I'm using a 200 Hz monitor with an RTX 2060 Super and Ryzen 5 3600X, and I'm considering buying a controller that supports a 2,000 Hz polling rate. I've heard that older systems can experience FPS drops or hitching from high-polling peripherals, especially during demanding games. Would this setup handle it reliably, or would I be better off using a lower rate?
3 Answers
The best approach is to test it in the games you actually play. A 2,000 Hz rate may work perfectly, but the practical difference compared with 1,000 Hz is usually small, so reducing it is an easy fallback if performance suffers.
There isn’t a universal yes-or-no answer because the impact depends on the game and how busy the CPU already is. Your system should generally be able to handle it, but if you notice stuttering or unusual CPU usage, lower the controller to 1,000 Hz or even below that. A past Windows issue caused some high-polling problems, but it was fixed; other game-specific issues can still happen.
A high polling rate does not automatically mean your older hardware will struggle. Even a several-year-old gaming PC can run a high-rate mouse, but certain games may react differently. If you see hitching, check CPU usage and switch the controller to 1,000 Hz; that should still provide excellent responsiveness.
I’m trying to choose between two controllers and would rather avoid buying both just to test them, so I was hoping to get a good idea beforehand.