This paper presents the count rate measurements obtained with the Lausanne partial ring ClearPET scanner demonstrator and compares them against GATE Monte Carlo simulations. For the present detector setup, a maximum single event count rate of 1.1 Mcps is measured or a 250–750 keV energy window. This corresponds to a coincidence count rate of approximately 22 kcps. Good agreements are observed between measured and simulated data. Count rate performance, including Noise Equivalent Count (NEC) curves, are determined and extrapolated for a full ring ClearPET design using GATE Monte Carlo simulations. For a full ring design with three rings of detector modules, NEC is peaking at about 70 kcps for 20 MBq.