Question 1

What is mouse polling rate?

Accepted Answer

It is how many times per second the mouse reports its position and buttons to the computer. A 1000 Hz mouse sends a report every 1 ms, and a 125 Hz one sends a report every 8 ms.

Question 2

How does the test compute Hz?

Accepted Answer

It timestamps each mouse report, takes the intervals between consecutive reports and uses Hz = 1000 divided by the median interval, in milliseconds, over windows of about 250 ms. Pauses longer than 50 ms are discarded.

Question 3

Why must the mouse be moving?

Accepted Answer

The mouse only sends position reports when its sensor detects movement. At rest there are no events to measure. Fast, continuous movement such as circles produces the steady stream the measurement needs.

Question 4

Why does it say "estimate limited by the browser"?

Accepted Answer

The event that delivers one event per mouse report (pointerrawupdate) exists only in some browsers, mainly Chromium-based ones, and needs a secure connection. Without it the tool uses grouped movement events, which can reflect the screen frame rate instead of the mouse rate.

Question 5

Why does the value fluctuate or read lower than expected?

Accepted Answer

The browser clock is rounded for security (about 0.1 ms in Chrome and 1 ms in other browsers), which blurs the intervals, and the system and sensor can vary the rate with speed. Move faster and look at the median and the peak.

Question 6

Are rates above 2000 Hz measured accurately?

Accepted Answer

Less so. At 8000 Hz the interval is 0.125 ms, close to the browser clock precision, so the reading is noisier and can come out below the real value. Treat very high values as an indication, not an exact measurement.

Question 7

Is the result the same as the manufacturer's software?

Accepted Answer

It can differ. Manufacturer software shows the rate configured in the mouse, while this test shows what reaches the browser after the operating system. Over a cable they usually match, and wireless connections can vary.

Question 8

Do I need a specific mouse?

Accepted Answer

No, but the test only counts pointers of the mouse type. Touchpad, touch and pen are ignored. A regular office mouse often measures 125 or 500 Hz, and gaming models 1000 Hz or more.

Mouse Polling Rate Test