How to Check Mouse DPI

Three ways to find out what your mouse DPI is: the brand's software, the spec sheet, or a ruler and a 10-second measurement.

To check your mouse DPI, open the software from your mouse brand and read the active DPI stage; if the mouse has no software, look up the model's spec sheet or measure the DPI by sliding the mouse a known distance along a ruler. Windows and macOS do not show DPI anywhere, so skip the system settings and use one of those three methods.

This page walks through each one, with the exact place to look in Logitech G HUB, Razer Synapse, SteelSeries GG, Glorious Core, and Corsair iCUE, and a section on measuring the real DPI with the DPI analyzer on this site. The measurement is the only method that works for every mouse, including unbranded ones, and it tells you what the sensor actually does instead of what a label says.

What DPI means and why the setting might not be what you think

DPI stands for dots per inch and describes how many movement counts the sensor reports for every inch the mouse travels. At 800 DPI, moving the mouse one inch sends 800 counts to the computer; at 1600 DPI, the same inch sends 1600. Some brands call this CPI, counts per inch, and the number is identical.

The DPI you see in a spec sheet or software is a target. The sensor itself has a tolerance, and a mouse set to 800 DPI commonly delivers 780 or 830. On top of that, most gaming mice have a DPI button that cycles through several stored stages, and a single accidental press changes the active value without any on-screen warning. That is why "what is my mouse DPI" has two answers: the configured one and the measured one.

How to check mouse DPI on Windows 11

Windows 11 does not have a DPI readout. Go to Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Mouse, and you will find a Mouse pointer speed slider, but that slider multiplies the cursor movement after the mouse has already reported it. It does not read, set, or reveal the sensor's DPI, and the same is true of the older Control Panel dialog behind Additional mouse settings.

What Windows can do is get out of the way. Leave the pointer speed slider at its middle position (6 of 11) so counts pass through at a one-to-one ratio, and untick Enhance pointer precision under the Pointer Options tab of the Control Panel dialog. With both of those set, cursor movement on the desktop reflects the raw DPI, and any measurement you take is cleaner.

To find the actual number on Windows, use the brand's software, the spec sheet, or the measurement method below. Every one of them works on Windows 10 and 11 alike.

How to check DPI on a Mac

macOS does not show DPI either. System Settings, Mouse has a Tracking speed slider, which is the Mac version of pointer speed, and newer macOS releases add a pointer acceleration toggle under the advanced mouse options. Neither one is DPI; both are applied to the counts after the mouse sends them.

Your options on a Mac are the same three. Logitech G HUB, Razer Synapse, SteelSeries GG, and Corsair iCUE all have macOS versions, although some brands lag behind their Windows releases and a few mice are only supported on Windows. If your mouse software is not available on Mac, the spec sheet or a browser measurement in Safari or Chrome gets you the number without installing anything.

How to check DPI in your mouse software

If your mouse has companion software, this is the fastest way to see the setting and, on most mice, the only way to change it. Install the app for your brand, plug the mouse in, click its picture or name, and open the DPI section. The table shows where to look.

Brand	Software	Where the DPI is shown	What you see
Logitech G	G HUB	Select the mouse, then the Sensitivity (DPI) section	A row of stage markers on a slider; the highlighted one is active
Razer	Synapse	Select the mouse, Performance tab	A Sensitivity value and a list of DPI stages if stages are enabled
SteelSeries	GG (Engine)	Select the mouse, then the sensitivity or CPI settings	Up to five CPI stages, with the active one marked (SteelSeries uses the term CPI)
Glorious	Glorious Core	Select the mouse, then the DPI tab	Enabled DPI stages, each with an LED colour
Corsair	iCUE	Select the mouse, then the DPI section	Up to five stages plus a sniper value; the active stage is highlighted

Three things to watch in any of these apps. First, the app shows the profile that is loaded on the computer, which may differ from what is stored in the mouse's onboard memory if you have not saved it. Second, if the mouse supports several profiles, confirm you are looking at the active one. Third, the number in the app is still the nominal value; only a measurement tells you what the sensor delivers.

Logitech's office mice use Logitech Options+ rather than G HUB, and Options+ exposes a pointer speed control instead of DPI stages. The same is true of most Microsoft, HP, and Dell mice: their utilities adjust speed, not DPI, and the sensor runs at a fixed value listed on the spec sheet.

How to check DPI without software

A mouse with no app falls into one of two groups: a fixed-DPI office mouse or a budget gaming mouse with a DPI button and nothing else.

For a fixed-DPI mouse, flip it over and find the model number, then search for its specification page. Office mice typically list a single value, often 1000 DPI, sometimes 800 or 1600, and that is the DPI it runs at all the time. If the listing only says "adjustable DPI" with a range, the mouse has a button and belongs in the second group.

For a mouse with a DPI button, the stages are usually printed in the listing as a sequence such as 800, 1600, 2400, 3200. Many of these mice signal the active stage with an LED colour, and the manual maps each colour to a value. Without the manual you are guessing which stage you are on, which is exactly what the measurement below solves.

Measure it: the DPI analyzer on this page

The DPI analyzer below the article measures the DPI from the sensor's own counts and works in any desktop browser, with no download and no account. You need a ruler, a tape measure, or any object of known length, and a mouse pad wide enough to slide the mouse in a straight line.

