refresh rate on lcd monitors in stock
It’s natural for anyone shopping desktop monitors to be swayed by size, shape, resolution and color quality. But depending on your business needs, you may also want to consider a less flashy feature: the monitor’s refresh rate.
Refresh rate is the frequency at which the screen updates with new images each second, measured in hertz (cycles per second). The content may look steady on the display, but what the viewer can’t see is how fast the content is changing — up to 360 times a second. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the visual quality.
Super high monitor refresh rates aren’t all that important for office workers focused on lighter computing like word processing, spreadsheets and emails. But in more visual professions like creative production and game development, a high refresh rate for monitors is invaluable.
The standard refresh rate for desktop monitors is 60Hz. But in recent years, more specialized, high-performing monitors have been developed that support 120Hz, 144Hz and even 240Hz refresh rates, which ensure ultra-smooth content viewing, even for the most demanding visual processing needs.
Just buying a high refresh rate monitor doesn’t mean the display quality will magically improve. The monitor’s refresh rate reflects the maximum rate at which the display can change the visuals. What happens on the screen depends on the frame rate of the output — the number of video frames that are sent to the display each second.
The majority of Hollywood movies, for example, are shot and produced at 24 frames per second (fps), so a 60Hz monitor will easily offer smooth playback. But having a 120Hz monitor (or even faster) won’t provide any visible benefit to playback quality.
A 120Hz monitor has obvious benefits, though, for modern gaming platforms that animate at 100 fps or higher. A high refresh rate helps the screen keep pace with the high-twitch inputs of players and translate them into super smooth actions on screen.
When refresh rate and frame rate are mismatched, it can result in something called screen tearing. If the computer’s graphic card is pushing out more frames than the monitor’s refresh rate can handle at a given moment, users may see two half-frames on the screen at once, bisected horizontally and slightly misaligned. In short, it doesn’t look good. Games are usually configured to automatically match the PC’s graphics capabilities to avoid tearing, but running high-action visuals more slowly than intended makes for a compromised viewing and playing experience.
Response time — the time it takes for a pixel to change color — also plays a role in refresh rate. A monitor can only refresh as quickly as the LCD display can make those rapid-fire color shifts.
Particularly for fast-paced visuals, higher refresh rates and faster pixel response times reduce ghosted visuals, and ideally eliminate them. With slower tech, a high-pace action sequence may come with trailing images that result in softer, even blurry on-screen visuals.
The appeal of high refresh rates is obvious for at-home gamers looking for a responsive, hyperrealistic playing experience. And this leisure use is part of a vast global industry. SuperData reported that the video gaming industry generated roughly $140 billion in 2020, up 12 percent from $120 billion in 2019. Statista estimates there are now more than 3 billion gamers worldwide.
The nascent esports industry is already worth more than $1 billion, and companies of all sizes and sorts — including casino operators — are scrambling to establish esports gaming zones and arenas for fans to watch and play popular games like Overwatch.
In the U.S. alone, the video game industry employs 220,000 people across all 50 states, according to the Entertainment Software Association. That’s a lot of game developers, graphic artists and playtesters working in front of monitors, most of them in need of optimal visual quality and speed at their workstations. While 60Hz refresh rates may work fine for people in finance and human resources — and even the clerical side of gaming companies — people on the visual and testing side need at least 120Hz to do their jobs well.
And it’s not just gaming. While the film industry has long produced movies at 24 fps, that frame rate is a relic of times when there were different technical restraints on cameras and projection, so a faster frame rate required more expensive film. The 24 fps standard has stuck around largely because that’s what the public is used to. Today, filmmakers are increasingly pushing frame rates as high as 120 fps.
High-performance monitors with high refresh rates come with obvious visual improvements, but monitor upgrades in general bring a broader range of business benefits.
Higher-quality monitors — notably those with Quantum Dot enhancement film — offer an immense color palette and extreme color accuracy. Users don’t just see red; they see the exact shade of red the artist intended. High dynamic range (HDR), featured on high-resolution monitors from Samsung, clarifies every element of every scene — even the brightest highlights and darkest shadows — so the smallest details are fully discernible and distinct.
