The G700 is effectively the replacement of the G7 gaming mouse that Logitech released in 2005. A lot of gamers were not overly keen for a wireless gaming solution due to the latency felt while gaming. It was believed that the delay between the mouse and wireless receiver would impact the time it takes for the cursor to respond affecting the accuracy of which they play and aim with. The G7 proved to be a top contender and had a delay that you needed a laboratory and mechanical arm to detect the 0.002s odd delays that were found. A Delay that has virtually no impact on the performance.
This was launched on 2011 but still it is one of the best wireless mouse in the market. If you love wireless and a gamer then you should go for it.
We hope that the G700 can continue from here especially after the 18Months since release and numerous software and firmware updates that has taken place. As a gamer myself I know what to look for in a gaming aspect and has done extensive research on the problems reported by G700 users over the last months and solutions or answers for them. I will cover them in this article as well.
First we will look at the Features of the mouse and then move onto the review.
13 programmable controls with macro capability
Perform either single actions or intricate macros with multiple keystrokes, mouse events, user-defined delays and repeating.
Individually sculpted buttons
Every button on the G700 is carefully designed and placed to be easily identifiable by touch, so they're right there when you need them but out of your way when you don't.
Ideal for MMORPGs
When your guild gets together, you'll have all the control you need to do battle, complete quests and level up your character.
Natural curves that fit your hand
Your mouse is designed to let you play comfortably and maneuver effortlessly for as long as you want.
Smooth gliding feet
You can forget sticky workarounds—the low-friction polytetrafluoroethylene feet glide effortlessly across almost any surface.
Full-speed wireless
1,000 reports per second give you gaming-grade responsiveness and wireless freedom. You get a steady, powerful connection with no dropouts.
Rechargeable
You'll always have the power you need. A quick-connect cable lets you plug in fast and continue your campaign without pause.
Data over cable
Worried about that critical game situation? Playing in a busy wireless environment? With data over cable you always have a backup for reliable connectivity.
Gaming-grade laser
Game-changing precision at any hand speed. Whether you're zeroing in on one pixel or whipping across a million, the gaming-grade laser gives you hard-to-beat cursor control.
Onboard memory profiles
You can program up to five profiles for individual players or games (keyboard macros and dpi settings), so you can play your way on other PCs—without software installation.
Plug-and-Forget Nano-receiver
Take it with you—your Gaming Mouse G700 is laptop ready. The tiny receiver can stay plugged in a USB port or stores inside the mouse for when you head to a LAN party.
Sensitivity switching
You can shift from pixel-precise targeting (200 dpi) to lightning-fast maneuvers (up to 5,700 dpi) in an instant.
Dual-mode scroll wheel
You get precise click-to-click scrolling that's perfect for weapon selection when you're gaming. Hyper-fast scrolling lets you fly through long Web pages.
LED display
Your battery power, profile settings and dpi sensitivity are always visible at a glance—without being covered by your hand.
Those are the listed features as per the Logitech site. Now marketing is marketing, what I can tell you from those features are:
The 13 programmable buttons is more like 8. Logitech counts the mouse wheel up and down and the left and right plus mouse down as buttons. Making it 5. LoL at the steering wheel on the picture. Yes there is technically enough buttons to macro your mouse to use it for the basic driving controls but IF you play a racing game this way please upload a video on Youtube and link us.
The sculpted buttons does feel different but muscle memory prevails here and you get used to them in no time.
Full speed wireless is correct and the mouse features a report rate of 1000. That is double the report rate that the G7 had.
Now let's do the Review.
Packaging
The G700 comes in a standard Logitech packaging. The same simple, but effective, type that gives you a good view of the mouse and gives you a chance to feel the mouse before buying it. The plastic cover has a opening over the G8,G9 and G10 macro keys giving you a chance to feel them out as well.
Opening the box was easy and took a few seconds. For those who haven't done this yet, all you do is cut open the sticker and simply slide the whole box contents out of through the side opening. The box contains the G700 mouse a very small receiver, 2 USB cables and a Manual. There is no driver disk as you need to download the latest Setpoint drivers from the Logitech website.
The 2 USB cables you receive with the mouse have specific functions and the stickers on the ends of the cable show that Logitech intends for you to use it only for specific purposes. The one is a USB extender to use for the wireless receiver. This is to get the receiver as close to your mouse as possible to stop interference. The other cable is a oddly shaped micro USB cable that is the extra power for your mouse. Used to update the G700`s firmware and acts as a charger for your mouse. You can charge and play as well.
The box
The box contents
Usb cable for charging the mouse.
Wireless receiver`s Usb Cable.
G700 top view
G700 Side views
Mouse bottom view
Note the indentations next to the mouse feet. You can buy a new set of mouse feet from Logitech to replace your worn out ones.
Mouse bottom, Rechargeable battery, battery cover and Usb receiver.
Take note of the little square space under the battery bay. This is used to keep your receiver when you move your mouse around.
The Mouse
Picking up the mouse it feels bulky and the surface is not smooth but more like a sandblasted coating. It is quite heavy and this can be attributed to the rechargeable battery. The buttons are well placed close to the thumb ( G4,G5,G6,G7 ) and the ones next to the left click buttons ( G8,G9.G10 ) are easy to reach with the index finger. There are no adjustable weights but I would estimate the weight as a G9x with about half the weights in. It does put some strain on your wrist but you can easily get used to it.
