Subject matter to regulate real-time data capture rates to match processor-bounded data consumption operations is described. In one aspect, a first transition time for a data source to transition from a first mode to a second mode is determined. A second transition time for the data source to change from the second mode to the first mode is also identified. Based on the first and second transition times, the data source is directed to transition into respective ones of the first and second modes such that real-time capture of data from the data source is regulated by a computing device to match processor-bound data consumption rates of an application consuming the data.