Logitech G5 Blue Review

What makes a great gaming mouse? Can Logitech stay near the top of the
fast-moving PC mouse market? What new and exciting options does the
latest G5 laser mouse bring to the table? All these and many more
questions answered within.

Category: Mice
Manufacturer: Logitech
Product: Logitech G5
Price: $69.99

Introduction
Logitech is one of the leading peripheral creators in the PC world and
has become known for the top-notch gaming mice they produce. From the
MX500 to the MX518 to the laser-based G5, Logitech is always on the
cutting edge, giving us gamers something to salivate over. The
competition in this market is becoming increasingly high with long-time
standbys Microsoft and Razer, and other new upstarts trying to get
their slice of the pie. Competition is always a plus for us gamers as
we are routinely seeing new mice and revisions that are on the front
lines of new technology.

And that brings us today’s mouse the Blue G5 from Logitech. While not a
brand new mouse, there are significant changes that warrant us giving
this mouse a review and comparing it to the previous release. Is this
the ultimate mouse for your gaming needs?

The Mouse

The mouse comes in the standard Logitech packaging that is found with
all of their mice. It mentions some of the key features on the back and
the package includes the mouse, the Setpoint CD, the weight cartridge,
weight case with weights, and an installation guide.

As the previous model of the G5 and this are similar, they share many
of the same features and specifications but with a couple noticeable
differences which we will note.

{mospagebreak heading=Introduction&title=Features and Specifcations}
Features and Specifications

2000 dpi laser engine
In game sensitivity switching
Adjustable weight cartridge
Polytetrafluoroethylene gaming feet
2nd side button aka mouse 5* (previously had only one side button)
A new textured surface
Tracking Resolution: 2000/800/400 dpi (user selectable)
Image Processing: 6.4 megapixels/second
Max. Acceleration: 20g
Max. Speed: 45—65 inches/second (depending on surface)
USB Data Format: 16 bits/axis
USB Report Rate: 1000 reports/second* (previously 500)
Sleep Mode: Disabled

As we can see there are a couple noticeable changes which are
immediately apparent, first being the 2nd side button on the mouse and
the 1000 reports per second on the USB polling rate. The 2nd button was
one of our major gripes when we spent time with the original G5. On first look, it’s great to have it back.

I do have one complaint in relation to the positioning of the buttons.
I have gotten used to the positioning of “Mouse 4″ button and I grip my
mouse so my thumb is dead center on that. Logitech, instead of shifting
the buttons back so your thumb is centered between the two buttons, has
put the 5th button merely in front of “Mouse 4”. So I have to either a)
shift my mouse grip to the left to have access to the 5th button, or b)
lift the rear of my hand up to move the thumb further up mid-play to
reach this button. With neither option am I fully comfortable yet. So
in the mean time while I try to get used to shifting my grip I will
admit I haven’t used “Mouse 5” a whole lot yet. As far as out-of-game
use goes, since buying the original G5 I have gotten accustomed to
using the left and right tilt buttons of the scroll wheel for
Firefox/Explorer navigation, instead of using back/”Mouse 4″ and
forward/”Mouse 5″ like on the 510/518 models, for these tasks. A simple
flick of the middle of the middle finger right or left on the scroll
wheel and you are off to navigating with ease.

There are few additions to Setpoint for this mouse. First off the main
page will now feature for a graphic for this mouse since Setpoint 3.3.
Also on the advanced game settings tab we see the now added 1000 USB
polling rate option. There is definitely a difference between this and
500 as immediately I noticed a smoother feel to the mouse in relation
to cursor movement. Another feature I want to point out to gamers out
there is uberOptions.
This is a modification to the Setpoint GUI that allows for like 20
times the button customization that the default install has. It’s a
fantastic tool and if you use Logitech mice you should get uberOptions.

{mospagebreak title=New Changes}

The other significant change between this and the old G5 is the new
texture. As with the previous G5, this mouse has a textured feel to it
which I like (though some may not), however on this model the texture
has changed. Instead of the rough coarse feel of the previous model, a
grainy like texture, the new model almost feels like a clean chalk
board - yet it has channels that run through it giving it texture and
grip. It’s really like nothing I have ever felt on a mouse before and I
quite like it. I always thought the clear coat-like smoothness of the
510/518 made it harder to grip with sweaty hands, and that the G5 at
first was too rough until using it for a while when it lost some of its
texture. The new G5 however strikes the perfect balance between grip,
texture and comfort. The mouse feels very well built. It is solid
without cheap feeling parts. One of my complaints about the MSIE 3.0 is
how cheap it feels, and how it rattles; you don’t get that with this
series of Logitech mice. It’s comfortable and feels like it’s worth the
price.

Selectable dots per inch, or DPI, has been a key feature of the G5
series. With programmable customized DPI settings you can select what
works from you from from 400DPI to 2000DPI.

The mouse features the braided cord from the previous two versions
which is a big plus over the plastic coated cords most mice use. It is
much more manageable and easier to position to your liking.

The mouse feet are fantastic. The durable extended feet seem to last
forever and not really lose their slippery feel even after some wear
and tear. These are definitely one of my favorite features of the G5.

