What is mouse polling rate?
Polling rate is how many times a second your mouse tells your PC where it is. At 125 Hz that's every 8 ms; at 1000 Hz, every 1 ms. A higher rate means your crosshair follows your hand with less delay and smoother motion.
Most gaming mice default to 1000 Hz. Newer ones go to 2000, 4000 or 8000 Hz, which works best with a fast CPU and a USB port on the PC itself.
How to get an accurate reading
- Move the mouse fast, in big circles. A mouse only reports when it moves, so slow movement reads low.
- Chrome and Edge give the most accurate reading. A browser that only reports movement once per screen frame caps the number at your refresh rate.
- Read the "Highest" number. It's normal for the live reading to bounce around by 10% or so.
- Wireless mouse reading low? Plug the receiver into a port on the PC, not a hub, and keep it close.
Change your polling rate
Polling rate is set in your mouse's own software (or a button under some mice), not in Windows. After changing it, test again here. While you're checking hardware, make sure your screen runs at its full speed with the refresh rate test, and that the switches are healthy with the double click test.