What Does DPI Mean For Gaming Mice?

When putting together a gaming PC, every component must be given due consideration. Whether someone is purchasing a graphics card or an HDMI cable, they need to carefully check the available options to make sure they pick the right item for their rig. Of course, gaming mice are no different.

When selecting a mouse, several factors should be considered: its sensor, shape, customization options, and whether to go with a wireless or wired model. One feature that tends to be highlighted in the description of these products is the DPI, a technical term that can be difficult to decipher if one is not familiar with PC mice.

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What Does DPI Stand For?

DPI stands for “Dots Per Inch,” with “dots” referring to the pixels on a monitor. Essentially, a mouse’s DPI determines the number of pixels the cursor will cover to coincide with a player’s hand movement. The higher the DPI, the more the cursor will traverse the screen for every inch the mouse is moved. DPI is typically associated with a mouse’s sensitivity.

Is DPI The Same As CPI In A Mouse?

DPI and CPI are often used interchangeably when it comes to gaming mice, although the latter is technically the proper term. CPI refers to a mouse’s “Counts Per Inch,” which is directly connected to the accessory’s sensor and physical movement.

Unlike DPI – which is resolution-bound and may mean different things on different displays – the higher the CPI, the more sensitive the mouse. Therefore, when a mouse with a CPI of 2800 is moved one inch, its cursor will provide a reading of 2800 counts. On the other hand, a mouse with a DPI of 2800 will move 2800 dots for every inch of physical movement, but this will translate to different distances based on the screen’s resolution.

Although they do have their differences, DPI and CPI generally refer to the same thing in the world of computer mice. As an example, the SteelSeries Rival 5 lists CPI rather than DPI as part of SteelSeries’ long-term push to list CPI over DPI, as it feels the former is more accurate a depiction of a mouse’s accuracy and capabilities.

What Does A Typical Mouse DPI Look Like?

Office mice tend to have a low, preset DPI between 800-2500. This is more than enough to get the job done if the accessory is not being used for activities like gaming or graphic design. Many office workers have their mice DPI set much higher than esports players, simply due to the fact that they are not performing precision work most of the time and tend to favor speed over accuracy.

In relation to gaming mice, DPI can often number in the thousands. For example, the Logitech G502 HERO supports up to 25,600 max DPI. Admittedly, that is an extreme case, but gaming mice tend to offer a max of 4000 DPI at minimum, with prices as low as $30 in some cases.

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The Logitech G502 Hero: An Accurate High-DPI Mouse On a Budget

Logitech G502 HERO

High DPI Budget Mouse

The Hero You Want

$45 $50 Save $5

Weight

121 g + 18g (optional)

Sensor and DPI

Hero 25K

RGB Lighting

Yes

Programmable Buttons

11

Multi-Device Pairing

Yes

DPI

25600

IPS

400

Polling Rate

1000Hz

Acceleration

40G

Switches

11

Connectivity

N/A

Wireless

No

Battery Life

N/A

Battery Type

N/A

Pros

• Has an industry-leading scroll wheel on offer
• Has a significantly high DPI compared to most budget alternatives thanks to the exemplary HERO sensor
• Has multiple programmable buttons

Cons

• The mouse switches do sometimes break down with sustained use
• Is considerably larger than most of its direct competition

The Logitech G502 Hero is an excellent, wired high-DPI mouse available to gamers and professionals alike, even if it targets the former as its main audience. Costing just under $50 and coming with an impressive 25K DPI sensor coupled with a return to a larger claw/palm grip, it offers significant value and a premium feel at a price that Game Rant feels is well deserved. That earns it the top spot on our guide for the best budget gaming mice in the market.

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Does DPI Make A Difference For Gaming?

For casual use, the DPI is not that important. In fact, it is not unusual for the technical details of office mice to omit this information entirely. However, gaming mice tend to heavily advertise their DPI, and that’s because it does make some difference.

A higher DPI tends to be seen as a better option for fast-paced playstyles, like those often used in Counter-Strike or Call of Duty: Warzone 2. Essentially, players will be able to improve their response time due to the cursor’s faster movement. However, this comes at the cost of accuracy in some cases, a price that might not be worth it for every player out there. In particular, snipers and other precision gamers hardly ever break 1000 DPI, at least while they’re taking a shot.

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A high DPI is also a better fit for genres that prioritize significant map and mini-map movement, like strategy games and MOBAs, though again many professional FPS players prefer having low DPI presets on high-CPI mice. This allows for accurate aim without compromising their ability to land headshots from variable distances.

While a higher DPI sensor is typically seen as a selling point, having the highest DPI does not automatically make a better mouse. Using the Logitech G502 Hero as an example, the maximum DPI of 25K is amazing, but rarely will anyone use this mouse at 25,000 DPI. That would require a ton of fine movements to control any sort of game, from FPS to MOBAs. The range of DPI options is the real selling point of these higher DPI mice. The wider range allows you to fine-tune the DPI setting to perfectly fit your playstyle and comfort.

Do You Have To Commit To Just One Level?

The majority of gaming mice seek to remove restrictions as much as possible, and this extends to DPI. The Cooler Master MM720, for instance, has seven levels starting from 400 and concluding at 16000 DPI. Not only do most gaming mice offer onboard memory slots to save different DPI settings, but many even offer a specific “sniper button.” This button can be set to instantly lower the DPI while players take aim, then pressed again to return to normal speeds for quick getaways. Most gaming mice manufacturers now have their own software that permits users to set their preferred DPI levels on the fly.

What Is eDPI?

The term eDPI stands for “effective dots per inch” and means to bridge the gap between internal mouse settings and in-game settings. Most PC games allow players to change a mouse’s sensitivity, creating what is known as eDPI. If a mouse has a DPI of 2400 and its in-game sensitivity is set to 0.75, then its eDPI would be 1800. This setting gives players even more freedom, and someone might prefer to set the mouse’s DPI to a low setting like 400 or 800, and then tweak the game’s sensitivity to suit their tastes. In effect, this is a DPI multiplier that is used to offer a more software-centric solution to mice with DPI presets that are often less easy to change at times.

Conclusion

While DPI is a great way to gauge a gaming mouse’s capabilities, it is by no means the only metric used to determine if a mouse is a good fit for you or not. If you are deciding between two mice, where one has the shape, features, and style you are looking for, and the other one has a higher maximum DPI, the first mouse would provide a better user experience in the long run, despite not having that impressively high DPI.

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