How to check your mouse DPI
Windows and macOS do not show it. Here are four ways to find the DPI your mouse is really using, from fastest to most exact.
The quick answer
Open the software that came with your mouse and look at the active profile: the DPI (or CPI) is listed there. No software? Check the DPI button on the mouse and the spec sheet on the maker’s site. If you want the real number rather than the setting, measure it with the free DPI checker.
Four ways to check it
- Use the mouse softwareLogitech G HUB, Razer Synapse, Corsair iCUE, SteelSeries GG and similar apps show the DPI of each stage and which one is active. Select your mouse and look under DPI, CPI or sensitivity.
- Use the DPI button and the spec sheetMany gaming mice have a button, often behind the scroll wheel or on the underside, that cycles through DPI steps. A light or an on-screen message shows the current step. The maker’s spec sheet lists the steps and the default.
- Measure it with the DPI checkerPut a ruler beside the mouse, slide it a measured distance and let the page divide the counts by the inches. It shows what the sensor really does and takes about a minute. Open the mouse DPI checker.
- Work it out from a gameIf you know your sensitivity and how far your mouse travels for a full turn, the DPI follows from the formula below.
Work out your DPI from a game
The turn distance of a game depends on three things: your DPI, your sensitivity and the game’s yaw. If you measure the distance, you can solve for DPI:
DPI = 914.4 ÷ (cm per 360 × sensitivity × yaw)
Example in Counter-Strike 2, where the yaw is 0.022: you set the sensitivity to 1, aim at a fixed point and find that a full turn takes 52 cm of mouse travel. Then DPI = 914.4 ÷ (52 × 1 × 0.022) = 799, so the mouse is at 800 DPI. The cm/360 guide explains the measurement.
DPI, CPI and pointer speed are different things
DPI or CPI is the sensor setting: how many counts the mouse reports for each inch you move it. In-game sensitivity decides how many degrees each count turns the view. Windows pointer speed is a separate desktop setting that scales cursor movement and is not your DPI.
Your DPI only means something together with your in-game sensitivity, which is why players compare the two as one number, the eDPI, or as the turn distance, cm/360.
Questions
Can I see my mouse DPI in Windows?
No. Windows has a pointer speed slider, but that changes how far the cursor moves on screen. It is not the DPI of the mouse sensor, and Windows does not show the sensor DPI anywhere. Use the mouse software, the DPI button, the spec sheet, or measure it.
Is CPI the same as DPI?
In practice, yes. CPI means counts per inch, which is what the sensor really reports, and DPI is the older name most people still use. A mouse set to 800 DPI and one set to 800 CPI behave the same.
What is a good DPI for gaming?
There is no single right value. Many players use 400 to 1600 DPI and set the in-game sensitivity to match. In SensLab's October 2026 dataset of 999 verified pro settings, 52 percent use 800 DPI and 76 percent use 800 or 1600. What matters for your aim is your cm/360, not the DPI alone.
Why does the DPI I measure differ from my mouse software?
Many sensors report a little more or less than the number they are set to, and you will not slide the mouse in a perfectly straight line. A result within a few percent of 400, 800, 1200 or 1600 almost always means that setting. Trust the software for the setting and the measurement for what the mouse really does.
Does changing the Windows pointer speed change my DPI?
No. It changes how fast the cursor moves on the desktop. It does not change the DPI of the sensor, and most games that use raw input ignore it.
How do I check the DPI of a mouse without software?
Look at the spec sheet on the maker's site, check for a DPI button and its indicator light, or measure it with a ruler: slide the mouse a known distance and divide the counts it reports by the inches you moved. The mouse DPI checker on this site does that for you.