The HypestKey mouse polling rate test shows how often your mouse sends position data to your computer. Press Start test and move the mouse in circles inside the dark area for about 10 seconds. The result is shown in Hz (Hertz): the polling rate, the report interval in ms, the average, min and max rate, a consistency score and the number of samples. It runs in the browser, with no download.
Use it to check that your gaming mouse really runs at the rate you set, to compare two mice, or to see why a wireless mouse feels choppy. Keyboards have a polling rate too; check yours with the keyboard polling rate test.
How to use the mouse polling rate test
- Open the test in Chrome or Edge for the most accurate result, and close background apps and heavy tabs.
- Click Start test under the dark test area.
- Move your mouse in circles or side to side inside the dark area, at a steady speed and not too slow. The tool counts only movement inside that area.
- Keep moving for at least 10 seconds to get a stable average. The live counter and the bars show the rate every 0.1 s.
- Read the polling rate, interval, average, min, max and consistency on the right. The verdict explains what the number means.
- Compare the result with the reading in your mouse software, then press Copy result or Reset.
What is mouse polling rate?
Mouse polling rate is how many times per second your mouse reports its position to the computer. 1000 Hz means it checks in 1000 times per second; 125 Hz means only 125 times. That is a big difference: 125 Hz leaves an 8 ms gap between updates, while 1000 Hz shrinks that gap to 1 ms.
This matters for gaming. Fast movements need quick updates. A low polling rate creates a gap between your hand movement and the cursor response, and you feel this as lag or stuttering, most of all on a high refresh rate monitor.
How this tool works: how does a browser measure mouse Hz?
Web browsers cannot access raw USB data, so the HypestKey test times mouse events instead. In Chrome and Edge it listens to pointerrawupdate, which fires once per mouse report and is not tied to screen frames. In Firefox and newer Safari it reads every report merged into a frame with getCoalescedEvents(), each with its own timestamp.
If neither is available, the browser delivers at most one move event per screen frame, so the result can be capped at your monitor’s refresh rate (for example 60 or 144 Hz). The verdict tells you when that happens.
From the timestamps the tool takes the gap between each pair of reports. Only gaps from 0.05 to 25 ms count; longer gaps mean the mouse stopped or left the area. The interval is the trimmed mean of the gaps (10th to 90th percentile), and the average rate is 1000 divided by that interval. If the average is within 12% of a standard rate (125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 or 8000 Hz), the polling rate field shows that standard value.
Min and max are the 5th and 95th percentile of the per-gap rates. A single rounded timestamp can otherwise turn into a fake 10,000 Hz spike, so percentiles keep them meaningful. Consistency is 100 minus the spread of the per-gap rates (standard deviation divided by the mean, in percent). Above 90% the tool calls the reports steady. The live “now” value and the bars show 1000 divided by the mean gap in each 100 ms window.
What polling rate should a mouse have?
For most people 1000 Hz is the right polling rate: a report every 1 ms, and what most gaming mice ship with or offer. 500 Hz (2 ms) is fine for casual gaming, 125 Hz (8 ms) is office level, and 2000 to 8000 Hz (0.5 to 0.125 ms) is for esports players with very fast monitors and strong CPUs.
| Polling rate | Response time | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 125 Hz | 8 ms | Office work, basic use |
| 250 Hz | 4 ms | Older or budget gaming mice |
| 500 Hz | 2 ms | Casual gaming |
| 1000 Hz | 1 ms | Competitive gaming, FPS |
| 2000 Hz | 0.5 ms | Esports, professional play |
| 4000 Hz | 0.25 ms | High refresh rate monitors |
| 8000 Hz | 0.125 ms | Premium gaming setups |
Some players like how 500 Hz feels, so if you are unsure, test both settings and pick what suits you.
Does mouse polling rate matter for gaming?
