GIGABYTE is one of the most well known component vendors in the business. Over the last year, they’ve hit the accessory market with renewed vigor, bringing fresh accessories with reworked internals and flashier looks than ever before. Back in February, we looked at AORUS K9 Optical Gaming Keyboard and came away impressed. Will the RGB-infused AORUS M5 do the same? Join us as we find out in this review of the AORUS M5 Gaming Mouse.
Specifications
- Current Pricing: $69.99
- Interface: USB
- Tracking System: Pixart 3389 Optical Sensor
- Sensitivity: 50~16000dpi with 50dpi increments (Default: 800/1200/1600/2400dpi)
- Report Rate: 125/ 500/ 1000Hz
- Maximum Tracking Speed: 400 inches/ second
- Maximum Acceleration: 50G
- DPI Switch: Yes
- Scrolling: Standard (3D)
- Switch/Life: Omron/50 million times
- Dimension: (L)128*(W)72*(H)43 mm
- Weight: 118g~130.5g
- Cable Length: 1.8m matte black PVC cable / Gold-plated USB connector
- Color: Matte Black
- Packing Content: Spare Mouse Feet Pads/ Users Manual/ Metal Weights
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The AORUS M5 is the successor to GIGABYTE’s popular AORUS M3 and is next level in virtually every way. The design is similar but updated with a refreshed look, slightly modified sculpting, and a new customizable weight and balance system. It also features the updated Pixart 3389 optical sensor which boasts an incredible 16K DPI, fully adjustable in 50 DPI increments. You’ll also find that it’s about as flashy as mice come, featuring dual light bars on the left and right sides, an RGB AORUS logo, and an illuminated mouse wheel.
The M5 is a larger mouse, definitely suited to palm-gripped users. It comes in at 128mm long and 72mm wide. Compared to the Logitech G Pro 16K I had used previously, it feels much more substantial in the hand, which takes some getting used to when aiming. It’s also on the heavier side at 118g without any additional weights. This makes it a better fit for slower paced games like MMOs and RPGs than first-person shooters - theoretically. In my own experience, I’ve found mouse weight is a pretty subjective thing and actually rather like a mouse with a little weight to it.
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Which brings us to the other neat addition: the ability to customize the M5’s weight. The bottom panel of the mouse is held in place by a magnet and has a place for up to five 2.5g weights. This allows the weight to go all the way to 130.5g (and they fit snug, so don’t worry about rattle or their coming loose mid-match). The rear weight, above the AORUS logo in the picture above, shifts the balance to the rear, which works well if you play at higher DPIs and lift to “reset” using only your wrist.
Under the hood, the left and right mouse buttons use Japanese Omron switches. Omrons are the best in the business and these are rated for 50-million clicks each. Interesting, there’s a pretty definitive difference between the sound and feeling of the left and right mouse buttons. Right clicking feels and sounds softer, whereas the left click is more pronounced and tactile.
When it comes to buttons, the M5 has seven total, including the left and right mouse buttons. You also have two buttons for adjusting DPI as well as the forward and back buttons on the left side. These can be remapped inside the AORUS software if you’d rather throw a key combination for your favorite game on any of the keys. As someone who has spent the last decade playing on MMO mice almost exclusively, I still miss having additional buttons on my thumb, but since skill-bars are more limited than ever in modern games, the loss is softer than it’s ever been.
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Also inside the AORUS software, you can customize all of the lighting on the mouse. I would recommend you do this too because out of the box the colors shift at their fastest setting, which is an odd choice to say the least. Slowed down a bit though, the M5 can look downright fantastic. The side light pipes look just fantastic. When properly customized, the AORUS M5 is one of the best looking mice I’ve ever seen.
I games, the Pixart 3389 works wonderfully. It tracks pixel-by-pixel which means you’ll find it exceptionally accurate. Likewise, you’ll also find it absent of game-breaking “features” like angle-snapping. I found the sweet spot to be 2400 DPI/1000Hz polling rate on my dual 1440p monitors, but if you’re working with something larger, the 16K headroom is a nice addition that should see you into the foreseeable future. It also features 50G of acceleration to keep up with even the most intense, and intensely accurate, gaming sessions.
Final Thoughts
The AORUS M5 is a great mouse. It’s features some of the best looks currently available on a mouse today and has the performance to match. The Pixart 3389 sensor is still one of the best you can buy and with a huge range to customize the DPI within, as well as adjustable weight and balance, anyone can tailor this mouse to their taste. The larger size and heavier weight may turn some off, but you don’t mind something more substantial on your mouse pad, the AORUS M5 Gaming Mouse is a solid choice at an affordable price.
Pros
- Looks great
- Excellent sensor
- Customizable weight and balance
- In-game performance is top-notch
Cons
- Quite large and heavy, even without additional weights
The product discussed in this article was provided by the manufacturer for the purposes of revie
