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Glossary
Gaming terms, explained
Short, plain definitions of the words you'll see on product pages and spec sheets. Each one links to a guide when there's more to know.
2
- 2.4GHz wireless
- The low-latency wireless connection gaming mice and headsets use through a USB dongle. Read the guide →
D
- DPI
- Dots (or counts) per inch: how far the cursor moves per inch of mouse movement. Read the guide →
H
- Hall effect switch
- A magnetic keyboard switch that measures key position, allowing adjustable actuation. Read the guide →
- HDMI 2.1
- The HDMI version that carries 4K at 120Hz from current consoles. Read the guide →
- Hot-swap
- Keyboard sockets that let you replace mechanical switches without soldering. Read the guide →
P
- Polling rate
- How many times per second a mouse or keyboard reports to the computer, in hertz. Read the guide →
R
- Rapid trigger
- A magnetic keyboard setting that resets a key as soon as it starts to rise, for faster repeated presses. Read the guide →
- Refresh rate
- How many times per second a monitor redraws the image, in hertz. Read the guide →
V
- Variable refresh rate
- G-Sync or FreeSync technology that matches the monitor to the frame rate to prevent tearing. Read the guide →