Shape-wise, G9 is a major step forward in design compared to the instantly recognisable appearance of the MX500 series and G5/G7 models. Its basis is much shorter, wider and not as elongated as its predecessors. In times like these, where most people opt to adjust their computer and working “tools” to their own needs and tastes, Logitech designers enabled G9 users to decide on the final shape and looks themselves. This was done by enabling easy swapping of mouse grips. In the original packaging, the user receives two of these – “Precision”, which is narrower, with a smaller thumb supporter, but also a rugged texture to prevent sweating, and “Wide Load”, which is wide, has a large thumb supporter and a satin texture to it. Don't worry if neither seems too attractive or suits your needs perfectly, Logitech announced additional grips to be made available for purchase soon. The position of the grip-change button, however, disables further elongation of the device in any combination, which may be bad news for users with a larger hand.

All of the buttons are located on the upper side of the mouse (the ordinary set of 9 programmable buttons), while the lower side contains profile change and MicroGear regime switches. Unlike the previous generations, left and right mouse buttons do no longer fit in the design of the mouse, but are made clearly visible instead. They have moderately large holes in them which prevent the finger from slipping aside while in the middle of combat.

Sensitivity control has also been transferred from its usual place to new keys located in the basis of the left mouse button. Beneath them is a LED sensitivity indicator, as well as the active profile one. What is interesting is that the two thumb buttons are only two microswitches in the basis of the mouse, which means that changing your grip can also change their external appearance, both in terms of size and sensitivity. Just like its predecessors, the G9 has a set of replaceable weights, which enable the user to set the overall mouse weight precisely according to his/her needs. To access the small weight “drawer” which contains four weight spaces, you need to remove the grip and press its lode. The weights are rhomboid and come in 2x4 sets of four-gram and seven-gram pieces, which adds up to a total of 28 grams of additional weight.

The MicroGear wheel is fairly smaller and more narrow than the wheel on the revolution mice where it first appeared; this form is an excellent choice as its shape and texture are very much alike to the ordinary rubber scroll-wheels while providing full MicroGear functionality. As you can only change the working regime by the switch on the lower side, we are positive that most of the players will use it in the ordinary “clicking” mode. Even in this mode, the wheel has enough momentum to scroll long Word/Excel files quickly. Before round one, certain preparations must be done (it even rhymes!). Although the mouse will be working properly with no drivers installed, to unlock its full potential, one must install the SetPoint drivers. The only CD that comes in the packaging does not contain the drivers, so they should be downloaded from the internet. Although this might seem a drawback, it is actually a good solution, since the drivers located on such discs are usually obsolete by the time you get them. After installation and choice of mouse, the application will offer you a quick and easy overview of each profile. Information is sorted under Basics, Buttons, Pointer and Scrolling. Basic offers setting up a name, save location and LED display colour change. The Buttons option provides full control over the nine buttons. Pointer is in charge of sensitivity (200-3200 dpi range), pointer acceleration and reports per second. Alongside all this, SetPoint also offers the option of Macro recording. All of the macros can be saved into one single profile inside the mouse itself and then used at any given PC. This means, however, than Linux and MacOS users have to connect the mouse to a Windows computer for initial installation, but everything will work perfectly afterwards. Windows users have yet another advantage in using SetPoint, which is application detection and automatic profile loading. While working (i.e. gaming), G9 has shown an expected level of precision and speed. All keys are easily accessible with no moving or bending fingers. Both grips keep maximum precision and the choice is entirely subject to the user (we believe that a mixture of the two, a wide-body rougher grip would be a bullseye).

To sum up, Logitech managed to get the best features of all its mice and fit them inside a single model. The G9 brings passionate gamers an improved laser sensor, shapeshifting, the MicroGear wheel, a fantastic cord and weight changing on-the-fly. Of course, all of these options come with a certain price tag to them, which are nearing the price of a great deal of gaming graphics cards, let alone other mice. However, this is an exclusive model after all, targeting a small, but very specific user group, which is at any time willing to pay for such quality.