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Mouse and hardware latency, the small stuff that adds up

Optimize MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and TradingView for speed. Discuss Level II Market Depth (DOM), custom hotkeys, and volume indicators.
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Amanhasnoname
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2026 9:45 am

Mouse and hardware latency, the small stuff that adds up

Post by Amanhasnoname »

Fast execution gets all the attention, but the physical chain from hand to screen has its own delays. Monitor response time, mouse polling rate, and USB hubs each add a few milliseconds.

None of these will make or break a strategy, but together they can add 30 to 60 milliseconds from intention to order. For setups that depend on reacting to a sudden move, the difference shows.

Simple upgrades help. A wired mouse with a decent polling rate, a monitor with a quick refresh, and a direct USB connection instead of a crowded hub reduce the delay.

Software matters as much. Background programs, heavy browser tabs, and screen recorders use resources and slow the response of the trading platform.

A clean machine dedicated to trading, with only the necessary applications installed, is a better investment than a faster internet plan in many cases.

Hardware is cheap compared with a single bad fill, so a small budget spent here usually pays back sooner than expected.

What hardware or software changes made the setup feel noticeably quicker?
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