As usual, Logitech is pushing its new G9 as a gamer's mouse, and this time there can be little doubt about their target market.  While the G5 was excellent for a number of different uses including precise photo editing, the G9 proudly boasts a 3200 dpi mode that will definitely please gamers.  Set to its maximum speed, the cursor moves four times faster than a normal mouse (800 dpi)--without losing any precision. This compares favorably with 800 dpi artificially accelerated in Windows, whose movements are far less fluid.

To help you understand what this means, this table (which doesn't include software acceleration) shows how far across your screen the cursor will move if you move your mouse 5 cm across the desk:

5 cm on your desk equates to:
Resolution (dpi)	Cursor Movement (pixels)
800	1575
1000	1969
2000	3937
3200	6299

At 3200 dpi, just moving your mouse 5 cm will cause the cursor to travel from one edge of a pair of 30'' screens to the other, or three 24'' monitors arranged side by side.  Naturally, this much speed is of limited interest to the vast majority of users ...

Another innovation is that the G9 comes in three configurations: ‘naked’ (not particularly useful as the thumb buttons are too far back) or with a choice of two grips. The first is a wide but low grip, while the second is thinner and taller.  For us the taller version (standing lower than the G5) was more comfortable and the position seemed more natural and less fatiguing.

3200 cpi, 1000 Hz, and a weight tuning system

Otherwise, the G9 still has the same basic characteristics as the previous G5:

- a 1000 Hz transmission rate.  The G9 sends its position to the computer 1000 per second versus 125 Hz for a classic mouse.  This means a delay of 1/1000 = 1 ms, versus the usual 8 ms when relaying your movements.  One inconvenience for mice of this type is that the higher rate means much more CPU use.


As you can see above, setting the mouse to 1000 Hz can really lower your machine’s performances.  In our case, we were using an "antique" Intel P4 set at 2.4 GHz.  It killed all processes on our machine and no games functioned.  The G9 consumed more than 50% of the processor when revved up! At 500 Hz, this figure is cut in half, and going even lower the decrease is not as exponential.  On all of our trials, the best option was an ‘’unheard of’’ 333 Hz instead of 250 Hz.

We came to the same conclusion with a more recent computer, this time equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 and Windows Vista Premium. Here, CPU use was less stable than with XP, but overall behavior was very similar.


At 1000 Hz, some may be afraid that their favorite game will have problems running smoothly because the mouse alone consumes 40% of the processor with highs of 65 %. Once again, it’s 333 Hz that turns out to be the least detrimental.

- cursor speed is adjustable on the fly via two buttons placed on top of the mouse.  Here, you can set this parameter on a scale from 200 to 3200 cpi, versus 400 – 2000 cpi on the G5. Like in the past, five levels can be manually set, however, there is now the possibility to preprogram profiles to match your application.  For example, in Oblivion the mouse could be automatically set to 800 cpi and then be instantly changed to 3200 cpi in Counter Strike, and then 200 cpi in Photoshop.  All of this information is stored in the mouse.  Also, the profile can be associated to a different colored diode on the mouse for faster identification.

Note that the driver has changed for the G9.   All options are now assembled in a single page.

- weights can be tuned to add 4 to 28 grams to the mouse, which already starts out heavier than the G5. An aside to Razer fans; the G9 seems a little bit too heavy to be guided with just your finger tips and there is too much inertia.  Even if it is lower to the desk than the G5, you will need your entire hand for precise movements.

- there is a laser sensor, very similar to that of the G5’s. It functions on all surfaces, including shiny ones.  Unless you are looking for the ideal glide, good laser mice do not needs mouse pads.  One criticism of "purist" gamers is that in quick acceleration, laser sensors skip more often than LEDs.  Therefore, the success of the Razer Death Adder based on LED technology.  However, you need to be a real pro to actually notice the difference.