Common questions about mouse performance and our testing tools
Both serve different purposes. Polling rate affects how frequently your mouse position is updated (reducing input lag), while DPI affects cursor speed and precision. For most users, a moderate DPI (800-1600) with a high polling rate (500-1000Hz) provides the best balance. Competitive gamers often prioritize polling rate for responsiveness, while using in-game sensitivity settings to adjust effective cursor speed.
Several factors can cause variation in test results:
For most accurate results, close unnecessary applications, use a wired mouse if possible, and run multiple tests to establish an average.
Yes, our tools can help identify several common mouse hardware issues:
If your mouse consistently performs poorly across multiple tests, it may indicate a hardware problem requiring replacement.
Modern high-quality wireless gaming mice perform nearly identically to their wired counterparts in terms of latency and reliability. Budget wireless mice, however, may still exhibit noticeable lag or inconsistent performance.
Key factors affecting wireless mouse performance include:
Our Latency Benchmark and Polling Rate Test can help you objectively compare your wireless mouse performance to wired standards.
Browser-based tools provide good relative measurements but may not be as precise as dedicated hardware testing equipment. Our tools are designed to maximize accuracy within browser limitations by:
For most users, these tools provide sufficient accuracy to make meaningful comparisons and optimizations. For scientific-grade measurements, specialized hardware testing equipment would be required.
Mouse latency (the delay between physical movement and cursor response) is affected by multiple factors:
For competitive gaming, minimizing each of these factors can provide a noticeable advantage in responsiveness.
To improve your click speed:
Most people can achieve 6-8 clicks per second with practice. Professional players in click-intensive games can reach 10-14 clicks per second.
To test your mouse sensor quality:
Good sensors should provide consistent tracking without jitter, have appropriate lift-off distance, no built-in acceleration, and maintain tracking during fast movements.
Polling rate is how frequently your computer checks for updates from your mouse, measured in Hertz (Hz). For example:
A higher polling rate means more responsive cursor movement with less input lag, which is particularly important for:
However, higher polling rates slightly increase CPU usage, though this is negligible on modern systems.
The method to change your mouse polling rate depends on your mouse type:
After changing your polling rate, use our Polling Rate Test tool to verify the new setting is working correctly.
Not necessarily. While 1000Hz (1ms) is technically better than 500Hz (2ms), the practical difference is minimal for most users. Consider these factors:
For most users, both 500Hz and 1000Hz provide excellent responsiveness. If you experience any cursor instability at 1000Hz, try 500Hz for better reliability.
Polling rate is how frequently your mouse reports its position to your computer, measured in Hertz (Hz). It directly affects how often your cursor position updates on screen.
Common polling rates and their reporting intervals:
Why polling rate matters:
The difference between 125Hz and 1000Hz is noticeable (7ms), while the difference between 1000Hz and 4000Hz (0.75ms) is much more subtle and only beneficial in specific competitive scenarios.
The method to change your mouse polling rate depends on your mouse type:
For gaming mice with dedicated software:
For mice without dedicated software:
For mice without any polling rate options:
After changing your polling rate, use our Polling Rate Tester tool to verify the change was successful.
Yes, polling rate significantly affects battery life in wireless mice. Higher polling rates require the mouse to communicate with the receiver more frequently, which increases power consumption.
Impact on battery life by polling rate:
Battery-saving strategies for wireless mice:
Modern high-end wireless gaming mice have significantly improved power efficiency, allowing 1000Hz operation for 40-80 hours on a single charge, compared to older models that might only last 15-20 hours.
4000Hz and 8000Hz polling rates represent the cutting edge of mouse technology, with 8000Hz being the newest development. Here's how they compare:
Technical differences:
Real-world performance:
Who might benefit:
For most users, even competitive gamers, 1000Hz polling rate is still more than sufficient. The jump from 1000Hz to higher rates provides diminishing returns that are imperceptible to most people.
