Are you a passionate gamer who likes to build up a dedicated gaming station out of selected and best components? Then, you should not miss on a mouse and its polling rate.
Most users are unaware of the polling rate mouse and how they play a significant role in gaming. You might buy the wrong mouse whose polling rate is not justified for your gaming experience.
Fortunately, we got you, and we are here to clarify everything regarding the polling rate of mice. A gaming mouse should have a higher polling rate than a regular mouse for browsing.
Let’s retrieve more details about the polling rate mouse.
Polling Rate of a Mouse: What is it?
Higher speeds mean an improved gaming experience. The polling rate of mice indicates the signalling speed of the mouse towards the computer. Your computer retrieves information from the movements of your mouse and the buttons pressed. And, the polling rate mouse determines how fast it can be.
Generally, the polling rate is measured in times per second or Hertz (Hz). For example, a mouse labelled as 250Hz of polling rate will refresh its movement or location 250 times per second. The higher the polling rate, the better and more precise control you’ll have while playing games.
Additionally, the polling rate mouse is inversely proportional to the delay. The more the polling rate of a mouse is, the less delay you will face while moving the mouse or pressing its buttons.
Let’s have a look at how polling rate relates to delay in milliseconds:
- 125 Hz polling rate implies a delay of 8ms
- 250 Hz polling rate offers a delay of 4ms
- A mouse with a polling rate of 500 Hz comes with a delay of 2ms
- 1000 Hz polling rate mouse reduces the delay up to 1ms
- With a mouse of 4000 Hz polling rate, the delay can be 0.25ms
- To keep the delay as low as up to 0.125ms, you need a polling rate mouse of 8000 Hz
How does Polling Rate Mouse Matter in Gaming?
A higher polling rate mouse is one of the basic necessities for your gaming PC. You might argue that the delay difference between 500 Hz and 1000 Hz mice is only 1ms. But, a delay of 1ms matters a lot in gaming interfaces. If you are running late than other participants, then there are high chances that you might lose.
Additionally, you might suffer from immensely lagging inputs due to the lower polling rate of your mouse. That’s why you should consider a higher polling rate mouse for gaming. On the other hand, you have to keep a few things in mind while deciding on the best gaming mouse.
500 Hz or 1000 Hz: Which Polling Rate is the Best for Gaming?
As you already know, there’s no brainer behind funding the logic of a higher polling rate mouse for better gaming realisation. Now, the question arrives, which is the best polling rate mouse? According to most gamers, you should stick to either 500 Hz or 1000 Hz.
However, there are certain things that you have to consider before purchasing a 1000 Hz mouse. The higher the polling rate of a mouse is, the more processing power it requires to operate. Hence, your processor should be powerful enough to support your mouse with a high polling rate.
In addition to this, you should decide on the polling rate mouse depending on the game you play more often. For instance, you need a higher polling rate between 500 Hz and 1000 Hz to play fast-paced titles.
Most gamers tend to stay with a specific polling rate mouse for a lifetime. It’s not wrong, but you should know how much polling rate would be enough for the game and the processor.
Moreover, exceeding a polling rate of 1000 Hz might be stressful for the processor. The gaming engine might not be capable of handling a polling rate of 1000 Hz or more than that. On the other hand, it will be of no use if your screen refresh rate is comparatively lower than the polling rate mouse.
Bluetooth, Wireless, or Wired Mouse: Which One Should You Choose?
Apart from a considerable polling rate mouse, you should also pay attention to the right type of mouse. To start with, modern gaming PCs are quite familiar with Bluetooth mice. The coverage might sound impressive, but users have reported a high-latency connection with Bluetooth mice. Additionally, most Bluetooth mice come up with a polling rate of 125 Hz. Therefore, they might not be ideal for gaming.
On the other hand, a wireless 2.4GHz mouse is more reliable compared to Bluetooth ones. The signal strength of wireless mice is great if you depend on a good-quality connection. In addition to this, you should keep the wireless mouse and the PC in proximity.
However, we recommend a wired mouse for the best gaming experience. Using a cabled mouse is the most reliable experience if you don’t want to face lags or latency. Additionally, there are numerous mice available with higher polling rates.
Can You Change the Polling Rate Mouse?
If you have upgraded to a mouse that comes with polling rate customisation, then yes, you can change it. However, the method of changing the polling rate varies from one brand to another. Mostly, Logitech, Razer, Glorious, Zowie, SteelSeries, etc., are proud mice manufacturers to offer polling rate customisation.
For example, you need to install the Logitech G Hub application to change the polling rate of the Logitech mouse. Whereas, Razer mice require the Razer Synapse software to adjust the polling rate. On the other hand, Zowie mice can be modified using physical buttons.
Would You Consider Superfast Mice Such as Razer Viper 8K?
As the name suggests, Razer Viper 8K comes with a polling rate mouse of 8000 Hz. Latency will be almost zero with this mouse, but you can experience the same with a 1000 Hz or 2000 Hz mouse. Before buying a high polling rate mouse, consider software and hardware compatibility for better performance and results.