Premium monitors also come with built-in (adjustable) technologies that can reduce eye strain. Manufacturers, led by Samsung, have increasingly introduced curved widescreen monitors that equalize the focal distance of every part of the screen. The left and right edges are the same distance from the viewer’s eyes as the middle of the screen, reducing eye strain, as viewers don’t have to adjust their eyes as they scan the display.
High refresh rate monitors with high response times also tend to come with other premium features, such as full support for USB-C connections. With a single cable, the user can connect their PC to a monitor that functions as a USB hub for peripheral devices. This negates the need for expensive and often clunky docking stations, and can significantly reduce the number of cables at each workstation. In addition to tidier, streamlined workspaces, this also reduces the demand for IT support. With fewer connectors and devices, you tend to get fewer problems.
Around the workplace, anyone in a visually creative role will see immediate benefits from a higher refresh rate. And while those in non-visual roles probably won’t see any difference, the key may be futureproofing.
When IT and information systems (IS) teams plan capital purchases, they need to look several years ahead for potential technical requirements down the road. While high-refresh monitors may have a defined user community right now, it’s likely more use cases and worker needs will develop. Monitors with low refresh rates can’t get better, but higher-refresh monitors can serve your display needs both now and in the future.
As you consider making a monitor upgrade for your team, walk through the market drivers, societal shifts and technologies of the reimagined office in this free guide. And no matter what your industry, Samsung’shigh-performance monitorshave you covered.
The refresh rate of a monitor or TV is the maximum number of times the image on the screen can be drawn, or refreshed, per second. The refresh rate is measured in hertz.
Instead, the image is "redrawn" over and over on the screen so quickly (anywhere from 60, 75, or 85 to 100 times or more per second) that the human eye perceives it as a static image, or a smooth video, etc.
This means that the difference between a 60 Hz and 120 Hz monitor, for example, is that the 120 Hz one can create the image twice as fast as the 60 Hz monitor.
An electron gun sits behind the glass of the monitor and shoots light to produce an image. The gun starts at the very top left corner of the screen and then quickly fills it with the image, line by line across the face and then downward until it reaches the bottom, after which the electron gun moves back to the top left and starts the whole process over again.
While the electron gun is in one place, another portion of the screen may be blank as it waits for the new image. However, due to how fast the screen is refreshed with the light of the new image, you don"t see this.
If the refresh rate of a monitor is set too low, you may be able to notice the "redrawing" of the image, which we perceive as a flicker. Monitor flickering is unpleasant to look at and can quickly lead to eye strain and headaches.
The refresh rate setting can be changed to reduce this flickering effect. See our How to Change a Monitor"s Refresh Rate Setting in Windows guide for instructions on doing this in all versions of Windows.
All LCD monitors support a refresh rate that is typically over the threshold that normally causes flicker (usually 60 Hz) and they don"t go blank between refreshes as CRT monitors do.
The highest possible refresh rate isn"t necessarily better. Setting the refresh rate over 120 Hz, which some video cards support, may have an adverse effect on your eyes as well. Keeping a monitor"s refresh rate set at 60 Hz to 90 Hz is best for most.
Attempting to adjust a CRT monitor"s refresh rate to one that"s higher than the specifications of the monitor may result in an "Out of Frequency" error and leave you with a blank screen. Try starting Windows in Safe Mode and then changing the monitor refresh rate setting to something more appropriate.
Three factors determine the maximum refresh rate: The monitor"s resolution (lower resolutions typically support higher refresh rates), the video card"s maximum refresh rate, and the monitor"s maximum refresh rate.
A significant point is that the phosphors on a CRT screen have their "persistence" designed to support a particular fairly narrow range of refresh rates. The phosphors could be made to have really long persistence (seconds), so there would be no serious flicker down to even maybe a 5 second refresh interval, but then, since the phosphors can only be "turned on" and not "turned off", you wouldn"t be able to see motion much faster than that. (Some early CRT terminals used long-persistence phosphors, with the characters "drawn" on the screen instead of scanned. This didn"t provide very fast "refresh", but it only had to be as good as a 10 CPS Teletype.)