The optimal DPI setting for gaming depends on several factors:
Most professional FPS players use 400-800 DPI with low in-game sensitivity for maximum precision. However, what works for professionals may not be ideal for you. We recommend experimenting with different settings using our DPI Analyzer tool to find your personal sweet spot.
No, higher DPI is not always better. Despite marketing claims, extremely high DPI settings (above 3200) rarely provide practical benefits:
The best approach is to find a comfortable DPI setting that allows you to move across your screen with a natural wrist/arm movement, then fine-tune with in-game sensitivity settings if needed.
eDPI (effective DPI) is a standardized way to compare mouse sensitivity across different games and players. It accounts for both your mouse DPI and in-game sensitivity settings.
How to calculate eDPI:
eDPI = Mouse DPI × In-game Sensitivity
Example calculations:
All three examples above result in the exact same cursor movement despite having different DPI and sensitivity settings.
Typical eDPI ranges for FPS games:
Use our eDPI Calculator tool to find your current eDPI and compare it with professional players.
cm/360° (centimeters per 360 degrees) measures how far you need to physically move your mouse to complete a full 360-degree rotation in a game. It's the most universal way to compare sensitivity across different games and engines.
Why cm/360° is important:
Typical cm/360° ranges:
To find your cm/360°, use our Sensitivity Converter tool. For consistent aim across games, try to match your cm/360° in each game you play.
For the best development of muscle memory, you should aim for consistent sensitivity across all games. However, different game genres may benefit from different sensitivity approaches:
Benefits of consistent sensitivity:
When to consider different sensitivities:
If you do use different sensitivities, try to keep them within a narrow range (±15%) to minimize the impact on muscle memory. Use our Sensitivity Converter tool to match cm/360° across different games.
DPI and sensitivity are related but distinct settings that work together to determine how your mouse movements translate to cursor or crosshair movement:
DPI (Dots Per Inch):
Sensitivity:
How they work together:
Your effective sensitivity is the product of both settings (DPI × in-game sensitivity). For example:
Both produce identical cursor movement, but the first option provides more granular control through in-game sensitivity adjustments.
For most gaming and precision tasks, it's recommended to turn mouse acceleration OFF. Here's why:
However, some users prefer acceleration for general computing as it allows both precise movements and quick cursor traversal across large screens. If you're not gaming competitively or doing precision work, use whatever feels most comfortable to you.
To disable mouse acceleration in Windows:
Note: "Enhance pointer precision" is Microsoft's term for mouse acceleration. When this option is enabled, your cursor moves further when you move your mouse quickly, regardless of the actual physical distance your mouse travels.
For gaming mice with dedicated software, you may also need to check acceleration settings in the manufacturer's software (Logitech G HUB, Razer Synapse, etc.).
Disabling mouse acceleration in macOS requires using Terminal commands, as there's no direct setting in System Preferences:
defaults write .GlobalPreferences com.apple.mouse.scaling -1To restore default acceleration, use: defaults delete .GlobalPreferences com.apple.mouse.scaling
Alternatively, third-party apps like "LinearMouse" or "SteerMouse" provide user-friendly interfaces for disabling acceleration and offer additional customization options.
Negative mouse acceleration is the opposite of standard mouse acceleration:
Negative acceleration is generally considered undesirable for most users, especially gamers, as it creates inconsistent cursor movement that's difficult to predict. It often occurs due to:
Use our Mouse Acceleration Checker tool to detect if your system has negative acceleration issues.
The vast majority of professional gamers (>95%) do NOT use mouse acceleration. They disable it for several reasons:
There are a few rare exceptions of professional players who have used acceleration successfully (like the Quake player rapha), but these are outliers who have adapted to acceleration over many years. For most players looking to improve, disabling acceleration is strongly recommended.
Raw Input is a method for games to receive mouse data directly from the device, bypassing Windows' mouse processing. This provides the most consistent and accurate mouse movement possible.
Benefits of enabling Raw Input:
When to enable Raw Input:
Almost all professional gamers use Raw Input when available. The only reason not to enable it would be if you specifically want your Windows mouse acceleration settings to affect your in-game aim, which is rare for competitive players.
