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MSI is one of the most respected manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, and many components that competitive gamers depend on. The company’s other peripherals are sometimes overshadowed by thetop gaming miceandkeyboardsfrom the likes of Logitech, Razer, and Corsair - at least in North America. Regardless, their Clutch Series of gaming mice have built a devoted following, as they offer exceptional performance for competitive prices.
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Following up on the MSI Clutch GM31 and GM41 wireless gaming mice, the slightly heavier GM51 introduces a higher maximum DPI, improved battery life, and includes a wireless charging dock. Just on paper, the GM51 seems somewhat excessive for the lightweight class, but there are plenty of reasons to consider this attractive device for a variety of games. In recent weeks, Game Rant got its hands on the Clutch GM51 Wireless and was able to see how its performance, ergonomics, and software compared to a crowded field of gaming mice.
MSI Clutch GM51 Lightweight Wireless
The MSI Clutch GM51 Wireless Mouse combines a lightweight form factor with the performance of a heavyweight gaming mouse. Powered by a PixArt PAW-3395 optical sensor with a maximum DPI of 26,000, 650 IPS, and 50G acceleration, the 85-gram Clutch GM51 glides around mouse pads with ultimate precision.Offering MSI SwiftSpeed 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth, or wired connectivity, gamers have multiple options to connect the Clutch GM51 to their gaming PCs. With an included charging dock, the mouse can last up to 150 hours on a single charge.
Contents of Package and Setup
The MSI Clutch GM51 Lightweight Wireless Mouse comes in a squarish white box with some black and gray thrown into the mix. Packed in some perfectly sized cutouts are the mouse itself, a charging dock, and the braided USB cable which is used to either connect the dock to a PC or operate the mouse in wired mode. There is also a quick start guide which does a surprisingly effective job explaining the essential features of the mouse in a limited space.
One always entertaining aspect of unpacking a new mouse is trying to find where the small wireless USB dongle is located. In this case, the adapter was eventually found securely stored at the bottom of the mouse where the USB cable can attach.
Setting up the Clutch GM51 Wireless mouse for initial use is literally a plug-and-play process. Windows should detect the USB dongle allowing gamers to operate the mouse immediately, but it’s highly recommended to download the MSI Center software for full functionality and customization. Once the software is installed, users will likely be asked to reboot their PC. The Clutch GM51 arrived here nearly fully charged, but as with most wireless devices, it’s wise to charge it completely before trying it out.
Design
At 85 grams or about 3 ounces, the Clutch GM51 is at the heavier end of what most gamers would consider a lightweight mouse. It’s definitely beefier than a small ultra-lightweight mouse which can weigh in at 60 grams or less. Still, if coming from a device like the134-gram Razer Naga Prowhich is excellent for MMO titles, the Clutch GM51 is noticeably more nimble. The MSI mouse is probably not the best choice for the most competitive FPS gamers who fling mice around mouse pads, but it has a balanced profile that is a good option for most types of games.
The Clutch GM51 measures 4.8 inches long, 2.6 inches wide, and 1.8 inches tall. The mouse is fairly lengthy for alightweight FPS mousebut also narrower than some mice ideal forWorld of WarcraftorFinal Fantasy XIV.With a pronounced hump, the GM51 is easy to control with a conventional palm grip, though claw grippers may find the mouse a bit too weighty. The main left and right mouse buttons have slanted edges on their sides, which makes it easy to keep clicking fingers oriented. The MSI dragon logo is positioned toward the bottom of the top shell, and as gamers might expect, lights up with a variety of RGB effects.
By far, the most distinctive feature of the Clutch GM51 Wireless is its Diamond LightGrips. Unlike other gaming mice such as theGlorious Model Owith a honeycomb pattern on its top, this grate-like texture is employed on the sides of the GM51. At first, for anyone used to more smooth textured rubber or plastic, gripping the MSI mouse feels a bit odd. Even so, with thumbs and fingers pressing into the small perforations, it’s hard to find a more secure feeling when holding a mouse. Of course, another benefit of the Diamond LightGrips is it showcases stunning RGB effects peeking out of the sides of the GM51. The contours of the mouse allow users to partially see the side lighting even when looking top-down at the device.
The two side buttons on the MSI Clutch GM51 Wireless are not about being subtle. With pointed edges, they protrude significantly from the sides of the mouse which may cause some concern about costly misclicks. Fortunately, they are designed to require a certain amount of pressure to activate, and there was no frustration pressing the buttons during testing. The side buttons also provide a very satisfying clicking response, similar to typing on anexcellent mechanical keyboard.
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With an ergonomic shape that’s meant for right-handers, the right side of the MSI Clutch GM51 is curved to accommodate the last two fingers for palm grips. None of the 6 buttons (including the bottom DPI selector) are located on this part of the mouse, but it makes use of the space with an even more pronounced grip and RGB effects.