LCDs have the property that they can be turned on or off, at some relatively high rate, and once set one way or the other they have a relatively long persistence, on the order of a second or so. For this reason they can support a wide range of refresh rates.
LCDs are "scanned" via an X-Y matrix of wires, with a pixel at each point where two wires cross. Only one pixel can be manipulated at a time. The voltage on a pixel must be maintained long enough to "charge" the pixel, so that it will hold the charge until refreshed, and all pixels must be visited on each refresh cycle.
And, in addition to the charge time, the liquid inside needs time to mechanically reorient its crystal structure (though, at a physics level, this reorientation is tied at least partially to the "charge" time). Both of these factors place an upper limit on refresh rate.
When you"re looking to buy a new monitor, there are many factors to consider, including size, resolution, and aspect ratio. Another important aspect you might hear about is the refresh rate.
The refresh rate of a monitor (or other display) refers to the maximum number of times per second that the image displayed on the screen will be updated. This is measured in hertz (Hz).
A higher refresh rate means more information reaches your eyes in the same amount of time, leading to smoother-looking motion. Remember that video is technically just a series of images being shown very quickly to have the effect of motion.
Most standards monitors are 60Hz. However, you can also buy monitors, usually meant for gaming, that boast higher refresh rates. Common refresh rates for higher-tier monitors are 144Hz or even 240Hz.
These numbers make it easy to compare one monitor to another. A 120Hz monitor can display twice as many images in a second as a 60Hz monitor, for example.
Because monitors with higher refresh rates are capable of displaying smoother motion, you might think that buying one will instantly improve the look of everything on your PC. But this isn"t necessarily the case.
Remember that the refresh rate is the maximum rate at which your monitor can update the displayed image. But whether a program actually sends output to your monitor that fast depends on its frame rate. The frame rate measures the number of video frames sent to your display per second.
To take advantage of a display with a higher refresh rate, your computer has to send data to the display much faster. Most software, such as productivity apps or video playback utilities, won"t be affected by an ultra-high refresh rate.
Movies are shown at 24 frames per second (FPS), and YouTube currently caps out at 60FPS; even basic 60Hz monitors can handle these without issue. A higher refresh rate thus won"t make most videos look any better. This also applies to most productivity apps. For example, Microsoft Word won"t have any noticeable difference at 144FPS compared to using it at 60FPS.
As a result, high refresh rates are really only important when playing video games. When playing a game, your graphics card generates the visual data and sends it to your monitor. Thus, if you have a powerful enough graphics card, it can send data to the screen more quickly.
As the frame rate your graphics card sends and the refresh rate of your monitor are often different, a common PC gaming problem people run into is screen tearing. This can happen, among other causes, when your graphics card sends out frames at a higher rate than your monitor can handle.
If you try to play a game at a high frame rate on a low refresh rate monitor, you"ll run into this issue. You"ll see multiple frames on your screen at the same time that aren"t lined up correctly, leading to the "torn" effect.
To avoid this, games are usually capped at your monitor"s refresh rate by default. So if you have a 60Hz refresh rate monitor, your games should not run at much more than 60FPS.
There are also more advanced solutions to this problem, such as G-Sync, VSync, and FreeSync. See our explanation of common video game graphics settings for more info.
The main group of people who benefit from a high refresh rate monitor are competitive gamers. For professional players of first-person shooters like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or Overwatch, a higher refresh rate is vital for optimal gameplay.
When your monitor displays more frames per second, you also see visual information that you would have completely missed on a lower-hertz display. This makes it easier to track fast-paced action.
It"s difficult to show a clear example of frame rates above 60FPS if your monitor can"t display them. If you"re curious, have a look at the below video to see the same action in various frame rates, slowed down so it"s easier to tell the difference.
