MSI Clutch GM41 wireless gaming mouse review
MSI tries to capture the same lightning in a bottle as the Razer Viper Ultimate but comes up short.
The MSI Clutch GM41 Lightweight Wireless mouse feels like MSI’s attempt to recreate the magic of the Razer Viper Ultimate. It’s a lightweight, full shell gaming mouse with a symmetrical design, clicky OMRON switches, high-performance 20,000 DPI sensor and great battery life. All this for an RRP of $95 making it about $50 less than the Viper.
I’ve used the GM41 exclusively for the last few weeks and I’ve enjoyed its great feel in the hand, snappy response to my in-game commands, and precise control over my aim. Dying Light 2 and Lost Ark have been my obsessions lately and the GM41 performed flawlessly in both. I’ve also used it with my work MacBook for precise design work and even there, it played nice with no weirdness that often results when using a Windows-specific peripheral on a Mac.
But I've noticed some issues that potentially explain that lower price point. While the GM41 is certainly an ergonomic mouse that’s easy on the hand, the build quality isn’t quite up to par with Razer’s rodent. For starters, on my unit, the scroll wheel had a noticeably loud rattle when spinning and one of the thumb buttons on the side was quite loose.
The rest of the GM41 is pretty solid though. The hard plastic shell doesn’t otherwise creak and I’m a huge fan of the textured rubber side grips which make it so comfortable and grippy to hold. The symmetrical design in theory means even left-handed folk can use this mouse but they would have to forgo the side buttons unless they have extremely dextrous pinky fingers.
At 74 grams, the GM41 isn’t the lightest rodent you can lay your hand on, but it’s light enough to not get in the way and yet substantial enough to remind you you're still holding a gaming mouse. There are plenty PTFE skates on the bottom to keep the GM41 moving smoothly on most surfaces.
The overall design of the GM41 is simplistic and subdued. The only flashiness is the Mystic Light powered Dragon logo on the back and the distinctive textured rubber sides. That Mystic Light has very limited customisation since it's a single zone so your options are limited to changing colors or pulsing.
For the switches, MSI has used Omron mechanical switches which the company says will guarantee you a life of over 60 million headshots which I don’t see myself ever making. They feel crisp and responsive though, at this point, most gaming mice switches in this price tier are pretty similar.
The same is true for the 20,000 DPI Pixart PAW3370 optical sensor with 400 IPS tracking. For most of us, anything over 4,000 DPI is unusable in games or work and I still don’t understand why manufacturers keep trying to increase the number of zeros here. Thankfully, you aren’t forced to use all that DPI and can set whatever you please using the MSI Center software and then toggle between them using the button on the base of the mouse.
The GM41 is a wireless mouse that utilizes the 2.4Ghz band via a tiny USB Dongle which you can plug into your PC or the bundled charging puck. MSI claims a 1ms response time and I honestly couldn't tell the difference when compared to any wired mouse which is a testament to how good wireless gaming mice are today. The mouse also has a handy nook in the front to store the dongle for travel.
The GM41 also works perfectly with the bundled USB cable if you absolutely want to avoid any latency, interference, or simply want to charge the battery. But rather frustratingly, MSI decided to use a Micro-USB connector on the GM41 which is totally mind-boggling. Why MSI? Literally, every modern device in 2022 is using USB Type-C. It's not inconceivable that you'll need to charge on the go and suddenly find no one has a Micro-USB cable to hand.
Thankfully, given the excellent 80 hours of battery life, you shouldn't really end up in such a situation—especially if you keep the mouse docked overnight on its charging puck. I consistently got a full week out of the battery before needing to recharge. It's also great that the GM41 can quickly charge in just 10min for 9 hours of battery life which can surely come in Clutch (pun intended).
The MSI Clutch GM41 is a good, safe wireless gaming mouse. It won't blow your socks off but neither will it disappoint. There are some build quality concerns which I can't say how well the mouse will hold up over the long term and then there's the annoying Micro-USB issue. However, it's very comfortable in hand, offers great battery life, and performs close to the best wireless gaming mice around, without having the same high price tag. If you're in the market for a tail-free rodent, then be sure to check out our guide to the best wireless gaming mouse.