What is eDPI?
eDPI stands for “effective DPI”. It’s your mouse’s DPI multiplied by your in-game sensitivity. A 1600 DPI mouse at sens 0.25 has the same eDPI (400) as an 800 DPI mouse at sens 0.5. In theory, they feel similar in-game — but in practice mouse-tracker accuracy differs at low vs high DPI, so most pros pick a single DPI (400 or 800) and adjust sens.
eDPI vs cm/360°
eDPI is a quick shorthand within one game. Two players with the same eDPI in Valorant will feel similar in Valorant. But eDPI doesn’t cross between games — CS2 eDPI 400 feels nothing like Valorant eDPI 400 because the games have different yaw constants. For cross-game comparisons, always use cm/360°.
Why DPI matters separately from sens
- Tracking accuracy. Most modern gaming sensors are most accurate at 400–1600 DPI. Above that, microscopic jitter gets amplified.
- Polling rate. Independent of DPI, but interacts with it: higher DPI + low polling = pixel skipping.
- Windows pointer speed. Should be set to 6/11 (default) with “Enhance pointer precision” OFF for raw input.
What DPI / sens should I use?
There’s no “correct” answer, but here are guidelines that work for most:
- DPI: 800 is the de facto standard for serious players. Use 400 if you have a very small mousepad or want maximum sensor accuracy.
- cm/360° for FPS: 30–50 cm/360 is the sweet spot. Below 20 is too jittery for most; above 60 makes flicks awkward.
- Find one and stick with it. Changing sens kills your muscle memory. Pick a value, commit for at least 30 days.