Introduction
Founded on July the 23th, 2004 by Sam Mathews, Anne Mathews and Nader Atoui. Fnatic is one of the most known gaming teams in the world, being the winner of the title “Team of The Year” in 2006.
In November 2015, the gaming peripheral company Func was acquired by the eSports team Fnatic. The goal of the new brand is producing high quality peripherals.
Official product link:
https://shop.fnatic.com/products/clutch-optical-gaming-mouse
Packaging and accessories
The mouse is packaged in a multicolored cardboard box, the design of the packaging is in two colors.
On the front side there is a general image of the product on a white background, on the upper left corner there are printed the name & logo of the manufacturer. On the lower left side there is the name of the mouse.
On the sides of the box there are printed the name & logo of the manufacturer, also on the left side there is a photo of the mouse.
On the back side of the box is a brief description of the Clutch model while lower there are presented a couple of its features and specifications.
Specifications
MCU/Processor: Holtek HT68FB560
Main Switches: Omron D2FC-F-7N
Sensor: PMW 3310
Memory: 256kB
Resolution: 5000 DPI
Tracking speed: 130 IPS
Max Acceleration: 30G
Report rate: Adjustable, up to 1000Hz
Connection: Gold plated USB
Cable Length: 2m
Weight: 116g
Features:
PRO-GRADE OPTICAL SENSOR: Professional esports player chosen Pixart optical sensor gives top quality, reliability, and performance.
ERGONOMIC DESIGN: An ergonomic profile along with Soft Touch finish provides maximum comfort with minimum distractions. 7 total buttons strategically positioned for maximum usability and gaming benefit.
CUSTOMISABLE: RGB LED Illumination with 16.8M colors, a three-step DPI indicator, and custom player profiles allow you truly uniquely customization.
ESPORTS INSPIRED: Designed with the guidance of Fnatic’s pro players, CLUTCH is tested and approved for competitive play.
Visual inspection
The Clutch G1 model has a design dedicated to ergonomics and functionality, similar with the Fnatic Flick, the only difference between the two mice being the size and the slightly changed shape. The mouse weights 110g and has the following dimensions: 43mm x 68mm x 130mm and a matte texture.
One of the features of the Clutch G1 model and of the Fnatic peripherals is their focus on functionality and not adding flashy elements which bring no benefit to the user experience.
The main buttons, the left-right clicks use Omron D2FC-F-7N switches. These switches are known for their reliability and offered tactile feedback.
The Scroll wheel has a rubberized texture in the middle and a rather stiff movement, it also features multicolor illumination which can be configured through the Fnatic Gear software.
In the middle above the scroll wheel there are the profile selection buttons (next profile, previous profile), these have a glossy texture being in contrast with the matte texture of the mouse.
On the left side of the mouse we find two buttons, these have the “forward – back” functions. On the front the name of the series “Gear” is placed.
On the left side there are three LEDs which indicate the current selected profile.
The mouse uses a 200 cm black braided cable, and a gold plated USB connector.
On the inferior side of the mouse we find mounted the two Teflon feet and the optical Pixart PMW 3310 sensor capable of 5000 DPI.
Testing
The Clutch G1 model can be used as a plug-n play device without its driver, however in that state it is limited to just three predefined profiles. The mouse configuration is done through the Fnatic Gear software now in V2.0.
The performance of the mouse in games is excellent, both the buttons which use the Omron D2FC-F-7N switches and the Pixart PMW 3310 optical sensor offer a pleasing experience due to their tactile feedback and precision.
Software
The mouse can be configured using the driver offered by Fnatic on their website, this piece of software offers plenty customizing options with an intuitive & pleasant interface. However, the option of configuring the LOD (Lift-Off-Distance) is not present.
Basic Settings
Within the “Basic Settings” window the user can customize the scroll speed, DPI setting, pointer sensitivity, Pooling Rate and the Double click speed.
Button Assignments
In the “Button Assignments” we find the buttons of the mouse, which can be customized.
Color Settings
The “Color Settings” window allows the user to modify every aspect of the scroll wheel illumination, this can be modified in numerous colors & shades.
Also within this window we find settings like turning off the illumination, brightness, saturation and a pulsing mode for the scroll wheel light.
Macro Recorder
Within the “Macro Recorder” window, the user can personalize the macro function of the mouse.
The mouse was tested both in normal use & gaming.
Normal day to day use consist of Internet browsing & a few photo & video editing software.
The games used for testing are the following:
– Battlefield 3 (multiplayer)
– Battlefield 1 (multiplayer)
– Grand Theft Auto V
– Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
– Rise of the Tomb Raider
– The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
– The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Final thoughts
The mouse is similar in design with Fnatic Flick however the Clutch G1 does not have a symmetric shape and is slightly bigger.
The Pixart PMW 3310 optical sensor offers a good performance, being accurate even at higher DPI values.
The Fnatic Gear V2.0 software is intuitive and features most of the options needed to configure the mouse, the main inconvenient is the lack of LOD options. Once the three profiles have been configured, these are stored on the on-board memory of the mouse, thus being available without the driver, the profiles being saved within the mouse.
In conclusion, the Clutch G1 model is a good alternative offering an elegant look without any flashy elements. The shape of the mouse is good in combination with the matte texture and the button placement makes them easy to use.
