with the coarse texture used on the grips, personally, as well as the toggleable freewheel. Some users will undoubtedly appreciate the configurable weight, too. I wouldn't recommend actually paying sticker price for this mouse; Logitech mice go on sale all the time, and the G500s really belongs at $59.
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By now you probably already know whether or not you want the Logitech G700s. In many ways it's like the G500s but better, though I do prefer the lighter weight of the G500s in the hand. If you want to be able to switch between onboard profiles on the fly, though, it's pretty tough to beat. I just wish there were some kind of LED indicator on the mouse for both the active profile and the active DPI setting (similar to the G500s), and the weight kind of comes with the territory of a wireless gaming mouse. Finally, at $79 it's a very hard sell, but there isn't much out there that's quite like it.
I can easily and cheerfully recommend any of these mice, and I would urge users to seriously consider what they're getting for their money. Can you make do with a cheap $20 mouse and keyboard? Sure, absolutely. But you spend extra money for what honestly can be a substantially better experience; I've tested a lot of these peripherals on friends who were used to using basic, chintzy consumer kit and found their reactions often come just short of outright epiphany. The prices on some of these are high (excepting the G100s, which is actually a pretty straightforward deal), but peripherals are very particular from user to user, and the good stuff can really make all the difference.
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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.