Mouse DPI Calculator
Type a DPI and pick a Windows pointer-speed notch. Effective DPI is the DPI you typed times the multiplier for that notch. A distance on screen is that math, not a measured inch on the desk and not raw sensor counts.
Effective desktop DPI
The multiplier in the table is 1, so effective DPI equals the DPI you entered. The formula counts one pixel per count. It is not a reading of your cursor, and it is not raw sensor counts.
This page does not read the Windows pointer-speed slider or the Enhance pointer precision checkbox. It applies the multiplier for the notch you pick. Notch 6 of 11 is ×1. On the Windows 11 Settings slider (1 to 20), that same step is 10. With Enhance pointer precision on, the multiplier changes as the mouse moves faster or slower, so one effective DPI does not apply. Compare a slow swipe and a fast swipe with the mouse acceleration test.
Windows pointer speed table
| Notch | Settings | Multiplier | Effective DPI | Cross screen | Step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ×1/32 | 25 | 195.1 cm / 76.8 in | 32 | |
| 2 | ×1/16 | 50 | 97.54 cm / 38.4 in | 16 | |
| 4 | ×1/4 | 200 | 24.38 cm / 9.6 in | 4 | |
| 6 | ×1/2 | 400 | 12.19 cm / 4.8 in | 2 | |
| 8 | ×3/4 | 600 | 8.13 cm / 3.2 in | 4/3 | |
| 10 | ×1 | 800 | 6.1 cm / 2.4 in | 1 | |
| 12 | ×1.5 | 1,200 | 4.06 cm / 1.6 in | 1.5 | |
| 14 | ×2 | 1,600 | 3.05 cm / 1.2 in | 2 | |
| 16 | ×2.5 | 2,000 | 2.44 cm / 0.96 in | 2.5 | |
| 18 | ×3 | 2,400 | 2.03 cm / 0.8 in | 3 | |
| 20 | ×3.5 | 2,800 | 1.74 cm / 0.69 in | 3.5 |
Notch is the 11-stop Control Panel slider. Settings is the Windows 11 pointer-speed number for that same step (1 to 20). Notch 6 and Settings 10 are both ×1. In-between Settings values are not listed. Effective DPI is the DPI you typed times the multiplier. Cross screen is width ÷ effective DPI, then × 2.54 for cm. The step column matches the step figure above: pixels per count at ×1 or higher, counts per pixel below that. Amber steps are above ×1. None of this is a measured inch on the desk or raw sensor counts.
Cursor travel across the screen
Cross-screen distance is the width you typed ÷ effective DPI, in inches, times 2.54 for centimeters. The cm and inch figures round that result the same way as the table. It is that math, not a measured inch on the desk and not raw sensor counts. A display scale such as 150% does not enter the formula. Type the native pixel width the formula should divide.
Reverse: DPI for a cursor speed
Stuck on 800 DPI? The closest of these 11 notches is 5/11 (×3/4, Settings 8), and the formula gives 8.13 cm. Settings steps that are not in the table are not included.
DPI ↔ dots per cm
800 DPI is 31.5 counts per mm. 1 inch = 2.54 cm.
macOS and Linux
The multipliers on this page are for Windows with Enhance pointer precision off. They are not macOS tracking speed and not Linux pointer scaling. This page has no macOS or Linux mode. macOS applies an acceleration curve to Tracking speed, so slow moves and fast moves do not share one multiplier. For a linear feel on a Mac, switch off Pointer acceleration under Mouse, Advanced (macOS 14 Sonoma and later), or use the mouse vendor app. This page does not read that switch.
Getting desktop cursor speed right
Why notch 6 is ×1
The Control Panel pointer-speed slider has 11 notches. Notch 6, the default on that slider, is ×1 in the table, so effective DPI equals the DPI you type. The other notches run from ×1/32 to ×3.5. The Windows 11 Settings slider is numbered 1 to 20, and 10 there is the same ×1 step. This page does not read either slider. Many games read raw input and skip the slider, which is why the eDPI calculator ignores it.
When the multiplier is above ×1
Above ×1, the formula treats one count as more than one pixel. Notch 8 is ×2 (Settings 14), so that step is two pixels. Below ×1, the formula does not skip pixels; it uses more than one count per pixel. This is the table, not a trace of your cursor.
DPI vs. pointer speed
For the same calculated speed, more DPI at notch 6 matches less DPI at a higher notch. 1600 DPI at ×1 and 800 DPI at ×2 (notch 8, Settings 14) both come out to 1600 effective DPI. On a 1920 px width the formula is 1920 ÷ 1600 × 2.54 cm for both. Only the ×1 case steps one pixel per count. Some sensors smooth or jitter on their highest DPI steps. Check a step with the mouse DPI test, which counts movement over a distance you measure.
High resolution monitors
A 3840 px width is twice a 1920 px width, so the same effective DPI needs twice the calculated travel to cross it. If the cursor feels slow on a wider pixel grid, raise the mouse DPI instead of the notch. The figure is still width ÷ effective DPI. It is not a measurement on the desk. A calculated span of about 5 to 10 cm is a common desktop preference, not a result from this page.
Related tools
Count movement over a distance you measure with the mouse DPI test, work out in-game feel with the eDPI calculator, carry a cm/360 between games with the sensitivity converter, or compare a slow swipe and a fast swipe with the mouse acceleration test.
Frequently asked questions
Does this page read my Windows pointer speed?
No. It does not read the pointer-speed slider or the Enhance pointer precision checkbox. You pick a notch from 1 to 11, and the page multiplies the DPI you type by that notch’s multiplier. Notch 6 is ×1. With Enhance pointer precision on, Windows changes the multiplier as the mouse moves faster or slower, so one number does not describe the cursor.
What does effective DPI mean here?
Effective DPI is the DPI you enter times the multiplier for the notch you pick. It is not a sensor reading and not raw counts. At notch 6 the multiplier is 1, so effective DPI equals the DPI you typed.
Is the cross-screen distance measured on the desk?
No. The distance is the screen width you typed, divided by effective DPI, then converted with 2.54 cm per inch. It is that formula, not a tape on the desk and not counts from the sensor. The mouse DPI test counts movement over a distance you measure yourself.
Why is notch 6 not the number 6 on Windows 11 Settings?
This control is the 11-notch Control Panel slider. Notch 6 is ×1. The Windows 11 Settings pointer-speed slider is numbered 1 to 20, and 10 on that slider is the same ×1 step. The Settings column is that lookup. Steps that sit between those notches, such as 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19, are not in the table.
Does this match macOS or Linux pointer scaling?
No. The multipliers are for Windows with Enhance pointer precision off. macOS tracking speed uses an acceleration curve, and Linux scaling depends on the desktop. This page has no macOS or Linux mode.
What appears if DPI is 0 or not a finite number?
A dash. The DPI field is used only from 50 to 100,000. Zero, a blank field, and any non-finite value are left out, so effective DPI and the distances stay a dash.
Do games use this notch?
Many games read raw mouse input and ignore the Windows pointer-speed slider. The eDPI calculator and the sensitivity converter are for in-game sensitivity. They do not apply these notches. This page is only the desktop formula.