A Redfox Review
Razer Copperhead vs. Logitech G7 gaming mouse
Razer Copperhead vs. Logitech G7 gaming mouse
I keep waiting for the next big step in game controls to take me to the next level of play. The Nintendo Wii is just around the corner to offer improved play for consoles, but little looms in the future for desktop computers. But thanks to companies like Razer and Logitech, high resolution laser gaming mice can improve your old setup. There are many reviews on both of these mice individually but little comparing them. I'll put both of these high end units thru their paces and see how they compare.
When these mice arrived I was looking forward to ditching my old standard optical mouse and moving into the world of 2000dpi laser gaming goodness. Both boxes look similar and reveal the specs about these mice.
| Razer Copperhead™ Technical Specifications 2000 DPI Laser Engine Powered
by Razer Precision™ |
The Logitech G7
Cordless Mouse delivers extreme cordless performance with a
2000 dpi laser engine for blinding speed and precision response.
The G7´s full-speed, bi-directional USB connection sends a blazing
500 reports/second* over 2.4 GHz wireless for a bulletproof connection.
Dead batteries won´t stop you mid-mission, thanks to a five-level
power indicator and twin “hot-swappable” Li-ion battery packs that
recharge while you´re racking up points. Use Logitech´s SetPoint
software to customize your mouse with advanced features such as
game detection and adjustable sensitivity (including independent
x- and y-axis settings). The programmable tilt wheel adds an unprecedented
level of control and gaming power. 2000 dpi laser engine An ultra-high resolution engine churns images at an astounding 6.4 megapixels per second. A massive (30-pixel by 30-pixel) sensor array and precision laser technology allow the G7 to deliver best-in-class performance and tracking. In-game sensitivity switching The G7 provides instant access to three sensitivity levels— 400 dpi, 800 dpi, and 2000 dpi—before driver installation. Shift from pixel-precise targeting to fast-twitch maneuvers, without pausing the action. Full-speed USB + 2.4 GHz cordless 4X faster than conventional mice, USB delivers blazing speed and instant acceleration. With a 5X** stronger connection, 2.4 GHz wireless "bulletproofs" the G7 against lags and interference dropouts. Two fast-swap ultra-light Li-ion packs Recharging doesn´t have to mean pausing the action. In the default gaming power mode, the battery life will last up to two and a half days for average game play.*** Battery-level indicator The five-level gauge tells you exactly how much game time remains. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) gaming feet Forget sticky workarounds—the G7's durable polytetrafluoroethylene feet give the ultra-smooth glide you want in a gaming mouse. |
Both units sport an USB only interface, ditching the old P/S2 connection.
This offers a higher bandwidth to transfer all the mouse's movements efficiently.
The Razer Copperhead offers an always on laser in order to avoid the millisecond
lag that occurs when you first move an idle mouse. The Logitech G7 being
wireless would rip thru battery life if it never powered down, but it takes
a full minute of not moving before it goes idle. Unless you love to just
sit still for long periods of time while gaming, you'll avoid any idle mouse
lag. Both units sport a high 2000dpi laser & sensor setup with USB interface,
but from there they begin to vary quickly.
Razer Copperhead
The
Copperhead is a wired gaming mouse with a long 7' cord that is plenty to
reach wherever you desire. The Copperhead is light weight, so light in fact,
it is almost not perceivable when you hold it. The mouse is best held with
your finger tips and the rest of your hand hovering over it, like an animal
about to pounce. And pounce you will as you feel this mouse come alive in
your hands.The slightest nimble movement of my fingers sent the mouse flying. At the full 2000dpi, the mouse moved like a bat out of hell. So I quickly reduced the settings to 1600dpi to give me time to adjust to running at the new high speed settings.. At this lower setting, my control of the cursor was fast and accurate. (I like knowing there is a higher setting available once I master this one) The first few days I found my cursor flying all around the screen if I became distracted. The slightest movement of my hand was massive on screen. But after a few days, my control became refined. I could move both rapidly and slowly with precise smooth control. I was in heaven. I don't know how I lived so long without a high dpi mouse.
The Copperhead has 7 buttons. 2 on each side, the standard 2 on
top,
and 1 clickable scroll wheel. I found the 2 on my pinky side were useless
to me. There was no way my hand could comfortably bend to click them while
gaming. Even when doing nothing but trying to click them, it was still awkward.