Looking at the Clutch GM51 from the front, the full height of the mouse becomes apparent with left and right buttons that have a noticeable downward slope. The entire mouse is covered in a hard plastic anti-smudge surface which is textured just enough to resist fingerprints. After several weeks of use, smudges were never an issue, and minimal wiping was needed.
On the bottom of the Clutch GM51, there are 6 PTFE which provides enough coverage to keep the entire mouse smoothly gliding around surfaces. Buyers will also find a selector switch to toggle between Bluetooth and RF connections, as well as a DPI button. With the DPI switch tucked underneath the device, it does take away an assignable 6th button normally placed near a scroll wheel. Toward the top of the mouse’s bottom side is a slot that can both store the wireless USB dongle and securely connects to the supplied braided USB cable. Also on the underside of the mouse are some magnets that clamp to the top of the charging dock.
Charging the Clutch GM51 Wireless
For a reasonably priced wireless gaming mouse, finding a charging dock in the box of the Clutch GM51 is a nice bonus. This accessory is not particularly sturdy looking, but it’s actually quite easy to place the mouse in the correct position for charging.Pricey Razer gaming micesometimes require purchasing a dock separately which can cost $50 or more. Although MSI’s version doesn’t have any flashy RGB lighting, it does include some rubber grips on the bottom to keep it from sliding around desktops. There is a slot for cable management and the dock can house the wireless USB dongle, saving gamers from using additional ports. Unfortunately, the MSI logo is only visible from the backside of the accessory where the cable attaches.
With the charging dock, gamers can expect to top up the mouse to full battery capacity in about 220 minutes. If more rapid charging is required, taking advantage of MSI’s snap charging with a USB cable, full recharging only takes an hour. MSI touts a maximum battery life of 150 hours with the Clutch GM51. The real-world experience saw the mouse last about 5 days of 8 hours a day of use with RGB effects set just below 50% brightness. Disabling the RGB lighting led to a substantially longer period before recharging was necessary, with the GM51 still going strong after a week. It’s safe to say that the battery capacity of the mouse is impressive considering its reasonably lightweight construction.
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The Clutch GM51 can also signal battery life with RGB effects, giving pulsating red-colored warnings when the device gets below a level defined in the MSI Center software. During charging, different colors will display to indicate its current charging level. Unfortunately, although low battery warnings can be disabled in the software, the MSI logo insisted on flashing red regardless of what settings were changed or if the RGB lighting was shut off entirely.
MSI Center Software
The Clutch GM51 wouldn’t be the first high-performance gaming peripheral let down by inferior software. MSI Center is a stark departure from programs like Razer Synapse or Corsair iCue which tend to pack a lot of information and options on one screen. The font is quite large even on a 4K display which makes it simple to navigate its menus.
By default, gamers won’t be able to control much in the RGB department without downloading a separate Mystic Light add-on. Even then, it requires a few extra clicks to load Mystic Light from the Features menu, which is really designed to modify an array of MSI gear, not just a mouse. RGB lighting isn’t as customizable with the Clutch GM51 as it is in competing software, but there are 3 different lighting zones and enough different preset patterns to satisfy most gamers.
There are also some more mysterious options available in the Mystic Light tab, such as Game Sync, a slider to sync with Razer Synapse, and an Ambient Link button. Game Sync will enable supported titles to trigger game-specific effects, though control over which game activates which effect is non-existent. Although there were Razer peripherals alongside the Clutch GM51, despite an MSI module appearing in Synapse, efforts to sync the mouse with these devices proved unsuccessful. It’s possible that the mouse just doesn’t support this functionality at this time, but syncing multiple brands of RGB lighting is usually far from straightforward. Finally, Ambient Link allows owners of popular smart lighting from brands like Philips Hue and Nanoleaf to sync their lights with MSI hardware.
More critically, MSI Center allows users to make adjustments through 3 profiles with DPI, polling rate, and lift-off distance as options. DPI is set in various levels which can also be selected by hitting the DPI button on the bottom of the device. Gamers can remap 5 of the Clutch GM51’s buttons, which is a good thing because the available default commands are a bit limited. Figuring out how to record new macros is somewhat cumbersome, but after repeating the process a few times it starts to become second nature. There is also a tab in the program devoted to MSI Speed Shift, which accommodates different gamers depending on how frequent and rapid their mouse movements are. Presumably, this will have some effect on the mouse’s accuracy as well as how quickly it engages its power-saving mode.
Even with a less-than-intuitive layout that separates options across several screens, there were no instances of the MSI Center crashing. Thankfully, sensitivity and lighting settings stuck throughout the day without having to reopen the program.
