By Meng Vang
Manufacturer: Fnatic PTY Ltd.
Product Name: Clutch 2 Wired Optical Gaming Mouse
Model Number: FG-MS-5060455782192
EAN: 5060455782192
Price As Tested: $59.99 (Best Buy)Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Fnatic PTY Ltd.
It is amazing to see an eSports company release their own gaming peripherals into the market. With the release of their Gen 2 products, we have seen two new Cherry MX based keyboards, two new mice, and a few different mouse mats. The Clutch 2 is just one of those new Gen 2 products, which features a 3360 optical sensor, a light-weight body design, and lighting/performance customization via the Fnatic OP software. This is a great step up from the original Clutch mouse. Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at the Clutch 2 optical gaming mouse to see what it has in store for us.
ESPORTS READY
- Mice are probably the most important, most personal tool in the arsenal of a professional gamer, and therefore all gamers. That’s why we only have one platform, one promise, to put the best available technology, and build quality, in every mouse we make starting with the completely reengineered CLUTCH 2. Everything you need to perform, with no compromises.
ULTIMATE COMFORT FOR THE LONG SESSIONS
- Oleophobic paint and textured rubber side grip maximises comfort and supports both palm and claw-grip users.
BEST IN CLASS OPTICAL SENSOR
- Tip top, like an aim bot, Clutch is equipped with The Pixart 3360, one of the world’s best sensors, with a load of additional features such as the ability to adjust lift-off-distance, lower CPI increments and over all higher split-second accuracy and precision. You’ve got no more excuses now, the rest is up to you.
TOUGH GUY MICE
- Breaking is bad, even when mad. Built to withstand more than normal wear-and-tear. Those rage-inducing moments are no match for our top tier built and drop tested durability. But go ahead share your smash testing videos, make real friends.
COMPLETELY CUSTOMIZABLE CLICKING DEVICE
- Make it your own. Adjustable CPI/DPI, lift-off distance and color combinations meet the needs of gamers on any level. Easily remappable buttons give you the power to control the environment. Change the CPI/DPI on the fly. So you can aim precisely, no matter which weapon or game, just switch your profiles quickly. No more excuses.
- Designed for the simplest experience, without compromising on features, the interface won’t need a PHD to get to grips with. Cloud based, and cross platform, it will evolve consistently to enhance your experience. Starting with super easy lighting controls, straight forward key bindings, and profiles this is just the beginning of your road to OP. With the mice you also get access to basics such as sensitivity, CPI, and LOD adjustments.
| Dimensions | W: 66.2mm L: 131mm H: 43mm |
| Weight | 97g |
| Sensor | Pixart 3360 |
| Resolution | 12000 CPI |
| Increments | 100 CPI/step |
| Acceleration | 50G |
| Frame Rate | Up to 12000 fps |
| Cord length | 1.8m |
| Polling rate | 1000hz |
| Response/Speed | 1ms / 250ips |
| Processor/Memory | NXP / 8mb |
| Switches | Omron D2FC-F-7N (50M) |
| Warranty | 2 years |
The Fnatic Clutch 2 optical gaming mouse is currently available online for $59.99 (Best Buy). The box has a picture of the product along with its features and specifications listed around it.
Inside of the box, we can see that the mouse is packaged very securely in a soft foam material. This will prevent any damage to the product during shipping.
In terms of accessories, we find a set of stickers and the quick guide booklet.
The Clutch 2 looks somewhat similar to its predecessor, but there have been a few refinements on the body shape and buttons. The surfaces on the top is made of plastic, while the sides are made from a rubberized material for a better grip.
Now that we have seen a quick overview of the Clutch 2, let’s go into more details on what this product has to offer.
At the top of the mouse, we can see the standard left and right buttons along with a rubberized scroll wheel with RGB illumination. There is a smaller button behind the scroll wheel for switching between the three separate profiles. At the rear is the company symbol, which does not illuminate when there is power to the mouse.
At the bottom of the mouse, there is an orange base with two large Teflon glide pads for smooth tracking. The 12000 DPI 3360 optical sensor is placed near the center of the mouse, which can be beneficial for precise aiming. We also notice the small reset hole closer towards the rear of the mouse. Resetting the mouse will clear all save settings and restore defaults.
With the Clutch 2, the forward and backward buttons are much larger than the ones on its predecessor. Rubberized side grips are now present on the Clutch 2, and there is a RGB capable logo towards the front of the mouse.
No additional side buttons are present on the opposite side except for rubberized side grip.
At the front of the mouse, we can see the cable attaches directly in the center of the mouse. Both left and right clicks curve downwards just slightly for a better feel of the buttons.
At the rear, the surface maintains a smooth design with only the company logo. The left side of the mouse is significantly higher than the right to reduce fatigue on the wrist.
In the next section, we will go over the OP software to see what kind of options we can adjust.
Like the Corsair Utility Engine, Razer Synapse, and Gamdias HERA software, Fnatic OP can manage multiple Fnatic gaming peripherals simultaneously. Once we have selected the Clutch 2 from the welcome screen, we are brought to the Profile tab where we can select between the three different profiles and view the Device Info.
In the Performance tab, we can adjust DPI levels, angle snapping, lift-off distance, and more. The Clutch 2 does allow changes to be made through the hardware side without the software. We can adjust DPI settings by holding down the forward, backward, and profile buttons for five seconds, use the scroll wheel to adjust, then pressing the profile button to save the setting. Brightness levels to the RGB LEDs can be adjusted by holding down the forward, backward, and scroll wheel button. Pressing the scroll wheel will save the brightness setting. We can also adjust lift-off distance by holding down the profile and scroll wheel for five seconds. Then press the profile button to save.
