Mouse: DPI, polling rate and raw input

The path of a mouse movement

1. The sensor counts points as you move: that is DPI.
2. The mouse sends those counts to the computer many times per second: that is the polling rate.
3. Windows can multiply them (pointer speed) and accelerate them (Enhance pointer precision).
4. The game reads either the Windows pointer or the raw movement (raw input), then multiplies it by your sensitivity.

If the game reads raw movement, step 3 no longer matters. Otherwise, every Windows setting changes your aim.

Windows: pointer speed and precision

The settings are in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse (Windows 11). "Enhance pointer precision" is under Additional mouse settings > Pointer Options.

• Pointer speed: the slider has 11 notches. At the 6th, the default position, Windows does not multiply your movement (a multiplier of 1); above it multiplies, below it scales down. Microsoft does not publish an official table: these values come from community measurements^[1].
• Enhance pointer precision is acceleration: the faster you move, the further the cursor goes for the same mouse distance. Handy on the desktop, a problem for aiming, because the same movement no longer gives the same result.

Consequences: in a game that reads the Windows pointer, changing pointer speed changes your sens, and acceleration makes your aim inconsistent. Keeping the 6th notch with no acceleration makes sure nothing sits between your mouse and the game. If the desktop cursor then feels too slow, raise your DPI and lower your in-game sens instead.

In AimPro, Chrome and Edge request raw mouse movement from the browser, so training ignores Windows acceleration.

DPI matters less than you think

DPI and in-game sens multiply: 400 DPI at sens 2 gives exactly the same camera turn as 800 DPI at sens 1. That product is eDPI. To compare across games, you need cm/360.

• Higher DPI: faster desktop cursor, lower in-game sens. Each mouse count turns the camera by a smaller angle, which leaves finer adjustments at low sens.
• Lower DPI: each count turns the camera by a larger angle. In CS2, one count is 0.022° × your sens: at 400 DPI and sens 2, 0.044° per count.
• Advertised DPI can differ slightly from actual DPI depending on the mouse: one reason to compare measured cm/360 rather than raw numbers.

The most common DPI among the pros AimPro follows depends on the game:

If you change DPI, recalculate your sens to keep the same cm/360 with the converter, or your practice starts over.

Polling rate: 1000, 4000 or 8000 Hz

Polling rate is the number of reports per second. The interval between two reports is 1000 ÷ polling rate:

• Higher: movement sliced more finely and a shorter average delay. The gain shrinks fast: 125 to 1000 Hz saves 7 ms of interval, 1000 to 8000 Hz less than 1 ms.
• The cost: more CPU work, possible stutter on some PCs or in some games, and more battery drain on a wireless mouse. Riot even added the "Raw Input Buffer" option to Valorant to better handle 8000 Hz mice^[2].

Among the 56 pros whose polling rate AimPro knows, 42 use 1000 Hz and 14 go higher. 1000 Hz is a safe baseline; try higher if your PC keeps stable FPS, and go back at the first hitch.

Raw input

With raw input, the game reads movement straight from the mouse instead of the Windows pointer. Microsoft recommends it for first-person games: pointer messages go through acceleration and lose precision, while raw input arrives untouched^[3].

• On: Windows pointer speed and acceleration have no effect in game. Your aim depends only on DPI and sens.
• Off: the game follows the Windows pointer and its settings. Sens conversions between games become wrong unless Windows is at the 6th notch with no acceleration.

Valorant has read raw input since launch; its "Raw Input Buffer" option only changes how it is processed^[2]. In games that offer the option (usually "Raw input"), turn it on unless you have a specific problem.

Vendor software

Vendor apps control what Windows cannot see. Depending on the model, settings are stored in the mouse (you can then close the app) or only applied while the app runs.

• DPI stages: several values reachable with a button.
• Polling rate, often up to 8000 Hz on recent models.
• Lift-off distance (LOD): the height at which the sensor stops tracking when you lift the mouse. Low LOD avoids stray movement when you reposition; too low on some pads, the sensor can drop out.
• Angle snapping: straightens your movements into lines. Useful for drawing, bad for small aim corrections.
• Motion sync, on some mice: aligns sensor readings with USB reports for steadier motion, adding a slight delay according to vendors.
• Acceleration or smoothing: some apps offer it. Same consequences as Windows acceleration.

Conflicting settings to avoid

• Acceleration off in Windows but on in the mouse app (or the other way round): you think it is gone, it is still there.
• Several DPI stages and a button pressed by accident: your sens changes mid-game without you noticing. Keep one stage, or one LED color per stage.
• Raw input off and a modified Windows pointer speed: your in-game sens depends on Windows and your conversions are wrong.
• Two apps managing the same mouse (the vendor's and a third-party tool): their settings stack or overwrite each other.
• Changing DPI without recalculating sens: your movement no longer has the same effect.
• In-game mouse smoothing left on: it averages your movement and adds delay.
• 8000 Hz on a PC that can no longer hold stable FPS: you lose more than you gain.

Mousepad and grip

Your sens has to fit on your pad. At 50 cm/360, a 180° turn needs 25 cm of pad; at 30 cm/360, 15 cm. With a low sens and a small pad, you keep lifting the mouse at the wrong moment.

Your grip matters too: a fingertip grip favors small wrist and finger movements, a full palm grip favors big arm movements. The grip tool helps you find the mouse size that fits your hand.

Key takeaway: Windows at the 6th notch, no acceleration, raw input when available and a single DPI stage are enough to make your mouse predictable. The rest (DPI, polling rate) is a matter of trade-offs.