Design
In the design department not much has really changed, as mentioned before, looks-wise, the only change you will see is the new Logitech emblem. For those who don't know the G502, it is a right-handed, oddly shaped monster. With many bulges and sharp edges protruding, it is not a mouse that would fit into an office environment but it sure will fit splendidly into any gaming setup. The mixture of matte black and gloss inserts, as well as a significant thumb rest definitely, sets the G502 apart from all the other more "traditional" looking mice on the market. The textured rubber on either side of the mouse provides adequate grip while note making it get sweaty in your hands after extended use. The G502 has extremely hard angles, which some might love, others will hate. The top 2 programmable buttons that can be found next to the primary click buttons, seem like they are overhanging the edge of the mouse. But thanks to the excellent build quality from Logitech these buttons do not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon! These buttons, if not programmed, will function as the DPI up and down buttons giving it a nice easy feel instead of having to scroll through all your preset DPI's to eventually reach the first one you actually want. These buttons are also designed to be used with your index finger rather than your thumb.
Your thumb has got more than enough work to do though. Another two programmable keys are neatly tucked in the side of the mouse where your thumb can easily glide up to use them. These buttons are perfectly placed and feel natural to press. The third thumb button is an accuracy button which drops the DPI dramatically while holding the button pressed. This is great when doing fine positioning in design work or when you need to get that perfect aiming accuracy in your favourite shooter. The only problem with this button if you have smaller hands is that you might not be able to reach it without adjusting your grip. This is not a mistake on Logitech but merely an example of how certain mice suite certain hand sizes as well as grips.
For myself, with smaller hands, I found the size of the G502 to be perfect. In the past, I have reviewed many smaller mice which do come in much lighter than the G502 but after extensive time spent using them, I found my hand would often ache. The G502 has the perfect height in your palm and resting your hand on the mouse will have your fingers naturally land on the buttons, in my book, that's a win!
Turning the G502 and clipping off the magnetic bottom end shows you where the vast options of weights can be placed. The G502, even when not weighted, still comes in at a hefty 121g, for some this might be the deal-breaker already! Add in all the supplied weights and you looking at 139g. The difference is that you can place the weights all around the mouse. Making for many options such as weighting it front-back or side to side.
Features and changes
Like previously mentioned, on the outside the G502 doesn't look like it has changed much. Internally, the G502 has seen the Hero sensor being added, which gave the G502 Hero status... The G502 used to have a maximum DPI of 12 000, with the Hero sensor, that number bumps up to 16 000. In reality, most people would never explore the higher ends of the DPI spectrum so if that is the only motivation for upgrading I would think you might be wasting your money. But the Lightspeed upgrade is what truly takes the G502 from good to great. Logitech has been including their Lightspeed technology in many of their products of late, and from someone who always believed wired is best, I am now a Lightspeed-believer. There truly is no input delay! The G502 can work wired, but simply plugging the braided cable into the front of the mouse, or wireless in two separate ways. Either plug the cable into the wireless receiver which houses the USB dongle, making so that the cable can be at hand when the battery does need a charge. Or get rid of the cable and simply plug the dongle straight into a USB port.
Another massive upgrade in terms of longevity for nearly all of the Logitech items is the change to Omron switches. Omron, being Logitech's own design bolsters the click life from 20 million to 50 million, that is a lot of clicks before they might give in.
Verdict
The G502 Lightspeed delivers in nearly every aspect you could ask for. Cool design, check. Comfort, check. Great sensor, check. Wireless, check! The only possible downfall for the G502 Lightspeed might be its slightly heavier build and the fact that it is not ambidextrous like many other mice are. But if you are in the market for a new gaming mouse that has more than enough features to keep to satisfied and happily clicking along for many moons to come, the G502 Lightspeed is the one you want to go for. Not only does it look like its ready to go, it is! Logitech has taken a favourite and made it even more appealing to new users looking for their first gaming mouse, as well as the veterans who need a new mouse.