Some people say higher refresh rates make it easier to aim, as targets move more smoothly. But this varies by individual and can change based on how good your eyesight is.
Part of this is due to blurring. When our eyes see a series of frames, our brains fill in the changes from one frame to the next, making the frames look like continuous video instead of the series of still images they actually are. But this filling-in process results in blurring. If there"s more information sent to our brains in the form of more frequent frames, movement looks sharper.
Another issue in high-level gaming is input lag, which is the delay between you making an input and the game recognizing that input. High refresh rate monitors can reduce input lag, because there is a shorter amount of time that passes between your input and the action happening on-screen.
This difference is tiny—in the order of milliseconds—but that can make a difference in competitive scenarios. For professionals and other serious players, every tiny advantage matters.
But what if this doesn"t describe you? If you"re a casual at-home gamer, or don"t play games at all, is a high refresh rate monitor worth the extra cost?
If you don"t play video games, then buying a monitor above 60Hz is likely not worth the cost for you. There are few applications outside of gaming where higher frame rates will make a noticeable difference. If you want to upgrade your monitor, you"re better off putting the money towards a display that"s larger, higher-resolution, or has better image quality.
For gamers, high refresh rate monitors are a noticeable upgrade, especially if you play fast-paced games like shooters. Going from 60FPS to 144HZ isn"t as major as jumping from 30FPs to 60FPS, but it does make a difference. If you only play slower-paced games like strategy titles, you may be perfectly happy at 60FPS.
60FPS is a decent standard—if your computer can"t hit that, you should prioritize upgrading your graphics card (and potentially other components like the CPU) first.
A 240Hz monitor that"s 24 inches wide at 1080p resolution would cost you a good bit of money. For around the same price, you could buy a larger 27-inch monitor at 1440p resolution with a still-impressive 144Hz refresh rate. Or if refresh rates don"t matter to you, you could buy a huge 34-inch monitor at 4K resolution and a standard 60Hz refresh rate instead.
Alternatively, you could buy a cheaper monitor and put the money you save towards a better graphics card. Remember that the highest refresh rate monitor in the world won"t make a difference if your graphics card can"t keep up. It"s better to have a high-end graphics card with a middle-range monitor than a top-of-the-line monitor and mediocre graphics card.
If you need a new monitor for general computing purposes, in most cases you"ll want a higher resolution so the picture looks sharper. This is beneficial when you"re watching movies or doing various productivity tasks. You may also consider buying a larger monitor so you can see more at once, or even buying two cheaper monitors so you can take advantage of dual displays.
When buying a monitor for serious PC gaming, a higher refresh rate is important. If possible, try to shop for monitors in-person where you can see the differences between refresh rates. While you can find comparisons online, you can"t really appreciate videos of 144FPS gameplay on a 60Hz monitor.
As we"ve seen, high refresh rates are really only important for serious gamers. Casual gamers can enjoy most titles at 60FPS, while general PC users don"t have much use at all for higher frame rates. They"ll usually be better off spending money on a bigger, higher-resolution monitor instead.
The recommended refresh rate for an LCD monitor is 60 Hz. If on-screen disturbance occurs, you can set it up to 75 Hz to see if that removes the disturbance.
The best — and easiest — way to know what refresh rates your system can support is by playing games and seeing how they perform. Use a frame rate monitoring utility like Fraps to display your current FPS (frames per second) as you play. Most frame rate monitoring utilities will have the ability to benchmark your average FPS , which keeps track of how your system performs over the course of a gameplay session.
Ideally, you’ll want the game’s frame rate to match the monitor’s refresh rate 1:1 for an ideal experience. For example, your system should be outputting 144 FPS to get the full benefit of a 144Hz monitor.
That said, you can still enjoy a higher refresh rate, even if it doesn’t reach the limits of what your display is capable of. Playing at 110Hz is better than playing at 60Hz, and you can always upgrade your CPU and GPU later to get to 144 FPS.
