Logitech G5 Vs Razer Death Adder

VS

I have decided to put two of the best mice on the market head to head in both a gaming and every day use environment. There are those of you out there that believe a high grade gaming mouse is only for gaming and is a waste for every day use. I was one of those people until I took the leap and purchased my first Logitech G5 gaming mouse. The overall feel and performance was dramatically increased from my old $7 optical mouse and in my opinion was worth every cent. So much so that I would never, by choice, go back to anything but a mouse similar to the ones below.

Both these mice have very similar specs and performance capabilities. They can both have their pooling increased to an amazing 1000 Mhz, giving them a response time of only 1ms. This basically means that when you move the mouse there is only 1ms time delay for the pointer on the screen to move, giving an all round smoother feel to the mouse/screen relationship. The G5 has a maximum DPI setting of 2000 DPI whereas the death adder only has 1800. This difference is not noticeable at all and is basically just a reference to how fast the mouse moves on the screen. One thing that the G5 does have over the Death Adder is the on the fly DPI switching. Using the Logitech software you can have up to 5 different DPI settings which can be changed up or down by the push of a button on the mouse. The Death Adder on the other hand does not have on the fly switching but it does have on board firmware. This firmware is able to remember up to five different profiles, on the mouse itself, and preload a default one when you plug it into another machine, even if it doesn’t have the Razer software installed. This means you can set the mouse up exactly how you want it and it will stay that way no matter what computer it is plugged into, very handy.

Let’s look at comfort. The Death Adder is quite a light mouse but surprisingly enough it does feel quite solid. However the G5 comes with a small tin of weights and a weight cartridge so that you can setup your weight distribution to suit your comfort needs. I found this feature to be quite useful in increasing the overall comfort of the mouse and very unique. Both these mice are quite ergonomic. The G5 has some very nice grooves on each side that make the mouse easy to grip and seem to be more of a fingertip mouse. The Death Adder on the other hand seems to mold to your hand and the smooth rubber finish makes your hand feel right at home during use. The Death Adder is definitely more of a palm style mouse. After several hours of use of each mouse I would have to say that the death adder is a marginal winner when it comes to comfort. I believe this is a personal preference and something you will realise as soon as you lay hands an either mouse. The molded shape of the death adder almost convinces you that the mouse and your hand are one, thus providing superior comfort and performance.

 

I have done some testing with the mice on various surfaces. I found that the Death Adder is compatible with more surfaces than the G5. The G5 struggled to track on black and shiny surfaces that didn’t seem to phase the Death Adder. This is due to the different technologies used to power both the mice, with the G5 using laser technology whilst the Death Adder is using infrared technology.

 

These mice are easily two of the best mice on the market and I was very hard pressed in making a decision between the two. I chose the Death Adder over the G5 based primarily on comfort rather than functionality and performance. Both these mice are extremely well designed and I am sure that if you purchased either you would not be disappointed. It would be very hard to say which mouse has a better level of performance and in my opinion I would handle both mice before purchase and make your decision based upon personal comfort level. If you are looking for a mouse for predominately gaming I would definitely go for the death adder but for a combination of everyday use and gaming I would tend towards the G5.

 

So, if you’re ready to take the leap and want to reap the benefits of using a high precision mouse I would not hesitate in purchasing one of these two mice. They are both very well built

 

Logitech G5:

 

Pros:

-          up to 5 on the fly changeable dpi settings

-          changeable weight settings

-          finger style ergonomics

-          solid design and feel

-          Forward and back buttons

-          Changeable weight setup

-          Very solid design and feel

-          Reliability of Logitech design

 

Cons:

-          ergonomics whilst good are not suited for all users

-          mouse wheel very stiff and a little skinny

-                                         

 

Razer Death Adder:

 

Pros:

-          Unbelievably comfortable, fits like a glove

-          Molded mouse buttons

-          Mouse wheel very nice

-          Forward and back buttons

-          Very smooth on all surfaces

-          On board firmware to save your favourite mouse settings

 

Cons:

-          No on the fly DPI switching

-          No mouse wheel scroll left and right buttons

-          Mouse scroll button is sticky sometimes