Angle snapping (also called prediction or path correction) is a feature that attempts to straighten mouse movements when you're trying to move in a straight line. The sensor detects small deviations and corrects them to create perfectly straight lines.
How angle snapping works:
Is angle snapping bad?
Modern gaming mice typically have no angle snapping, or include an option to disable it in their software. For competitive gaming, you should always disable angle snapping to ensure your mouse movements translate exactly to cursor movements without artificial corrections.
Mouse smoothing is a processing technique that averages multiple position readings to create a smoother cursor movement, eliminating small jitters or inconsistencies. It essentially adds a slight delay to make movements appear more fluid.
How mouse smoothing works:
Should you disable mouse smoothing?
Mouse smoothing can be present at multiple levels:
For the most responsive experience, disable smoothing at all levels where possible. High-end gaming mice typically have no hardware smoothing.
Mouse acceleration comes in two forms: positive and negative. Both affect cursor movement based on how quickly you move your mouse, but in opposite ways.
Positive Acceleration:
Negative Acceleration:
Which is better?
For consistent aim in games, neither is ideal - most competitive gamers prefer no acceleration at all. However, negative acceleration is generally considered worse because it can occur unpredictably when you make fast movements, exactly when precision is most needed (like during quick flick shots).
Average click speeds vary by context:
World records for clicking exceed 14 clicks per second, but sustained clicking at this rate is extremely difficult. For most gaming scenarios, being able to consistently achieve 7-8 clicks per second is more than adequate. Quality of clicks (timing and accuracy) is often more important than raw speed.
Mouse input lag can be caused by multiple factors in the chain from physical movement to on-screen response:
Use our Mouse Latency Benchmark tool to measure your current input lag and identify potential issues.
To reduce mouse input lag, try these optimizations:
After making changes, use our Mouse Latency Benchmark tool to measure improvements.
Debounce time is a setting that prevents a mouse button from registering multiple clicks when you only intended to click once. It works by ignoring additional click signals for a short period after the initial click.
How it works:
Adjusting debounce time:
Many gaming mice allow adjusting debounce time through their software. Lower settings are preferred for click-intensive games like MOBAs, while higher settings may be better for precision tasks.
Double-clicking issues (when a single click registers as two clicks) are common as mice age. Here's how to fix them:
Double-clicking often occurs because the metal contacts in the switch wear out over time. Most mechanical switches are rated for 10-50 million clicks, but can fail earlier with heavy use.
The main differences between optical and laser mouse sensors:
Optical Sensors:
Laser Sensors:
Modern high-end sensors of both types have minimized their respective weaknesses, but optical sensors remain the preference for competitive gaming.
Sensor spin-out (or malfunction) occurs when a mouse sensor fails to track properly during fast movements, causing the cursor to freeze or move erratically. It happens when the sensor reaches its maximum tracking speed.
Common causes of spin-out:
How to prevent spin-out:
Modern gaming sensors typically have tracking speeds of 250-450 IPS, which is sufficient for even the fastest movements in competitive gaming.
Lift-off distance (LOD) is how high you can lift a mouse off the surface before it stops tracking. This is an important but often overlooked sensor characteristic.
Why lift-off distance matters:
Optimal lift-off distance:
Many gaming mice allow adjusting LOD through their software. Some mice also automatically calibrate LOD based on the surface you're using.
Sensor jitter (or sensor noise) is when your cursor makes small, unintended movements even when you're holding the mouse still. It appears as shakiness or tiny jumps in cursor position.
Common causes of sensor jitter:
How to fix sensor jitter:
Use our Sensor Quality Test tool to check for jitter issues and verify improvements after making changes.
The best mouse sensors for gaming as of 2025 include:
What makes these sensors superior:
While high DPI numbers are often marketed heavily, the other specifications (tracking speed, acceleration, and lack of processing) are more important for competitive gaming performance.