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[nextpage title=”Introduction”]

A sluggish mouse is a nightmare for any gamer. Quickness of response and precision mean the difference between life and death in a digital battleground. The Logitech G5 Laser Gaming Mouse has been around for a year now, but it’s gaining a facelift with a special version based on the newest installment of the successful Battlefield series from Electronic Arts, Battlefield 2142 (BF 2142 for short). What was already the weapon of choice of any serious first person shooter gamer has become also a beautiful mouse with some cool graphics inspired by the game.

Figure 1: The G5 BF 2142 mouse box.

[nextpage title=”The G5 Mouse”]

The G5 series from Logitech is a high sensitivity (2000 dpi) corded USB laser mouse with a series of configurable buttons and an adjustable weight cartridge. It’s suited for right-handed usage only. On the top there is some artwork featuring the Walker tank from Battlefield 2142 standing atop of a city ruined by warfare.

Figure 2: The G5 BF 2142 mouse top.

Right below the scroll wheel there are two buttons that allow you to change the sensitivity on-the-fly during gameplay and also regular Windows applications. Next to the right thumb position there’s a button that defaults to backwards when web surfing and can also be configured for gameplay usage, like jumping or reloading. A LED display indicates the level of mouse sensitivity you have chosen (high, mid or low).

Figure 3: The G5 BF 2142 mouse bottom.

Finally there’s the adjustable weight cartridge with eight slots for sixteen weights that come with the mouse. You can increase its weight from a minimum of 1.7 g up to 36 g. The orange-colored cartridge is inserted on the same slot that holds the battery for the cordless G7 model on the bottom of the mouse. The weight case is very stylish and resembles a special munitions case with foam slots for the individual weight beads. On a final touch, the USB cord is cloth-wrapped. Classy presentation on every level.

Figure 4: The weight cartridge.

[nextpage title=”Installation and Configuration”]

Installing the G5 mouse couldn’t be easier. Just plug in on a vacant USB port and run the installation CD that comes with the SetPoint application (a universal program for all Logitech products). The software controls the individual button configurations for any application you chose. As a test, we assigned the sensitivity buttons to “copy+paste” while running Word, and “open new tab” while using Firefox. Unfortunately, although it’s a special Battlefield 2 edition, the SetPoint doesn’t have a ready profile for the game. We had to configure the mouse manually for BF 2142 gaming. For our style of playing, we assigned the “back button” (near the right thumb) to “prone position” so we could rapidly drop to the floor when the shooting begins. Again, it suited our style: it can be assigned to other useful actions, like jumping, reloading or pausing the game, if you so desire.

Figure 5: SetPoint software.

There’s also an advanced setting that allows you to reprogram the default sensitivity settings to any five settings between 400 dpi and 2,000 dpi. You can save those settings to a particular game if you like. On our test we used the default setting: 400 dpi (low); 800 dpi (mid); and 2000 dpi (high). The lowest sensitivity is useful for careful aiming; the middle one is perfect for walking and running about; and the highest is suited when operating sluggish weapons like a tank cannon so you can do it quicker. More on that battle experience latter.

Figure 6: Advanced dpi configuration.

[nextpage title=”Getting Into The Battlefield”]

Now the fun finally begins: let’s see how we fared on the digital battleground with our new weapon. The weight adjustment put us on a good mood for FPS gaming: selecting the weights and inserting the cartridge in the bottom of the mouse felt like loading a customized assault rifle to rain death upon our enemies. We choose a 18 g weight increase so the rifle… we mean, the mouse got more stable for precise shooting – it suited our style of playing, favoring the Recon class from BF 2142. If you prefer faster battle movements and a quicker assault action you should go with a lighter mouse. An even heavier mouse – 36 g increase – is a good choice for stationary snipers (called “campers” on game parlance).

While playing, we got used to changing mouse sensitivity anytime the situation called for it.  If we were exploring some enemy base, the 800 dpi gave us the best balance between precision if we had to shoot some approaching enemy and mobility to move around with ease. Once inside a vehicle, the ideal setting was the highest possible – 2,000 dpi – so we could gain a quicker response from the otherwise sluggish weaponry. And the lowest 400 dpi proved useful to gain a firmer grip when aiming for the always difficult headshot. As we said, we changed the sensitivity settings all the time to respond to a variety of situations during gameplay.

The G5 provided a new gaming experience, more serious, focused and rewarding, better suited for a FPS than a run-of-the-mill mouse. With a comfortable grip and adjustable weight, it can sustain several hours of gaming without hand tiredness. Besides gaming, the G5 is a useful mouse for other applications due to the several button assignments. But beware the highest sensitivity setting: the 2,000 dpi is unsuited for Windows applications. We ended up clicking anywhere but the place we wanted because the cursor moved so fast.

In final analysis, the G5 Logitech mouse is a winner in every level. It has a sharp presentation, nice features, precise response and it’s even a great mouse even if you’re not a hardcore gamer. If you are, you can go no wrong: let the enemies pile up dead in front of you.

[nextpage title=”Specifications”]

• PC USB laser corded mouse
• Tracking Resolution: 2,000/800/400 dpi (user selectable)
• Image Processing: 6.4 megapixels/second
• Maximum Acceleration: 20g
• Maximum Speed: 45-65 inches/second (depending on surface)
• USB Data Format: 16 bits/axis
• USB Report Rate: 500 reports/second
• Sleep Mode: Disabled
• Assignable buttons: 8
• Right-hand usage only
• Connection: 6.0 foot long USB cloth-wrapped cable
• Adjustable weight (increases by increments from 1.7 g to 36 g)
• More information: https://www.logitech.com
• Average price in the USA*: USD 65

* Researched at https://www.shopping.com on the day we published this review.

[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]

Strong Points:

• Classy presentation, from beautiful graphics to cloth-wrapped cable.
• Turns gaming experience into something new.
• High customization from weight to button configuration.
• Useful to other applications other than gaming.

Weak Point:

• Doesn’t come with a pre-installed Battlefield 2142 profile.