The weight colors have also been changed to all silver versus the black
and silver depending on weight of the previous G5. Not a major issue or
change but I do prefer the all silver looks wise even though you rarely
see them. The question of weight necessity really is a personal one. I
used to swear by having the lightest mouse and even took the weight out
of some of my older mice. However I have grown to love a certain weight
in this mouse and after some testing found the right weight set that
seemed to give me the right control and heft to the mouse. (4x 4.5g on
the corners, and 4×1.7g in the center square if you are curious)

{mospagebreak title=Testing}

Testing
I have been gaming with this mouse for a good three weeks now;
everything from Counter-Strike 1.6, Source, Half-Life 2: Episode 1,
Call of Duty 2, Supreme Commander, and Oblivion. I have used the smooth
and rough side of my Func pad and a standard office type cloth mouse
pad.

The earlier G5 has issues with skipping. Some attributed it to the
first generation of laser mice, while for others it depended on the
surface it was used with. Logitech has since released a firmware update
for the old mouse that should remedy skipping issues on most mouse
pads. I don’t have many gaming pads let alone all of them so I can’t
test them all and report back to you. However, I did try making this
mouse skip on COD2, and both versions of CS. I know most people who
tend to find these “skipping” issues on the old G5 were low sensitivity
players. Not being a low sense player, (3 sensitivity in CS, 800 dpi),
I wanted to be sure to test a broad spectrum of settings in various
games, on various pads trying to replicate the skipping. I tried
.5/1/3/8 sensitivities, 400/800/2000 dpi, low and medium Windows mouse
speeds and most all of the combinations on both sides of the Func and
the standard mouse pad. I could not once get it to skip, or flake out.
I also tested in Photoshop at a low speed, high and low dpi drawing
lines as fast as possible and not once could I see any skips. Now
whether or not this mouse uses a newer firmware than the updated one
for the last G5 I am not sure, nor can I assure you that it will not
skip on other surfaces, but it certainly passed with flying colors on
this setup.

I realize in our latest G5 Battlefield 2142 review
Thomas noticed how he couldn’t for the life of him get the mouse to
skip either. But then he commented that after weeks had gone by he
noticed some performance issues. I have yet to experience anything like
this. Whether or not that was a different laser engine compared to this
new revision I don’t know. We can try to get some answers from Logitech
however.

As far as in-game this mouse is a joy to use. Snap movements,
responsive repositioning, and accurate shooting are the standard with
this mouse. In the three weeks I have used this not once did I come
across a moment where the mouse caused me an issue in game, dying,
missing a frag, etc. The mouse has performed admirably in all the games
I have used it on. It sits right up there with the 518 and MSIE 3.0
(new version), which were my last two mice, as tops in performance. The
mouse not only performs great in FPS games but I tore it up in Supreme
Commander. Accurate multi-unit selections even at the distant levels of
the map view, quick selections without having to reselect them were all
the norm when playing this game.

{mospagebreak title=Conclusion}

Conclusion
As we constantly tell you choosing a mouse is more of a personal
decision than a technical/numbers decision. It is nothing like
comparing a Core 2 Duo vs. AM2 no matter what kind of “technical” tests
are done. Often such tests measure outside of the ranges that we gamers
would actually use them. Let’s be honest, who moves their mice
4.9ft/1.5m in a second? This makes mice, much like keyboards and mouse
pads, a subjective opinion. We can rattle off specifications till we
are blue in the face, but in actuality there are really only three
things that matter when it comes to a mouse. One, how does it feel in
your own hands; two, does it perform without issue in in-game testing
scenarios; three, the cost, which is an issue we need to be concerned
about. The G5 in my personal opinion feels exceptional. I love the
grip, how it sits in my hand, and the overall comfort level of it. In
game the mouse has been stellar and I have yet to see any degraded
performance from the laser or the mouse itself. Cost wise you can find
this mouse online for about $65 dollars right now. It is on the higher
end of the mouse scale much like the DeathAdder from Razer but I feel
the options and customizations make it worthwhile.

Never the less my opinion may not be yours. You may not like the feel
of the Logitech mouse shell, or maybe you don’t like the textured
surface. This is why I will always recommend you test out a mouse
before you buy it if you can. A mouse and keyboard are the two most
physically used aspects of your PC thus you want something that works
for you and not just what everyone tells you to get. The competition to
win over your hard earned dollar in the gaming mouse world has never
been fiercer. The latest G5 continues to ride the peak of gaming mice
offering excellent performance and features that any gamer would be
happy to have. This mouse is a joy to game with and I can see myself
using for some time down the road even over the 518 and MSIE 3.0 which
I have recently owned and it most certainly is a improvement over the
last version of the G5.

Pros
+ 2nd side button is back!
+ 1000 Hz USB polling rate
+ Excellent mouse feet rivaling the best from any 3rd party
+ Adjustable weights to get the feel you need
+ Amazing textured surface makes it easy to keep a solid grip
+ Performance right up with the best the mice world has to offer
+ Setpoint is easy to use, and highly customizable
Cons
- 2nd side button positioning, move it back a bit
- May be too expensive for some users
Rating
9.6 out of 10