Reduce input delay in games: the complete PC checklist
Input delay is the time between your mouse click and the result on screen. You can't get it to zero, but most PCs can cut it a lot with settings alone.
The biggest wins
- Run your monitor at its real refresh rate. Check Windows display settings, and that the cable (DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0+) supports it.
- NVIDIA Reflex On + Boost in every game that has it, AMD Anti-Lag in the AMD Software.
- VSync off in the game. With G-Sync or FreeSync, cap your FPS a few frames below the refresh rate instead.
- Don't let the graphics card run at 100%. A full GPU builds a queue of frames. A frame rate limit or lower settings keep it below that.
- Fullscreen (or borderless with "Optimizations for windowed games" on in Windows 11).
Mouse and keyboard
- Wired or a good 2.4 GHz wireless receiver, not Bluetooth
- Polling rate 1000 Hz or higher
- "Enhance pointer precision" off
Network delay is different
Ping is the time to the game server, not input delay. A cable instead of Wi-Fi, no downloads while you play, and the closest server help most.
EMP Tweaks
EMP Tweaks applies the Windows, timer, network and GPU settings that lower delay with one click, sets low-latency options in supported games, and shows your frame times so you can see the difference. Reset undoes everything.
Questions
What is a good input delay?
It depends on your monitor and game. What matters is that it is low and steady, without spikes.
Does a higher FPS always mean less delay?
Mostly yes, as long as your graphics card isn't at its limit. Then a frame cap can feel better than more FPS.