Introduction
Everyone seems to be smitten by absurdly lightweight gaming mice at the moment, and the latest addition to the ever-growing assortment is this new option from MSI, the Clutch GM31 Wireless. On paper, it’s got all the makings of a solid mid-range wireless choice – sleek design, good sensitivity and battery life, and a smattering of RGB lighting for good measure. With an MSRP of €70, it’s also pretty well priced, which means MSI could be onto a winner.
Design
Sleek, DeathAdder-inspired shapeSlightly narrow chassis means it’s best in smaller handsSix buttons feels responsive
The MSI Clutch GM31 Wireless borrows some of its sleek curves and shaping from Razer’s classic DeathAdder, and there are some similarities between the two. It means the Clutch GM31 makes for an especially comfortable mouse, complete with textured rubber side grips. The scroll wheel is also rubberised, which is a nice touch, and not something you see very often on mice. With that being said, compared to the DeathAdder’s squat and wider chassis, this MSI option feels a little narrow in my hands, so may be best suited to those with smaller hands. MSI says this is a smaller mouse than others in their range to allow for effortless movement, although for palm grippers like me, it’s more of a hindrance as opposed to being helpful. This is a sturdily put-together mouse too, and the plastics used don’t feel cheap or scratchy. Its 73g weight is a result of clever engineering and design, not due to low-cost materials. But this isn’t the lightest of mice I’ve tested, and there are options with more of a honeycomb-style open housing that undercut it if you are looking for truly ultralight options, like the Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air, for instance. The MSI Clutch GM31 Wireless comes with a total of six buttons, including the usual assortment of mouse buttons; forwards and backwards, and a profile switch on the bottom. All of them feel responsive and tactile, and employ mechanical switches to do so, which arguably offer a more solid feeling than the optical switches that are being rolled out on more premium offerings. On the underside, the MSI Clutch GM31 Wireless features an assortment of PTFE glide pads so it offers some smooth tracking across your desk, as well as the on-off switch and two gold contact pads for attaching the mouse to the included charging dock. Adding one in the box is an especially nice feature, given other manufacturers such as Razer will charge a premium for one. Unfortunately, it’s in this dock where the USB dongle is stored, and you can’t store it in the mouse anywhere, which may be a bit of an oversight on MSI’s part.
Performance
12,000 DPI sensor offers solid trackingWireless connectivity is simple and effectiveBattery life is good, but not as good as the competition
Inside, the MSI Clutch GM31 Wireless packs in a 12,000 DPI PixArt PAW-3311 sensor, which puts it firmly in the mid-range of gaming mice available at the moment. While others will provide you with much greater sensitivity figures, 12,000 DPI is an ideal middle ground between casual and more professional gamers alike. Intriguingly, the 12,000 DPI sensitivity figure is only accessible within MSI’s companion software, and you get a max out-of-the-box sensitivity of 6400 DPI, which means this is more akin to casual gaming – before you get into the software, at least. In testing, it made the MSI Clutch GM31 Wireless feel especially responsive in a slew of different games, including my usual trusty proving grounds of the CS:GO training course. The 2.4GHz wireless dongle ensured a responsive connection too, although the lack of any Bluetooth connectivity is a bit of an oversight if you wanted to use this mouse with more than one device at a time. A quoted 110 hours of battery life for the GM31 Wireless is also solid for the price, and means you’ll be able to get nearly three working weeks’ worth of gaming time before you need to charge it up. For charging, you can either charge it while in use with the USB-C port on the mouse, or charge it using the bundled dock.
Software and lighting
Single lighting zone RGB is pretty goodSoftware is nice and easy to use
As for software and lighting, the combo on offer here is pretty good. MSI has opted for a singular lighting zone in the form of their illuminated dragon logo. Colours are nicely vibrant, although the pattern and coverage is a little intermittent, compared to other mice I’ve used. The bundled software for the MSI Clutch GM31 Wireless, MSI Center, allows you to configure that lighting with a set of presets, as well as allowing you to choose custom colours and the speed at which it changes colour. It’s also in there where you can change profiles and configure macros for extra functions – standard stuff, really.
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However, with that 110 hour battery life, it falls behind some of the competition, such as Razer’s excellent DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed, one of our top recommendations for gaming mice. So while you’ll be getting a great all round package, it just won’t last as long. We also check each mouse’s software to see how easy it is to customise and set up.
