How to measure your mouse DPI
1. Get a ruler
Any ruler or tape measure works. No ruler? A bank card is 8.56 cm wide, an A4 sheet is 21 cm and US Letter is 8.5 in.
2. Click, move, click
Pick a distance above, click in the box, slide the mouse along the ruler's edge exactly that far, then click again.
3. Repeat 3–5 times
The average evens out small errors. Type your DPI setting to see how far your sensor is from it.
What is mouse DPI?
DPI (dots per inch – more precisely CPI, counts per inch) is how many movement counts your mouse sensor reports for every inch it travels.
At 800 DPI, moving the mouse 1 inch (2.54 cm) sends 800 counts to the computer; at 1600 DPI the same move sends 1600, so the cursor travels twice as far. The analyzer simply counts what the sensor reports over a distance you know and divides it by that distance.
Why is my measured DPI different from the setting?
- Sensor tolerance. Most sensors are within ±5% of the advertised DPI; budget mice can be 10% off. A steady 820 on an "800 DPI" setting is normal.
- The movement wasn't straight. Measuring along a diagonal or a curve adds sideways movement. Slide the mouse along the edge of the ruler.
- Surface and lift-off. Glossy, glass or very worn pads can make the sensor skip counts. Try a plain cloth mouse pad.
- Windows pointer speed. In Chrome, Edge and Opera the test reads raw sensor data ("Raw" under Input), so pointer speed and Enhance pointer precision don't matter. In Firefox and Safari, set Windows pointer speed to 6/11 and turn Enhance pointer precision off.
- Display scaling. Without raw input some browsers scale movement by your display scaling (125%, 150%). The result box shows a corrected value when that may be the case.
Which DPI should I use?
| DPI | Good for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 400–800 | CS2, Valorant and other tactical shooters | Most pros play here with low in-game sensitivity for precise aim. |
| 800–1600 | Everyday use, most games, 1080p screens | A comfortable balance between speed and control. |
| 1600–3200 | 1440p and 4K screens, MOBA and MMO games | Less hand movement to cross a large, high-resolution screen. |
There is no single best number – what matters is your total sensitivity. Read our guide to the best mouse DPI for gaming for more.
Frequently asked questions
Is 800 or 1600 DPI better?
Neither is better on its own. 1600 DPI with half the in-game sensitivity feels the same as 800 DPI, and on many modern sensors 1600 is slightly smoother and responds a little faster. Many pros still use 800 – pick the one that feels right and keep it.
Does Windows pointer speed change the result?
Not in Chrome, Edge or Opera – they give the test raw sensor counts. In Firefox and Safari it does, so set pointer speed to the middle notch (6/11) and turn off Enhance pointer precision first.
What is eDPI?
eDPI is DPI × in-game sensitivity. It lets you compare your aim speed with other players even if they use a different DPI – 800 DPI at 0.5 and 400 DPI at 1.0 are both 400 eDPI.
My mouse is always 8% off – can I fix it?
Yes. Many mouse apps (G HUB, Synapse, SteelSeries GG) let you set DPI in small steps, so you can pick the value that measures closest to your target, for example 870 to get a true 800.
Can I measure a touchpad or touch screen?
No. Touchpads and touch screens don't report sensor counts like a mouse, so the DPI analyzer only works with a mouse.