Special thanks to Logitech for the review content
The G Pro is also fitted with the durable Omron keys that are rated for 50 million clicks. This gives the G Pro even more of an advantage over the competition. The Omron switches allow for an extremely fast actuation as well as moving back to a position just as quickly. Meaning clicks are more precise and more on time.
The choice in heavy or light mouse choice is very much up to the user, but the Logitech G Pro wired comes in at a measly 83g. Some might consider this too light, and at first, I would have to have agreed. But giving it some time, and getting used to how easily it glides across the mousepad I can now understand why many would prefer the lighter mice.
When I first started using Logitech G Hub I found it to be cumbersome. But after comparing it to some of the other brand offerings I came to realize that it was actually one of the easier packages to use. Using it on the G Pro was not going to add fireworks and unicorns to the functionality of the mouse. Instead, the G Pro is rather bare when it comes to the software. The Hub allows you to tweak your DPI settings, calibrate the G Pro to the mousepad that you are currently using, and lastly customize the RGB effect of the swooping strip that hugs the bottom half of the mouse, as well as the Logitech emblem that will sit firmly in the centre of your palm when using it. The RGB options are rather limited but generally, the colours are extremely vibrant and bright.
I took the G Pro wired for a spin while playing some games such as Rainbow 6 Siege, Escape from Tarkov, and Assassins Creed: Origins. In games like Origins and other slower-paced RPG titles the G Pro did come up lacking compared to the G903 which I use as my daily mouse, the G Pro lacks the extra buttons which come in handy when casting spells and using potions in games such as World of Warcraft. Switching over to first-person shooters is where the G Pro really shines. The extremely accurate sensor and masterfully crafted Omron keys make aiming and clicking heads an absolute dream! Once I found my sweet spot in terms of DPI, my accuracy started climbing dramatically and I was feeling like a casual king.
Before we dive into the details of the MBX4K Ranger here are some of the technical specs:
The stand of the AOC CQ27G2 has a wide-V footprint which fortunately won't take up much of your desk space. The stylish silver finish compliments the rest of the screen tremendously well and the cable management hole has more than adequate space for keyboard, mouse, and any other cables you might need to have neatly managed. The stand also allows for a wide range of movements of the monitor. Before we get to that, it is worth mentioning that the AOC CQ27G2 is fully VESA capable, with the 100x100 mount. The stand allows for the monitor to be raised by 130mm and provides -4° to 21.5° of tilt and 34° of swivel adjustments. Being a curved display, these angles and adjustments should be able to satisfy the fussiest of monitor-adjusters... (do you get those people?)
The connections for the monitor, which are as follows:
All are situated at the bottom of the monitor and face down, for wall mounting purposes. From the moment I pulled the monitor from its box to start assembling, the general feel of the packaging and the product in hand is that of quality. The AOC CQ27G2 feels solid and well built. Other monitors, such as my personal 27inch 144hz QHD monitor from another well-known brand, in the same price range as well, feels quite flimsy and like it might fall over if its bumped. The AOC CQ27G2, however, does not come with built-in speakers. Most would not find this to be a problem as, generally, the built-in speakers as very underpowered. The CQ27G2 also comes standard as both G-sync and Free-sync capable.
The CQ27G2 boasts a 1ms response time that, in today's terms, has become the standard if you want to call your monitor a gaming monitor. For those who don't know, response time is the time it takes for a single pixel to go from grey to grey. Along with this, the AOC delivers this in 144Hz. Refresh rate refers to how many frames it can produce within a single second. Regular monitors generally output between the 60-75hz range. If you have not experienced 144+Hz I would strongly suggest you try it. Once you see the silky smoothness of 144Hz you will never want to go back.
G-sync/Free-sync are ways that AMD and Nvidia stop screen tearing to occur. Both of these technologies will allow your GPU to sync its refresh rate with that of the monitor creating perfect sync between the frames that your GPU delivers and the frames your monitor displays. In the past, as well as with more budget monitors, they generally only support one or the other. Which can cause a headache when changing GPU's or if you don't research before you buy.
