Logitech G500s Review
review by
woolley
Specification (taken from
http://www.logitech.com/)
Part Number
910-003604
Warranty Information
3-year Limited hardware warranty
System Requirements
Windows? 8, Windows? 7, or Windows? Vista
Available USB port
Internet connection for optional software download*
Package Contents
Mouse
Adjustable weight-cartridge
Tuning weights and case
User documentation
Durability
Buttons (Left/Right): 20 million clicks
Feet: 250 kilometers
Tracking
Resolution: 200 dpi - 8200 dpi
Image processing: 12 megapixels/second
Max. acceleratio**2: 30 G
Max. speed**: up to 165 inches (4.19 meters)/second
Responsiveness
USB data format: 16 bits/axis
USB report rate: Up to 1000 reports/second
Sleep mode: disabled
Glide
Dynamic coefficient of friction***: 09 ? (k)
Static coefficient of friction***: 14 ? (s)
Tuning weight: Up to 27 grams
Introduction
Price
? GBP ? ?59.99
? USD - $69.99
? EUR - ?69.99
The Logitech G500s is one of Logitech?s mid-range mice from their well known gaming range. This mouse took over the Logitech G500, the changes made were not incredibly noticeable, Logitech only updated the laser and added a new paint job. I was not sure whether I would see any difference in this mouse?s performance when I heard the changes that had been made. Despite this I thought I would give it a chance, so here it is in all its glory?
Out of the Box
Package Contents
? The mouse
? A weight cartridge
? 6 x 4.5 gram weights
? 6 x 1.7gram weights
? A case for the weights
? User documentation
I found the packaging to be somewhat simplistic, it does not strike you like a product from Razer for example. However do not let that draw you away from this mouse, saving money in packaging can often mean spending more money on the product itself.
Features
Let us begin with the ?gaming grade laser?. When it comes to playing games the best type of mouse to go for is always laser, they?re faster than optical mice and hopefully no one still uses roller ball mice? But what is ?gaming grade?? if we take away the technical jargon it is Logitechs way of saying the laser is both fast and accurate. And indeed it is, I noticed that in FPS games this mouse can detect the smallest of movements but not at an irritating level. Moving on, the laser is fantastic on all surfaces, I tested it on cloth, plastic, bare wood (if you play using bare wood I advise you pick up a cheap mouse mat before you destroy your mouse) and a Razer Sphex. I didn?t see any problems on any of the surfaces; there was no jittering or tracking issues even when playing on the plain surface of my desk. This is where I saw a difference in the G500s compared to the G500, I always found that the G500 could jitter every now and then and when playing COD 4.
Seeing as though we?re already looking at the bottom of the mouse I think it makes sense to talk about the mouse feet. There is not much to talk about on this matter, the feet are slick as Logitech quotes and I experienced no friction what so ever (on any of the surfaces I tested it on).
Now I move on to the design of the mouse. For me this mouse is perfect, my thumb stays perfectly still due to that gritty coating on the sides of the G500s. My hands are an average size, by this I mean I am not a Yeti or a small child, my hand fits perfectly for my mouse grip. I would note that sometimes when playing with a sniper I switch from a palm grip to a fingertip grip and this did cause problems, as the top of the mouse is just a smooth plastic I did find my fingers sliding out of place from time to time. Other than this I was able to feel comfortable using this mouse in long gaming sessions.
On the G500s there are 9 buttons, 8 of which are programmable:
? Left mouse click (completely programmable)
? Right mouse click (completely programmable)
? Scroll wheel click (completely programmable)
? Two DPI adjusting buttons (These are completely programmable and you can set them to change the mouse to the different DPIs you wish to have)
? The forward key (completely programmable)
? The backwards key (completely programmable)
? An unassigned key underneath the forward and back keys (completely programmable)
? A key behind the scroll wheel which allows you to set the scroll wheel to free spinning or the usual ratchet mode.
All of the buttons on the G500s have a wonderful gloss black finish, with the exception of left and right mouse click that have the mouse?s graphic on them. Logitech claims the mouse has a 1 millisecond report rate, this means it takes 1 millisecond for the computer to perform the action that has been executed on the mouse, although this may not be useful in most scenarios it will help without you realising in games. Having that fast response time allows you to gain the competitive edge which is the whole idea behind gaming peripherals. The software for chopping and changing the roles of each button is very easy to use and I had no difficulties with it.
The final feature with this mouse is one that some do like and some just can?t stand, this is why I kept it until last. This is the weight system, being a gamer I have heard lots of people?s opinions on computer components and peripherals and one that has often come up is mice that are weighted. I love them! I do not understand the problem with them. If you like a light mouse then remove the weights and the weight tray, if that is too light then add more weight and keep doing so until it suits you. I feel the weight system is a great idea and adds more options for users. The weights come in a stylish silver aluminium case with Logitech G500s branding on top, the inside is coated in foam and there are cut outs to keep the weights and protect them from damage. There is also a tray to put the weights in and then you slide that tray into the G500s. There are 6 of each weight and you have an option between 1.7grams or 4.5grams, I personally use all of the 4.5gram weights.
?
Conclusion
Overall I really enjoyed my time with the G500s, I saw the difference in the new and upgraded laser and that has really impressed me as usually, when a company does such a thing, there is no real impact on the end user. I was comfortable when playing COD 4 for long hours and found it just as easy to use on LOL. There are three features on the G500s that really make it such a great mouse for me. The first would be the weight system as mentioned previously I love this particular feature on any gaming grade mouse. The next would be the DPI switches, these really do come in handy when switching from a precision game to something a little more relaxed. My final favourite feature of the G500s is the scroll wheel mode changing button, at first I laughed and did not think it would be of any use, but when scrolling through large amounts of forum posts or even my college assignments this really did help.
Just as with any product there are improvements to be made, I was disappointed with how durable this mouse is or rather isn?t. The graphic on the top of the mouse fades easily as well as the graphics on all of the buttons. My next issue was the design on top of the mouse, I won?t beat around the bush I hate it. The G500 looked much better and less like a poor attempt at being futuristic.
Ratings