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Polling Rates

Polling rate is a crucial metric for players looking for the smoothest, most responsive gameplay experience possible in today’s competitive titles.

What is “Polling Rate?”

Polling rate is how often your keyboard or mouse sends data, like key presses or mouse movements, to your PC. Most gaming keyboards have a 1,000 Hz rate (about every 1ms), but high-performance models can reach 8,000 Hz—sending data up to every 0.125ms. That’s lightning fast!

POLLING RATE EXPLAINED

Importance of Higher Polling Rate

The faster these data packets are sent, the more current your actions appear on screen. Mice and keyboards both benefit from higher rates, but each in slightly different ways.

For Gaming Mice

Your mouse captures every move and sends it to your PC. The faster this happens, the smoother and more precise your aim—especially on fast monitors. More frequent data means quicker response times, giving your clicks and actions a competitive edge.

For Gaming Keyboards

Higher polling rates mean faster key presses, making WASD movement and actions like throwing grenades more responsive. That split-second advantage can be the difference between outplaying your opponent or getting caught off guard.

POLLING RATE EXPLAINED

Considerations

With greater responsiveness comes great responsibility... and a few things to consider.

Is Your Rig Ready?

  • To feel the benefits of higher polling rates, pair your setup with a high-refresh-rate gaming monitor (120Hz, 240Hz, or even 480Hz).

  • More data means more processing power—make sure you’ve got a modern gaming CPU from Intel or AMD to keep up.

  • Windows 11 is built to handle higher polling rates with recent updates, so Mac users may miss out on the full experience.

Set Yourself Up for Success

  • Plugging in your wireless gear gives you the strongest, most reliable connection for high polling rates.

  • Going wireless? High polling loves battery—turn off RGB to stretch your playtime.

  • Don’t forget: Most devices ship at a default rate of 1,000 Hz. Boost it in the software for max performance!

The PRO Mice Collection

Our PRO line of ultralight gaming mice are capable of polling up to 8,000 Hz for the smoothest aiming and quickest clicks, perfect for fast-paced play.
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The HE Keyboard Collection

Our next-generation Hall Effect gaming keyboards are capable of up to 8,000 Hz polling for instantly responsive key presses (and Rapid Trigger!)
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