Yes, mostly in fast shooters. Bump your mouse from 125 Hz to 1000 Hz and you gain up to 7 ms per update. CS2, Valorant and Apex Legends players usually notice that. Above 1000 Hz the gain is under 1 ms, so it matters mainly with a 240 Hz or faster monitor at a high level of play.
Lose a fight by one bullet? Maybe those 7 ms mattered. Running a 360 Hz monitor? A new frame shows up about every 2.8 ms. If your mouse only talks to your PC every 8 ms, several frames in a row show the same old position, and your crosshair moves in small steps while the game has already moved on.
Your own speed counts more than any setting, so check it too with the reaction time test and the CPS test.
How do you change your mouse polling rate?
On a gaming mouse you change the polling rate in its software or with a button on the bottom. Logitech uses G Hub, Razer uses Synapse, Corsair uses iCUE and SteelSeries uses GG. Open the app, look for performance or polling rate settings and pick 1000 Hz. Budget office mice are usually locked at 125 Hz.
Flip your mouse over. See a small button with numbers near it? That is often the polling rate switch (on some mice it changes DPI instead). Click it and watch the numbers change, then run this test again to confirm.
Budget mice may lock the polling rate at 125 Hz. This cannot be changed without hardware modification. If you need higher rates, consider upgrading to a gaming mouse.
Does the USB port matter?
For 1000 Hz, any USB port on the PC works. Rates above 1000 Hz need a fast USB link and a port with nothing else busy on it, so makers usually tell you to use a port directly on the motherboard, not a hub or a front-panel port. Some motherboards include ports labelled for high polling rate gaming peripherals. Wireless mice also do better with the receiver close to the mouse.
Why does the test show a lower Hz than my mouse is set to?
Usually for one of two reasons. Many mice ship set to 500 Hz out of the box, so check your mouse software first. And browsers use JavaScript events, which add small delays, so a browser test can read roughly 10 to 20% lower than the real hardware rate, more if the browser caps events at the screen refresh rate.
Some fluctuation is normal too. USB timing, system load and the measurement method all cause it, so a mouse rated at 1000 Hz may show anywhere from 900 to 1000 Hz between runs. For precise measurement, use the manufacturer’s software or a dedicated desktop app. Browser tests work well for quick checks and comparisons between mice.
Tips for a cleaner reading:
- Close background apps that may interrupt mouse events.
- Use Chrome or Edge for best accuracy; Safari may cap the result at your refresh rate.
- Move the mouse at a steady speed, not too slow. Slow movement makes the mouse skip reports, because it only reports when it has moved.
- Test for at least 10 seconds to get a stable average.
- Compare results with your mouse software reading.
What is the difference between polling rate and DPI?
They are different measurements. DPI (dots per inch) controls how far the cursor moves per inch of mouse movement, while polling rate controls how often that movement is reported. You can have high DPI with a low polling rate, or low DPI with a high one. Many players use 800 to 1600 DPI with 1000 Hz.
Adjust both based on your sensitivity preference. If you switch games and want the same aim, the mouse sensitivity converter works out the matching in-game value and your eDPI.
Does a higher polling rate use more CPU or battery?
Barely at 1000 Hz, which runs fine on any modern PC. Above 4000 Hz the PC has to process four to eight times more reports, and on an old rig you might see frame drops. On wireless mice a higher rate also drains the battery faster. When in doubt, 1000 Hz does the job.
Many wireless mice offer a power saving mode that reduces the polling rate. Switch to the higher rates only when gaming.
Which mice work with this polling rate test?
Any mouse you plug in works: wired, 2.4 GHz wireless or Bluetooth, office or gaming. That includes popular gaming models like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight, Razer DeathAdder V3, Corsair M65, SteelSeries Prime, Zowie EC2, Pulsar X2 and Lamzu Atlantis, within the limits of what a browser can detect.
Touchpads and touch screens work as well, but then the test shows the sampling rate of the touch surface, not of a mouse, and the verdict says so.