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You are here: Home / Computer & Mobile Games / Do Monitor Refresh Rates Matter For Gamers? What are Good Refresh Rates?
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Do Monitor Refresh Rates Matter For Gamers? What are Good Refresh Rates?

It is quite evident that the invention of computers has made our lives better. With the dynamic changes in the industry, computer technology has also transformed the gaming industry as well.

Today, there are computers and monitors for different needs. Whether you want to use a computer for personal or corporate purposes, the features and specifications of a computer will change according to your needs. Hence, it is essential to find the one that best suits your requirements.

gaming monitor refresh rates

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When it comes to Gamers, a computer has to extend power-packed performance in order to offer a seamless gaming experience. The refresh rate of the monitor has always been a key decision factor for gamers when buying a PC with a monitor for gaming purposes.

Table of Contents

  • What is Refresh Rate?
  • What is Good Refresh Rate for Gaming?
  • Do You Need 75Hz or 144 Hz or 240Hz Monitor?
  • How Does The Monitor Refresh Rate Affect The Gaming Experience?
  • Is a 60hz Monitor Good For Gaming?
  • Is a 144hz Monitor Good For Gaming?
  • Conclusion

What is Refresh Rate?

The rate (speed) at which the monitor image changes is known as the refresh rate of a monitor. The faster the refresh rate, the smoother the image will be.

The number of images changed per second is gauged in Hertz (Hz). Refresh rates are generally dependent on the application or use of the monitor screen.

For instance, movies run at 24Hz, while TV run at 50Hz-60Hz. Generally, PC monitors have a refresh rate of 60Hz, which is quite a satisfactory rate for personal and corporate use, but when it comes to gaming, your monitor has to up the game.

What is Good Refresh Rate for Gaming?

Good gaming monitors generally offer refresh rates above 75Hz. Display manufacturers are engaged in a constant battle to produce monitors with higher refresh rates such as 75Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, 240Hz etc so as to improve user experience .

These wide variety of options can be very confusing for a gamer. That’s one reason why FPS gamers are always concerned with refresh rates comparing performances of 75Hz vs 144Hz monitors to establish which of the two offers superior gameplay.

The sweet spot for PC Gaming is having a monitor of 1440p with 144hz refresh rate.

Do You Need 75Hz or 144 Hz or 240Hz Monitor?

If you are buying a monitor for gaming purposes, it is essential to go for higher refresh rates than upgrading to 4K for smoother and tear-free gaming.

gaming monitor

When it comes to the ideal refresh rate, there is no said rule for determining the best rate. For over a decade, 144Hz remained the standard refresh rates for gaming monitors.

Even though monitors now come with superior refresh rates of 240Hz, a 144Hz monitor is still considered ideal for gaming. In case you intend to make things ultra-fast, then 240Hz is the next and possibly the best option for you.

In some cases however, the most suitable choice for gaming is the 75Hz monitor. For casual gamers who cannot purchase extravagantly a 75Hz monitor is much more affordable  and a natural choice.

Also not all games are demanding as far as frame rates and refresh rates are concerned, therefore if you fall in the category of non-fps gamers then a 75Hz monitor (or even the standard 60Hz) is a welcome choice.

How Does The Monitor Refresh Rate Affect The Gaming Experience?

While a lot of people can immediately notice differences with the resolution of a monitor, the refresh rate might be more difficult for some people to see.

However, once you actually play a game using a high refresh monitor, the differences become increasingly apparent.

In fact, you could get so used to gaming at a high refresh rate that anything below a certain amount can become a jarring experience.

This is the reason a lot of those who primarily game on PC with high refresh rate monitors have difficulties enjoying console experiences that are limited to 30 frames per second (FPS).

The biggest difference a high refresh rate monitor is going to make is to increase the perceived smoothness of the gameplay.

If you are gaming at lower frame rates, your experience will be limited to the amount of data that can be sent to the screen at a time.

The higher the refresh rates, the faster the data can be sent and displayed which can give you more information on-screen allowing for a much more smooth perceived playing experience.

