Grab a sheet of printer paper and slide your mouse along it. This free mouse DPI test counts what your sensor actually sends and shows the real DPI next to the one you set.
- Lay the paper flat on your pad and put the left edge of your mouse on its left end.
- Click Start measuring. Your cursor hides while the test runs.
- Slide in a straight line until the same left edge reaches the right end of the real paper. Watch the paper, not the screen, and do not lift the mouse.
- Click again to stop. Three runs give the steadiest answer.
Your runs
The answer uses the middle of your runs, so one crooked slide does not throw it off.
| Run | Counts | Measured | Vs setting |
|---|
How the Mouse DPI Test Works
DPI, also called CPI, is how many counts your mouse sensor reports for every inch it travels. The test adds up those counts while you slide the mouse a distance you know, then divides by that distance. Slide 11 inches, collect 8,800 counts, and your mouse is running at 800 DPI.
In Chrome and Edge the test uses pointer lock with raw input, the same browser feature games use to turn off mouse acceleration. It reads the sensor directly instead of the cursor, so Windows pointer speed, acceleration and display scaling stay out of the result. Other browsers only see the cursor, which is why those settings matter there.
Accuracy comes down to the distance. Start and stop on the same edge of the mouse, keep the slide straight, and use the longest reference you have. Once you know your real DPI, plug it into our eDPI calculator to compare sensitivity across games, or run the mouse polling rate test to check the other number on your mouse’s spec sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about DPI settings, sensitivity and why your number might not match the box.
Is 800 or 1600 DPI better for gaming?
Neither is better on its own. What your aim feels is DPI multiplied by your in-game sensitivity, called eDPI, so 800 DPI at 1.0 sensitivity turns the same as 1600 DPI at 0.5. Many players pick 800 or 1600 because pro settings are shared in those numbers. Choose one, then set your in-game sensitivity to match.
Why doesn’t my measured DPI match the number on the box?
Sensors are tuned at the factory, and many run a few percent fast or slow. A short or crooked slide causes the same kind of gap, so run the test three times first. If the result holds, trust the measured number when you convert sensitivity between games.
What is the difference between DPI and in-game sensitivity?
DPI is set on the mouse and decides how many counts the sensor sends per inch. In-game sensitivity is a multiplier the game applies to those counts. Multiply the two and you get eDPI, the number that tells you how fast you really turn. Our eDPI calculator does the math and converts it between games.
Does Windows pointer speed change my DPI?
No. Pointer speed changes how far the desktop cursor moves, not what the sensor reports, and games that use raw input ignore it. In Chrome and Edge this test reads raw sensor counts, so pointer speed does not affect it. In other browsers, set pointer speed to the middle notch and turn off Enhance pointer precision before testing.
Does display scaling affect the result?
Not in Chrome or Edge, which read raw sensor counts. In other browsers the test corrects for your display scaling automatically, but mouse acceleration can still skew the number, so Chrome or Edge gives the most reliable reading.
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