Logitech G303 or Logitech G403?

[xoxtrollstar]

Things That I care about the most :
Good and “Safe” shape, since I am a Claw/fingertip gripper.
Accurate sensor.
Side/extra buttons.
And finally not too heavy.

The G303 is light ( which will help me a lot since I like to flick), has side button, and pretty accurate, but has an odd shape that I don’t know if I’ll like. (And no, I can’t try them before buying), and it also has amazing RGB lighting. The only downside I can see is that the side buttons (which I plan on using) look really small and are in a weird place and position.

The G403 is on the simpler side, but still light, accurate, has side buttons which are much bigger and look like they’re in the thumbs natural area), and has a safe shape.

Btw feel free to recommend any other mice around $60

 

[azaran]

I have the 403 and like it. I don't have the longest of thumbs and regularly use the thumb button so it was a big deciding factor for me. The thumb buttons are perfectly positioned and the fairly simple styling of the mouse fit very well in my hand. Coming from a much heavier mouse, I was surprised at how light this one is (even with the removable weight) so took a bit to get used to. The cord drag is noticeable because of the weight, so I'd recommend looking at a mouse bungee. My friend let me borrow his Zowie Camde to try when I mentioned the drag and I bought one the next day.

 

[xoxtrollstar]

I have the 403 and like it. I don't have the longest of thumbs and regularly use the thumb button so it was a big deciding factor for me. The thumb buttons are perfectly positioned and the fairly simple styling of the mouse fit very well in my hand. Coming from a much heavier mouse, I was surprised at how light this one is (even with the removable weight) so took a bit to get used to. The cord drag is noticeable because of the weight, so I'd recommend looking at a mouse bungee. My friend let me borrow his Zowie Camde to try when I mentioned the drag and I bought one the next day.

I’ve heard that the left/right buttons on the g403 are a bit heavy and require more force, at least compared to the g303. And btw how are the side buttons? Do they require a lot of force? Do they have a long travel distance? Would you use it in competitive games? Do you feel like their slower than just pressing the keyboard buttons?

 

[azaran]

The force issue of the side buttons is really going to be a subjective thing. I would say they're a bit firm compared to my old Razer, but not in a bad way. There is a distinct click with them so you won't click them by accident, but not so firm that it's a problem. The actuation on the button is instant as the button rests right on the switch, but the button travel does go further in to the body.

Both the G303 and G403 use the same 3366 Optical sensor and Omron switches so the sensitivity of the mouse and it's buttons should be the same. The G303 is a bit lighter than the G403, with the G303 coming in at 86g and the G403 at 90-100g (adjustable weight). So while the core of the mice are the same, the weight, shape and button placement are going to be factors you decide on. The G303 does have more RGB features than the G403, but that's a more subjective matter so I can't weigh in on it's importance.

In terms of build quality, the G403 does have an older known problem with a loose scroll wheel. I ran in to this and it drove me a bit nuts. After talking with Logitech, they sent me out a new mouse and I haven't had an issue with it. Apparently this was an issue with early runs of the mouse so at this point you're not likely to run in to it. The G303 has a known issue with body rattle. It doesn't affect playablity tho. I haven't heard if this has been fixed or not.

The G403 a big fav in pro competitive gaming so I don't think you'll have much to worry about with it.

As for other mice, if you want to get completely away from software and lighting, look at the Zowie line up. They're also big in the pro competitive world and have a few difference shapes and sizes to choose from. Nice thing with them is they'll have the same mouse in a small or large body size, so you can pick based off your hand size and not have to give up functions.

If you want RGB, look in to the SteelSeries mice. They make a few solid line ups.
I'm hesitant to recommend Razer after my and others experiences with their long term quality and the bloatware of their software. Their customer support people are very nice however, but I spent too much time dealing with that dept to ever want to buy another one again.

For a good quick site with reviews check out
http://www.rocketjumpninja.com/top-40/
Aside from the reviews, Zy does pretty exacting measurements for finger/palm/claw gaming. The G303 used to be on his top 20 list, but I think since Logitech dropped that mouse from their current lineup it got dropped off his list when it was updated to a top 40. His review can be found here
http://www.rocketjumpninja.com/logitech-g303-review/