Guides/Input
Mouse polling rate: 1000 Hz, 4000 Hz or 8000 Hz?
The polling rate is how often the mouse reports its position to the PC. 1000 Hz means every millisecond. Newer mice offer 4000 and 8000 Hz. Higher is smoother on paper, but it costs processor time, and some games stutter with it.
What it changes#
At 1000 Hz, a mouse movement reaches the PC at most 1 ms late; at 8000 Hz, at most 0.125 ms. On a 240 Hz or faster monitor, higher rates can make cursor and camera motion look a little smoother. The gain in delay is under a millisecond.
What it costs#
Every report interrupts the processor. At 8000 Hz that's eight thousand times a second, which costs processor time and can cause stutter or uneven mouse movement in some games, especially older ones and on slower processors. Plug high polling mice directly into the PC, not into a hub or the front panel.
Where to set it#
In the mouse maker's software (Logitech G HUB, Razer Synapse and others), or with a button on the mouse. Windows has no setting for it.
Mouse acceleration#
A separate thing worth checking: Windows' Enhance pointer precision changes how far the cursor moves depending on speed. How to turn off mouse acceleration.
Questions#
Is 8000 Hz polling rate worth it?
Why does my game stutter with a high polling rate?
Frametide switches off mouse acceleration under Tweaks with one click and back. Frametide measures FPS, 1% and 0.1% lows and stutters per minute in your own game with PresentMon, before and after a change, so you don't have to guess (Premium).