If your system struggles to run games higher than 60 FPS, it’s unlikely you’ll see much benefit from a high-refresh rate display, but it might be worth investing in one if your PC is capable of producing higher than 60 FPS.
In the event you don’t own the game you’re hoping to play yet, you can test similar titles and extrapolate. Games released in the same year, belonging to the same genre, or built in the same engine oftentimes have relatively similar performance requirements. You can also research other player’s experiences and compare your hardware configuration to theirs to get a sense of what to expect.
It’s natural for anyone shopping desktop monitors to be swayed by size, shape, resolution and color quality. But depending on your business needs, you may also want to consider a less flashy feature: the monitor’s refresh rate.
Refresh rate is the frequency at which the screen updates with new images each second, measured in hertz (cycles per second). The content may look steady on the display, but what the viewer can’t see is how fast the content is changing — up to 360 times a second. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the visual quality.
Super high monitor refresh rates aren’t all that important for office workers focused on lighter computing like word processing, spreadsheets and emails. But in more visual professions like creative production and game development, a high refresh rate for monitors is invaluable.
The standard refresh rate for desktop monitors is 60Hz. But in recent years, more specialized, high-performing monitors have been developed that support 120Hz, 144Hz and even 240Hz refresh rates, which ensure ultra-smooth content viewing, even for the most demanding visual processing needs.
Just buying a high refresh rate monitor doesn’t mean the display quality will magically improve. The monitor’s refresh rate reflects the maximum rate at which the display can change the visuals. What happens on the screen depends on the frame rate of the output — the number of video frames that are sent to the display each second.
The majority of Hollywood movies, for example, are shot and produced at 24 frames per second (fps), so a 60Hz monitor will easily offer smooth playback. But having a 120Hz monitor (or even faster) won’t provide any visible benefit to playback quality.
A 120Hz monitor has obvious benefits, though, for modern gaming platforms that animate at 100 fps or higher. A high refresh rate helps the screen keep pace with the high-twitch inputs of players and translate them into super smooth actions on screen.
When refresh rate and frame rate are mismatched, it can result in something called screen tearing. If the computer’s graphic card is pushing out more frames than the monitor’s refresh rate can handle at a given moment, users may see two half-frames on the screen at once, bisected horizontally and slightly misaligned. In short, it doesn’t look good. Games are usually configured to automatically match the PC’s graphics capabilities to avoid tearing, but running high-action visuals more slowly than intended makes for a compromised viewing and playing experience.
Response time — the time it takes for a pixel to change color — also plays a role in refresh rate. A monitor can only refresh as quickly as the LCD display can make those rapid-fire color shifts.
Particularly for fast-paced visuals, higher refresh rates and faster pixel response times reduce ghosted visuals, and ideally eliminate them. With slower tech, a high-pace action sequence may come with trailing images that result in softer, even blurry on-screen visuals.
The appeal of high refresh rates is obvious for at-home gamers looking for a responsive, hyperrealistic playing experience. And this leisure use is part of a vast global industry. SuperData reported that the video gaming industry generated roughly $140 billion in 2020, up 12 percent from $120 billion in 2019. Statista estimates there are now more than 3 billion gamers worldwide.
The nascent esports industry is already worth more than $1 billion, and companies of all sizes and sorts — including casino operators — are scrambling to establish esports gaming zones and arenas for fans to watch and play popular games like Overwatch.
In the U.S. alone, the video game industry employs 220,000 people across all 50 states, according to the Entertainment Software Association. That’s a lot of game developers, graphic artists and playtesters working in front of monitors, most of them in need of optimal visual quality and speed at their workstations. While 60Hz refresh rates may work fine for people in finance and human resources — and even the clerical side of gaming companies — people on the visual and testing side need at least 120Hz to do their jobs well.
And it’s not just gaming. While the film industry has long produced movies at 24 fps, that frame rate is a relic of times when there were different technical restraints on cameras and projection, so a faster frame rate required more expensive film. The 24 fps standard has stuck around largely because that’s what the public is used to. Today, filmmakers are increasingly pushing frame rates as high as 120 fps.
