TestMyKeyOnline Keyboard Tester
Input Lag & Polling Benchmark·Millisecond Precision·100% In-Browser

Keyboard Latency Test

Measure the response time between pressing a key and registration to diagnose input lag and polling bottlenecks.

Input latency test

Ready when you are

Press Start test, then press the highlighted key as fast as you can each time it appears.

What Affects Keyboard Latency?

Multiple hardware and software layers define your end-to-end response time.

  • Switch Travel & Actuation

    5–20 ms

    Physical distance before switch contacts close. Rapid-trigger or Hall effect switches minimize this.

  • Controller Matrix Scan

    1–8 ms

    Keyboard MCU polling frequency. 1000Hz scans every 1ms; 125Hz every 8ms.

  • USB / Wireless Protocol

    1–10 ms

    Direct wired USB has zero packet buffering, while Bluetooth can add 5–15ms of latency.

  • OS & Display Pipeline

    7–16 ms

    OS input compositor and monitor refresh rate (144Hz displays render in ~7ms vs 16.6ms on 60Hz).

Polling Rate Breakdown

125 Hz8 msStandard USB / office keyboards
500 Hz2 msMid-range keyboards
1000 Hz1 msEsports & gaming standard
8000 Hz0.125 msUltra high-end enthusiast boards

Tips to Reduce Latency

  • • Connect via wired USB instead of standard Bluetooth.
  • • Set keyboard polling to 1000Hz in manufacturer software.
  • • Use higher refresh rate display (144Hz+).
  • • Plug directly into motherboard USB rather than unpowered hubs.

Frequently asked questions

Understanding keyboard latency and input lag.