The MSI CLUTCH GM30 is a good, mid-tier gaming mouse. It feels sturdily built and has a symmetrical body with rubberized side grips and two side buttons on the left. Its shape is well-suited for all grip types; however, it may be too long for small and medium-sized hands using a fingertip grip and not large enough for extra-large hands using a palm grip. Performance-wise, it has a low lift-off distance, and you can adjust the CPI by increments of 100 within a reasonably wide range. Unfortunately, it has high click latency for a gaming mouse. Also, the unit we tested has a somewhat inconsistent sensor that undershoots the set CPI by nearly 10% during faster cursor movements.
Our Verdict
The MSI GM30 is satisfactory for office and multimedia work. It feels well-built, and you can reprogram most of the buttons using the customization software. It also has a comfortable, ambidextrous shape well-suited to all grip types and most hand sizes. Unfortunately, there's no way to connect this mouse wirelessly, and the customization software is compatible with Windows only. Also, the scroll wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and doesn't have a free-scrolling mode.
- Feels well-built.
- Symmetrical, ambidextrous shape suitable for all grip types and most hand sizes.
- Wired-only.
- Scroll wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and has no free-scrolling mode.
The MSI CLUTCH GM30 is a good FPS gaming mouse, but it has high click latency, and the unit we tested has an inconsistent sensor that undershoots the set CPI somewhat during faster cursor movements. It's also on the heavier side, and some gamers may prefer a lighter option. Nevertheless, it feels well-built and has a comfortable, ambidextrous shape well-suited for all grip types and most hand sizes. However, it's likely too long for small and medium-sized hands using a fingertip grip and not long enough for extra-large hands using a palm grip. You can adjust the CPI by increments of 100 within a reasonably wide range, and the lift-off distance is low, though not as low as on some gaming mice.
- Feels well-built.
- Symmetrical, ambidextrous shape suitable for all grip types and most hand sizes.
- You can cycle through five CPI settings on the fly using the CPI button behind the scroll wheel.
- High click latency for a gaming mouse.
- Heavy.
The MSI GM30 is decent for MMO gaming, but it doesn't have nearly as many side buttons as a dedicated MMO gaming mouse. It also has high latency compared to other gaming mice, and the sensor on our unit is somewhat inconsistent. That said, it feels well-built and has a comfortable, ambidextrous shape well-suited for all grip types and most hand sizes. You can also program most of the buttons it does have using the customization software compatible with Windows. Performance-wise, it has a low lift-off distance, and you can adjust the CPI by increments of 100 within a reasonably wide range.
- Feels well-built.
- Symmetrical, ambidextrous shape suitable for all grip types and most hand sizes.
- High click latency for a gaming mouse.
- Not nearly as many side buttons as a dedicated MMO gaming mouse.
The MSI CLUTCH GM30 scores decently for ultra-light gaming, but it's quite a bit heavier than what we'd consider an ultra-light gaming mouse. Also, it has high latency, and the unit we tested has an inconsistent sensor that undershoots the set CPI somewhat during faster cursor movements. Also, the rubber cable isn't very flexible and has an adhesive finish that may get caught or cause drag, and the mouse feet don't glide as smoothly as those on some other gaming mice. That said, it feels well-built and has a comfortable, ambidextrous shape suitable for all grip types and most hand sizes.
- Feels well-built.
- Symmetrical, ambidextrous shape suitable for all grip types and most hand sizes.
- High click latency for a gaming mouse.
- Heavy.
The MSI GM30 is inadequate for travel use as it's fairly bulky and may not fit in most laptop cases. It also lacks wireless connection options, making it cumbersome to use in tighter spaces like buses, trains, or planes. That said, it feels well-built and has a comfortable ambidextrous shape suitable for all grip types and most hand sizes. It also has onboard memory for using custom settings on computers without the software installed.
- Feels well-built.
- Bulky; may not fit in most laptop cases.
- Wired-only.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The MSI GM30 we tested is black, and there are no other color variants available. You can see the label for our unit here.
Popular Mouse Comparisons
The MSI CLUTCH GM30 is a good mid-range gaming mouse. It has a comfortable, low-profile, symmetrical shape with grippy rubberized sides and is well-suited for all grip types and most hand sizes. Compared to other mice in the MSI lineup, it lacks some of their more premium features, like tunable weights, sensors with higher CPI ranges, wireless connectivity, and higher polling rate options. While you can configure up to three custom profiles using the customization software, you can't assign a profile switching button to swap between them on the fly, which is common on most other gaming mice with this feature. Also, the MSI CLUTCH GM30 we tested has a somewhat inconsistent sensor and high click latency, even compared to other budget options.
