Logitech is well known for its computer gaming oriented peripherals, from keyboards to headsets. The  Logitech G700s Rechargeable Gaming Mouse is Logitech’s flagship gaming mouse and improves on the older Logitech G700. Both mice feature 13 programmable buttons, a “hyper” scroll wheel that also supports horizontal scrolling for increased office productivity, the ability to be used through a wired USB connection or over wireless via Logitech’s Nano USB receiver, and are powered by a single rechargeable AA NiMH battery. The G700s features an invisible laser good for tracking at up to 8200 DPI, an improvement over the former G700’s 5700 DPI.

Impressions

The Logitech G700 did away with the soft-touch finish of its predecessors, instead opting for a hard, textured finish. New for the G700s  is a “hydrophobic coating on the palm area … a fingerprint-resistant coating to the primary buttons. And, dry grip on the sides.” All these new materials help the new G700s feel fantastic. Both mice use a metal dual-mode “hyper” scroll wheel that adds a touch of quality to the mouse; the extra weight of the battery and scroll wheel combined with excellent fit and finish make for a mouse that feels as nice as its $100 MSRP would suggest.

Performance

Using the Logitech G700s  is a treat. The mouse glides effortlessly and accurately – important aspects when gaming! So too are the buttons, which are nothing short of fantastic. The main left and right buttons require enough effort to prevent misclicks, yet yield decisively when commanded. The remaining 11 are comprised of a cluster of 4 buttons on side (G4-G7), another trio above the left side (G8-G10), a lone button behind the scroll wheel (G11), and finally the scroll wheel itself contains three buttons (middle click, scroll left, scroll right). If you are like me, you will only be interested in programming the G4-G11 buttons. The G4-G7 buttons that make up the side cluster again feel superb. These appear to be targeted towards the MMO audience and I find that they are easily triggered with my thumb while using the fingertip grip. The G8-G10 trio are easily accessed with your index finger and while the action is different, they also feel excellent. All of these buttons are sculpted in much the same way as a Blackberry keyboard  to help eliminate misclicks and make it easier to find each button. The lone problem button is G11 – I find it nearly impossible to access with either the fingertip or palm grips; a claw grip might be better.

Optical tracking performance is excellent on most surfaces, the exception being glass where I find it does not track at all. With anything else – a white countertop, a wood desk, a cloth sofa,  and a mouse pad being several examples – I found its performance to be flawless. I play first-person shooters (FPSs) where fast movement are the norm and the Logitech G700s dominates. I also found both wired and wireless performance to be excellent, despite some other reviews (particularly for the G700) mentioning poor wireless performance. With energy management set to its most aggressive level – Power Saver – there is a barely noticeable delay after the mouse is moved after sitting idle as the mouse powers up. This delay is easily remedied by switching the energy profile to “Max Gaming.”

Wireless battery life is a matter of perspective. I find that the mouse will last for 2-3 days under “moderate” use but heavy gaming can crush the battery in around 8 hours. For a mouse that offers this kind of performance, the battery life is probably decent, and it’s powered by a standard rechargeable AA NiMH battery (either a precharged Sanyo eneloop or a pre-Charged Gsyuasa Enitime depending on your luck) which is easily replaced while gaming. However, I generally leave my G700s plugged into the charging/data cable.  It is possible to charge the mouse while it is being used too!

Support

My Logitech G700 developed a bad switch under the left click button about two years into ownership. After a few days of question and answer, Logitech shipped a replacement out at their cost and did not require the old mouse to be returned. I really can’t ask for better support!

Conclusion

I wholeheartedly recommend the Logitech G700s Rechargeable Gaming Mouse. It offers industry leading performance to help propel you to new gaming heights!