What is refresh rate & why is it important?
Why Refresh Rate Matters in Displays
The refresh rate of a monitor contributes to the smoothness, responsiveness, and overall visual quality of moving images. It describes how many times a second a monitor ‘refreshes’ the image on the display, with higher refresh rates producing smoother visuals.
For many uses, including design and gaming, fluid movement is essential for creating an immersive visual experience. However, all users can benefit from a good refresh rate, as a highly responsive monitor can improve your PC experience overall.
Your monitor’s refresh rate works with other visual features, including resolution and panel type, to create the images that your monitor displays. Understanding these specs, and which will impact your experience, are essential to making an informed choice about your next monitor purchase.
What is Refresh Rate
Refresh rate refers to how many times a display updates the image in one second, meaning a 120Hz monitor refreshes 120 times per second. It’s measured in hertz or Hz.
A high refresh rate monitor can
- Create fluid, natural-looking motion
- Displays small background details more clearly
- Adjusts to lower speeds (like 60Hz) when necessary
60Hz is a standard rate for modern monitors, while the highest refresh rate currently on the market is 540Hz.
How Refresh Rate Affects User Experience
Gaming
High refresh rates, such as 144Hz and 240Hz, are popular for esports and competitive online games. These monitors offer:
Fluid, lifelike movement with sharper details.
Faster loading of textures and backgrounds.
Reduced input lag for a more responsive gaming experience.
These features give players a competitive edge, especially in fast-paced games like shooters.
Editing and Entertainment
Monitors with higher refresh rates are ideal for:
Visual work like video editing, where clarity and smooth motion matter.Fast-paced movies and TV shows, as they reduce motion blur.
General Use
For everyday tasks like browsing, document editing, or video conferencing, a 60Hz is typically sufficient. However, higher refresh rates (like 120Hz) help with:
Smoother scrolling.
Reduced visual glitches like screen tearing or stuttering.
Refresh Rate vs Frames Per Second (FPS): The Key Difference
Refresh Rate measures how fast your monitor updates the screen, while Frames Per Second (FPS) measures how fast your GPU outputs images.
Key Points to Remember:
A monitor with a refresh rate lower than your GPU’s FPS can lead to screen tearing.
For the best experience, match your monitor's refresh rate to your GPU's FPS or exceed it.
Example: If your game runs at 60 FPS, a 60Hz monitor is fine.
If your game runs at 144 FPS, a 144Hz monitor is essential for clarity.
Common Refresh Rate Options and Their Benefits
60Hz
Great for basic tasks: email, spreadsheets, video conferencing.
Works well with most movies and TV shows (filmed at 24 FPS).
120Hz - 144Hz
Ideal for gamers and video editors.
Improves overall image clarity and reduces screen tearing.
Monitors with adaptive sync (G-Sync & FreeSync) further enhance smoothness.
240Hz +
Perfect for competitive gaming and esports.
Captures minute details and ensures minimal input lag.
Refresh Rate and Monitor Resolution:
A Balancing Act
Refresh rate contributes to the visual quality, but monitor resolution also plays an important role in the clarity of your display. The higher the resolution of your monitor, the sharper the images are. Balancing resolution and refresh rate is important for gamers, video editors, or any users looking for great image quality without having to sacrifice speed.
A high resolution puts more strain on your computer’s GPU than a low resolution, as your GPU is forced to output more data to keep up with the display. Most high-end gaming monitors, particularly those used for professional competitive play, have reduced resolutions so that the refresh rate can be as high as possible.
Some monitor panel types are also better suited to higher refresh rates, such as TN panels, but these panels can’t typically support very high resolutions like 4K. High refresh rates are similarly taxing for your hardware, so be mindful of your PC’s graphical capabilities before choosing a high refresh rate, high resolution monitor.
How Refresh Rate Impacts Power Consumption
High refresh rates improve performance but can:
Increase power consumption.
Shorten battery life on laptops.
Be less energy-efficient, especially when paired with high resolutions.
If energy efficiency or battery life is a priority, consider monitors with lower refresh rates.
Do You Need a High Refresh Rate Monitor?
Key Takeaways
60Hz: Sufficient for most basic tasks and media consumption
120Hz - 144Hz: Perfect for gamers and video editors.
240Hz and above: Ideal for competitive gamers seeking every advantage.
Your choice of refresh rate should depend on your use case, budget, and PC capabilities. For more tips on choosing the right monitor, check out our comprehensive Monitor Buying Guide
