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Online streaming and competitive play have given rise to monitors with high refresh rates. This is because monitors with high refresh rates have a huge impact on the gameplay experience especially for fast-paced games like racing simulation games. In this quick article, we shall answer your questions on how to check your monitor’s refresh rate and when you should go for a monitor with a higher refresh rate.
How to check Hz on Monitor
To check your monitor’s refresh rate, simply go to settings, and click on system. After that, go to the display tab and open the advanced display settings link. Once you click the monitor tab, you should be able to see your refresh rate. Finally, you can change it according to your preference.
When Should You Go for a Higher Refresh Rate?
Going for a monitor or TV with a high refresh rate works wonders for competitive fighters, shooters, and racing games. This is because using a 120Hz or higher display improves performance and enables you to have faster inputs than upgrading to a 4K screen. 4K displays meanwhile provide incredible graphics and visual fidelity that works best for action, adventure, and surprisingly, even racing games.
Upgrading your monitor with both 4K and high refresh rate capabilities can be quite expensive as well as taxing on your hardware so it’s best to review motions demos on screens before getting the TV or monitor that you like.
What does refresh rate for monitors mean?
Refresh rate for monitors means the number of times per second it displays the image on the screen. If you’re simply watching movies, then a higher refresh rate monitor will not make as much difference. For streaming and gaming, however, you’ll definitely feel a tangible benefit when playing your sim racing or other games with a monitor with a high refresh rate.
Is refresh rate the same as frames per second?
Measured in Hertz (Hz), the refresh rate refers to how many times per second the display is able to draw a new image on the screen. Meanwhile, frame rate or FPS is the frequency at which images are transferred or displayed on the monitor. For example, movies are typically shown at 24 frames per second (FPS). YouTube videos meanwhile cap at 60FPS so basic monitors at 60Hz can handle these without issue.
Having a high refresh rate won’t have any noticeable difference when using Microsoft Word or Google Sheets as productivity apps don’t require a high refresh rate. They are more important when playing video games especially online as your graphics card generates the visual data and transfers it to your monitor. A powerful graphics card also sends data to the screen more quickly so higher frame rates mean smoother gameplay.
Is a Refresh Rate of 60Hz good for gaming?
The broadcast standard of TVs is at least 60Hz. There are a lot of 4K TVs as well as monitors that can now go way past that at 120Hz, 240Hz, or even higher. If you’ll be playing casually, 60Hz is enough to get a solid experience. However, if you intend to play competitively, a higher refresh rate is simply better to keep things sharp and reaction times high at all times. This is because monitors with a high refresh rate eliminate tearing twice as quickly, giving you an advantage when making quick decisions during gameplay.
Keep in mind though that having both a high refresh rate and resolution means the monitor or TV will be expensive. Most of the time, you’ll have to pick between the two. For hardcore gamers, choosing a monitor with a higher refresh rate can benefit them more than getting a higher resolution TV. 4K displays are more targeted for casual gamers as they generally don’t notice any difference in refresh rates 60Hz and above.
Can my computer benefit from a higher refresh rate?
Before you decide to invest in a new TV or monitor, it’s recommended to check your PC’s technical specifications to see if it’s up to the task. The easiest way to know what your computer can support is by playing your games and observing how it performs in real-time.
Using a frame rate monitoring app like Fraps to display the current FPS of the monitor as you play is a great way to benchmark your average FPS over the course of a gaming session. You will want your game’s frame rate to match the monitor’s refresh rate into a 1:1 scale for an ideal gameplay experience. A racing, shooter, or fighting game that offers performance mode at 120FPS will get the full benefit of a 120Hz monitor.
If your PC struggles to run games higher than 60 frames per second, having a monitor with a high refresh rate will provide no benefit so it’s better to upgrade your computer before getting a new monitor.
Is it worth it to invest in high refresh rate monitors?
Gamers and streamers will likely benefit the most when using a monitor with a high refresh rate. If you’re playing fast-paced games like shooters, racing, and fighting games, the jump from 30 FPS to 60FPS and even as high as 120 FPS is a noticeable upgrade that makes a lot of difference. For games that are slower paced like strategy or turn-based games, using a 60Hz monitor should be fine.
Focusing at 60FPS as your standard is good for a start. After that, you should prioritize upgrading your graphics card before getting a better monitor or TV to get the most benefits. If you don’t need higher refresh rates, then it’s better to get a 4K monitor or TV to get better resolution and graphical fidelity to enjoy the scenery of your games.
Conclusion
Before deciding to get a monitor with a higher refresh rate, check your computer’s technical specifications first. If it’s capable of rendering higher FPS for your favorite games, then you should be fine. If not, invest in a monitor that can produce 120Hz and above frame rates as they’re miles better in terms of gameplay especially for fast-paced games such as racing simulations, fighting, and shooters.
