mouse update rate display

download (160kB)

This little program can show you the rate, at which your mouse sends position updates to windows and all applications. This won't care you much if you use your computer only for boring office applications. But if you are an enthusiastic gamer you know the worth of fluid graphics. In multiplayer games it's the sum of those milliseconds that decide if you or your opponent is faster in aiming and pulling the trigger.

You just move your mouse around in the window, for instance in circles. Whenever windows detects a movement of the mouse, a message is sent to the program. The program measures the time between every two such messages. This time is displayed in milliseconds as the left number. Calculating 1/time gives the rate or frequency of the mouse move messages.
It seems that there is a maximum rate in Windows XP (at least) of 125moves/second, but at unlucky circumstances you can end up with a lot less then that. Every optical mouse that I pluged directly into the USB-connector on my PC delivers these 8ms-125Hz. If I plug the same mouse into the USB hub in my monitor I only get 16ms-60Hz, that means that it takes 8ms longer for every program to realize that I have moved the mouse. A Microsoft mouse that delivers 125updates/s on USB accomplishes only 85Hz on the PS/2 port. Another Logitech mechanical mouse with radio transmission delivers only 50 updates/s on PS/2. So this program can give you a hint how to optimize the gaming performance.
Regardless of the 6400frames/s that may be advertised on the package of your new mouse and that the internal chip is actually capable of, the rate this information flows into your favorite shooter will not exceed 125Hz at best!

2005/01/30

download (160kB)


This little program can show you the rate, at which your mouse sends position updates to windows and all applications. This won't care you much if you use your computer only for boring office applications. But if you are an enthusiastic gamer you know the worth of fluid graphics. In multiplayer games it's the sum of those milliseconds that decide if you or your opponent is faster in aiming and pulling the trigger.
	You just move your mouse around in the window, for instance in circles. Whenever windows detects a movement of the mouse, a message is sent to the program. The program measures the time between every two such messages. This time is displayed in milliseconds as the left number. Calculating 1/time gives the rate or frequency of the mouse move messages. It seems that there is a maximum rate in Windows XP (at least) of 125moves/second, but at unlucky circumstances you can end up with a lot less then that. Every optical mouse that I pluged directly into the USB-connector on my PC delivers these 8ms-125Hz. If I plug the same mouse into the USB hub in my monitor I only get 16ms-60Hz, that means that it takes 8ms longer for every program to realize that I have moved the mouse. A Microsoft mouse that delivers 125updates/s on USB accomplishes only 85Hz on the PS/2 port. Another Logitech mechanical mouse with radio transmission delivers only 50 updates/s on PS/2. So this program can give you a hint how to optimize the gaming performance. Regardless of the 6400frames/s that may be advertised on the package of your new mouse and that the internal chip is actually capable of, the rate this information flows into your favorite shooter will not exceed 125Hz at best!