High-performance monitors with high refresh rates come with obvious visual improvements, but monitor upgrades in general bring a broader range of business benefits.
Higher-quality monitors — notably those with Quantum Dot enhancement film — offer an immense color palette and extreme color accuracy. Users don’t just see red; they see the exact shade of red the artist intended. High dynamic range (HDR), featured on high-resolution monitors from Samsung, clarifies every element of every scene — even the brightest highlights and darkest shadows — so the smallest details are fully discernible and distinct.
Premium monitors also come with built-in (adjustable) technologies that can reduce eye strain. Manufacturers, led by Samsung, have increasingly introduced curved widescreen monitors that equalize the focal distance of every part of the screen. The left and right edges are the same distance from the viewer’s eyes as the middle of the screen, reducing eye strain, as viewers don’t have to adjust their eyes as they scan the display.
High refresh rate monitors with high response times also tend to come with other premium features, such as full support for USB-C connections. With a single cable, the user can connect their PC to a monitor that functions as a USB hub for peripheral devices. This negates the need for expensive and often clunky docking stations, and can significantly reduce the number of cables at each workstation. In addition to tidier, streamlined workspaces, this also reduces the demand for IT support. With fewer connectors and devices, you tend to get fewer problems.
Around the workplace, anyone in a visually creative role will see immediate benefits from a higher refresh rate. And while those in non-visual roles probably won’t see any difference, the key may be futureproofing.
When IT and information systems (IS) teams plan capital purchases, they need to look several years ahead for potential technical requirements down the road. While high-refresh monitors may have a defined user community right now, it’s likely more use cases and worker needs will develop. Monitors with low refresh rates can’t get better, but higher-refresh monitors can serve your display needs both now and in the future.
As you consider making a monitor upgrade for your team, walk through the market drivers, societal shifts and technologies of the reimagined office in this free guide. And no matter what your industry, Samsung’shigh-performance monitorshave you covered.
With so many of us working from home these days, the hours spent in front of a screen may be too numerous to count. When we’re not sending emails long after the office is “closed,” maybe we’re binge-watching the latest and greatest true crime series Netflix has to offer. But perhaps more frightening than the updated version of Unsolved Mysteries? What all this time spent in front of laptops, desktops, tablets, and televisions is doing to our eyes.
Permanent damage is atypical, but you may find yourself suffering from eye irritability or headaches. If so, there are simple solutions you can put into place to help ease your eyestrain.
Realistically, spending less time in front of screens may not be an option. Nonetheless, there are ways to take proper care of your human hardware—reducing your eyestrain and allowing you to sit in front of a screen longer without pain or discomfort. The options are simple:Take more breaks.
I realize this one is pretty self-explanatory. But with our personal and professional lives colliding like never before, I think it’s worth emphasizing. Yes, your eyes will thank you for taking periodic breaks throughout the day—and your mind and body will, too. In this strange new world, getting up from your computer is an important part of self-care. So, run up and down the stairs in your house, take a walk around the block, or simply get up and stretch every hour. Whatever works for you, just be sure to add break time to your daily calendar.
The blue light emitted from electronic screens is known to cause eyestrain, fatigue, headaches, and sleeplessness. For those working into the night, a quick fix is to turn on the Night Light setting on Windows 10 (usually found under Settings > System > Display) or the Night Shift setting on Apple devices (Apple menu > System Preferences > Displays > Night Shift > select Manual to turn on Night Shift). These display modes are designed to decrease the blue light emitted from your computer, tablet, or laptop screen, thereby reducing your eyestrain.
Another popular—and simple—solution is a little tool called f.lux. In a nutshell, f.lux filters the blue light out of your monitor, giving it a warm, yellow glow that relaxes your eyes in the evening. When installing f.lux, you’ll be asked to provide a location and the program takes care of the rest. As the sun goes down, your monitors will give off less and less blue light. This will help your body produce melatonin. Why is this important? Multiple studies have shown blue light is a major factor in melatonin suppression, which can lead to sleep deprivation.
