OVERVIEW:- Awesome mouse, which has one of the best sensors (the Pixart PMW3366) out on the market right now. It's incredibly accurate because there is virtually no positive or negative acceleration, in addition to the amazing tracking. It's also quite responsive when compared to my Mionix Avior 8200, which uses an Avago ADNS-9800 sensor. In terms of the weight, I think it's a perfect balance regarding the design, and achieves a near 50/50 (front and rear weight) experience on both ends. It feels incredible to hold and to use with my medium-sized hands. This is a weapon that gives the bearer confidence to aim accurately for any situation he/she may be in.
ERGONOMICS:- I'm in between a claw grip and fingertip user, so the somewhat small size doesn't put too much of a burden on my hands. However, the G303's construction is a bit on the plasticy harsh side, whereas a Mionix Avior 8200 does feel better since the extra rubberized coating helps soften the total experience. However some of the plastic has matte finish on it, which does make it feel a bit nicer. In general, it's a love or hate it relationship with the ergonomics of this mouse. My hands are medium sized.
BUTTONS & LAYOUT:- I think this is one of the best features the G303 has. First of all, the right and left click buttons provide amazing feedback, and the metal spring tension system really shines here. The clicks are very satisfying, and has just the right amount of force needed to press them comfortably and confidently. The middle mouse button is somewhat of an improvement when compared to the Mionix Avior 8200, but not totally. The middle mouse button has a slight resistance when trying to scroll up and down, which is a good thing. Pressing it is equally satisfying as the right and left mouse buttons, and provides the same feedback. The layout of the side buttons are very good in my opinion. I rarely use them, so where they are—which is a little further to the top—means I won't accidentally press them. Unfortunately, these side buttons do not have the same switches it seems, so the feedback and response isn't the same as the right, left, and middle mouse buttons. The DPI cycling button does the job, nothing really worth mentioning here other than the feedback is a bit on the lackluster side in my personal opinion. However the DPI cycling button is designed so you don't accidentally press it; the surface is raised higher towards the rear of the mouse.
PERFORMANCE-: Using one of the best sensors on the market, which is the Pixart PMW3366, this mouse is without a doubt, the most accurate I have used. The tracking is absolutely astonishing, the ability to "tune" the sensor for the surface which it rests upon is a huge plus (this is done with the Logitech Gaming Software), and there is no positive or negative acceleration, which helps immensely for accuracy. The 12000 DPI is a marketing gimmick for all purposes, but the gaming software is very good in that you can tune the DPI in 50 point increments. For those curious, the range that you can set it to ranges from 200-12000 DPI. It's also worth mentioning that the responsiveness of this mouse is very good. I feel that when compared with the Mionix Avior 8200, the G303 just seems to respond slightly faster to my hand moving it. I notice it in the game I play (HAWKEN) which I have logged almost 2,500 hours in. I've played that game with the Avior 8200 at around 3/4 of the total playtime. Oh, and of course, right out of the gate, my aim improved quite dramatically, and I notice that I am more confident in utilizing twitch movements to aim precisely at the target. No acceleration problems that did plague the Mionix Avior 8200 mouse that I was using.
SOFTWARE-: Nothing too amazing, but it does the job and is not filled to the brim with software bugs (only tested it for a few days however, 64-bit version)—which is good. It has quite decent customization with the lighting, the sensor profiles, and the DPI values. I don't use profiles at all, which also includes macros. But, the option is there if you want to use it.
RGB LIGHTING-: The lighting quality on my unit is very good and bright. The mesh effect is pretty cool too. Nothing too aggressive like some Roccat mice. You can adjust the brightness within the software, and can change the lighting effect between color cycle and breathing effect. The Logitech Gaming Logo is also lit up pretty decently. The color accuracy and the quality of the LEDs in here seem to be better than the Mionix Avior 8200. All in all, it's very good. It's a nice addition to make the mouse feel that bit more customizable.
BUILD QUALITY-: The build quality is, somewhat decent. I don't know if it's because Logitech opted for less rubberized coating to reduce the weight, but when compared to the Avior 8200, the G303 just doesn't compare. The build quality on the G303 is certainly not the best, and does feel like it's going to take a beating in the next couple of years, perhaps even months. However, in the hand, it does not feel this way. Holding it in the air, shaking it somewhat violently to hear for rattling of parts, I do not hear anything, which does indicate it is sturdy with it's design. Apparently, some early units of the G303 had some kind of bad manufacturing that caused rattling to be heard when it undergoes shaking. It seems Logitech has fixed this on my unit. For the $50 price tag, I'd expect a little bit more durability, but in my opinion, it's not a total deal breaker given so many excellent features of this mouse. If you can find this guy on sale for $10 or more, it's certainly worth the cost. Even if this isn't the case, it's still worth it in my opinion. It's not a cheap feeling plastic mouse, but does not compete with the durability of Mionix mice.
PROS & CONS-:
Pros:
- The sensor is one of the best on the market (superb tracking, no acceleration, responsiveness top notch)
- Small and relatively lightweight
- Great button layout and feedback
- Decent RGB LED Lighting
- Customizability via the Logitech Gaming Software
- Well thought out and unique design makes this great to use with claw/fingertip grip
- Excellent button layout
- Cable management via included attached velcro strap (nice!)
- Sturdy construction, no rattling is heard when it is shaken
Cons:
- Somewhat of a lackluster build quality
- Side buttons have very poor feedback
- The price can be hard to sink in, given some of the complaints with the build quality (price tag is $50 as of this review)
| Wireless Type | 802.11abg |
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