Does ripple control add input lag?
Yes. On 13 mice TechPowerUp measured, ripple control added anywhere from nothing to about 8 ms of motion delay, and it only ever smooths jitter that shows up at 10,000 CPI and above. None of the 17 mice tested showed jitter at 1600 CPI, so at the CPI most players use there is nothing for it to fix. Leave it off.
Yes. Ripple control is a smoothing filter, and on the 13 mice TechPowerUp measured with it on and off it added between nothing and about 8 ms of motion delay. It only reduces jitter that appears at very high CPI, from around 10,000 upward, and at 1600 CPI none of the 17 mice tested showed any jitter at all. At 800 or 1600 CPI there is nothing for it to smooth. Leave it off.
What ripple control did on 17 mice
TechPowerUp tests each mouse at 1600 CPI and at its highest step, then repeats the high step with ripple control on. Motion delay comes from xSum plots against a Logitech G403 control, and jitter from a paint test. Four of the reviews tested ripple control in the paint test only, so their delay column is empty.
| Mouse | CPI tested | Delay added with ripple on | Jitter, ripple off | Jitter, ripple on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAMZU Atlantis | 26,000 | about 7 ms (derived: 8 ms behind with, 0.5 to 1 without) | major | moderate to high |
| MCHOSE L7 Pro | 26,000 | none wired; roughly 8 ms wireless | moderate at 10,000, major at 26,000 | reduced, wireless only |
| Pulsar Feinmann F01 | 32,000 | around 7 ms | major | moderately lessened |
| Mionix Naos Pro | 19,000 | 6 ms | major | lessened, still significant |
| Teevolution Terra Pro | 42,000 | none wired; roughly 5 ms wireless | major | moderately lessened, wireless only |
| Pulsar Xlite | 20,000 | up to 3 ms | significant at 10,100, amplified at 20,000 | not tested |
| AQIRYS T.G.A. | 19,000 | 2 ms | major | visibly lessened |
| Darmoshark M3 | 26,000 | 1 ms | moderate at 10,000, major at 26,000 | not tested |
| Pulsar X2 Crazylight | 32,000 | less than 1 ms | major | moderately lessened |
| Pulsar ZywOo The Chosen Mouse | 32,000 | none wired; less than 1 ms wireless | major | barely lessened |
| RAWM Leviathan V4 | 45,000 | roughly 0.5 ms | major | marginally to not at all |
| Orbital Pathfinder | 30,000 | 0.5 ms | major | moderately lessened |
| Ajazz AJ199 4K | 26,000 | none ("not functional") | major | not lessened |
| Zaopin Z1 Pro | 26,000 | not measured | major | lessened to moderate |
| Waizowl OGM Pro | 26,000 | not measured | major | lessened to moderate |
| DELUX M900 Pro | 26,000 | not measured | major | only marginally lessened |
| Darmoshark M5 | 26,000 | not measured | major | barely lessened |
Wireless, the Atlantis measured roughly 9 ms behind with ripple control on, against at most 1.5 to 2 ms without. The L7 Pro and Terra Pro reviews both found the setting did nothing in wired mode and only took effect wireless, which the Terra Pro review states outright: "Ripple control will only take effect in wireless operation." The Ajazz review concludes that, since delay and jitter were unchanged, "this setting is not functional".
What ripple control actually does
It is smoothing. TechPowerUp defines sensor smoothing as "an averaging of motion data across several capture frames, in order to reduce jitter at higher CPI values, increasing motion delay along with it", and the reviews use "smoothing" and "ripple control" interchangeably: on the AQIRYS, "by enabling ripple control, smoothing is introduced". Averaging several frames means waiting for them, which is where the delay comes from.
The manufacturers say the same thing in softer words. Corsair calls it "a filtering technology designed to reduce jitter or 'ripple' at extremely high DPI settings" and concedes that "smoothing can slightly delay or soften input". LAMZU says the sensor "internally compensates for displacement when moving at high CPI". Keychron is the most specific: its firmware turns ripple control on automatically at 7,000 DPI or higher, and below 7,000 "enabling Ripple Control is usually unnecessary and can be left off".
It is not motion sync. Motion sync lines sensor reads up with USB polls and costs about half a polling interval, 0.5 ms at 1000 Hz. Ripple control cost about 6 to 8 ms on four of these mice. They are separate switches, and turning one off does not touch the other.
Why "personal preference" is the wrong answer
The usual advice is that ripple control is a matter of taste. It persists because the setting does do something real: at 26,000 CPI the cursor visibly shakes, and on most of these mice ripple control calms it. Corsair frames it the same way, as an option for "those who prioritize smooth pointer movement".
But whether there is anything to smooth depends on a number, your CPI, not on taste. TechPowerUp saw no jitter at 1600 CPI on any of the 17 mice, and none at 3200 on the two where it reports that step. Jitter showed up at about 10,000 CPI on the three mice tested at an intermediate step. That matches Keychron's 7,000 threshold and Corsair's note that professional players "often disable Ripple Control when operating at moderate DPI levels". The site's own sensor guide puts the CPI you will actually use at 800 or 1600. There, ripple control has no jitter to remove and its only measured effect is delay.
Where this stops applying
Every delay figure was taken at a high CPI step. TechPowerUp does not test ripple control at 1600 CPI, so we have no figure for its cost there and do not claim one. The case for turning it off at low CPI does not rest on the cost. It rests on there being no measured benefit.
The delays are relative to a G403 control, not absolute latency, and come from one review sample on one firmware. The Ajazz shows that a toggle in the software may do nothing at all, and the L7 Pro, Terra Pro and ZywOo show it may work in only one connection mode.
If you genuinely play at 10,000 CPI or more, the trade is real: on the Naos Pro, 6 ms of delay bought jitter that was "lessened yet still significant". A lower CPI with a higher in-game sensitivity removes the jitter without any smoothing, and our DPI accuracy page shows how to keep your cm/360 exact while you change it.
What to set
- 800 or 1600 CPI: off. No jitter to remove, only delay to add.
- Above about 7,000 CPI: check whether your firmware has already turned it on for you, as Keychron's does.
- 10,000 CPI and above, cursor visibly shaking: lowering CPI fixes the cause. Ripple control hides it at a cost of up to about 8 ms.
- Then work through the rest of the settings checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Does ripple control add input lag?
Yes, when it works. TechPowerUp measured the extra motion delay at high CPI on 13 mice: about 7 ms on the LAMZU Atlantis, roughly 8 ms on the MCHOSE L7 Pro (wireless only), around 7 ms on the Pulsar Feinmann F01, 6 ms on the Mionix Naos Pro, and 0.5 to 3 ms on most of the rest. On four mice it had no effect in at least one mode.
Should ripple control be on or off?
Off at 800 or 1600 CPI. Ripple control is smoothing for sensor jitter, and TechPowerUp saw no jitter at 1600 CPI on any of the 17 mice tested here. Jitter appeared from about 10,000 CPI. Turn it on only if you play at a very high CPI and can see the cursor shake.
What is ripple control?
A smoothing filter in the mouse firmware. Corsair calls it a filtering technology to reduce jitter at extremely high DPI, LAMZU says the sensor compensates for displacement at high CPI to remove wavy lines, and TechPowerUp describes the underlying smoothing as averaging motion data across several capture frames, which increases motion delay.
Is ripple control the same as motion sync?
No. Motion sync aligns sensor reads with USB polls and costs about half a polling interval, roughly 0.5 ms at 1000 Hz. Ripple control averages motion data across frames and cost up to about 8 ms in these tests. They are separate switches and you can turn off either one.