Have you ever set up a PC before, hooked it up to your computer monitor, only to max out at 60 frames? There are more to monitors than resolution and screen size. In the realm of tech geeks and gamers, refresh rates matter just as much.
But for those of you who are unfamiliar, a refresh rate, which is measured in Hertz (Hz), is the number of times per second (rate) your monitor can redraw (refresh) the screen. The higher the Hz, the more frames you monitor can display per second, making it smoother.
Monitors with high refresh rates are usually a premium, but it’s nice to see that they are slowly trickling down to the mid-range market as well. And with the increasing demand for a smoother experience, even smartphones are getting displays with high refresh rates as well. Crazy right?
Healthwise, monitors with a refresh rate of 60 Hz tend to strain your eye after a while compared to a monitor with a higher refresh rate. It’s also the minimum for a decent experience, but not great. Also, a higher refresh rate means a smoother-looking screen, making it easier on the eyes.
For us gamers, a monitor with a high refresh rate is king. It not only makes motion resolution clearer but gives a more immersive experience as well. And If you play fast-paced competitive games like CS-GO or even AAA titles such as Red Dead Redemption, a monitor with a high refresh rate will improve response time and minimize screen tearing.
I know, there are a lot of things to consider. And just to make sure that you’re able to use these monitors to its full potential, there are two main things you’re going to have to check out:
First and foremost, you have to make sure you have a rig that can handle high frame rates, starting with a good processor, graphics card, and RAM. Otherwise, what’s the use of that expensive monitor if your machine can’t handle it?
Speaking of expensive, the second thing you’re going to need is money. You’re going to have to have a budget for your monitors cause those things can cost you an arm and a leg. But all in all, a higher refresh rate monitor dramatically improves your gaming experience as long as your PC and the display’s response time speed can keep up with the monitor’s refresh rate.
If you don’t play games and mainly just use your PC for office work, a high refresh rate monitor isn’t going to make much of a difference for you guys. Maybe smoother desktop animations, but that’s about it. And since there’s practically no content recorded at more than 60fps, you won’t be able to utilize it when watching videos anyway.
Source From: Reddit
So for non-gamers, I suggest focusing on looking for a better quality panel instead, such as monitors with IPS (In-Plane Switching) or VA (Vertical Alignment) displays. These panels have better color reproduction and wider viewing angles compared to TN (Twisted Nematic) panels found in a lot of high refresh rate monitors. For those reasons, IPS and VA panels would be extra beneficial to content creators who are often editing videos and images. So to make sure you get the most out of your money, you should first figure out what you’re going to be using your PC for.
And for those who are sticking to their 60 Hz screens, there’s no need to change if you’re perfectly happy with your monitors. But for those who might have been unaware, maybe you should start considering an upgrade. Who knows? It might improve your gaming or make you more productive at work.
