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Mouse Polling Rate & DPI Checker — Test Online Free

Measure your mouse polling rate estimated DPI sensitivity.

Estimate your mouse DPI and measure polling rate — move the mouse to begin.

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Move mouse 10 cm (4 in) left to right

Click the "Lock pointer" button, then move your mouse horizontally across your mouse pad. The ruler tracks distance.

Pointer not locked
Live polling rate measurement 0 Hz

Move the mouse rapidly to measure. Values are averaged over the last second.

How it works

What are DPI and polling rate?

DPI (Dots Per Inch) is the sensitivity of your mouse — how many pixels the cursor travels for each inch of physical movement. A 800 DPI mouse moves 800 pixels per inch; a 1600 DPI mouse moves twice as far with the same hand movement. Polling rate is how often your mouse reports its position to the computer, measured in hertz (Hz). A 1000 Hz mouse reports once every 1 millisecond, while a 125 Hz mouse reports every 8 milliseconds.

How this test works

This tool uses the Pointer Lock API to track raw mouse movement deltas. After clicking "Lock pointer" and moving your mouse a known distance (the on-screen ruler guides you), we compare the pixel delta against the physical distance to estimate DPI. The polling rate is measured by counting the number of mousemove events received in one second while you move the mouse rapidly — more events per second means a higher polling rate.

Important limitations

DPI is an estimate

Browser-based DPI measurement is inherently approximate. Mouse acceleration (called "Enhance pointer precision" on Windows) changes the cursor-to-movement ratio dynamically, skewing results. Display scaling (e.g., 125% or 150% on Windows, Retina scaling on macOS) also affects pixel counts. For the most accurate result, disable mouse acceleration, set your OS pointer speed to neutral (6/11 on Windows, middle slider on macOS), and use the same mouse pad surface you normally use.

Polling rate measurement

The polling rate measurement counts mousemove events, which are dispatched by the browser at the driver rate. However, browsers may coalesce events on high-polling-rate mice (2000+ Hz). If your mouse supports 4000 Hz but shows ~1000 Hz here, the browser or OS is capping the report rate. Use manufacturer software for a precise polling rate reading.

What do the results mean for you?

For office work and general use, 800–1600 DPI and 125–250 Hz polling rate is sufficient. For gaming, 400–1600 DPI with 1000 Hz polling rate is the standard for competitive play. Professional esports players often use 400–800 DPI for precise aim, relying on large mouse pad movements. Ultra-high polling rates (4000–8000 Hz) offer diminishing returns — the difference between 1000 Hz and 4000 Hz is 0.75 ms of input lag, imperceptible to most users.

Related tools

Frequently Asked Questions

What is mouse DPI? expand_more
DPI (Dots Per Inch) measures how many pixels the cursor moves on screen for every inch you move the mouse physically. A higher DPI means the cursor moves farther with less physical movement. Most gaming mice have adjustable DPI from 400 to 20,000+, though effective DPI above 3200 is rarely useful in practice — it trades precision for speed.
What is polling rate and why does it matter? expand_more
Polling rate is how often the mouse reports its position to the computer, measured in Hz. A 125 Hz mouse reports every 8 ms, a 1000 Hz mouse every 1 ms. Higher polling rates reduce cursor lag and make motion feel smoother, especially on high-refresh-rate displays. The trade-off is slightly higher CPU usage, though modern systems handle 1000 Hz without issue.
How accurate is a browser-based DPI measurement? expand_more
Browser-based DPI measurement is an estimate, not a laboratory-grade measurement. It relies on the Pointer Lock API and your screen size assumptions, but factors like mouse acceleration (enhanced pointer precision in Windows), display scaling, and the lack of a fixed physical reference all introduce error. For best results, disable mouse acceleration, set Windows pointer speed to 6/11 (or macOS to the middle), and measure 2–3 times.
What is a normal polling rate for my mouse? expand_more
Basic office mice typically run at 125 Hz. Productivity wireless mice often use 250 Hz to save battery. Gaming mice range from 500 Hz to 1000 Hz, with some esports models reaching 4000 Hz or 8000 Hz. You can check your current polling rate using the live measurement on this page — it counts mousemove events over one second while you move the mouse rapidly.
Does mouse DPI affect gaming performance? expand_more
Yes, but effective sensitivity depends on both DPI and in-game sensitivity. Most competitive players use 400–1600 DPI with a low in-game sensitivity for precise aim. Very high DPI (3200+) can introduce jitter from tiny hand movements. Polling rate matters more for competitive gaming — 1000 Hz vs 125 Hz reduces input lag by several milliseconds, which can be noticeable in fast-paced titles.