Scroll test

Moving a page with your mouse wheel is called a scroll, and after the click it is probably the gesture you repeat most on a computer. The scroll test on this page turns that gesture into a measurement: you hover over the play area, spin your wheel as fast as you can, and the tool shows your speed in pixels per second (px/s), live.

The tool has three jobs. It is a game, where you chase your own record or a friend's. It is a bench for comparing a notched wheel with a free spinning one. And it works as a scroll wheel test that helps you spot a worn wheel that skips or jumps in the wrong direction. Below you will find how the measurement works, speed benchmarks, technique and hardware tips, and the mistakes that distort a score.

How the scroll test works

1. Put your cursor inside the play area. Measurement only starts while the mouse hovers over the area. As long as you stay inside, the page itself does not move.
2. Scroll up or down as fast as you can. The central counter shows your instant speed in px/s.
3. Stop. About one second after your last movement, the speed falls back to 0 and the peak of that run is saved to your history automatically.
4. Go again as many times as you like. Your all time best stays visible under the counter ("Best: 8,400 px/s", for example).

What the counter actually measures

The test adds up every movement your wheel sends during the last second. The number on screen is therefore a sliding one second window, recalculated continuously. If you spin the wheel for only half a second, the counter rises and then falls gradually as those movements leave the window.

The score saved to your history is the highest value reached during the run, not an average. A run starts as soon as you move the wheel and ends when the speed drops to zero. You can chain several short runs, and each one adds its own line to the history.

Why the number goes negative when you scroll up

Direction is part of the measurement: scrolling down gives a positive value, scrolling up a negative one. That is normal. For the best scores tab and your record, the tool uses the absolute value, so -9,000 px/s upward is worth the same as 9,000 px/s downward. The sign is also very handy for diagnosing a faulty wheel, as you will see further down.

Sound, fullscreen and history

• Sound mimics the notches of a wheel. The ticks speed up with your speed, which gives you feedback by ear without looking at the number. Mute it with the icon at the top right.
• Fullscreen enlarges the play area. Useful for filming a record or for not drifting out of the area by mistake.
• History keeps your runs with a relative date. One tab sorts by recent runs, another by best scores, and a button clears everything. The data stays in your browser and is not sent anywhere.

Scroll speed benchmarks

The pixel value depends heavily on your system and browser. On Windows with Chrome and the default setting (3 lines per notch), one notch is roughly 100 pixels. A typical wheel has about 24 notches per full turn. The ranges below are ballpark figures for that common setup:

Profile	Peak speed	What it looks like
Normal reading	500 to 1,500 px/s	The pace of browsing a web page
Fast finger scroll	2,000 to 4,000 px/s	A notched wheel flicked quickly with the index finger
Practiced technique	4,000 to 7,000 px/s	Two fingers alternating on a notched wheel
Free spinning wheel	10,000 to 30,000 px/s	A wheel launched with one sharp flick that keeps spinning on its own
Modified settings	above 30,000 px/s	Free spin combined with a higher lines per notch setting

On a Mac, scroll acceleration makes values less predictable: a slow gesture produces small steps, a quick one produces much bigger ones. Firefox and Safari do not always convert a notch into pixels the way Chrome does. To compare two scores, keep it simple: same computer, same browser, same settings.

Techniques to scroll faster

On a notched wheel

• Index finger, flicking: rest your fingertip on the back of the wheel and pull toward you in short, quick strokes. This is the basic method and gives a few thousand px/s.
• Index and middle finger alternating: both fingers pull the wheel one after the other, a bit like pedaling. The wheel almost never stops between strokes, and your speed can rise by around 50% compared with a single finger.
• Thumb of the other hand: some players lay the mouse flat and roll the wheel with the free hand's thumb in long strokes. Lower peaks, but steadier.
• One direction only: no back and forth. Since direction changes the sign, a reversal cuts your total inside the one second window. Pick up or down and stick to it.

