I'm experimenting with performance and visual quality across different games and trying to figure out what the typical system latency should be. I noticed some surprising numbers while testing, especially in F1 25, where my latency hovered around 24 ms with reflex settings enabled. I found out that using boost mode gave me similar latency to regular reflex but resulted in lower FPS and increased frame time. Without reflex, my latency spiked over 50 ms, even with G-Sync and V-Sync on. I'm aware that latency can depend on both the game being played and the overall FPS; I was capped at 115 FPS for these tests with my 120Hz monitor. From what I've read, I expected something under 15 ms. I also tried Dota 2 and got about 12 ms, which aligns with my expectations. I'd love to know what latency others consider acceptable for gaming, especially in competitive environments. Any insights would be appreciated!
P.S. I'm continuing to test and will share any additional findings.
2 Answers
Honestly, anything you notice while gaming is generally too high, so under 30 ms should be pretty solid. Personally, I’ve seen around 80 ms at times but that’s on the laggier side. Try not to stress about it for solo gaming though—it’s more critical in high-stakes competitive matches. But if you’re feeling like checking your measurements for fun, keeps it interesting!
Right! For single player, as long as it’s not over 50 ms, it’s often just fine.
The acceptable latency is usually considered to be below 20 ms for most gamers. Since you're using a responsive gaming setup with low latency peripherals, it sounds like you should expect fewer delays. Competitive FPS players typically want it even lower, around 10 ms or less. It really depends on what you're aiming for; if you're just playing casually, anything under 30 ms might still be fine! How are you measuring it though? That can affect your results too.
I’m using the NVIDIA overlay for my measurements; it gives a reliable readout during benchmarks. Seems crucial for accurate results.
For sure! Just remember that latency measurement can fluctuate based on several factors, including your gaming environment.
Totally agree! For casual play, you might not even feel the difference unless it’s a really competitive setting.