Mouse · Devices
Set hardware-level DPI stages that travel with the mouse itself
DPI (dots per inch) is a hardware property of the mouse's optical or laser sensor — it defines how many tracking counts the sensor reports per inch of physical movement, independent of the OS pointer-speed slider covered above. Most mice ship with 2-5 preset DPI stages (commonly 800/1600/3200/6400) cycled with a button on top or underneath the mouse, and gaming or productivity mice let you edit those stages, save them to onboard memory, and bind different stages to different profiles in a companion app.
How to open Configure Onboard DPI & Sensitivity Profiles
- Install the manufacturer's configuration app for your exact mouse model (Logitech G HUB/Options+, Razer Synapse, SteelSeries GG, Corsair iCUE, or similar) rather than relying on a generic driver.
- Open the DPI or sensitivity section and either edit the existing preset stages or add new ones with exact numeric values.
- Assign the DPI-cycle button (if the mouse has one) or a profile-switch button to step through your saved stages, and confirm the settings save to onboard memory if you plan to use the mouse on another computer.
What you should know
- Onboard DPI is stored on the mouse's own chip, so it carries over even when the mouse is plugged into a computer with no manufacturer software installed — unlike OS pointer speed, which resets to that computer's own setting.
- Manufacturer software exposes the real control surface: Logitech G HUB or Options+, Razer Synapse, Logitech's older mice via the same apps, SteelSeries GG, and Corsair iCUE all let you set exact DPI values per stage (not just cycle presets), assign a DPI indicator LED color per stage, and save multiple full profiles switchable by a dedicated button.
- A higher DPI moves the cursor farther per inch of hand movement — useful on high-resolution or multi-monitor setups — while a lower DPI gives finer control for precision tasks like photo editing or competitive aiming; DPI and OS pointer speed multiply together, so changing one changes the effective feel of the other.
- Some sensors also expose a polling rate setting (125Hz-8000Hz, how often the sensor reports position to the PC) alongside DPI in the same software — higher polling rates reduce input latency but increase CPU usage slightly.
Why it matters
Relying only on the OS pointer-speed slider leaves DPI at whatever the mouse's factory-default stage is, which is often mismatched to your screen resolution or task — setting DPI explicitly through manufacturer software gives you a stable, portable baseline that doesn't drift between computers, and per-profile stages let you switch instantly between a high-DPI stage for navigating a 4K desktop and a low-DPI stage for pixel-precise editing.
Best practices
- Start from a moderate DPI (800-1600) with OS pointer speed near the middle of its range, then adjust one variable at a time rather than cranking both — it's easier to dial in a comfortable feel that way.
- Use the DPI indicator LED (if present) to keep track of which stage is active, especially if you've customized non-obvious values.
- For competitive gaming, keep DPI consistent across mice/setups and adjust in-game sensitivity instead — this keeps muscle memory portable between different hardware.
Common problems and fixes
- DPI stage resets to factory defaults after unplugging the mouse
- Confirm the profile was actually saved to onboard memory (not just "applied" for the current session) in the manufacturer app — some mice require a explicit "save to device" step separate from applying settings.
- Cursor movement feels different on a new computer with the same mouse
- OS-level pointer speed is per-computer and doesn't travel with the mouse; only onboard DPI does. Re-check the Windows/macOS pointer-speed slider on the new machine.
Tips and tricks
- If your mouse supports on-the-fly DPI shifting (a button you hold to temporarily drop to a lower DPI), it's worth binding for any task needing a brief moment of pixel-precise control, like fine selections in image editors.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need manufacturer software just to use a gaming mouse?
No — the mouse works with default OS drivers at its factory DPI stages, but you'll only get exact custom values, saved profiles, and extra features like RGB or macro binding by installing the manufacturer's app.
Related settings
- Adjust Pointer Speed & SensitivityPointer speed (sometimes called sensitivity) controls how far the on-screen cursor travels for a given physical movement of the mouse. Both Windows and macOS expose a basic slider in system settings, and many gaming mice add a manufacturer app with finer per-profile control.
- Customize & Remap Mouse ButtonsBeyond the standard left-click, right-click, and scroll-wheel click, most mice with 5 or more buttons let you reassign each extra button to a different action — keyboard shortcuts, application launches, multi-step macros, or system functions like Mission Control or Task View. This is handled entirely through manufacturer software, since Windows and macOS themselves only offer basic left/right button swapping.