Measurements
Mouse DPI Test — Measure Your Real DPI
Manufacturers often lie about DPI. Drag a known physical distance, we count the pixels, and report your actual DPI.
Before you start
- 1 Set your browser zoom to 100% (Ctrl/Cmd + 0).
- 2 Disable pointer acceleration on Windows: Settings → Mouse → "Enhance pointer precision" OFF.
- 3 Place a ruler on your mousepad. Pick a distance you can reliably drag — 4 inches (10 cm) is a good default.
- 4 Enter that distance below, then click "Start measurement."
- 5 Hold the left mouse button at the start of your ruler. Drag the cursor straight to the end without lifting. Release.
We'll compare against your real measured DPI.
Hold left button, drag straight
Press in this box, drag your set distance, release
Measured DPI
— DPI
— pixels over — inches
Tip — repeat 3 times. Hand technique varies. Drag, note the value, clear, and drag again. Average the three for your reliable DPI. If results vary by more than 10% between runs, your acceleration setting may still be on or you're not dragging straight.
Frequently asked questions
What is mouse DPI and why measure it?
DPI (dots per inch) is how many cursor pixels your mouse moves per inch of physical movement. The number on the box is what the manufacturer claims — many cheap mice have a 'true DPI' lower than advertised, especially budget gaming mice that mark up specs. Measuring confirms you're actually getting what you paid for.
Why does this test give a different number than my driver software?
Driver software reports the configured DPI you selected — what the firmware reports to the OS. Our test measures the actual cursor displacement on the screen for a given physical movement. If the mouse has internal interpolation or scaling, the measured DPI can differ from what the driver claims. A small gap (under 5%) is normal; a large gap (over 15%) means specs are misleading.
How accurate is this test?
Within about ±5% with careful technique. Sources of error: imprecise ruler placement, OS pointer acceleration ('Enhance pointer precision' on Windows must be off), browser zoom (must be 100%), and the natural curve of mouse movement. Repeat the measurement 3 times and take the average for best accuracy.
I disabled mouse acceleration but still get weird results — why?
Two more places where acceleration sneaks in: (1) macOS has its own curve enabled by default — disable via Terminal command 'defaults write -g com.apple.mouse.scaling -1' then logout/login; (2) some gaming mice apply LOD (lift-off distance) compensation that briefly multiplies counts when lifting and re-placing — never lift the mouse during measurement.
Should I lower my DPI?
Not necessarily. DPI by itself doesn't matter — what matters is your effective sensitivity (DPI × in-game sens). Pros span 400–3200 DPI. Lower DPI gives you more precise micro-adjustments at the cost of needing more arm movement; higher DPI inverts that. Pick a DPI that lets your in-game sens be a number you can remember (e.g., 800 DPI × 0.5 sens = 400 eDPI), then measure cm/360° and adjust from there.
Does this work on a laptop trackpad?
Technically yes, but the result is meaningless. Trackpads use gesture-based pointer movement — the cursor doesn't move 1:1 with finger movement. Pointer acceleration is built into the trackpad driver and can't be disabled in most cases. Use an actual mouse for this test.
Related