It is very important to do a CPI vs DPI analysis before purchasing a new mouse. I’m sure you must have come across these terms if you ask a tech expert about which is the best mouse available.
From a gamer’s perspective, the first thing they look for while buying a mouse is the DPI of a mouse.
However, there are some companies that offer a CPI switch instead of a DPI switch. This raises many questions for a gamer who is looking for the best gaming mouse that fits his budget. In this article, I will give you a detailed guide of what to look for while buying a mouse for gaming and in the process shedding more light over the CPI vs DPI debate
What is CPI vs DPI?
CPI meaning on a mouse
CPI is an acronym for Counts Per Inch, it is used to refer to the number of steps the mouse will report when it moves one inch.
In simple terms Counts Per Inch refers to the sensitivity of the mouse, used to determine how fast does the mouse moves on the screen when a user is physically moving the mouse.
DPI meaning on a mouse
DPI is an acronym for Dots Per Inch referring to a measure of spatial printing or video dot density.
The number of individual dots that can be placed in a line within the span of one inch is determined by Dots Per Inch.
In simple terms, the resolution number of dots per inch in a digital print or the printing resolution of a hard copy print dot gain can be determined by Dots Per Inch.
To put it in perspective, DPI generally a term associated with the printing world while CPI is a term associated with a gaming mouse.
So Why is there a CPI vs DPI comparison?
If you look at the switch of your mouse you might wonder why does it say DPI rather than CPI. The right nomenclature has to be CPI, but instead DPI is printed on your mouse.
Another such example can be seen amongst graphic designers, as they use the term DPI to refer to the depth and quality of their images but in reality, they are referring to Pixels Per Inch (PPI) of their images.
By printing DPI on a mouse tech companies aim to use terms that are easily understood by the general public. However, what has happened is that people use the term DPI to refer to almost anything which has a minimum resemblance to the actual term. CPI vs DPI in Gaming mouse is a classic example of this confusion.
Take a look at this article, where you will more examples of the whole confusion between CPI vs DPI
CPI vs DPI: Similar yet different
The comparison of CPI vs DPI when it comes to computer mouse can get confusing, however, to sum it up, for a computer mouse both terms refer to the same feature. That being said if you ever enter a debate with a tech geek, always use the term CPI while referring to mouse sensitivity as DPI is not connected to the mouse world whatsoever it is just a technical aspect of an individual printer.
Regardless of which company your mouse belongs to, whether CPI or DPI is written on the mouse. What you will be adjusting is the sensitivity of your mouse.
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