For other options, see our recommendations for the best wired mice, the best gaming mice, and the best cheap gaming mice.
The HyperX Pulsefire Raid and the MSI CLUTCH GM30 are wired gaming mice with comparable performance. The HyperX has a higher maximum CPI, a more precisely adjustable CPI, and a lower lift-off distance. It also has five additional programmable buttons. On the other hand, the MSI has lower click latency. The HyperX is a right-handed mouse, while the MSI is an ambidextrous mouse. Both mice are well-suited to all grip types and most hand sizes.
The Fnatic FLICK 2 and the MSI CLUTCH GM30 are good wired gaming mice, but the Fnatic has slightly better performance overall. The Fnatic has a somewhat more flexible cable, a wider CPI range, a more consistent sensor, and a lower lift-off distance. It also has customization software compatible with Windows and macOS, while the MSI has software compatible with Windows only. On the other hand, the MSI feels sturdier and has a somewhat lower click latency. Both mice are well-suited for all grip types and most hand sizes.
The Redragon COBRA M711-FPS and the MSI CLUTCH GM30 are good wired gaming mice, but the Redragon performs slightly better overall. The Redragon has a wider CPI range, a more consistent sensor, a lower click latency, and three additional programmable buttons. On the other hand, the MSI is marginally lighter. The Redragon has a right-handed shape, while the MSI has an ambidextrous shape. Both mice are suitable for all grip types and most hand sizes.
The HyperX Pulsefire Surge and the MSI CLUTCH GM30 are good wired gaming mice, but the HyperX performs slightly better overall. The HyperX has a higher maximum CPI, a more precisely adjustable CPI, and a lower lift-off distance. It also feels sturdier. On the other hand, the MSI is marginally lighter. Both mice are well-suited for all grip types and most hand sizes, but the HyperX is marginally more accommodating for more hand sizes.
The Razer Viper Mini is a better wired gaming mouse than the MSI CLUTCH GM30. The Razer is much lighter and feels sturdier. It also has a more flexible cable, mouse feet that glide more smoothly, and you can set a HyperShift button to enable a secondary layer of commands. It also has a higher CPI range and a much lower click latency. On the other hand, the MSI has rubberized side grips. The Razer is very well-suited for all hand sizes using a fingertip grip, while the MSI is well-suited for a claw grip for all hand sizes and more hand sizes overall for other grip types.
The GLORIOUS Model D is a better wired gaming mouse than the MSI CLUTCH GM30. The GLORIOUS is much lighter and has a more flexible cable. It has mouse feet that glide more smoothly, a much higher maximum CPI, and significantly lower click latency. The GLORIOUS also has a right-handed shape and is suitable for all grip types but isn't very well-suited for small hands. On the other hand, the MSI feels sturdier and has a lower minimum CPI. It also has a right-handed shape and is well-suited for a palm and claw grip for all hand sizes, but a fingertip grip only for larger hands.
The Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini is a better wired gaming mouse than the MSI CLUTCH GM30. The Razer is significantly lighter and has a more flexible cable. You can assign a HyperShift button that enables the second layer of commands. It also has mouse feet that glide more smoothly, a higher maximum CPI, and a much lower click latency. On the other hand, the MSI has a much more consistent sensor. Both mice are suitable for all grip types, but the Razer has a right-handed shape and is better suited for smaller hands, while the MSI has an ambidextrous shape and, overall, is better suited for larger hands.
The Logitech G300s and the MSI CLUTCH GM30 are gaming mice with comparable performance. The Logitech is lighter and has a thumb and pinky rest. It also has mouse feet that glide more smoothly, a more consistent sensor, and a significantly lower click latency. The software is also compatible with Windows and macOS, while the MSI software is only compatible with Windows. On the other hand, the MSI feels sturdier and has a somewhat more flexible cable. It also has a wider CPI range, a more precisely adjustable CPI, and a lower lift-off distance.
Test Results
The available polling rate options on the MSI GM30 are 125Hz, 250Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz. Unfortunately, the sensor on our unit is fairly inconsistent; it undershoots the set CPI by nearly 10% during faster cursor movements.
You can reprogram most of the buttons on the MSI GM30. However, you can't reprogram the CPI button or the up/down inputs of the scroll wheel. You can configure five custom CPI settings using the software and cycle through them using the CPI button behind the scroll wheel.
