The phrase DPI may have popped up while you were searching for a new mouse to buy. It’s one of the most frequent factors people think about when purchasing a new mouse, especially for gaming. However, some businesses provide a CPI switch in its place. You must be wondering how the CPI switch differs from the DPI switch and how it impacts you after reading this. Don’t worry, though; today we’ll discuss CPI vs. DPI and whether or not you should be concerned.
CPI vs DPI: What Do They Mean?
Number of Inchors The number of steps the mouse will report for every inch it moves is referred to as CPI. It essentially relates to the mouse’s sensitivity, which is used to calculate the distance the mouse physically moves over the screen.
Per Inchor Dots DPI, on the other hand, measures the density of video or spatial printing dots. It is the maximum number of individual dots that can be arranged in a straight line inside an inch. In other words, DPI is a term used to indicate how many dots per inch a digital print has for resolution. It also describes a hard copy print’s dot gain printing resolution.
DPI is essentially a term used when referring to the printing industry, but CPI is what is connected to your gaming mice.
So Why The Confusion?
You’re probably wondering now why your mouse’s switch says DPI rather than CPI as you gaze at it.
The exact name would technically be CPI, however DPI is more frequently used. For instance, you may have seen graphic designers refer to PPI when they should have been using the term DPI to describe the quality and/or depth of their images (Pixels Per Inch).
The truth is that most businesses make an effort to utilise language that the general public can understand and relate to. A phrase that almost everyone is familiar with is DPI. Sadly, many still substitute it for anything that has a direct connection to DPI. The situation of gaming mice is a fairly clear illustration. You may have heard of the term “DPI switch” if you’ve ever used or seen a gaming mouse. Technically speaking, that DPI switch is actually the CPI switch.
How Does This Concern Users?
On the other hand, some businesses actually do use the word CPI in place of DPI. For instance, the SteelSeries Rival 100 Gaming Mouse’s manufacturer chose to remain with CPI, although the values are significantly different from those found in other commonplace mice that feature the so-called DPI switch, being 250, 500, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750, 2000, and 4000. In essence, what businesses refer to as DPI and CPI are the same. SteelSeries just set the DPI (read: CPI) steps in this instance based on their own preferences.
You may be wondering how things will alter now that you understand what CPI and DPI actually mean. Actually, though, it doesn’t. You can keep using your mouse in the same manner as before. Manufacturers appear to be aware of the distinctions between the two nomenclatures. Despite this, they will keep using the word DPI because it is more widely used by customers. Regardless matter what the vendor calls it, you are really merely changing the sensitivity of your mouse.
CPI vs DPI: Different, Yet Similar
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Despite the fact that most people find it difficult to compare CPI and DPI in mice, chances are they both relate to the same thing in the context in which you’re utilising them. However, according to technical standards, CPI should be used to describe mouse sensitivity. The DPI has nothing to do with the world of mice and is merely a technical characteristic of each unique printer. You are ultimately only changing the mouse’s sensitivity, regardless of whether you opt to change the CPI or the DPI, depending on how the company has labelled the feature.
