Monitor refresh rate explained: is 144 Hz or 240 Hz worth it?

Refresh rate is one of the first things shown on a monitor box. 60 Hz, 144 Hz, 240 Hz, even 360 Hz. Higher numbers cost more, so it is fair to ask what you actually get. The answer depends on your games, your graphics card and a couple of settings that are easy to miss.

What refresh rate is

Refresh rate is how many times per second the screen updates its image. A 60 Hz screen updates 60 times a second, a 144 Hz screen 144 times. It is a limit on what you can see: even if your game makes 300 frames a second, a 144 Hz screen shows at most 144 of them.

Refresh rate and FPS work together

For you to benefit, the game has to produce frames at that pace. A 240 Hz monitor with a game that runs at 70 FPS looks like a 70 FPS experience. Before you buy a faster screen, check what FPS you reach in your games. Our FPS to frame time calculator shows how much time each frame takes at different rates.

How much better is each step

The gain gets smaller as you go up:

• 60 to 144 Hz is a big and obvious change. Motion looks clearly smoother, and aiming feels more direct.
• 144 to 240 Hz is noticeable, especially in fast competitive games, but it is a smaller step. Frame time goes from 6.9 ms to 4.2 ms.
• 240 to 360 Hz is a very small step that mostly matters to professional players, and you need a very fast system to use it.

The settings you must turn on

1. In Windows display settings, choose the highest refresh rate in the advanced display options. Many monitors run at 60 Hz until you change this.
2. Use a cable and port that support the speed: DisplayPort or a high speed HDMI cable, depending on the monitor.
3. Enable the monitor's overdrive setting at a moderate level to reduce blur, without strong overshoot.
4. Enable variable refresh rate (G-Sync or FreeSync) in the graphics driver and in the monitor menu. It makes the screen follow the game's frame rate and removes tearing without much added delay.

Variable refresh rate and frame caps

With variable refresh rate on, cap your frame rate a few frames under the refresh rate, for example 141 FPS on a 144 Hz screen. This keeps the screen in its adaptive range and avoids delay from V-Sync. Without variable refresh rate, a cap that divides the refresh rate evenly, such as 72 FPS on 144 Hz, looks more even than an uneven number.

Response time, panel type and resolution

Refresh rate is not the only number that matters. Response time describes how fast pixels change color. Panel types differ: IPS panels have good colors, VA panels have strong contrast, and OLED panels have very fast response and deep blacks. Resolution also matters: a 1440p or 4K screen needs a stronger graphics card to reach high frame rates. See our monitor PPI calculator to compare sharpness.

Who should get what

• Casual and story games: 60 to 75 Hz is fine, and 120 Hz makes everything feel nicer.
• Most PC players: 144 to 165 Hz is the best value.
• Competitive shooters: 240 Hz or more if your system can reach those frame rates in your game.
• Console players: check what the console supports. Current consoles can use 120 Hz on compatible screens.

A quick checklist before you buy

1. Does my graphics card reach those frame rates in my games?
2. Does the monitor support variable refresh rate?
3. Is the resolution right for my card? See choosing a graphics card.
4. Are the reviews good for response time and brightness?

The short version

Going from 60 to 144 Hz is one of the best upgrades in gaming. Going beyond that helps most in competitive games. In every case, make sure the refresh rate is enabled in Windows and that your system produces enough frames to use it.