As for lighting, there are three choices to choose from: Colour Editor, Fade, and Pulse mode. Colour Editor is a static effect, Fade is a breathing effect, and Pulse is like a heartbeat effect.
Under the Key Binding tab, we can reassign any button to other functions. We can assign them to open different programs or store complicated macro functions.
In the next section, we will take a look at how the Clutch 2 performs.
Sensor Tracking Performance and Polling Rate
The Clutch 2 performed very well as it was able to handle very fast flicks across the surface thanks to its 3360 optical sensor and its light weight body at 97 grams. No acceleration was present during testing and the average polling rate was around 1000 Hz as advertised. Lift-off distance felt really good even at the lowest setting, which was something I personally preferred.
Because the optical sensor was placed nearly in the center of the mouse, this provided great tracking performance straight from the box without having to get too intimate with the mouse. The body shape, at least for me, was somewhat big so I had to adjust my grip to comfortably grip the mouse. After a few days, I became comfortable with the mouse and that was when the Clutch 2 really started to shine. I did play around with low and high DPI settings, and I did not find too many tracking issues at all. The lowest this mouse could go was 100 DPI, and DPI settings can be adjusted in steps of 100. However, I normally play at 2000 DPI, which was right around the sweet spot for this sensor.
There is a lot that goes into a topic like this; should you use a low DPI or a high DPI for gaming? I personally prefer anything between 2000 DPI and 3500 DPI for gaming. I did notice a small amount jittering with slow movements at a very low DPI, but the jitter was nonexistent at the 2000 DPI I was using. But if you can pull off fancy moves and headshot every enemy that gets in your way, stick with whatever you have and be happy with it.
Button Response and Placement
The buttons were in the right locations and never interfered with any of my games. I noticed that the side buttons were on the spongy side. I personally prefer something less spongy and more direct like the Logitech G Pro. Because the mouse was a little too big for my hands, I had to adjust my hand further up to properly press the left and right mouse buttons. Gamers with larger hands would appreciate the size of this mouse.
RGB Lighting Accuracy
Replicating a pure white color can be difficult for some RGB peripherals. When it came to color reproduction, the Clutch 2 did pretty well. When set to white, the LEDs had a slight purple tint to it, but individual colors appeared to look okay.
The LEDs were also bright enough to see in a bright room, and brightness settings could be adjusted from the mouse itself. This mouse was not designed to be the best looking mouse, so just a little lighting without too much distraction was enough for a competitive gaming product.
Above the side buttons between the crack, there were three additional LEDs for profile indication. They were RGB capable, but there were no settings in the software to change the colors. But at least Fanatic made the right choice by making the LEDs white to match any color theme.
Size Comparison with Other Mice
When it came to size, the Clutch 2 was almost as big as the ASUS ROG Spatha. Even on the Spatha, the scroll wheel was not as far up as the one on the Clutch 2. Having the scroll wheel further to the front of the mouse keeps the user from bending their finger too much to access the scroll wheel. Because of that, this also requires the user to reach further towards the front of the mouse if they have smaller hands.
Let’s go into my final thoughts and end this review with my conclusion in the next section.
The Clutch 2 is a great replacement for the first Clutch as it comes with a more sophisticate optical sensor and a slightly modified body shape. The OP software does allow for customization to get the most out of the product. It weighs just 97 grams without the cable, which is something I personally love to see as I am always throwing the mouse across the mat when gaming. I just wished the Clutch 2 was just slightly smaller in size to perfectly fit small to medium sized hands.
In terms of performance, the Clutch 2 performed very well because of its 3360 optical sensor and light weight design. I was able to perform quick flicks of the mouse without noticing any form of acceleration. The sensor is also located close to the center of the mouse, which is a great thing to see especially for a competitive gaming product.
Like its predecessor, the Clutch 2 maintains a very simply body design with just a few logos around it. The RGB lighting is very limited, which makes perfect sense to reduce distraction. The bottom of the mouse does have the Fnatic orange colored base. I would have preferred something more neutral like silver or grey just to match any type of color theme.
When it comes to construction, the Clutch 2 is built mainly from a durable plastic material with rubberized side grips. No sensor rattle was present, but the scroll wheel did rattle just a bit while shaking the mouse around. The OMRON D2FC-F-7N switches are rated at 50 million clicks, which is great to see for a mouse in this price range.
Functionality wise, the Clutch 2 performs well, looks good, and works just like it should. The OP software is not fully completed yet, so I am hoping to see the completed version in the near future. Perhaps we may also see more adjustment settings, like changing the colors of the profile indicator LEDs.
As of September 2018, the Fnatic Clutch 2 optical gaming mouse currently sells online for $59.99 (Best Buy). This is a good asking price considering it has one of the best optical sensors in a significantly lighter body design than its competitors. Other mice that fall within this price category, like the Corsair M65 Pro and Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum, would make good alternatives since they have 3360 based sensors but are heavier in weight. If you are strictly into gaming, the Clutch 2 is a great choice without any fancy features or distractions.
+ Light-weight design
+ Good for larger hands
+ Simple and to the point
+ Excellent 12000 DPI PixArt 3360 optical sensor
– Good for larger hands
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Performance: 9.50
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Appearance: 8.75
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Construction: 9.25
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Functionality: 9.00
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Value: 8.75
