Keyboard Polling Rate Test: Is Your Gaming Keyboard...

Keyboard Polling Rate Test: Is Your Gaming Keyboard Actually 1000Hz?

You bought a "Pro Gaming Keyboard" that claims to have a 1000Hz polling rate (1ms latency). But are you actually getting that performance, or is it just marketing hype?

Many budget mechanical keyboards advertise high speeds but are actually locked at 125Hz, causing noticeable input lag in competitive games like CS:GO, Valorant, or Osu!.

Use our free Keyboard Polling Rate Test tool below to check your real-time scan rate instantly.

👉 Launch the Keyboard Polling Rate Test

How to Test Your Keyboard Polling Rate Correctly

Most users test their keyboards wrong. Do not just hold down a key.

If you hold down the spacebar, you are only testing the "repeat rate" (how fast Windows repeats a character), which is usually capped at around 30-60Hz. To test the hardware's actual USB reporting speed, you need to generate input events faster than the repeat rate.

Follow these steps for an accurate reading:

Look at the "Peak Hz" dashboard above.
The mash method: Rapidly alternate between two keys (e.g., use two fingers to mash "A" and "S" as fast as you can).
Do this for 5-10 seconds.
Check the Peak Hz. This number represents the fastest interval your keyboard successfully reported to the computer.

Interpreting Your Results (Hz vs. ms)

What does the number mean? Here is the breakdown of common keyboard speeds:

🟢 1000 Hz (1ms latency) - The Gold Standard

If you see your Peak Hz hitting 1000Hz (or fluctuating between 800Hz - 1000Hz), congratulations. Your keyboard is a true gaming-grade device. This means it reports data to your PC every 1 millisecond.

🟡 500 Hz (2ms latency) - Decent

Common in older gaming keyboards or high-end wireless keyboards in power-saving mode. It is still perfectly fine for most gamers, but strictly speaking, it is twice as slow as the standard.

🔴 125 Hz (8ms latency) - Office Grade

If your Peak Hz is stuck around 125Hz, you are likely using a standard office keyboard, a cheap "fake mechanical" keyboard, or a Bluetooth connection.

Impact: You have 8ms of input lag. In fast-paced FPS games, this can feel "muddy" or unresponsive.

4000Hz / 8000Hz - Enthusiast Grade

If you have a high-end keyboard like the Razer Huntsman V2 or Corsair K70 MAX, you might see numbers spiking above 1000Hz.

Note: Browser-based tests have limitations (they rely on browser KeyboardEvent timing). While our tool filters out noise, getting a stable reading above 1000Hz depends heavily on your browser's event handling speed.

Why Does Polling Rate Matter?

Polling rate is how often your device asks the computer: "Hey, is a key pressed?"

125Hz: Asks 125 times per second (every 8ms).
1000Hz: Asks 1000 times per second (every 1ms).

In competitive gaming, that 7ms difference can be the difference between getting a headshot or dying. If you press a key right after a "poll" has finished, a 125Hz keyboard makes you wait 8ms for the next poll. A 1000Hz keyboard picks it up almost instantly.

Troubleshooting: Why is my Hz so low?

If you are sure you bought a gaming keyboard but the test shows 125Hz, check these fixes:

Stop using Bluetooth: Bluetooth is notoriously slow (usually 90-133Hz). Always use the 2.4G USB dongle or a wired cable for gaming.
Check driver settings: Some keyboards (like Logitech G Hub or Razer Synapse) have a setting to lower polling rate to save battery. Make sure it is set to 1000Hz (1ms).
Browser lag: If your computer is lagging, the browser might miss input events. Close other tabs and try again.

More Hardware Tests

Is your keyboard fast enough? Now check your mouse and audio: