Logitech G9
Quick Facts
- 3,200 maximum dpi
- 1,000Hz polling
- 45-65 inches per second
- MSRP: $99
Logitech is an old hand at manufacturing mice, and its G5 model has been a favorite of many gamers since its release. The company's most recent gaming mouse, the G9, is a bells-and-whistles product with a number of features that the other mice in this roundup lack. Whether or not these features matter to you is another question, however.
Features/Ergonomics
The first thing you'll notice about the G9 is that it's tiny--by far the smallest mouse in this group. It measures around three-quarters of the front-to-back length of the other three mice here, so it's definitely easier to use if you choose to push your mouse with your fingertips as opposed to resting your palm on it. You can rest your palm on it if you like, but that will usually push your fingers too far forward so that it becomes difficult to maneuver the scrollwheel without readjusting your grip.
Speaking of grip, one of the most noticeable contrivances of the G9 is that you can pop off and exchange the grips that attach to the mouse. The default package comes with two separate grips: the Wide Load, which has a slightly more curvy left side to rest your thumb on, and the more svelte Precision, which removes the thumbrest and changes the grip surface to a more high-friction one to eliminate slippage when your palms get sweaty. (Logitech's Web site states that additional grips will be made available for separate purchase at a later date.) Both grips work well enough, but it's hard to avoid the impression that this feature is a bit of a gimmick.
Apart from the grips, the G9 offers a weight system that will let you input four separate weights into the mouse, each of which weighs either 4 grams or 7 grams. The mouse does feel quite a bit different at the extremes of zero added weight and the maximum of 28 grams of added weight. In addition, the scrollwheel doubles as a tilt wheel for side-to-side scrolling, there's a set of LEDs that will designate which profile and dpi setting you're on, and there's also a Microgear switch on the bottom of the mouse that will eliminate all resistance from the scrollwheel, allowing you to quickly scroll through long documents if you wish.
Software
While some of the features of the G9 are a bit superfluous, the control panel for the mouse is top-notch and offers a large array of options for detail-oriented gamers. You can change the colors of the LED on the mouse, record macros, change the polling rate of the mouse, and plenty more. Among the interesting features is the ability to set a smaller or higher number of discrete dpi levels for on-the-fly switching. Whereas the Ikari Laser has only two dpi settings to switch between, and the Lachesis requires you to use five, the G9 lets you use anywhere from one to five different dpi settings, ensuring that you have only the dpi settings you need and no more than that. Each dpi setting can also have its x-axis and y-axis settings adjusted independently of each other.
In addition, you can set up multiple profiles for your mouse and associate them with different executables. For instance, you can make a custom mouse profile for real-time strategy games and have it automatically start up when you launch Command & Conquer 3, and then you can have the mouse automatically switch to an FPS profile when you launch Call of Duty 4.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Excellent software suite with lots of options
- Multiple profiles let you automatically switch profiles depending on which game you launch
Cons
- "Everything but the kitchen sink" design leads to some superfluous features, such as gimmicky replaceable grips
- Very small body, regardless of grip, which might not be comfortable for everybody
2008 Gaming Mouse Roundup
GameSpot takes a look at the latest crop of high-end gaming mice.
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