MSI Star Mouse Gaming mouse with lights GS-501

Author: Toni 'HaoKi' Siik Published: 17.09.2008 Manufacturer: MSI Product Group: Input In English Suomeksi

Use

While using the mouse I really haven't run into any problems. The mouse functions as it's supposed to and after getting used to its shape the mouse has been comfortable to use.

Accuracy-wise I really have nothing to complain about as the mouse tracks well and even the lift-off distance is reasonable. I settled for a DPI of 2000 as the 3200 is just too fast for me. The mouse was tested with the same routine as the earlier Steelseries Ikari-mice and the mouse worked fine throughout the whole testing period.

Identical triplets?

While doing some research for this review I stumbled upon something fairly interesting. While reading through a couple of other reviews I really couldn't believe my eyes.

The OCZ Dominatrix and the newer MSI GS-502 follow the same design. The Cyber Snipa Stinger then again follows the same design as the GS-501. The coloration really is just about the only thing that's different with these mice. Not only the mice are the same, but the control-software for each of these mice looks just about the same. The layout is just a little bit different in each case.

The mice are all priced at around 40 €, and they really should be. It's a shame that companies nowadays just seem to buy finished products and just branding them, instead of designing something new. Oh well, at least if you like the design of this mouse you can choose which color scheme you want. The OCZ offer the blue-black theme, the Cyber Snipa a black-red theme and the MSI the flashy tribal theme.

Conclusion PROS  Looks (if you happen to like tribals and Vegas) Working design Price CONS  Looks (if you're really not a big fan of tribals and Vegas) Flimsy build-quality Not MSI's own product Software Bronze Award! I do hope that the software-side of the mouse will be improved. This version of the mouse, the GS-501, does feel a bit too "plasticy" especially when compared with the likes of the Steelseries Ikari-series and the Logitech G9. For a mouse this price, I really can't complain. If you like tribals and flashy lights, this may be the mouse for you. If not, you might want to look at the other variations of this mouse.

Additional Information

Past related articles in Metku.net Steelseries Ikari Laser & Optical Microsoft X5 & X6 Project: LogiNoki Logitech G9

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