What is eDPI?
eDPI stands for effective DPI — your mouse's DPI multiplied by the game's in-game sensitivity. It's the single number that tells you how fast your camera turns relative to your hand movement, independent of any one DPI setting.
Example: a player at 400 DPI × 2.0 sens has the same eDPI (800) as a player at 800 DPI × 1.0 sens. Their crosshair travels the same distance for the same hand movement. eDPI is how pros and analysts compare sensitivities across players who use different mice or DPI settings.
What's a good eDPI?
It depends on the game and your role:
- CS2: Most pros sit between 600 and 1000 eDPI. AWPers tend to be on the lower end (~700) for precision flicks; entry fraggers go slightly higher (~900) for faster turns.
- Valorant: Lower range, typically 200 to 400 eDPI. Valorant uses a 0.0-2.0 sensitivity scale, so the absolute number looks smaller, but the cm/360 ends up similar to CS2.
- Fortnite: eDPI doesn't translate cleanly (Fortnite uses % sensitivities and asymmetric X/Y axes). Use cm/360 as your comparison instead.
If you're starting out: target 800 eDPI. It's the sweet spot for most CS2/Valorant pros, and gives you ~50 cm/360 — slow enough for precise aim, fast enough that you're not stuck mid-flick.
How to use this calculator
Three things you can do:
- Find your eDPI: punch in your DPI and in-game sens. The top widget shows your eDPI and the cm/360 it produces.
- Match a pro: scroll to the "Pros with similar eDPI" section — it auto-updates with players within 10% of your number. Click any pro to see their full setup.
- Switch mice: the bottom widget converts your current settings to a new DPI while keeping the eDPI identical. Use this when you upgrade your mouse so your muscle memory survives.
eDPI vs cm/360 — which matters more?
For comparing within the same game, eDPI works fine. For comparing across games (CS2 vs Valorant vs Apex), cm/360 is the better metric. It measures the physical mouse movement (in centimeters) required to turn 360° in-game — and it stays consistent across games regardless of how they label their sensitivity setting.
This calculator shows you both.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my eDPI feel different at the same number on a new mouse?
Polling rate, sensor latency, and mouse weight all affect how a given eDPI feels, even though the in-game movement is mathematically identical. If you switched from a heavy wired mouse to a 60g wireless one, your old eDPI might feel "too fast" because your hand isn't fighting weight anymore.
Should I match a specific pro's eDPI exactly?
Use it as a starting point, not a destination. Pick a pro in your role (AWPer for AWP players, etc.), copy their eDPI, then drift up or down over a week of deathmatch until it clicks. Hand size, mousepad size, and posture all influence what feels right.
Does Windows pointer speed affect eDPI?
Only if you have Raw Input off. With raw input on (which all pros use), Windows mouse settings are bypassed entirely — your eDPI calculation is exact. Keep Windows pointer speed at 6/11 (the 1:1 default) regardless.
How does this work across CS2 and Valorant?
Both games use a "DPI × in-game sens" model where eDPI maps directly to cm/360. The absolute numbers are different (Valorant's sens scale is 0-2 vs CS2's 0-10), but if you match the cm/360, your aim transfers between them. Browse CS2 pros or Valorant pros for the data we ran the matches against.
Is there a difference between eDPI and "true sens"?
"True sens" usually means the same thing as eDPI in everyday gamer talk. In some communities it specifically refers to the in-game sens you'd need at 800 DPI to produce a given cm/360 — but that's mostly a Quake-era convention. Today, eDPI is the universal metric.