Tech Olive

Many gamers –even those that don’t possess advanced computing skills or knowledge– think that they understand what DPI is and in all reality, most don’t. They end up treating it as a simple number, where a higher DPI number directly equates to a better mouse. While this is mostly the case, the question is: does it justify the cost of buying a high-DPI gaming mouse to replace your trusty and reliable low-DPI daily driver?

During my time as a gaming reviewer, I’ve had the great pleasure to test and review many high-end gaming mice from several different manufacturers and after each review, I would return to my trusty Logitech MX Revolution which has a DPI rating of only 800.

For a crash-course introduction, Dots Per Inch (DPI), is the translation of how data (movement) is measured by the mouse’s tracking laser. Simple example: an 800 DPI mouse at 80% sensitivity will give you the same tracking/movement speed as a 1600 DPI mouse at 40% sensitivity, but the higher DPI offers higher precision.

After our Razer roundup, I decided now was as good a time as any to see just what the difference really is between an 800 DPI Logitech MX Revolution and a 5600 DPI Razer Mamba and if the cost justifies the results.

I always thought it was counter-productive when gamers would buy a high-DPI mice, crank it up, and then drop the cursor’s sensitivity. However, I have come to find that, with DPI, you’re not turning up the sensitivity, you’re raising the resolution of the map that the laser reads when you move it, thus allowing the cursor to move farther in a smaller space, making it feel more sensitive as well as being more precise. A good question to ask yourself: does higher DPI impact gaming noticeably? While I did notice a change in the way my aiming reticule reacted, it was only in those rare moments while making tiny adjustments to my aiming reticule where I would notice a smoother movement. Those adjustments were not worth the massive price tag found on most high-DPI gaming mice.

So, bottom line? No matter what your friends might say, after personally being on both ends of the spectrum, I feel that a good set of feet and a high-quality mouse mat for an 800 DPI mouse is a far superior investment to your gaming prowess than buying an expensive (possibly overpriced), high-DPI mouse. I’ve had no trouble playing against gamers with much higher DPI mice, which proves that higher DPI does NOT directly translate to a superior gamer. Having said all this, more DPI certainly doesn’t hurt and by no means should you completely avoid it, but it isn’t everything.