Mouse Polling Rate Test
Move your mouse inside the box below to estimate how many times per second (Hz) it reports position to your browser.
Move your mouse here to begin measuring
mousemove event fires, which is capped by your monitor's refresh rate and the browser's own event loop — not just your mouse's raw USB polling rate. A mouse polling at 1000Hz on a 60Hz monitor will typically show readings closer to 60-144Hz here. For a true raw polling-rate reading, use a dedicated desktop utility from your mouse manufacturer.Polling rate is how frequently your mouse tells your computer where it is and which buttons are pressed, measured in Hz (times per second). A mouse polling at 125Hz updates every 8 milliseconds; at 1000Hz, every 1 millisecond. Move your mouse in the box above and this tool estimates that rate from how often your browser receives position updates.
Common Polling Rate Tiers
- 125Hz — Older or budget mice; an 8ms update interval, fine for office use.
- 500Hz — A common mid-range default, 2ms interval.
- 1000Hz — Standard for gaming mice, 1ms interval.
- 2000-8000Hz — High-end gaming mice; gains beyond 1000Hz are marginal for most players and depend on your PC and monitor keeping up.
Why Browser Tests Have Limits
This tool can only measure what your browser actually receives, and browsers throttle mousemove events to roughly match your monitor's refresh rate — so a 144Hz monitor caps what you'll see here around 144Hz even if the mouse itself polls much faster underneath. If you need an exact hardware reading, your mouse manufacturer's own configuration software (Logitech G Hub, Razer Synapse, etc.) reads the true USB polling rate directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is mouse polling rate?
Polling rate is how many times per second a mouse reports its position and button state to your computer, measured in Hz. Common rates are 125Hz, 500Hz, 1000Hz, and up to 8000Hz on newer gaming mice.
Why does this test show a lower Hz than my mouse's rated polling rate?
Browsers cap how often mousemove events fire, generally tying it to your monitor's refresh rate. A 1000Hz mouse on a 60Hz display will typically show readings around 60-144Hz here, even though the mouse itself is still polling at its full rate at the USB/hardware level.
Does a higher polling rate actually matter?
For most everyday use, 125-500Hz is indistinguishable. For fast-paced competitive gaming, 1000Hz reduces input lag to roughly 1ms between updates, which some players can feel. Beyond 1000Hz the gains become very small and depend heavily on your CPU and monitor refresh rate.
How do I change or increase my mouse's polling rate?
Most gaming mice let you set polling rate in the manufacturer's software — Logitech G Hub, Razer Synapse, SteelSeries GG, and similar tools all include the option. There's no way to change it from a browser, since it's a hardware/driver-level setting.
Related Tools
Check button responsiveness and double-click chatter with the full Mouse Test, or measure raw clicking speed with the Click Speed Test.