Installation:

SetPoint is needed if you want to enjoy all the features of the G9. It's not needed; if you don't want to install another program that's running all the time, you can just plug the G9 in and you'll be ready to go. DPI switching between predefined levels still works, but if you want to configure the DPI switching, use custom profiles stored onboard the mouse or adjust the USB refresh rate, you'll have to install SetPoint. The latest version is 5, and it's available from Logitech's site. No CD is included, a curious cost-saving measure considering the elaborate packaging of the G9.

Installation is easy, and didn't require a restart for me, the way things should be for a peripheral such as a mouse. After it's done, you're treated the redesigned SetPoint, which looks very much like a web browser, with the home and back/forward buttons at the top. (It probably uses a browser as the rendering engine somewhere)

Installation.

SetPoint works for a variety of Logitech mice.

Basic configuration.

Profile options.

Button configuration.

Button options.

Besides offering the basics of configurable buttons, pointer and scrolling speeds, SetPoint for the G9 also allows you to configure the values for the DPI switching. Up to five separate DPI levels can be set between 200 and 3200 DPI, and allows for horizontal and vertical values to be set independently. It's safe to say that most people will find this level of customization to be more than enough.

When assigning button actions, SetPoint clearly highlights which button you're working with, making it easy for you. Besides a long list of predefined actions, you can also record your own macros to use with the G9, similar to how you could use macros with the G15 keyboard. I'm not sure how much use the macro option will be for most people, but it's still nice to have such a customizable feature in SetPoint. However, that isn't the end of it.

Pointer speed and DPI levels.

Assigning a macro.

Scroll wheel.

Using profiles.

Editing a macro.

Firmware options.

An innovative feature Logitech included with the G9 is support for profiles. A profile basically consists of all the settings and button configuration details that were described earlier. You can save all of this information into a profile; multiple profiles can be set up for different uses. For example, you could have a default profile for the button settings you'd use for general desktop work and a gaming profile for FPS games.

There are two main ways you can use these profiles. The first is to let SetPoint fully manage the profiles for you. In this case, there is automatic application detection - SetPoint will automatically activate the profile you associate with an application when it detects that application has focus. In this case, you don't need to store the profiles in the on board memory. In the second way, you can store up to five different profiles in the G9's onboard memory. Using this option, you can manually switch between them using the profile button on the bottom of the G9. This may seem like it's less useful, but it allows you to persistently store profiles on the G9 itself, so that if you bring the mouse to another PC you'll still have your settings. (If your profile includes advanced settings that require SetPoint, that PC will still need SetPoint for the functionality)

SetPoint options.

Storing profiles in onboard memory.

You can configure the colour of the LEDs on the G9's display within SetPoint as well; different profiles can be set to different colours, so this is how you can tell which profile is active for the G9. As mentioned before, the LEDs display the primary colours quite well, but shades are hard to tell apart. Nonetheless, for the max of 5 onboard profiles, you can easily find 5 different colours that show well on the G9's LEDs.

Testing:

Being a gaming mouse, I had to test the G9 with a slew of games. FPS games tested included Crysis, COD4:MW, CS:S and TF2. Other games included Guild Wars and Supreme Commander, which I haven't had much time to play as of late. Regular desktop usage was also tested.

It was immediately noticeable how accurate and precise the G9 was, both on the desktop and in games. If you're using a large screen at a high resolution, you'll appreciate the increased DPI level offered by the G9, which allows you to up the mouse speed without sacrificing pixel-precise precision. However, I almost have to wonder if we need more than 2000 DPI - which was the max of the previous G5/G7 mice. To be truthful, I could not differentiate between those previous mice and the G9, which is rated at 3200 DPI. Additionally, the G9 supports a 1000 Hz USB polling rate - this is the number of times the position of the cursor is refreshed on screen. To be honest, I think that this matters more than an insanely high DPI. Nevertheless, all you need to know is that the G9 is extremely accurate.

Comfort is extremely important for a mouse, since beside the keyboard, it's the only part of your PC that you regularly touch unless you have some sick fetish. The G9 is somewhat slimmer and less curved than previous Logitech mice, and thus requires a slightly different fingertip grip, rather than a full-hand grip. Personally, I prefer a full hand grip over a fingertip one, but the G9's was not uncomfortable. In fact, the wide load grip of the G9, with ample thumb support and a nice feel was quite comfortable. The wide base of the G9 also helps in this respect..

All of the buttons on the G9 felt firm and not mushy, offering good tactile feedback. All were easy to reach as well. The MicroGear wheel was also firm when clicked, though you'll want to have it in ratchet mode so that you don't accidentally activate the wheel while clicking. While the low-friction "free-spin" mode of the wheel was nice, I didn't really use it too much. Scrolling through long web pages or spreadsheets could be helpful with the spin-free mode, but otherwise it's a bit of a novelty.

Storing profiles in the onboard memory may seem neat, but may have limited usefulness for keeping your mouse settings with you. After all, how often do you use your mouse on another PC? Additionally, switching profiles manually is a bit tedious, since you must hold down the profile button on the bottom of the mouse while pressing another button on top of the mouse. Just using SetPoint's automatic profile detection and switching seems much more useful.

About the only problem on the G9 is where the LED display is located. If you have your hand on the mouse, your index finger will cover it up, making it impossible to see what the current DPI setting is. Logitech should have located it somewhere else, like on the previous G5/G7 mice, where it was easily visible..

Conclusion:

Overall, the G9 is a strong follow up for Logitech into their G-series. Though it may look weird, and even ugly to some, it is comfortable, accurate and feature-filled, making it an obvious choice for any gamer. The only shortcoming is the location of the LED display which is blocked by your hand during usage.

Another point to consider is the price. At a MSRP of $100, it's certainly not a budget item, but then again, neither are the features. With customizable grips and weights, you're not going to find this in the bargain bin. However, I do have to wonder if the DPI rating of 3200 is a bit of overkill. I certainly could not tell the difference between this and a 2000 DPI mouse, but then again, I don't consider myself a hardcore gamer.

Despite this, the G9 is a very capable mouse and one I can recommend to those looking for the best.

Pros:

• Very accurate and precise

• 3200 DPI and 1000 Hz polling rate

• Changeable grips

• Weight tuning system

• Onboard LEDs to show active DPI/profile

• Comfortable

• Forward/back buttons

• Onboard memory for profiles

Cons:

• LED display hidden by hand during usage

• Onboard memory may have limited usefulness

• Not everyone may like the fingertip-like grip

Thanks go out to Logitech for making this review possible.

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