What is the Polling Rate?
The polling rate is the frequency with which your mouse reports its position to your computer. It is measured in Hertz (Hz). For example, if your mouse has a polling rate of 125 Hz, it reports its position to the computer 125 times every second.
A higher rate means less input lag, which is crucial for competitive games (shooters like Valorant or CS:GO).
Hz vs Milliseconds of response
There is a direct mathematical relationship between Hz and the delay time of your mouse:
- 125Hz: 8 ms (Typical office mouse)
- 250Hz: 4 ms (Multimedia mouse)
- 500Hz: 2 ms (Standard Gaming Mouse)
- 1000Hz: 1 ms (Competitive Gaming Mouse)
- 4000+ Hz: < 0.25 ms (eSports Gaming Mouse)