On a free spinning wheel

Several mice let you unlock the wheel so it spins without notches: the Logitech G502 range with its unlock button, the MX Master series with the MagSpeed electromagnetic wheel, or some Razer Basilisk models. In this mode the technique changes completely. One sharp, long flick launches the wheel, which keeps turning on its own for several seconds. The best result usually comes from a strong first launch followed by light nudges that keep it going without braking it with your finger. Lift your fingertip completely between nudges: even a light touch drags the wheel down.

On a trackpad

Two finger scrolling on a trackpad sends the same kind of event as a wheel, so the measurement works. Values depend strongly on the inertia and acceleration configured in your system, though. A long fast swipe followed by inertia gives good numbers, but they are not comparable with mouse scores.

Using the tool to diagnose a wheel

This is the most useful everyday job. Over time, the wheel encoder (the small part that detects rotation) collects dust or wears out. The classic symptoms: the page jumps up one notch while you scroll down, or scrolling stutters now and then.

The method for this scroll wheel test is simple. Scroll down slowly and evenly, one notch at a time, while watching the counter. On a healthy wheel, the value stays positive the whole time. If you see negative values flash by, or the number drops sharply while your motion stays constant, the encoder is sending bad signals. Repeat the test scrolling up to confirm, where every value should stay negative.

Before replacing the mouse, try blowing compressed air into the gaps around the wheel while turning it. On many models, that cleaning is enough to make the jumps disappear for several months. If the problem comes back quickly, the encoder is worn and the fix is either a replacement part (common on popular gaming mice) or a new mouse. The same routine is the quickest way to test scroll wheel condition on a secondhand mouse before you pay for it: thirty seconds of slow notches tells you more than the seller's description.

Why scroll speed matters in games

Plenty of games bind actions to the wheel. In Counter-Strike, many players bind jump to the wheel to chain bunny hops, because one spin sends several jump commands in a short time. In Minecraft and many shooters, the wheel cycles through the hotbar or switches weapons. A fast, precise wheel that does not skip notches saves time in those moments. A missed notch can mean pulling out a pickaxe instead of a sword. The tool helps you check how consistent your wheel is as well as how fast.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the area mid run: the cursor slides out of the play area, the wheel scrolls the page and the measurement stops. Keep the mouse still, or switch to fullscreen.
• Changing direction during a run: up and down movements cancel out in the calculation. Stay in one direction.
• Comparing different settings: a score made with 10 lines per notch on Windows has nothing to do with one made on the default setting. Note your setup next to your records.
• Pressing down too hard on the wheel: your finger brakes the wheel and can trigger the middle click. Brush it rather than crush it.
• Drawing conclusions from one run. Peaks vary quite a bit from one run to the next. Do at least five runs, then check the best scores tab.

Go easy on your index finger

Flicking a wheel at full speed loads the flexor tendons of the index finger, and repeated friction can irritate the skin of the fingertip. Keep runs to a few seconds, rest at least a minute between attempts, and alternate fingers. Keep your wrist resting and in line with your forearm rather than bent upward. If you feel pain in your finger, wrist or forearm, end the session. Discomfort that lasts several days deserves a visit to a doctor or physiotherapist.

Frequently asked questions

What unit does the scroll test use?

Pixels per second (px/s). The number shown is the total distance your wheel covered during the last second, converted to pixels by the browser.

When is my score saved?

Automatically, about one second after your last wheel movement, when the speed drops back to zero. The score kept is your peak during that run.

Why is my speed different on another computer?

Because the conversion from one notch to a number of pixels depends on the system, the browser and the scroll settings. Records can only be compared on identical setups.

Does it work on a phone?

No. You need a mouse wheel or a laptop trackpad. On mobile, the page asks you to come back from a computer.

Is raising lines per notch cheating?

That depends on the rules you set. The setting multiplies the pixel value without your finger moving any faster. For a challenge with friends, agree on a shared setup before you start.

Is my history kept?

Yes, in your browser's local storage. It stays available until you clear the site's data or press the clear button.

How do I check reliability rather than speed?

Use the slow method from the diagnosis section: one notch at a time in a single direction, eyes on the sign of the counter. To test scroll wheel health properly, run this scroll wheel test once downward and once upward. Any value with the wrong sign points to a dirty or worn encoder.