Our Verdict
82%
A high-end sensor, high-endurance switches and great shape put this mouse above many rivals at its surprisingly low price.
As a relatively new entrant to the mouse market, we’ve only previously looked at one of AOC’s gaming mice, the ultra-budget GM500 that retails for under £10. It had decent main switches and sensor but a basic shape, high weight and dull design. With a price more than double that of the GM500, the GM530 is understandably a considerably more capable offering.
The most obvious advantage of the GM530 over the GM500 is its greatly improved shape. The slightly concave curved rubber sides, with their Y-shaped texture, provide fantastic grip, while the scalloping on the two main buttons similarly helps your fingers nestle into their centre.
It’s similar in shape to the Razer DeathAdder, with a sloped right side and full body for providing proper palm support. However, despite this palm grip-centric shape it still works well for other grip styles thanks to its middling size and quite narrow middle section. The only downside is its relatively heavy weight of 101g, which isn’t far off double the weight of some of the mice on test this month.
It’s a smart enough looking mouse, with a particularly classy-looking matt black coating, a neatly integrated RGB strip on the rear and a DPI indicator on the top. The AOC logo is a little on the dull side compared to the likes of Razer’s branding, but that’s not a big deal when it only costs £25.
When it comes to buttons, the AOC offers the standard left, right, back, forward and scroll wheel/middle buttons, plus there are two DPI buttons behind the scroll wheel. The latter are quite large buttons, but they sit low so they aren’t easy to knock accidentally. Meanwhile, the scroll wheel is metal but not weighted, instead offering a precise notched feel that makes it easy to roll the wheel accurately. It’s also easy to press the middle button without rolling the wheel.
AOC has employed Kailh switches, which are rated to a massive 80 million-click lifetime for the left and right buttons. They’re loud and require a bit more force than the buttons on some mice, but they feel precise and positive in action.
A top-notch PixArt PMW3389 sensor is also used, providing maximum tracking figures of 16,000 DPI, 400 inches per second (IPS) movement speed and 50G acceleration. Those figures are right up there with the best gaming mice available, and sure enough this mouse performed flawlessly in our gaming tests.
Conversely, the cable is of the stiff braided style, so there’s noticeable cable pushback when you move the mouse, which we found a little distracting. Modern lightweight braided cables interfere far less with your movements.
On the underside of the mouse, there’s also a profile switch, which saves having to jump into software to switch between settings. Four small glide pads sit in the corners, and while they provide smooth movement, they’re so small that they’re more likely to wear out quicker than larger pads.
AOC GM530 pros and cons
Pros
- Top-end sensor
- High-end switches
- Great shapes
Cons
- Not the sleekest design
- Stiff cable
- Heavy by modern standards
AOC GM530 specs
The AOC GM530 specs list is:
Weight: 101g
Dimensions (mm): 55 x 125 x 42 (W x D x H)
Sensor: Pixart PMW3389 – 16,000 DPI, 50g acceleration, 400ips
Buttons: 7 (left, right, scroll wheel, back, forward, two top-mounted DPI)
Cable: 1.8m, braided
Extras: RGB lighting, profile switch
AOC GM530 price
The AOC GM530 is a cheap mouse and while that does show through in some ways, it’s still very capable considering its price.
Price: Expect to pay $22 USD / £22 GBP
AOC GM530 review conclusion
AOC has done an excellent job with the GM530. The inclusion of a top-of-the-line sensor and high-endurance switches means it really has the gaming performance chops to compete with much more expensive mice. Its shape is very accommodating too, with the addition of rubber sides making it effortless to grip. On the downside, it’s also comparatively heavy, and it’s quite stiff, so it’s not quite a home run. It’s impressively capable for the price, though. Not the mouse you were hoping for? Check out our best gaming mouse guide for more recommendations.