NOTE: I'm still working on this post...

Introduction
Ever had anybody on a server tell you to "fix your rates?" Does raising your rates settings even make a difference at all?

There are a lot of people out there who will tell you that higher tickrate isn't any better and that its just a way for server operators to say "our servers are better than yours" or charge more to rent them.

Not everybody can tell the difference, and some people just can't be told anything.

All I can tell you is what we have seen ourselves, over and over again, with CS:S and now CS:GO as well --

When a server that is capable of running reliably at higher tickrates is properly configured with the right settings for a higher-than-standard tickrate, clients with hardware that can run at higher rates will see MUCH smoother gameplay and hit registration is generally a lot more accurate.

Before You Change Any Settings
You should check what your current rates settings are and write them down. This way, you have notes on how to go back to your previous settings, and you can switch between them easily to do comparison tests and decide for yourself what works best for you.


Recommended Settings and What They Mean
There is a lot of information to be found on the internet about rates settings, net code in the Source engine, etc. But here's a basic description of what the key client-side rates settings mean, and the values we recommend setting for the best CS:GO gameplay across the internet (not just our servers):

rate - recommended value 128000*
The rate of information, in bytes per second, that your game client will request the server to send you. For the best gameplay you should always set your rate value to the highest value that your internet connection will always be able to supply you, keeping in mind any other things that may be using your internet connection at the same time (such as other players, downloads, etc.)

cl_updaterate - recommended value 128
The number of world refreshes ("updates") per second to request from the server. Each update refreshes the status, positions, etc. of other players on the map, so the higher you set your updaterate, the more accurately your game can show you what's going on.

The server will never send more than its maximum update rate setting anyway, and basically CAN'T send you more updates per second than it's tick rate, so there is no harm done in setting your game to use a cl_updaterate that matches the tickrate of the highest tickrate server you play on, and leaving it there. (your game will still play fine on servers that are only running at 66 tick).

cl_cmdrate - recommended value 128*
The frequency of "commands" per second that your game sends to the server. Basically, how many times per second your game updates the server with what YOU'RE doing. Think "who shot first?"... You should set this value as high as possible.

Note that your game cmdrate is actually closely linked with the frames per second (fps) your game, hardware, etc. can render at any given time. The update "commands" your game generates to send to the server are calculated with each frame rendered - so the better your hardware is (or, the lower you have your graphics settings set to) - the more fps your rig can render and the faster your cmdrate will be at any given moment - up to the cl_cmdrate you set.