CPI button on the mouse: that's what the button is for

If there is a CPI button on your mouse, you will hardly find any information on the Internet. We'll tell you what CPI means and what the key does.

CPI vs. DPI: What's the difference with a mouse?

The abbreviation CPI stands for "characters per inch". You can use the button to set the mouse CPI value according to your needs. This is particularly useful for gaming.
The term DPI, which stands for "dots per inch" is used much more frequently. DPI and CPI mean the same thing for PC mice, but the term DPI has prevailed. However, CPI is actually the correct term.

One inch is 2.54 centimeters long. For example, if the mouse CPI is set to 500, the mouse divides a distance of one inch into 500 parts.
In practice the following happens: If you move your mouse over a distance of one inch, the mouse pointer on your screen is shifted by 500 points (characters).
If you change the CPI value to 1000, for example, the mouse pointer is moved by 1000 characters over a distance of one inch. Since the same route is now divided into more characters, the mouse reacts faster and more sensitively.
A higher CPI value usually means that the mouse moves more smoothly. Especially with shooters, a high CPI value can bring advantages because you can react much faster if the mouse can be moved faster.

In the next practical tip we will show you how to set the CPI value of a mouse.