For games locked at a specific frame rate like what happens often on consoles, you will experience no benefits from having a monitor that exceeds that rate.

Whereas, if your graphics card cannot pass 60 FPS for a specific game on your intended play settings, you won’t experience benefits of having a 144hz monitor because your card won’t be getting the necessary frames to benefit from it.

For older games or if you have a high powered video card capable of delivering great performance, 144hz monitors will always provide a better playing experience than 60hz monitors.

This is why competitive gamers who are looking for every edge they can get try to stick to higher refresh rate monitors.

Whereas, those looking for higher resolution and a more cinematic experience might opt for 4K monitors that are limited to 60hz since not many graphics cards will take advantage of 4K resolutions at 144hz.

Is a 60hz Monitor Good For Gaming?

As mentioned, 60hz monitors can be good for gaming depending on the kind of experience you are looking to get with it.

If you are someone who wants a 4K monitor and you enjoy playing games at the highest graphical fidelity, it is probably the best way to get maximum value for your money.

Likewise, if you want to primarily play single-player games and multiplayer games casually and you have a high-end graphics card, you will likely have an excellent experience.

For those with consoles, there is absolutely no reason to even consider a 144hz monitor because even in the next generation, you will be hard-pressed to find a console that prioritizes frame rate like that and their machines won’t be able to get performance greater than 4K at 60fps anyway.

Is a 144hz Monitor Good For Gaming?

With today’s current technology, you could say 1440p with 144hz monitors are the sweet spot for PC gaming.

After all, a lot of the higher-end cards can hit higher refresh rates at 1440p max settings which allows you to take advantage of higher perceived resolution than 1080p without sacrificing the smoothness that 144hz can offer.

For those that are looking to game competitively, there is no better option than a 1080p monitor with 144hz. For those looking to enjoy games and to get the most value for their money, 1440p with 144hz is the sweet spot.

When you move up to 4K, you will be able to get adequate performance in a lot of games, but even something like a high-end RTX 2080 barely hits over 60 FPS with Battlefield V in 4K with ultra settings.

When you factor in new technology that is going to be increasingly found in new games like Ray Tracing, you won’t even be able to max out 60 FPS with even some of the newer graphics cards.

To Conclude:

Who Should Buy 60hz Monitors?

Those looking to game at 4K resolutions and who aren’t necessarily looking to game competitively.

Who Should Buy 144hz Monitors?

Those who are willing to game at lower resolutions (including 1440p) and who prioritize frame rate and smooth gameplay over graphical fidelity. Any competitive gamer should prioritize 144hz over resolution.

Conclusion

The faster refresh rate is crucial for fps gaming as it allows the screen to remain responsive to the rapid movements of the game.

As mentioned above, the number of images displayed on the screen per second is depicted with Hertz. So, a 60Hz monitor will show 60 images in a second, and 120 Hz monitor will refresh and showcase 120 images.

Today, there are high performance gaming monitors whose refresh rates can go up to 240Hz, offering one of a kind gaming experience. The basic formula for choosing an efficient monitor is to determine its refresh rate matches with the fps output of the graphics card you own .

There’s no doubt in asserting that gaming monitors have to extend superior performance in order to provide seamless gaming experience.

The refresh rate is an imperative criterion for gamers who are looking for uninterrupted gaming. For casual gamers and general users, a higher resolution monitor will suffice, but, when it comes to professional gamers, higher refresh rates becomes an important feature.

If you are a pro gamer, it is advised to go for a higher refresh rate in order to steer clear from possible issues of a slower refresh rate monitor.

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Filed Under: Computer & Mobile Games

About Harris Andrea

Harris Andrea is an IT professional with more than 2 decades of experience in the technology field. He has worked in a diverse range of companies including software and systems integrators, computer networking firms etc. Currently he is employed in a large Internet Service Provider. He holds several professional certifications including Cisco CCNA, CCNP and EC-Council's CEH and ECSA security certifications. Harris is also the author of 2 technology books which are available at Amazon here.

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