The pinky side buttons are initially assigned to adjust the dpi on the fly
(allowing you to speed up or slow down the mouse without adjusting computer
settings.) Every button of the Copperhead can be programmed thru the included
software. Thanks to the 32kb of built in memory in the mouse, it remembers
its programming even when plugged into a new computer. The other buttons
were great; they responded to the lightest touch and were well placed. There
were a few times while gaming that I accidentally clicked due to their responsiveness.
After a couple of days of gaming, I stopped clicking by accident. The scroll
wheel moves smoothly and has good level of resistance.Left handed gamers can rejoice, the Copperhead is designed to be held with either hand. It is ideally made to be held by ones finger tips. Its light weight compliments this pose. If you like to rest your hand on your mouse, you'll find this mouse may not be for you.
VS
Logitech G7
Logitech G7
The
Logitech G7 is another cup of tea. While the specs may be comparable to
the Razer Copperhead, the style and feel is entirely different. Just holding
the mice, one in each hand, the G7 feels much heavier. It feels well constructed
and rock solid (to the point where you could bounce it off someone’s head
during a LAN session and only thing that would be damaged is the person's
head.)The G7 is a wireless mouse. Some people would argue that a true gaming mouse should be wired for optimal response. The Logitech G5 is the wired version of this mouse. But for the purpose of the review I went with the higher end G7. I’m glad to say I never had any issues with the wireless signal and had no interference. Logitech uses a intelligent frequency hopping technique that seems to work well, even with my 802.11b/g router only a few feet away.
I simply plugged the USB base stand in and charged the first battery in 2 hours (It has a second mode that slowly charges over 10 hours for use on laptops or other low power computers.) The G7 comes with 2 batteries, each with an estimated 8 hour battery life. With the short 2 hour charge time and easy swapping, you’ll never have to worry about not having a charged mouse.
After its initial charge, I popped the battery into the G7 mouse and took it for a test drive. Even at the full 2000dpi, it didn’t have the same zippy feel the Copperhead had. While the movement was smooth and rapid, some of the speed was gone. The extra weight of the mouse slowed down how fast I could move it. The change is a mixed bag, it makes it easier to control the pointer while using standard apps, but it made it a little less responsive for quick movements in game. In game mouse sensitivity settings can be changed to result in the same feel, but I was surprised by the default variance. The mouse has 2 dedicated buttons for adjusting the dpi on the fly (just below the scroll wheel.) There is a display that shows both remaining power and the current dpi setting. Since I found the 2000dpi setting good for everything I was doing, I didn’t see a reason to change it.. The buttons are well placed, and despite initial concerns that I might accidentally press them, I never had any problems with them.
Once I adjusted to the G7, my in game play was equally as good as with the Copperhead. The controls were very smooth and responsive. Using a high dpi mouse makes it much easier to make subtle aim adjustments. The G7 has fewer buttons than most other gaming mice. It has one button for the thumb, the standard two on top, and a click/tilt wheel. The single thumb button vs. the 2 found on the Copperhead may make a difference in some games where every button counts, but the G7's button is well placed and works nicely. The 2 top buttons are a little firmer then the Copperhead’s but are equally good for fast response. The spin of the mouse wheel has a bit more resistance than the Copperhead, but it still responds well. Like most mouse wheels, it spins and clicks downwards, but it also allows you to push it to the left or right. In order to allow the tilt function to work, the wheel sticks up a little higher than average. The tilt function effectively offers 2 more buttons with easy access on the mouse, effectively offering 1 more easily usable button than the Copperhead.
The G7 is shaped to be comfortably cupped in your hand. It has grooving
designed to hold your thumb just below the thumb button. Some people may
not like the shape, but I found it to be comfortable in my hand. Left handed
users will be out of luck with this mouse, its design is for right hand
use only. With the way it’s held and the additional weight, the G7 is moved
more with wrist motion than one's fingers. Whether a person prefers a moving
a mouse by finger tip or thru wrist movement is a personal choice. I found
both equally easy to use, but some may find one style more comfortable than
the other.All in all, both mice are high quality and offer a world of improvement over standard optical mice. Ideally, you should try out both mice and see how they feel to you. Hopefully this comparison gives you some extra insight as to what to expect from each mouse. For more information check out the Logitech G7 and the Razer Copperhead.
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I'll see you on the game servers...
-The Redfox