Tech For Mass is supported by readers. If you buy products from links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more
By: Robert Llarves | Date Posted: January 24, 2023
As gaming continues to grow in popularity, the need for gaming monitors is becoming more and more apparent.
Manufacturers have responded by creating a variety of high-end gaming monitors that promise superior performance and features. When choosing a gaming monitor, there are several factors to consider such as size, resolution, refresh rate, response time, and panel type.
The perfect gaming monitor should not only meet your technical requirements but also provide the right visual experience for a comfortable and immersive gameplay session. It’s important to understand what all these monitor specs mean so you can pick the best one according to your individual needs.
One of the specs that people often compare is the refresh rate. Many gaming monitors come with a variety of refresh rates ranging from 60Hz, 75Hz to 144Hz, and even higher. So what’s the difference between them? Is a 60Hz monitor good for gaming? What does refresh rate even mean?
Refresh rate, also known as the “refresh frequency” or “vertical refresh rate”, is all about how quickly a monitor can display images, measured in hertz. The higher the refresh rate of a monitor, the smoother and more seamless video playback will be.
This is especially important for gaming monitors as having a faster refresh rate can contribute to better visibility and reduce motion blur throughout gameplay sessions.
Monitors usually have refresh rates ranging from 60 Hz up to 240 Hz, but those with 240 Hz tend to be a bit pricier. Ultimately, finding the right balance between cost and performance should be your guiding force when making decisions about acquiring a new monitor since most don’t need a high-end system especially if they are using it mainly for everyday tasks at home.
With a 60Hz monitor, you’ll be able to see up to 60 frames per second; this isn’t bad but it does mean you’re likely going to miss out on some fine details in motion.
When it comes to gaming, most gamers know that a high refresh rate monitor is critical for achieving the best performance.
A 60hz monitor is the bare minimum for gaming and might not provide crisp visuals or respond quickly enough for fast-paced games. However, in certain scenarios, these budget monitors can still offer an enjoyable gaming experience, especially if you are playing slow-paced games like Red Dead Redemption or Assasin’s Creed.
It’s also important to consider what type of GPU you have – if your graphics card isn’t powerful enough to power higher refresh rates then you won’t be able to take full advantage of a better monitor.
Ultimately, when deciding whether or not a 60hz monitor is a right choice for gaming, it’s important to assess your budget and hardware capabilities.
60Hz is still a standard refresh rate for 4K monitors, and while it’s not ideal when compared to a 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitor, it can still provide an excellent gaming experience. However, the lower refresh rate may cause noticeable motion blur when playing fast-paced games on a 4K display.
Additionally, some high-end AAA titles might be hard to achieve higher frame rates since the graphics card needs to push more pixels. Overall, a 60hz monitor is still perfectly suitable for playing slower-paced games or titles that don’t require ultra-smooth visuals.
However, if you’re looking for maximum performance and want to experience cutting-edge visual fidelity, then it might be worth investing in a higher refresh rate 4K monitor for your gaming setup.
Response time is another specification worth considering aside from refresh rate when selecting a monitor for your viewing pleasure.
A monitor with a good response time will provide the best viewing quality and overall superior performance. This figure specifies the time it takes for one pixel to transition from one color to another and back again, which must happen in extremely quick succession thousands of times each second in order to create the moving image that we see.
If a pixel fails to update quickly enough, this creates effects such as ghosting, smearing, or even blurring. As such, shorter response times produce better image clarity and tend to be preferable for gaming needs, while longer times are generally preferred in professional or imaging work due to increased color accuracy potential.
For most users, however, finding a good balance between the two is easiest and ensures the best overall experience for whatever tasks you plan on using your monitor for.
When shopping for a computer monitor, many people pay close attention to the refresh rate. But there’s another key factor that needs to be considered – adaptive sync.
This type of display technology works in tandem with graphic cards that support “G-Sync” or “FreeSync,” synchronizing their refresh rates so that tearing or stuttering of the image is eliminated and the gaming experience is improved.
It’s not just gamers who will benefit, though – this type of technology can make your content look better no matter what you’re viewing, as it eliminates “screen tears” and other annoying visual issues.
Ultimately, you’ll enjoy smoother visuals with more detail and clarity when adaptive sync technology is paired with a compatible graphics card.
In most cases, a 60hz monitor will be perfectly fine for viewing movies and other content that doesn’t require higher frame rates.
Most films are shot at 24 frames per second (FPS), which means the refresh rate of the monitor will never exceed this figure even when watching high-definition video clips. And while certain scenarios may benefit from a higher refresh rate such as fast-moving sports or action scenes, most average users won’t notice any difference between a 60hz vs 144hz panel.
Additionally, if you’re looking to save money then investing in a budget monitor with these specifications is an ideal choice for viewing media and everyday web browsing too.
To sum it up, there are pros and cons associated with different types of monitors depending on what type of user you are and what tasks you’ll be performing with it.
For the average person who’s looking for a balance between budget, performance, and features, then a 60hz monitor might just be the perfect fit. However, if gaming performance is your primary concern or you’re looking to experience truly cutting-edge visuals, then investing in a higher refresh rate display with G-Sync/FreeSync technology could be worthwhile too.
Ultimately, the right choice depends on your specific needs and preferences – so make sure to do your research before making any final purchases!
