DPI, IPS, Polling Rate: What Actually Matters in a Gaming Mouse

I see so many people obsessing over DPI numbers like higher is always better. It's not. Let me break down what these specs actually mean and which ones matter.

TL;DR - DPI over 1600 is mostly marketing for most gamers - IPS is more important than you think — low IPS = sensor spinning out - Polling rate above 1000Hz is diminishing returns but 8000Hz does make a difference in high-refresh setups - Weight and shape matter more than any spec number

DPI — the most misunderstood spec DPI = dots per inch. How many pixels the cursor moves per inch of mouse movement. Higher DPI means faster cursor movement. Here's the thing: most pros play at 400-1600 DPI. Anything above 3200 is for 4K+ monitors or people who like twitchy cursor speeds. I play at 800 DPI with 1.5 sens in CS2. Never felt the need to go higher.

IPS — the one you should actually check IPS = inches per second. How fast you can move the mouse before the sensor stops tracking. If you play on low sens and make big swings, you need high IPS. Most budget sensors max out at 200 IPS. Good ones hit 400+. Apex M5 Ultra pushes 650 IPS. If your sensor spins out in the middle of a flick, low IPS is the culprit.

Polling rate — how often the mouse reports its position 125Hz (8ms) — office mice. 500Hz (2ms) — decent. 1000Hz (1ms) — standard for gaming. 8000Hz (0.125ms) — bleeding edge. Going from 125Hz to 1000Hz is night and day. Going from 1000Hz to 8000Hz? I felt it on my 360Hz monitor. On 144Hz? Probably not.

What I'd tell a friend Don't overthink this. Get a mouse with at least 400 IPS, 1000Hz polling, and a DPI you're comfortable with (800-1600). Everything else is marketing. The Apex M1 Pro checks all these boxes at $80.

— Sam, Apex Gear Team