BIOSTAR has been on a roll since the start of the year and one of their most ambitious release has been their gaming peripheral line and with most of their products veering towards competitively-priced offerings, BIOSTAR has broken out of that mold with the release of their BIOSTAR RACING GM5 gaming mouse. At approximately $45, it sits a bit on the higher-end of the spectrum and is easily competitive on paper when we talk about feature but is BIOSTAR ready to take on the big boys of the gaming peripheral scene. Read on and find out more!
Features
- Carbon fiber-like design
- PMW 3330 optical sensor
- Support up to 7200 DPI
- Omron Micro Switch
- Claw-grip Design
- 5 modes / 8 programmable buttons
- Teflon Mouse Feet
- The USB report rate can be programming up to 1000 by software
Closer Look
Keeping up with the theme, BIOSTAR packages the RACING GM5 gaming mouse in snazzy full-colored box. The box highlights in detail the different features of the GM5 as well as a glamor shot that showcases the lighting. The front flips out to show the RACING GM5 and its carbon fibre shell.
As our unit is a demo sample, packaging may not be final. We received the package with no other inserts other than the mouse itself.
Moving right along, we start our look at the product with the elegantly braided cable. Not really a necessity but it adds a touch of quality to the overall feel of the product. There is an inline velcro strap to organize the cable.
The BIOSTAR RACING GM5 gaming mouse is an ambidextrous design aimed for both left- and right-handed gamers with the top shell taking cues from the more popular designs of recent years. The most striking feature obviously is the carbon fibre finish, which is not real carbon fibre, but adds a really striking visual to the RACING GM5. Underneath we see the sensor with some honeycomb tooling on the base.
The side profile of the RACING GM5 shows off its coated side grips and recessed click buttons. The RACING GM5 is a bit on the flatter end of the thickness scale. The mouse is estimated to be around 130g which is overall light.
One of the highlights of the BIOSTAR RACING GM5 is its RGB lighting feature which is fully customizable via the RACING setup software. The RACING GM5 features lighting on its sides and the logo. The scroll wheel also has lights as well as the top edges of the mouse but these are for profile and sensitivity indications and cannot be changed.
Software
As mentioned above, you will need the BIOSTAR RACING software to customize your mice. All the buttons on this mouse is programmable except the profile switcher. You can customize the polling rate, sensitivity, create macros and the lighting on the software utility.
Conclusion
Its a daring feat but BIOSTAR does seem to have a knack for pulling things off and the BIOSTAR RACING GM5 is actually a pleasing mouse to use. Its lightweight and overall performance manages to keep up with my eSport-bred FinalMouse for general use but as a whole, there’s still plenty to improve on the RACING GM5.
While it is a nimble mice and contrary to BIOSTAR’s obsession with claw-grip design, the mouse is perfect for palm- and fingertip grips and is perfect as an FPS mice especially for twitch gamers who can utilize the 7200DPI tracking. Its design is optimal and doesn’t really have anything to complain about and its ambidextrous design is an excellent middleground for those looking for a comfortable mouse for both left and right hand usage.
Still, BIOSTAR’s build quality is still not on par with most gaming mouse in this price range and still has a few misses. As the carbon fibre styling is inline with their racing theme, I won’t knock off points for that but the feel of the top shell just isn’t as good as coated ones. A matting treatment would’ve helped improved overall grip. The overall width also needs a bit of improvement as it is too narrow for large hands. Finally the material itself is too flimsy and feels unsubstantial making it fell so much less than a 40$ mouse, leading buyers to believe the RGB lights are the only thing that drive up the cost.
All in all, the BIOSTAR RACING GM5 is a good start along with BIOSTAR’s AM2 and AM3 mice. Relatively cost-effective products and offer considerable performance for their price. BIOSTAR still has a lot to work but its more on branding rather than product and it’ll only take a few tweaks to fully realize the ultimate direction they want to go with with their gaming peripherals. The BIOSTAR RACING GM5 is a good product but still a long ways from perfection. Those who are looking for a themed mouse may like the RACING GM5 but from an overall build and performance standpoint, its a big market out there in this price range. Performance is decent and build quality is ok for the price.
BIOSTAR backs the RACING GM5 with a 1-year warranty. We give it our B2G Value Award!