Why is my polling rate low? Fixes for low Hz readings

You expected 1000 Hz and the test shows 125 Hz — or 30 Hz. Before assuming the keyboard or mouse is broken, work through the causes in order. Most low readings have a boring explanation, and the most common one is not a fault at all. The checklist below starts with the false alarms, then moves to connection, software, and system causes.

If you have not run a test yet, start with the free keyboard and mouse polling rate test and note which mode you used and what the average — not a single spike — showed. The mode matters, because keyboard and mouse readings mean different things.

First: the 30 Hz false alarm (keyboard mode)

If you held down one key and saw about 30 Hz, stop troubleshooting: that reading is expected. A browser cannot read a keyboard's USB report rate directly — it only sees key events when a key changes state. Holding one key therefore shows your operating system's key-repeat rate (around 30 times per second), not the keyboard's polling rate. To get a meaningful keyboard-mode reading, tap different keys rapidly so each press and release generates fresh events. And remember that even then, keyboard mode measures key event rate in the browser, not a lab-grade USB report rate. For a hardware-style reading, switch to mouse mode and move the mouse in fast circles.

Check 1: the connection type

For wireless devices, the connection is the single most common cause of a genuinely low reading. Many wireless keyboards and mice report at a lower rate over Bluetooth than over their dedicated 2.4 GHz receiver or a cable — a device that does 1000 Hz over its receiver may sit at 125–250 Hz over Bluetooth. So check what you are actually connected with right now, not what the device is capable of in theory, and retest on the receiver or cable. Also check the receiver itself: plugged into a port at the back of a desktop, behind a metal case, or far from the mouse, it can suffer a weak signal. Moving it to a front port or closer to the device sometimes restores a steady reading.

Check 2: the USB port, hub, and cable

A USB hub or docking station sits between the device and the computer, and a long chain of hubs, an unpowered hub, or a damaged cable can all disturb the event stream. For a baseline, plug the device or receiver directly into the computer and retest. If the direct-port reading is healthy and the hub reading is not, the hub is the problem, not the device. Try a different port, too: front-panel ports and ports on a monitor sometimes behave differently from ports wired straight to the motherboard, and a port that works fine for storage can still be a poor choice for a high-rate gaming device.

Check 3: the software polling setting

Many gaming keyboards and mice let you choose the polling rate in the maker's own software — and the setting does not always match the marketing. A device may ship at 500 Hz or 1000 Hz by default, or a profile switch, a firmware update, or a settings reset may have changed it without you noticing. Open the maker's software, confirm the polling rate setting for the profile and connection you are actually using, and apply it. Some devices store one rate per connection type, so a setting you changed for wired play may not carry over to wireless, and vice versa. After changing it, retest: if the average now matches the setting, you have found it.

Check 4: power saving and battery

Wireless devices trade report rate for battery life. A low battery, a power-saving mode, or a laptop running on battery with aggressive USB power management can all lower the effective rate. Charge the device, turn off any battery-saver profile for the test, and — on a laptop — retest while plugged into mains power. If the reading recovers on mains power or a full charge, power management was the cause, and you can decide whether the battery saving is worth the slower reporting for everyday use.

Check 5: background load and the test itself

A browser test counts the events the browser receives, so anything starving the browser of CPU time shows up as a lower, jumpier reading. Close games, video renders, and heavy tabs before testing, and make sure the test box has focus — clicks or typing that land outside it are not counted. For mouse mode, move in fast, steady circles inside the box for at least 10 seconds and judge the average, not the live number, which naturally rises and falls with your hand speed. Repeat the test once: two similar averages are a result; two wildly different ones point at the setup, not the device.

When a low reading is actually normal

• Office keyboards and mice at 125 Hz: that is the classic USB default, and it is the correct reading for a basic device. Nothing is wrong; the device simply was not designed for a higher rate.
• Bluetooth connections at 125–250 Hz: normal for many wireless devices over Bluetooth, even ones that reach 1000 Hz over their receiver.
• Keyboard mode at ~30 Hz while holding a key: the OS repeat rate, as explained above — not a fault.
• An average slightly below the rated number: normal variation. A 1000 Hz mouse averaging 900 Hz or so during hand-driven circles is behaving as expected.

When to suspect the device

If you have tested on a direct port, on the right connection, with the software setting confirmed, on mains power, with background load closed — and the reading is still far below the setting on repeated runs — then the device, its cable, or its receiver is the likelier suspect. Try a different cable and, if you have one, a different computer: a reading that follows the device across computers points at the device, while a reading that stays with the computer points at the computer's ports or software. At that point the maker's support, not another browser test, is the next step.

Frequently asked questions