Polling RateGaming gear, measured in milliseconds

Gaming gear

Performance

What the numbers mean in day-to-day use.

1 guides

Close-up of a cream vintage keyboard's editing cluster with two keycaps removed, exposing switch housings — Older keyboards used similar removable keycaps, so switch housings can be inspected the same way.Photo: Daniel beardsmore · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Open source page

Full-size black mechanical keyboard with braided cable lying on a pale fabric surface

Performance

Polling rate and refresh rate: which milliseconds you can feel

Mouse polling, monitor refresh and frame time are three separate delays in one chain. Here is how to convert each to milliseconds and find the one worth paying for.

Updated 11/3/2026 · 8 min

Photo: Hedelmätiski · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons