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Review: Logitech G502 Proteus Core Gaming Mouse

The mouse, a simple and yet complicated device has forever changed the way we use our computers. While the keyboard was the only perpherial necessary during the start of the computing era, and we can still use a keyboard today for completeing a task like opening up My Computer or copy files from one folder to the other, the mouse just made those task a lot easier. In this review, let's take a look at the G502 by Logitech.

Logitech G502 Proteus Core gaming mouse, part of Logitech G-Series, presents itself with a brand new design like no other gaming mice Logitech has made before. The top of the mouse has a matte surface, with deep contour cuts as if was carved by a raging river, featuring sharp sudden turns, valleys, and deep drops. The side of the mouse are rubber to provide grip, and its triangular texture prints, gives it a extra touch. It even went the extra mile, in which the prints on the left and right are different from one another. The whole design of the mouse, everywhere you look at, from the top of the mouse and towards the bottom, it has staight lines and sharp angles, that you would think, who ever designed it, was given a ruler and just went mad with it. This made it look agressive and yet calm at the same time, as we see the tradition of the design, it tries not to break away from, with the smooth curves, and sleek round surface, which provides comfort, that Logitech is known for.

Logitech G502 has up 11 programmable buttons where it can be adjusted to almost whatever the user needs, with the Logitech mouse software. On the top, there are your typical left and right mouse buttons, between that is a metalltic coated scroll wheel, that supports middle click and side scrolling. Below the scroll wheel, we have a mechanical switch for the scroll wheel itself, follow by a profile switch just below that. And slightly towards the bottom left, we have the G logo which illuminates in blue. The mechanical switch is not programmable and it's only for the scroll wheel to either use it in ratchet or hyper scroll. Hyper Scroll lets the mouse wheel spin freely, which is a huge plus when viewing forums, long documents, and articles. Next to the left mouse button we have 2 additional G-keys. By default, it's programmed for DPI adjustment. Near the edge of left mouse button, we see 3 blue LED status lights, used for DPI and profile use indication. On the left side of the mouse, there are 2 more G-keys, follow by a all new key call G-Shift. This key basically lets you quickly use the lowest DPI setting you have adjusted in the Logitech software. Since this is a gaming mouse, some call it the sniper button, but you can use it for other things too, like working on the fine details while editing a photo. The mouse is right hand oriented, therefore on the right side, it's bare and has no buttons, just some slight support for your fingers. At the bottom, we have a removable cover that lets users adjust how heavy they want their mouse to be, with the supplied weights. And in the center we have our optical sensor.

Logitech mouse software, lets the user explore the full potential and features of this mouse. First there are those 11 programmable button that can be assigned to perform a different task, with each of the 3 onboard profiles. So profile 1 can have the mouse buttons for gaming, while profile 2 for entertainment, and so forth. Profile 3 on the other hand, when G-Shift is enabled, it allows alternative commands to be activated, basically doubling the number of commands available. Switching from onboard profiles to profiles on the computer, it lets the user set up to 5 gaming profiles of their choice. The gaming profiles can be selected from the downloaded list within the Logitech mouse software. Once a profile is set, users can select the special gaming commands and assign that to the individual mouse buttons. Power by a Pixart PMW3366DM optical sensor, Logitech G502 has a minimum of 200 DPI, and a maximum of up to 12,000 DPI. This gives a widerange of DPI options for the user to choose from, such as low DPI for precision like editing a Photo with a image editior, and a high DPI for rapid movement in games. While 12,000 DPI is almost impossible to use, one benefit with high DPI sensor count, is the ease of gliding the cursor from one side of the screen to the other, say in a multiple 4K display setup, without the need for a large surface area to move the mouse. Speaking of surface area, Logitech has incorporated a new feature into their software call Surface Turning. Surface Tuning lets you optimize the mouse for the best sensor performance on the type of surface you're working on. There are some pre-set surfaces where users can do a quick select, but users can add more surface of their choice by creating a surface profile and then run a figure 8 movement with the mouse until the process is complete. A unique feature included with the Logitech mouse software is the Key Press Heat Map. This records the number of times each button is pressed during a certain session. Note that this feature, cannot set a specific time limit to record your key presses, as it has to be turn on and off manually. There is one way however of doing so, that is with a Logitech Keyboard, users can assign a G Key to start and stop the Key Press Heat Map.


