As a gamer, you know that having a laptop or desktop with good refresh rates is important for gaming. But what you may not know is that the trend is moving towards even higher refresh rates.
Most gamers are used to playing on laptops or desktops with a 60Hz refresh rate. But now, there are laptops and desktops with refresh rates of 144Hz or even 240Hz. This means that the image on your screen is refreshed 144 or 240 times per second, respectively.
Why does this matter? A higher refresh rate means a smoother and more responsive gaming experience. If you’re used to playing on a 60Hz monitor, you’ll definitely notice the difference when you switch to a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor.
What Is Refresh Rates In A Computer?
The refresh rate is the number of times a computer refreshes the display per second. So when we say that a computer has a 60Hz refresh rate. We mean a monitor or laptop display can refresh itself up to 60 times a second. Now, this process is not perceivable to the human eye, but the implications can be seen when we are gaming.
A high refresh rate makes for a smoother gaming experience as you’re able to perceive images a lot quicker than others. A computer can display more frames per second. As well as an improved response time from you the player and the laptop or PC you’re gaming with as there is reduced latency, thus giving you a competitive advantage.
To be clear while a refresh is the number of frames a monitor or display can display in a second. The actual number of frames you will be able to see depends on the kind of game you are playing, your graphics settings, and how powerful your PC and Graphics card are.
So, Then How Does a 60Hz Refresh Rate Compare to a 144Hz or a 240Hz?
For every frame we get on a 60Hz screen, we get 2.4 frames on a 144Hz monitor, and we get 4 frames on a 240Hz one. This means gameplay can be much smoother, and the step up from 60 to 144Hz is a huge improvement, and the change from 144 to 240Hz is not as obvious. It’s still very good. In either case, it still makes for a big difference, particularly in fast-paced competitive multiplayer games.
Now a higher refresh rate gives you a competitive advantage over those you are playing against with lower refresh rates. A 144Hz refresh rate means that the display is already refreshing 144 times per second. This means that a player can aim more precisely, feedback from input feels more immediate, and you can react faster due to the reduced latency and blur. All this is even better with a 240Hz display. So it is clear to see that the higher the refresh rate, the better you can play.
Can A High Refresh Monitor Make You Win More In Games?
Speaking from my personal experience, it does make you win more, maybe not win more but it will make you play better or even compete better, especially if you were using a 60Hz refresh rate against opponents playing with higher displays. It would always feel like the enemy was able to spot you or pull the trigger way faster than you.
This is because the time between frames at 60Hz adds a lot to the lag you perceive between clicking the mouse and seeing the results on the screen. This inevitably means that the time between frames at higher refresh rates is lower, and the action that appears on the screen is quicker.
NVIDIA ran a recent study on competitive multiplayer games where they found out that players with higher refresh rates got better overall win ratios.
Let me paint a picture for you; for example, say an enemy player is coming around a corner. If you are getting more frames in a given second, there’s a chance you will see them several frames earlier than you would on a normal 60Hz screen which is all the more important where quick reactions make the difference between winning and losing.
However, to take full advantage of these incredible refresh rates, you also have to have a powerful computer or PC to match. If you are only getting about 100 fps on Apex or PUBG then you are not maxing out that 144Hz or 240Hz refresh.
So the actual frame rate you get will very much depend on the kind of games you play. Less demanding titles would easily allow you to max out those high refresh rate displays but if you play graphically intensive AAA titles, then you will need to drop your settings or even invest in a more powerful graphics card.
It’s not just for games either, everyday tasks like web browsing, watching videos, or even something as simple as moving the mouse cursor feels a lot smoother and more precise.
Which Is Better, Between 144hz Or 240hz?
This answer should be obvious, but I feel 144Hz is still the way to go for most people. They are cheaper, and they are still light years ahead of a 60Hz monitor. Also, due to technical limitations, you are more likely to find higher-quality 1440p display panels at 144Hz, whereas 240Hz models are still tied to 1080p displays.
However, if speed is what you are after then get that 240Hz display, especially if you are playing less demanding games like Overwatch and CSGO, then a 240Hz 1080p display to get the best advantage. However, I still think you should reduce your graphical settings or get a more powerful laptop or graphics card to get that magical 240 FPS.
Pricing
On average 60Hz refresh rates cost about $100 like the Acer K202HQL and 144H like the Spectre E275W-19203R cost about $150 and 240Hz like the AOC C27G2Z 27” cost about $300 on various merchant sites.
Conclusion
A 60Hz display is not the worst out there, especially for the single-player experience. Still, if you want to be a warzone or Fortnite champion, then you will need to get a better refresh rate panel because if you keep losing to your friend on warzone and you don’t think you’re at fault or you’re not that bad at the. Then think about getting a better monitor. It might change your luck.
Image Gallery – Is 60Hz Refresh Rate Good for Gaming
