Can someone explain mouse features to me?

mxoagentjohnson · 1 Dec 2011 at 21:56

Hey, i just recently got a R.A.T 7 (Havent used it yet) to replace my breaking cheap microsoft mouse, and i was just wondering.

Could someone explain what DPI, what Mosue Polling Rate and how these affect gaming and each other?

Thanks!

95thrifles · 1 Dec 2011 at 22:26

DPI has a large effect on how you actually use and feel the mouse, its basically how sensitve it is, the higher you have it set the more it will move on the screen for the same hand movement. I havent checked but Im sure the RAT will prob have on the fly interchangable DPI so you can switch between for example low/med/high. Some hardcore FPS players use these in game when switching between sniping mode and normal mode for example, I just like a medium setting personally, but everyones individual.
AFAIK polling rate is how often it sends signal back to computer, so again higher is better but I dont think it would effect your game play as such, though I may be wrong

Tealc · 1 Dec 2011 at 22:29

Dots per inch - how precise movement is. I tend to find anything above 1000 to be too twitchy but some like it like that. Some mice do 5000+ but you can usually choose the DPI yourself.

Polling rate - how often the mouse position is read by the USB bus. 1000 Hz or 1ms is common for gaming mice these days.

mxoagentjohnson · 1 Dec 2011 at 22:32

Does polling rate in theory actually help reduce mouse lag with VSYNC on? or is mouse lag caused by the fact the pc is running at 60fps instead of 120 on a 120hz monitor?

olivier renault · 2 Dec 2011 at 08:19

as I said before, depends on the game and how the mouse capture is implemented, either in its own thread or locked to the framerate.

You wont notice much difference between 500hz and 1000hz, unless you are some sort of alien.