Mouse Polling Rate Explained: 125 Hz to 8000 Hz
Gaming mice now advertise 4000 and 8000 Hz polling. Here is what that number means, what it changes in practice, and how to pick the right setting. You can check your own mouse with our polling rate test.
By Ritvik Kudalkar, published . A 7 minute read.
What Polling Rate Means
A mouse doesn't stream movement continuously. Its sensor measures how far it moved, and the mouse sends that measurement to the computer in a small USB report. The polling rate is how many of those reports it sends per second.
At 125 Hz, a report goes out every 8 ms. At 1000 Hz, every 1 ms. At 8000 Hz, every 0.125 ms. The time between your hand moving and the computer knowing about it can never be shorter than that interval, so a higher rate lowers the worst-case delay.
Polling Rates Compared
| Rate | Interval | Max Delay Added | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 Hz | 8 ms | Up to 8 ms | USB default, office mice, Bluetooth |
| 500 Hz | 2 ms | Up to 2 ms | Fine for most games, saves battery |
| 1000 Hz | 1 ms | Up to 1 ms | The gaming standard |
| 4000 Hz | 0.25 ms | Up to 0.25 ms | Smoother on 240 Hz+ monitors, more CPU |
| 8000 Hz | 0.125 ms | Up to 0.125 ms | Highest CPU load, can cause stutter |
Polling Rate vs DPI vs Refresh Rate
- Polling rate is how often the mouse reports (time).
- DPI or CPI is how far the cursor moves per inch of mouse movement (distance).
- Monitor refresh rate is how often the screen shows a new frame.
These work together. On a 144 Hz monitor a new frame appears roughly every 7 ms. At 125 Hz, some frames get no fresh mouse position at all, which shows up as uneven, juddery motion. At 1000 Hz, every frame gets about seven fresh reports, so motion looks smooth. Past 1000 Hz, the benefit grows mainly with faster monitors, where frames are short enough for sub-millisecond differences to show.
Phones and tablets have the same idea for touch input, called the touch sampling rate.
The Cost of High Polling Rates
Every report is an interrupt the CPU has to handle, and every one moves through Windows and the game's input code. At 1000 Hz this is negligible. At 8000 Hz, some games, especially older ones that process every input event, see higher CPU use and frame time spikes. Wireless mice at 4000 to 8000 Hz also use their battery much faster.
Which Polling Rate Should You Use?
- Office work and browsing: 125–500 Hz is plenty, and saves battery on wireless mice.
- Most gaming: 1000 Hz.
- Competitive play on a 240 Hz+ monitor with a fast CPU: try 2000–4000 Hz, or 8000 Hz if your system stays smooth.
How to Check Your Mouse's Polling Rate
Open the mouse polling rate test in Chrome or Edge, then move the mouse in fast circles inside the box for about ten seconds. A 1000 Hz mouse should read close to 1000 Hz. Readings a few percent low are normal. If your mouse reads 125 or 500 Hz, check the setting in its software. Browsers often can't keep up with 8000 Hz, so a high-end mouse reading lower there doesn't mean it is faulty.