MSI Clutch GM31 Lightweight​ (+Wireless) mice review - Introduction

MSI Clutch GM31 Wired and Wireless mice

This article reviews the MSI Clutch GM31 mouse in a wired and wireless edition. It’s an optical gaming mouse that was launched today, on 12.01.2023. It’s a successor of the GM30 (which had only a wired version). The Clutch GM31 series targets gamers, but it should also work more than fine as a regular mouse. This time, the optical sensor is not the 6200 DPI PMW3327 but a 12K DPI PMW-3360 in the wired version and the same DPI in PAW-3311. There is a possibility to change DPI on-the-fly, and the resolution steps are 400/800/1600/3200/6400. The microcontroller unit, or MCU, is the Nordic 52833 (nRF52833) SoC, made by Nordic Semiconductor, offering low-energy Bluetooth transmissions. The Polling rate is 1,000 Hz (a standard for gaming mice). The max speed, or IPS, is 300, while the max acceleration is 35G. It is possible to store three onboard profiles using the built-in onboard memory. The skates are made of pure PTFE with a single-directional surface texture and double-cut edges, allowing near frictionless glide for high-speed mouse movements.

The small and ergonomic chassis design makes the CLUTCH GM31 series the best choice for gamers with small to medium-sized hands. It has diamond-patterned anti-slip grips, which should allow staying securely in hand. The wireless version should achieve up to 110 hours of battery life using the 2.4G RF wireless technology; the latency is reduced to 1 ms (almost 10x faster than the typical mouse on the market). After 10 minutes of charging, it’s possible to have 7 hours of battery life. Charging the mouse using the included charging dock and the wireless USB dongle is possible. The CLUTCH GM31 model has six buttons, of which five can be remapped or set to custom macros via the MSI Center software. All buttons have Omron mechanical switches, which are 60M click-rated. Regarding the RGB, one dedicated lighting zone on the mouse can be adjusted in MSI’s Center software, offering 16.8M colors. The (large) mouse feet are made of 100% PTFE. The cable is 2 m MSI FriXionFree Type-C USB for both versions. It should minimize friction on your mousepad and improve the gaming experience with smoothness. The dongle for the wireless version can be hidden inside the mouse.

The ergonomic shape is optimal for palm, claw, and fingertip grip styles. The weight for a wireless device is very low, 73 g/0.161 lbs, while the wired one is 58 g (without cable)/0.128 lbs. The dimensions for both versions are 120mm(L) x 64mm(W) x 37mm(H) / 4.72in(L) x 2.52in(W) x 1.45in(H). The MSI Clutch GM31 Wireless is available at 69.99 $/69.99€, and the wired one costs - $/€.

The warranty is two years, so that’s pretty standard. Is this product worth its price, given the provided features and functionality? Let’s find out.