Mouse polling rate test
Move the mouse over the pad in circles for a few seconds. The page times the pointer events and shows an estimate in Hz. The result is an estimate: browsers may merge events or round timestamps.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Click Reset, then move the mouse across the pad in fast circles for 3–5 seconds.
- Read the Estimated rate and the Peak rate.
- Change the polling rate in your mouse software, if it has the option, and test again.
How it works
Each pointer event has a time in milliseconds. The page takes the gap between consecutive events, ignores gaps over 50 ms (the mouse was still) and gaps of 0 (events with the same stamp). The estimate is 1000 divided by the median gap.
Worked example
If events arrive 1 ms apart, the median gap is 1 ms and the estimate is 1000 / 1 = 1000 Hz. If they arrive 8 ms apart it is 1000 / 8 = 125 Hz. The page also shows a rate close to a typical mouse setting (125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 Hz) when the estimate is within 15 percent of one.
Tips
- Move fast. Slow movement produces fewer reports and wider gaps.
- Use a wired connection or the receiver’s high-rate mode for gaming mice.
- Treat the number as an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mouse polling rate?
It is how many times per second the mouse reports its position to the computer. A 125 Hz mouse reports every 8 ms and a 1000 Hz mouse every 1 ms.
What is the difference between pointerrawupdate and pointermove?
Pointermove events are usually aligned to the display's frames, so they follow the screen refresh rate. Pointerrawupdate is delivered as input arrives and is not tied to frames, so it is closer to the real mouse rate. Not every browser has it.
Why do I see 60 or 144 Hz instead of 1000?
Your browser is probably delivering one pointer event per frame. The page also reads coalesced events when the browser provides them. If you still see your screen rate, the browser is limiting what pages can see.
How does the page calculate the rate?
It takes the gaps between event timestamps, drops pauses longer than 50 ms and zero gaps, and uses 1000 divided by the median gap. The peak rate uses the shortest 10 percent of the gaps.
Does the test work with a touchpad or touch screen?
It measures any pointer, but touchpads and screens report at their own rates, which are usually 60 to 240 Hz, and the numbers say little about a mouse.