Performance
No gaming mouse can survive againstincreasingly fierce competitionwithout relying on an excellent optical sensor. The MSI Clutch GM51 includes a PixArt PAW-3395 sensor which makes up to a 26000 DPI possible. Combined with a 650 IPS and acceleration up to 50 G, the GM51’s specs compare very favorably to all other wireless mice in its price range.
While testing the mouse withApex Legends, the precise tracking made it possible to lock onto new targets with speed and precision. As more of a middleweight than a lightweight mouse, gamers who aren’t adept at claw grips will find the GM51 easy to control with palms, without the slightest hand movements sending the device flying. MSI’s mouse won’t be the first choice for themost competitive Esports pros, but for the majority of FPS gamers, there is little or no learning curve with comfortably accessing its buttons or adjusting to its tracking speed.
Motion Sync is an MSI-specific feature that aims to keep the mouse in sync with movements, even as PCs process a multitude of information simultaneously. The mouse was also quick to recognize when it was lifted off the mouse pad, whether the lift-off distance was set to low or high in the MSI Center.
With its polling rate set at a maximum of 1000 Hz, wireless performance with the Clutch GM51 is rock solid. Even when repositioning the MSI SwiftSpeed 2.4 GHz USB dongle at a fair distance from the mouse, the cursor continued to move smoothly. On the other hand, when using Bluetooth, there were occasionally small delays in opening and closing windows, so it’s advisable to stick to either an RF or wired connection when gaming.
If there is anything somewhat unremarkable about the MSI Clutch GM51, it’s the scroll wheel. There are no software options in the MSI Center or physical mechanisms to change the default scroll speed at all, so for productivity, users may have to turn to their OS settings or 3rd party apps. On the plus side, scrolling is smooth and fairly quiet, and the wheel is heavily textured and inviting for index fingers. Also, unlike some other mice, assigning an additional macro to the scroll wheel button is practical, since the wheel is tuned not to slip when pressed.
Conclusion
The MSI Clutch GM51 is a strong all-around wireless gaming mouse with consistent and precise tracking and some innovative RGB styling. The enormous Diamond LightGrips are not only attractive but also accommodate a wide range of thumb and pinky finger positions. Each of the 5 accessible mouse buttons and durable Omron switches responds with the satisfying clicks a gamer would expect from a premium mouse. The impressive maximum DPI and acceleration of the GM51 along with an included charging dock make it a tempting value for any gamer searching for high-performance gaming gear.
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Software that is at times frustrating to use does hold back the Clutch GM51 somewhat. In the MSI Center, RGB lighting and macros aren’t as easy to customize as with the competing apps of peripheral manufacturers. Still, once gamers have the mouse set up to match their preferences, the app is refreshingly streamlined compared to increasingly bloated alternatives.
With modest dimensions and an 85-gram weight that stretches the definition of lightweight, the Clutch GM51 may disappoint the most competitive FPS gamers. However, despite its name, the MSI mouse should have wide-ranging appeal as a middle ground between smaller ultra-light mice and gigantic MMO mice with an overabundance of buttons.
Related Products
Since the Clutch GM51 Wireless is on the hefty side for a lightweight mouse, it’s difficult to find comparable mice in the same weight class. If a gamer has the money to spend on a top-tier alternative, the 63-gram RGB-lessRazer DeathAdder V3 Prooffers slightly faster acceleration and a maximum DPI of 30,000. Also, Hypershift allows gamers to double the number of commands at their disposal. However, the battery capacity which does have some impact on the weight of a mouse is rated at 90 hours instead of the 150 hours with the Clutch GM51.
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TheLogitech G Pro Wirelessmatches the dimensions of the Clutch GM51 to some degree, although without as pronounced of a hump. At 80 grams, it’s also not as ultra-lightweight as some of its competition. Compared to the Clutch GM51, the Logitech G Pro is an ambidextrous mouse that permits gamers to remove and install buttons on either side. Besides a disappointing battery life of 48 hours, its specs are nearly identical, but there is no included charging dock or pad and its RGB effects are much more basic.
Buyers considering the Clutch GM51 should also give some thought to the similarly pricedCorsair Katar Elite. At 69 grams, this legitimately lightweight wireless mouse also has a maximum DPI of 26,000 with a top-side DPI button that is remappable. Battery life with the Katar Elite is strong at 110 hours but still doesn’t quite match the durability of MSI’s device.
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FAQ
Q: Which is a better mouse for gaming, wired or wireless?
Wired mice tend to have lower latency than wireless mice. Modern examples of both today show little difference, however. Battery life while improved on today’s wireless mice, still can’t match the longevity of a wired alternative.
Q: What does DPI mean?
DPI, in simple terms, is the rate at which the mouse detects movement. A higher DPI means a mouse can detect movement more precisely.
Q: Why do some gamers prefer a lightweight gaming mouse?
The most competitive FPS gamers often use claw grips to fling gaming mice around mouse pads. Lightweight mice are ideal for rapid and accurate movements.