As I've stated earlier the mouse has only 8 Programmable buttons when you exclude mouse; up; down right; left and down as buttons. 7 buttons are easily accessible, 4 with your thumb and 3 with your index finger. The 8th key is behind the scroll lock button behind the mouse wheel and is almost impossible to press without shifting your grip. The mouse wheel is the same as the Logitech G9x , G9 and Mx Revolution setups that has a micro gear and metallic finish. The micro gear is to make precise movements with your wheel be it up or down and to disengage the micro gear you simply press the scroll button and you have a mouse wheel that has virtually uncapped rotating speeds making browsing of long web pages very easy.
The shape of the mouse was made for comfort and a gamer using a palm grip would really feel at home using this mouse. This mouse`s shape allows for right handed operation and will be close to impossible for a left-handed gamer to use. The button placement coupled with the shape will make it difficult for a claw grip user to operate and use the macro keys. You have to position your thumb fairly close to the macro keys and if you take a snap shot you might hit one of those keys. I use a combination grip of both palm and claw and I did not run into any problems of accidental key pressing.
The shape of the mouse on your pinky finger`s side could've done with a little lip to rest your pinky on. This is not present so your pinky feels like it is dragging along the mat. I have a smooth surface gaming pad and did not have any discomfort but it might be a problem on rough metallic surfaces like some of your SS and Razer pads.
All powered up
Connecting the mouse was very simple with Windows 7 detecting the wireless dongle without a problem and installing the drivers. I proceeded to download the drivers from the Logitech site. The drivers are quite big but thanks to my 10mb Telkom unshaped account (ok yes im bragging) it took less than a minute. Installed the software and I was ready to go.
I started with the mouse wired as I was unsure as to how well the battery was charged and found it to be quite a hassle to move with the cable pulling at the mouse due to only freshly being unpacked. The Solution was as simple as rolling the cord up in the opposite direction and straightening it. I plugged the mouse back in and I was off. Being an avid gamer and knowing how Setpoint worked with the G9x, setting up the mouse was a breeze. I turned acceleration off and set up my DPI setting to have 3 options 800dpi , 1600dpi and 2500dpi . I spotted a wireless option to put your receiver in gaming mode that is very important as you want it pushing the peak report rate for when you switch to wireless.
TESTING
The thing about being a gamer is to never take anything on a pure show and tell basis. You test it and then only voice an opinion. So for me the first test was comparing the wireless delay of the G700 to the G9x wired.
I opened notepad and took my G9x and moved it 5cm in a str8 line at average speed and did the same with the G700. I then did a slow and fast test and the result came back the same. I Then launched Counterstrike source. I played a round with the G9x and then a round with the wired G700 and the next round with the G700 wirelessly. I did this for about an hour and found no difference.
There was no question of the G700`s capability in wired mode so I continued my testing in wireless mode. In total I played
3 Hours Battlefield 3
4 hours of Modern warfare 3
1 hour of Call of duty 4
4 Hours of counterstrike source.
I could not feel any difference between the G9x and the G700 in wireless mode. The freedom of no wires getting stuck was amazing. The battery lasted me 6 hours every time I played and went to bed. I have not played till it got completely depleted as I charged it during the day. The mouse takes an AA battery so it's easy to have a spare should you attend a LAN event and run out of juice. The gliding of the mouse on the mouse surface I use (Cyborg Glide 7) was remarkable. The little resistance the mouse had on the pad was incredible. I tried all 3 my sensitivity settings and it didn't matter if I flicked or used slow movements. The mouse responded perfectly to any actions I took.
I thoroughly enjoyed the G700 and would recommend it for almost all types of gaming. It has plenty of buttons for a RPG and MMORPG type game and a few options for fps players. Dota 2 should be easy now with 3 Programmable buttons for spells easily accessible with the G keys next to your index finger.
Known or reported Problems.
Slow mouse movement Glitch
This problem was a big concern when the mouse first released and was initially fixed in a software upgrade that is now standard with the latest drivers. It was a problem found when using HIGH sensitivity and using micro movements for accuracy over distances where the mouse would not move on the slow movement of the mouse.
I tried to recreate this problem over and over and over and could not manage to do it. I'm confident the problem was indeed resolved.
Bad Button Placement and sharp edges that hurt fingers over time.
I've stated earlier in the article that some of the button could be a problem depending on what grip you use. For me the buttons were perfect and I'm confident it will be the same with any palm grip user. The G11 key will be very hard to press on any grip.
The 4 G keys above your thumb has slightly edged sides that a lot of users reported hurt their fingers after extended hours of play. I used 2 of these keys 1 for VoIP and 1 for weapon fire rate cycling in bf 3. All the games except BF 3 was in a clan environment so I used VoIP constantly to communicate to my team and in BF 3 I also used VoIP to talk to my fellow BVD clan mates. I did not have any pain or discomfort by using these buttons.
Wireless networks influence the receiver and causes delays and a mouse not working.
I found this complaint only after my 2nd day of testing, I have not experienced it and I have 2 Wireless routers set up in my home. A Belkin N 1 vision and a Trendnet 300mbs Wireless N router. My receiver was placed in front of these 2 routers and my phone connecting to them right next to my mouse pad. Our tablet was also connected so was my Girlfriends Cell phone. We stream to our PS 3 from these routers so we have a lot of devices making use of the wireless.