Using the mouse for almost 6 months, in a palm like grip, it's quite comfortable even after long hours of use. The sensor doesn't lag or skip while playing games. The G-Shift does help for those precise movements, but it's rarely used, in total, about 3 times since the mouse was first used. After setting to something else useful, that button can be quite handy. Pressing each of the available buttons on the mouse, it provided a good tactle feed back follow by a audible click, which makes you know a button has been pressed. Hyper Scroll is awesome, especially when viewing long articles. Having already own 2 additional Logitech mice with this feature, personally, it's a must have for all of my future mice purchase. The mouse isn't without its flaws as discovered when trying to use the G-Shift alternative command keys. It's impossible to use with your thumb to hold the G-Shift key and press the G4 and G5 button at the same time. You'll need to use 2 fingers to achieve this, like using the index finger for the G-Shift, that free up your thumb, where it can then press the G4 and G5 keys. Mentioned earlier with the illuminated G logo, with the old firmware, the logo can be turned off. With the new firmware, it adds some breathing effects to it, but the logo cannot be turned off, instead users can adjust the brightness of it. Setting the brightness slider all the way towards the left, is consider as off. At a retail price of $80, this mouse is not cheap and there are probably other Logitech gaming mice that is friendly to your wallet, but with the amount of features this mouse brings, some might find it to be worth it.

 

 

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Logitech G502 right side, G-Shift is located at bottom left

 

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Logitech G502 left side, no function on this side, except admire the triangular pattern inprints

 

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Bird's eye view

 

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Bottom, optical sensor located at center

 

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Cover removed, revealing the additional weights. Each weight is 3.6G, you get a total of 5 pieces with the package

 

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The weights itself in the supplied case

 

 

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Logitech Mouse Software

Users can set DPI, Profiles, USB polling rate, and customize the function of the mouse buttons

 

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Profile 3: Enable G-Shift shows the alternative commands

 

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Setting that G-Shift key for good use

 

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Assigining gaming commands to the individual mouse buttons

 

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Logitech's Surface Tuning

 

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Logitech's Key Press Heat Map

 

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Logitech's G-Logo LED adjustment panel

 

 

 

 

Score
8/10
[+]: Adjustable weights, high DPI sensor, Hyper Scroll, Surface Tuning
[-]: No G-logo off switch, G4 and G5 alternative command key are difficult to execute, Price

 

 

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The price is a big con, such priced mouse doesn't justify it's price compared to much cheaper ones.

Only the great sensor isn't worth it in my opinion.

 

Nonetheless, great and detailed review.

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Turning the lighting intensity all the way down turns the G light off.  

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You can turn the G light off.  Anyways, the only con for me was the price, but I paid the full $80 for it.  Others have been able to get it as low as $50-$60 after good deals on NCIX.com.  Also, the G402 is a fantastic alternative for $50 that comes with a few less features, but same aesthetic and ergonomics.

 

I love this mouse, absolutely love it.  Best mouse I have ever used by far, and I've tried out quite a few gaming mice.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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Adjusting the brightness slider all the way to the left, means the G-Logo is off, but to me I don't see it as off. I see it as setting to the lowest possible state. It's like turning on your monitor and then setting your brightness down to 0. Well now your screen is black so that means it's "off"? What Logitech shouldn't have done with their firmware was to keep the off switch option and just add the brightness slider. That way you can just turn if on and off when you want to, instead of adjusting the brightness all the time. I was about to get the G600 or the G602 to replace my G700, which had started to produce phantom clicks. Both of the 600 and 602 has a good number of side buttons like the G700, but the lack of hyper scroll on both and the low DPI sensor on the G602, made me look at something else. If G602 has hyper scroll and a higher DPI sensor like 5,700 just like my G700, then that would have been my first choice. But it wasn't so I went with the G502. It's a great mouse and I really like it. Maybe a G702 in the future, if that thing ever exist.

Intel Xeon E5 1650 v3 @ 3.5GHz 6C:12T / CM212 Evo / Asus X99 Deluxe / 16GB (4x4GB) DDR4 3000 Trident-Z / Samsung 850 Pro 256GB / Intel 335 240GB / WD Red 2 & 3TB / Antec 850w / RTX 2070 / Win10 Pro x64

HP Envy X360 15: Intel Core i5 8250U @ 1.6GHz 4C:8T / 8GB DDR4 / Intel UHD620 + Nvidia GeForce MX150 4GB / Intel 120GB SSD / Win10 Pro x64

 

HP Envy x360 BP series Intel 8th gen

AMD ThreadRipper 2!

5820K & 6800K 3-way SLI mobo support list

 

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  • 1 year later...

If the logo was RGB it would be 11/10. Still good they have an LED option

Still one of the best if not the best mouse ever. Top 3 best gaming mouse is history I bet.

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