Are refresh rates really that important?

Are refresh rates really that important?
Entering today's world of computer screens is a somewhat terrifying prospect, one that applies even more harshly to PC gamers. While most console owners are happy to connect the gaming machine of their choice to the TV they've already installed in their home, a monitor is a separate and necessary addition to any PC setup. Among the many discouraging statistics for gaming monitors (that's a clever contrast ratio, you can hear yourself cry) is the refresh rate. Sometimes also known as frame rate, this is a hot topic of debate within the PC gaming community. But is a higher refresh rate really better? For PC Gaming Week 2020, we're taking a look.

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What is the refresh rate?

First, let's talk about what refresh rates really mean. Simply put, your monitor's refresh rate is the number of distinct frames the monitor can display in a single second, measured in Hz. It should not be confused with the frame rate, which is the number of frames per frame. second that your PC can send to the monitor. Essentially, your monitor's refresh rate determines the maximum frame rate you'll actually see. If your system can hit 90fps in a game, but your monitor is only capable of 60Hz, the game on your screen will only run at 60fps. In other words, the better your gaming PC is, the higher the desired refresh rate. Games running at a higher frame rate should display a sharper image with less motion blur. Let's take a look at our performance baseline. A basic monitor today offers a refresh rate of 60Hz and a resolution of 1080p, also known as Full HD. So 60Hz is more than enough for gaming on a low-end system, as you're unlikely to hit 60fps when gaming at 1080p. If your gaming PC is a budget PC or just an older machine, a standard 60Hz monitor should work fine. It's worth mentioning for now that if you're not a gamer, you don't really need to worry about the refresh rate, as most entertainment media is set to 24fps or 30fps. In fact, buying an expensive 300Hz monitor when you only have a GPU capable of pushing 60fps to the screen is a bad idea. Unlike a TV, which can use image processors to artificially adjust the video input and improve stability, a monitor running at 300Hz does no good to image quality if your system can't match. this refresh rate.

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Powerful PC

The opposite is also true. As gaming PCs have improved, so have gaming monitors. Today, many members of the PC gaming community consider 120Hz or 144Hz rates standard, as there are now many computers capable of playing video above 100 fps. If you're using a powered-up gaming rig that eats a 1080p game for breakfast with a monstrous 200fps+ frame rate, sticking with a monitor with a lower refresh rate could cause you problems. Screen tearing is a problem that occurs when a monitor receives too many images from the video card, resulting in multiple images appearing on the screen at once. This manifests itself as a horizontal split on the screen, frustrating even the least concerned viewer. So 120Hz to 144Hz is a great spot if you have a mid-range or better gaming PC. Higher refresh rates result in diminishing returns, so if 240Hz and 300Hz monitors are now becoming an option, they won't necessarily be the best option. If you have average vision, the difference between 60Hz and 144Hz will be much more noticeable than the difference between 144Hz and 240Hz. Super high refresh rates are most valuable to gamers who enjoy fast-paced esports titles. Twitch shooters like Riot Games' recent hit Valorant can benefit from a 300Hz refresh rate because these games use more simplistic graphics and superior optimization to run at high frame rates. Many professional gamers will attest that a higher refresh rate helps improve reaction times and situational awareness in games.

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Other characteristics

So if you're a budding Counter-Strike or Overwatch streamer and have the PC to back it up, a new high refresh rate display could be a good option. However, even then, there are other aspects to consider when purchasing a display. A 240Hz refresh rate won't help you if the monitor in question has a lower input response rate than you're used to; that's the delay between the monitor receiving input from your PC and the change. of any relevant pixel accordingly. Unlike refresh rates, a lower response time is always better. The response rate is somewhat affected by the refresh rate, but not directly. Response time dictates the maximum possible refresh rate of the monitor; For example, a 144 Hz display should have a response rate of 6,95 milliseconds or less, as that is the speed needed to snap together one hundred and forty-four images in a single second. But you can see a 120Hz monitor with a 1ms response rate next to a 144Hz monitor with a 5ms response rate. While the second display has a higher refresh rate, the first monitor's significantly lower response rate means it will do more to reduce input latency. In general, however, 5 ms or less is a safe bet. Resolution is also something important to consider. As the resolution increases, the frame rate decreases; If your PC can hit 100fps at 1080p, you won't come close to that number running the same game at 4K. If you intend to game in 4K, you may not need to splash on a higher refresh rate display. You may need to choose between a higher resolution or a higher refresh rate. It's a tough situation when it comes to gaming monitors; Both items increase the price of the product, so it's not uncommon to see a 1080p 144Hz panel in the same price range in a 4K 60Hz equivalent. In this situation, you only have to consider the games you are playing. Obviously, there are simple answers: if you play solo RPGs exclusively in large, gloriously detailed worlds, resolution comes first (as long as your system can handle it). But there are also more nuanced scenarios.

(Image credit: Respawn Entertainment)

What is the best?

Apex Legends is a battle royale shooter from the creators of the Titanfall series, pitting twenty teams of three players each against each other on a massive map that serves as a backdrop for both looting and shooting. Working to reduce the input lag caused by your monitor may make a small difference in your aim, but Apex is not a game where a single instant reaction shot decides victory. Bullets fly slower and players have more health, making Apex a game with a more measured shooter than a twitch shooter like Valorant. Increasing the resolution makes it easier to identify rare items from a distance or spot a sniper waiting for his team to enter their kill zone. This is just one example, of course, but it illustrates the point well: don't get too obsessed with super-fast refresh rates if you're not playing the small handful of games where they actually matter. This particular writer uses an AOC 1440p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate. I like to call it the best of both worlds: I get QHD quality, but there's no way my old home PC will pump out more than 144fps at this resolution at any of the games I play, so going higher would have been a waste of money. Keep this in mind the next time you buy a new gaming monitor! Today's best gaming monitor deals Dell 24 S2421HGF 23,8-inch... Dell 24 Gaming Monitor:... Dell 24 Gaming Monitor:... Dell S2419HGF 24" 16:9 TN...LaComparacion's PC Gaming Week 2020 celebrates the world's most powerful gaming platform with essential articles, interviews, and buying guides that show how diverse, imaginative, and remarkable gaming and gaming can be. PC gamers. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2020 page to see all of our coverage in one place.