[nextpage title=”Introduction”]
When one gets a mouse named after the god of thunder of Norse mythology, one imagines a mighty peripheral, worthy of the son of Odin himself. However, the Force M7 Thor (from now on we’ll just call it “the Thor” for short) is a low-cost mouse that is also low on features. It doesn’t record macros, it’s not indicated to MMORPG players, but it performs well enough as an FPS mouse. We’ll talk about it more later, but first let’s describe the product.
Figure 1: Force M7 Thor
At first glance, the Thor is a big and long mouse, wide as a duck’s feet on the upper side where the two main buttons are housed. Between them lies the scroll wheel, and below the scroll wheel the user finds the resolution switch, which can cycle through three dpi settings up to 6,000 dpi. Three blue LEDs indicate the current sensitivity level. On the lower back lies the “Thor” logo complete with lightning surrounding it. The whole body is a dull black plastic, while the logo itself is shiny.
Figure 2: Thor logo
From the upper side emerges the plastic cable that ends in a gold-plated USB plug.
Figure 3: Upper side and cable
[nextpage title=”Introduction (Cont’d)”]
The mouse has a symmetrical body with ergonomic lines, but only the right side features the two familiar side buttons, so only right-handed users will benefit from those buttons. Both sides have low rubberized niches that help ensure a better grip.
Figure 4: Right side
Figure 5: Left side
On the underside, the user finds the laser sensor and three rubber feet for better sliding. There is no weight adjustment system.
Figure 6: Underside
[nextpage title=”Main Characteristics”]
The Thor is a simple mouse that lacks the advanced features found in the top-of-the-line gaming-grade mice on the market, but it still has five functions (four buttons plus the scroll wheel) that can be programmed through a very simple and effective application. The application is miles apart from the Ghost software that controls Gigabyte’s more advanced peripherals. It only lets the user assign new functions and set three resolution levels.
Figure 7: Configuration application
The product’s target is the player on a budget, who wants a low-cost mouse but still needs a few essential gaming-grade features. Details that claim a higher price tag – Teflon feet, cloth-wrapped cable, weight adjustment cable, internal memory – were cut. Lack of internal memory, for instance, means that the configuration done by the user is lost once he or she trades computers.
[nextpage title=”Playing with the Thor”]
The Thor is a long and wide mouse, but at the same time is light for its size and very mobile under the user’s hand, even one who is a claw-gripper. The ergonomic design is interesting, and the low rubberized niches make the grip very comfortable. The side buttons are well-located and are very precise and clicky; the scroll wheel and resolution switch follow suit. But although the design is seemingly ambidextrous, the end result is that a left-handed user would waste the right side buttons.
The mouse has a high enough sensitivity for the requirements of dynamic action games like Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty. The user sets three distinct resolution values up to 6,000 dpi. Higher values are indicated for moments of intense action; a lower dpi setting is preferable when the player is snipping. The resolution switch was very precise and never let us down.
We didn’t miss a weight adjustment system, but we know some players like to customize their mice to the fullest. We missed macro recording when we played MMORPGs, and to some extent in some FPS matches, but the intention of the Thor is to be a no-frills mouse. The five programmable functions took care of all the basic actions in an FPS game (reload a weapon, throw a grenade, stab with a knife, etc.).
[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]
The main specifications for the Gigabyte Force M7 Thor mouse include:
- Gaming-grade laser mouse
- Ambidextrous design, but right-handed usage
- Connector: gold-plated USB
- Assignable functions: five (four buttons plus the scroll wheel)
- Tracking Resolution: Up to 6,000 dpi selectable on three levels
- Maximum velocity: 150 inches/second (380 centimeters/second)
- Acceleration: 30 G
- Approximate size: 5.3 x 3.07 x 1.6 inches (137 x 78 x 41 mm)
- Weight: 3.8 oz / 110 g
- More information: https://www.gigabyte.com
- MSRP in the U.S.: USD 29.99
[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]The Thor mouse is aimed at FPS players and to those who don’t care about all the bells and whistles of the higher end gaming-grade mice. It’s down to the basics: high sensitivity and five programmable functions. The peripheral is comfortable to play with, and it’s very precise. But it’s far from being Mjolnir, Thor’s magical hammer capable of summoning storms.
Strong Points
- Comfortable grip
- High resolution of 6,000 dpi
- Well-located clicky buttons
- Easy to configure
- Low-cost alternative to high-end mice
Weak Points
- Ambidextrous design, but only right-handed usage
- Doesn’t record macros
- User cannot create individual profiles
- No weight adjustment system
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