The refresh rate is very important, especially for fast-paced gaming. It is the frame rate that determines the number of frame rates sent to the monitor display per second. A display with a higher refresh rate is only useful when a computer can send data to the display quicker. Without either, you may experience lags on the screen that will potentially jeopardize the gaming experience.
Let’s discuss in details if refresh rate is important for gamers or not.
Is Refresh Rate Important for Gamers?
The refresh rate of a monitor is an important feature to consider when purchasing a monitor for PC gaming or to be used with a modern console. This is especially essential if you are a competitive gamer who’s looking for a competitive edge over your opponents.
The term “refresh rate” refers to how many times a monitor updates the screen in one second. This is measured in hertz (Hz), and most of the standard workplace monitors have a refresh rate of 60Hz, while higher refresh rates are becoming increasingly popular.
With the coming of a new generation of consoles in 2020, 120 Hz monitors and screens have been brought to attention as they offer a far smoother experience. There is no clear and plain definition of the term “high,” and different individuals may perceive it differently. In general, anything beyond 120 Hz qualifies as a “high” refresh rate display since it exceeds the standard of 60Hz.
Because the refresh rate of a monitor defines how many times a refresh occurs per second, the refresh rate of a monitor is strongly related to the frame rate (fps). When you play a game at 120 frames per second on a 60Hz monitor, your display can only display half of the frames produced by your GPU.
To make your high-end graphics card purchase “worth it,” you’ll need a display that can keep up with your GPU, which means purchasing a monitor with a high refresh rate. If your computer isn’t capable of producing high frame rates while you are gaming, then buying a high refresh rate monitor for gaming may not be worth it.
So, if you’re playing a competitive shooter, you’ll get input on what’s going on-screen every 1/60 of a second, including any actions you or your opponents do. A 240Hz panel could theoretically offer four times as many frames per second, giving you more information about what’s going on and a smoother playing experience.
Other aspects to consider are how long it takes your computer to analyze your input and how quickly your GPU can process and display a new frame. The refresh rate of the display is only one component of the equation, but it is also one of the simplest improvements you can make to improve your gaming experience.
This is also the reason why professional gamers usually lower their graphics to the minimum to extract the highest frame rates they can achieve with their components since, during competitions or tournaments a player will need the most information through the screen and with a high refresh rate, the player can make quicker decisions and have a more accurate aim.
Another problem that higher refresh rates paired with VRR technologies solves is screen tearing. This happens when the GPU is unable to render a frame in the specified frame time, a half-frame is supplied instead.
To minimize screen tearing, variable refresh rate (VRR) technology like NVIDIA’s G-SYNC, AMD’s FreeSync, and the HDMI 2.1 VRR standard were created. Higher refresh rates and VRR technology solved this problem by asking the display to wait and display duplicate frames if required. So, half frames are never delivered, and tearing is eliminated.
So, if you are a professional gamer or even someone who plays casually but is looking for an edge over their opponents then a monitor with a higher refresh rate might do the job for you provided that it is paired with an equally powerful and capable graphics card that can process and display data fast enough to work together with the high refresh rate monitor.
Does Refresh Rate Matter For Gaming?
The truth is, the higher the frames per second in a video game, the more superiorly powerful the video card needs to be. Therefore, a video card with at least 144Hz/144 FPS (Frames Per Second) is recommended for a smoother and lag-free gaming experience every time.
Do You Really Need 120hz For Gaming?
If you’re purchasing a gaming console or personal computer that is capable of supporting 120Hz, then without any doubt you should invest in a display that also supports 120Hz for a much more immersive and responsive gaming experience. The idea is that to get the most advantage from 120Hz, you have to maintain 120 FPS.
Do You Need 144hz For Gaming?
If you’re a professional gaming enthusiast then 144Hz is completely worth every buck because all types of games whether they’re competitive or story-driven with high-defined graphics, a display monitor with a higher refresh rate helps in providing a much immersive and smoother gaming experience.
What Refresh Rate Do I Need For Gaming?
The refresh rate is the most important factor, especially when it comes to gaming. A monitor that doesn’t offer a high refresh rate isn’t recommended for playing games as it will not suit the needs of any gamer. Ideally, a monitor for gaming purposes should support at least 75Hz. However, most gaming monitors at minimum offer 120Hz. If you’re looking for a monitor specifically for gaming then investing in a monitor specifically designed for gaming is the best bet.
Robert Smith is a technology lover and loves to write about laptops, monitors, printers, tablets, Apple products and anything that's related to computers and games. He is passionate enough that he maintains this blog regarding tech updates on a daily basis.
Robert Smith is a technology lover and loves to write about laptops, monitors, printers, tablets, Apple products and anything that's related to computers and games. He is passionate enough that he maintains this blog regarding tech updates on a daily basis.