Lay the ruler flat on the mouse pad, parallel to the keyboard, and rest one side of the mouse against its edge so the mouse cannot rotate.
Type the length you plan to move into Distance to move and pick in, cm, or mm under Unit. The default is 2 inches; a longer distance gives a steadier result.
No ruler? Use one of the preset buttons next to No ruler?: A4 long edge (29.7 cm), US Letter long edge (11 in), or Bank card width (8.56 cm), and slide the mouse along the edge of that object.
If you know what the mouse is supposed to be set to, enter it in DPI setting (optional).
Hold the left button inside the panel. The cursor disappears, a live count starts, and the panel tells you to release after exactly the distance you entered.
Slide the mouse to the right along the ruler for that exact distance, then release. The big number is your DPI for that run.

Do three to five runs. The Average of readout counts the runs and shows their mean, which is the number to trust. Off from setting appears once you fill in the optional setting and turns into a warning past 10 percent. Spread · nearest stage shows how much your runs vary and the closest standard value (400, 800, 1200, 1600, and so on), which is usually the stage the mouse is actually on.

Under DPI stages, the four slots let you save the current average as stage 1, 2, 3, or 4. Save a stage, press the DPI button on the mouse, measure again, and save the next slot; after a few rounds you have a map of your DPI button even without a manual. Copy puts the average, deviation, and individual runs on the clipboard, and Reset clears everything for a fresh start.

Only horizontal movement is counted, so keep the mouse square to the ruler. While measuring, the tool asks the browser for raw sensor counts so that pointer acceleration and the Windows or macOS speed slider do not affect the result; if your browser cannot provide raw input, a note under the panel says so, and you should turn off pointer acceleration in the system settings before measuring. Press Esc to cancel a run.

Which number should you use?

If you only want to know which stage your mouse is on, the software or the LED colour answers that in seconds. If you want to copy a setting between two mice, compare your sensitivity with other players, or decide whether a sensor is faulty, use the measured value.

The measured value feeds everything else on this site. Multiply it by your in-game sensitivity in the eDPI calculator to compare your settings with the typical pro range for your game. If the number is not what you want, how to change mouse DPI covers the DPI button and every brand's software, and what DPI should I use explains how to pick a value in the first place.

DPI analyzer: measure the real DPI of any mouse in your browser.
How to change mouse DPI: set a new DPI with the button or in Logitech, Razer, SteelSeries, Glorious, or Corsair software.
What DPI should I use?: pick a DPI for your screen, desk, and game.
eDPI calculator: turn DPI and in-game sensitivity into one comparable number.

Distance to move

Unit

No ruler?

DPI setting (optional)

—DPI

Hold the left button here, slide the mouse exactly 2 in to the right along a ruler, then release.

Average of 0

—DPI

Off from setting

—

Spread · nearest stage

—

DPI stages

After a few runs, click a slot to save the average, then press the DPI button on your mouse and measure the next stage.

The cursor is hidden while measuring so the reading uses raw sensor counts, not the accelerated pointer. Press Esc to cancel.

Updated October 6, 2026

Frequently asked questions

How do I check my mouse DPI?

Open the software from your mouse brand and read the active DPI stage, or look up the model's specification sheet if the mouse has no software. To confirm the real number, measure it: slide the mouse a known distance along a ruler in the DPI analyzer and it divides the sensor counts by the inches moved. Windows and macOS do not show DPI anywhere.

How do I check mouse DPI on Windows 11?

Windows 11 has no DPI readout. The Mouse page in Settings only has a pointer speed slider, which scales the cursor after the mouse has reported its movement. To see the DPI on Windows, use the mouse manufacturer's software, the model's spec sheet, or a measurement in your browser.

How do I check DPI on a Mac?

macOS does not display DPI either; the Tracking speed slider in System Settings is not DPI. Install the macOS version of your brand's software if one exists, such as Logitech G HUB or Razer Synapse, or measure the DPI in Safari or Chrome with the analyzer on this site. The measurement works on any Mac with a mouse plugged in.

What is my mouse DPI if the mouse has no software?

It is whatever the sensor was set to at the factory or by the DPI button, and the fastest way to find out is to measure it. Office mice without a button are usually fixed somewhere between 800 and 1600 DPI, but the spec sheet for your model is the only reliable source. A measured value is more useful anyway, because it is the number the sensor really delivers.

Does the Windows pointer speed slider change my DPI?

No. DPI is set inside the mouse, and the slider multiplies the movement after it arrives at the computer. The middle position of the slider, 6 out of 11, passes the counts through unchanged; any other position scales them, which makes aiming feel inconsistent in games.

Why is my measured DPI different from the setting?

Sensors have a tolerance, so a mouse set to 800 DPI often measures a few percent above or below. A short measuring distance, a tilted mouse, or pointer acceleration on the operating system add more error. A steady gap of more than 10 percent usually means a different DPI stage is active than the one you expected.

What is a normal DPI for a mouse?

Most gaming mice ship with 800 DPI as the default stage, and most players use something between 400 and 1600. Office mice are typically fixed around 1000 DPI. The right value depends on your screen, your desk space, and the game, so check what you have before you decide whether to change it.

Can I check DPI on a laptop touchpad?

No. A touchpad reports finger position, not counts per inch of movement, so it has no DPI to check or measure. The DPI analyzer detects a touch device and tells you it cannot run; plug in a mouse to use it.

More DPI tools and guides

Once you know your real DPI, these pages turn it into a sensitivity you can use in every game.