Monitor panels are a thing of great mystery, as I have come to learn during my research. You have 2 general types of panels. TN panels generally struggle with angles, colors, and contrast, but they tend to be fast, and as many may say, in this case, speed is worth a few sacrifices. VA panels, on the other hand, drop the speed and focus on picture quality and reproduction. Then you get IPS, the best of both worlds apart from their singular drawback... Price!
Even though the CQ26G2 has a VA panel, I was immediately blown away when I fired up Assassin's Creed Odyssey! I have never experienced colors and lighting to pop so spectacularly. Never have I experienced a sunrise or sunset, apart from the real thing, on any monitor! This might just be because it is my first experience with a VA panel but, man oh man am I hooked! Games with vibrant colors are close to unrecognizable when displaying on the AOC CQ27G2. With the research I have done, I have discovered that curved panels, like the CQ27G2, are prone to having uniformity issues across the panel, I conducted a simple test of moving a black box across the screen and apart from the slight variant in color here and there it is hardly noticeable.
The G815 is extremely thin, at a measly height of only 22mm, Logitech had to do something drastic with their keycaps to get it this low. And that is what they did. Logitech partnered with Kailh to produce a new switch, departing from the previous Romer-G's, and what they created is the GL switch, which comes in 3 variants, clicky, tactile and linear. This new partnership has allowed Logitech to create a low profile key that allows for lots of travel while not compromising the low profile design, the best of both worlds. To give you an idea of the travel of these switches compared to normal Cherry switches. The cherry switches have a travel of 4mm compared to the 2.5mm of the GL.
Next to the ever-present Logitech emblem sits four M-buttons, these are profile keys. The G815 can store up to 3 setups on the keyboard itself, meaning you can quickly jump between games and, with a press of a button, your macros will be switched for that game. To make it even better is because the presets are saved on the keyboard itself, you can unplug it, take it to a friend, and have your presets with you instantly.
The G815 features 4 media buttons situated under the roller wheel which controls volume. The wheel might look strange at first but it has a premium feel and allows for the slightest volume adjustments. Neatly hidden at the top of the keyboard is also a USB-port. This is very nice when you want to plug an external or a wireless dongle for your G Pro wireless mouse. It is however only USB2.0 so don't expect fast transfer speeds.
The GHub is also where you will find the key-bind options for your macros. This is a pretty straight forward process with the Ghub detecting games that you play and giving you options of what you would possibly want on these macros. Thanks, Logitech, didn't even know I needed my meds on macro when playing Escape from Tarkov.
The Viper Ultimate, as the name suggests, is the top tier Viper. It is wireless thanks to Razer's own Hyperspeed technology. I was skeptical at best, of the wireless technology having, as they say, the same performance as wired. I first went wireless on my own G903, so logically i will compare the Viper Ultimate to that. And I am pleased to tell you the statements are correct. I cannot distinguish between wired and wireless with the new tech. It is simply astounding.
Razer has really taken it to the next level, the new sensor, called the Razer Focus + Optical sensor, that is being used in the Viper is rated for 20 000DPI. Personally I think its no need to have a sensor that can go higher than even 10k DPI. I have never played on DPI settings higher than 1600, but that might just be personal preference. Another spec that Razer brags with is the 650inches per second tracking speed. It is really tough to describe what it feels like but when taking the Razer Viper out of its cradle and you start to use it. The accuracy level is un-rivaled. At times it felt like my cursor was attached to my eyes rather than my hand...
The Viper also makes use of the Razer Synapse software which can take some time to get used to and for newer users, the software can be rather daunting! With a little bit of tinkering though, it works really well and allows for tremendous customization especially if you use more Razer products. Another of the features that should be mentioned is the fact that you can calibrate your Viper for the specific mousepad you are using. This lets the sensor know what type of surface it is being used on and therefor adapts and tracks better.
Some people might argue the fact that the G305 only offers wireless through the dongle, and not through Bluetooth like many of its counterparts and even lesser productivity mice within the Logitech stable. This means you won't be able to use the G305 with tablets, mobile phones or some gaming consoles. But at the same time, this just proves the point even more. The Logitech G305 is content to be what it is.
Even though it might come across as rather mundane and boring, the G305 still boasts the Hero sensor, which is one of the best optical sensors around. Although in this version it is only capable of 12 000 DPI.
RGB has become all the craze lately, with everything, including the kitchen sink (or toaster) featuring RGB. The Deathadder, although, more reserved, also feature a two-zone RGB setup, one being the scroll wheel the other being the large Razer logo which will mostly be covered by your palm during use. Setting up the RGB can be easy, or slightly more complicated depending on how in-depth you want to customize. If you are not too phased, using the Razer Synapse program will give you 5 quick effects such as Breathe, Static, Reactive, Spectrum and Audio Cycle. If customization is your thing you will need to download Chroma effects from the Razer website. Using Chroma effects you can customize to your heart's content. Having more Razer products obviously will make Chroma effects even more powerful.
The left- and right-click buttons are where another big part of the magic happens. These are no mere mechanical switches. No, they are optic switches. That means instead of a button being pressed to make a mechanical switch, these click buttons use light to activate. There is a constant source of light that, when clicked, breaks the beam of light causing the mouse to register the click. What this means is your clicks are literally registering at the speed of light... Let that sink in...
The two inside programmable buttons can be programmed to act like any button on both your keyboard or mouse. This is especially handy when things get hairy in-game or you simply need to page back through your browser. If you are someone who prefers to play MMO's then obviously having only 2 programmable buttons on the mouse is a bit of a letdown.
Within 20min I could feel the difference. I felt more spritely and energetic. Both of these feelings obviously help for a more focused mind as well as I felt a lot less drained by midday compared to my usual day. Which, by that time, I would have been on my third coffee. Mixing the X Gamer with 500ml of water also helps for the fluid level intake which I am really bad at. By 2 pm, the time the energy drinks usually start to wear off and you start to feel run-down and shaky the X Gamer was still going strong with absolutely ZERO negative feelings. On the contrary, It actually made me feel like drinking water instead of more coffee. This might be due to the slight parchedness it leaves in your mouth. All I did was fill up my shaker with some H2O and off I went.
The pricing is also decent with Takealot coming in at prices ranging from R499 to R749 at the time of checking. This might feel like a steep price to pay. But considering what you pay for your Seattle coffee on the way to work... X Gamer makes a lot more sense!
Razer, after releasing the Huntsman in 2018, to great response, has now made the Huntsman more esports inclined with the Huntsman Tournament Edition. Let's dive into the Huntsman TE and see why this is the option you need to look at when looking for an esports keyboard.
The biggest thing to remember about having a ten-keyless keyboard is the fact that there is no Numpad, for those of you who are constantly punching numbers into a spreadsheet, this is not the keyboard you need or want. Like all Razer products, it features loads of RGB and linked with the ever-evolving Synapse which, in my opinion, is probably the best peripheral software around. After spending a lot of time playing around in the Synapse software, fiddling with macros and lighting effects, as well as setting up profiles for the Huntsman, of which you can store 5 of them on the keyboard memory so you have your profiles with you even when you don't have your pc, I decided to leave it on ambient awareness. This mode lets the keyboard mimick the colours that are displayed on the screen.
An easy way to compare is that the Huntsman will type even when you are merely thinking of typing. For twitch gaming, which means games where reactions play a big role, the 1.5mm actuation makes the world of a difference and I could see the improvement in my gameplay once I got used to the light actuation point. For those who will be using the Huntsman for typing, expect many moans and even more backspaces for all the unwanted double letters. I started the review with the Huntsman and quickly reverted to the Blackwidow due to all the typing errors.
The Huntsman makes use of optomechanical switches. For those who are not clued up, this means when you press down on the key it interrupts a lazer underneath the switch. This has two main advantages, firstly it means there is nearly no latency, providing the quickest input possible. Secondly, it means there are less moving parts which mean that the keyboard should last substantially longer. Esports players are particularly hard on their hardware, similarly to players who tend to rage often, the Huntsman comes prepared for such user and should be able to withstand some serious punishment.