One word to the wise here: When you install f.lux, you may be put off by the yellow glow because it’s so different from what you’re used to. But as a multiyear f.lux user myself, I can say with confidence that you stop noticing the glow after a few days. Once you get used to it, looking at a monitor without f.lux can feel like staring into a lightbulb. The program is truly that effective.
Another drawback is that f.lux is very ineffective for those who need to edit photos and videos or perform any task involving color. Fortunately, because the program runs in your task bar, you can disable f.lux with just one click.
If you find a service like f.lux isn’t for you, you may want to check out the refresh rate on your monitor. Not sure what I mean? Let’s take a closer look.
When you look at a computer monitor, you’re not seeing a single, static image. You’re actually seeing the same image refreshed many times per second—creating the illusion that your screen is smooth. If you’re using an older monitor, you may notice it flickering slightly. This means the refresh rate is so low your eyes can see it. This is typical at the frequencies 59 Hzand60 Hz, with the latter being the most commonly used refresh rate in laptops and LCD (flat-screen) monitors.
A higher refresh rate means a smoother-looking screen that’s easier on the eyes. So, if you’re trying to ease your eyestrain, a refresh rate of 120 Hz is optimal. There’s no need to pursue those high-end 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitors from Amazon or Best Buy. Unless you’re doing heavy gaming or video watching and editing, you most likely won’t see the difference between 120 Hz and anything higher. Instead, try using a 120 Hz screen for a few hours, then switch back to a 60 Hz monitor. The difference between the two is so palpable your eyes will start to strain almost immediately.
Adjusting your (home) office setup to create a more comfortable user experience really can be as simple as downloading a tool or purchasing a new monitor. Whatever solution works best for you, I think you’ll find small steps will lead to big improvements for your eyes. Why not put one to the test and see what I mean for yourself?
When comparing 60 Hz vs 75 Hz refresh rates, the answer is quite clear: 75 Hz is better. A refresh rate measures how many times a screen can update in one second. Higher refresh rates are associated with better video quality, reduced eye strain, and even improved gaming experiences. And while 60 Hz has been the bare minimum for decades, a 75 Hz monitor offers an accessible upgrade.
Refresh rate measures how many times a display can update the image on the screen. Video is actually a series of still images that change so quickly that they give the illusion of movement. The faster these images change, the smoother the video appears to be.
A screen’s refresh rate is measured in hertz (Hz), which is a unit of how many times something occurs in one second. Therefore, a refresh rate of 1 Hz shows a new image on the screen every second. A refresh rate of 75 Hz shows 75 separate images in a single second.
Generally speaking, a higher refresh rate results in smoother and more lifelike video so long as the frames per second match. (Ever wonder how many images per second the eye can process?It turns out it’s up to 500 Hz.)
Measured in frames-per-second (fps), frame rate also describes how many images get displayed on the screen each second. The difference lies in the source: refresh rate is determined by the display while frame rate is determined by the computer’s processors.
To fully take advantage of a monitor’s high refresh rate, it’s important that the computer’s central processing unit (CPU) and graphic processing unit (GPU) are able to produce enough frames per second. And on the other side, a high-performance graphics card would only go to waste if paired with a monitor with a slower refresh rate.
Sometimes more is just more. When it comes to refresh rates, a higher rate results in smoother video, less strain on the eyes, and even improved performance in competitive gaming. Even if that jump is a modest increase from 60 Hz to 75 Hz, there is a noticeable improvement in media quality.
So much of modern work deals with viewing and processing data. A smoother display makes a huge difference both in eye health and quickly understanding what’s on screen. A faster refresh rate makes it a much nicer work experience by reducing motion blur in text, graphics, data, and even your cursor.
Higher refresh rates result in smoother, more realistic on-screen media. More images per second can also significantly reduce motion blur, which can make a huge difference in video quality and gaming experiences.
Clearer and more natural motion on screen can go a long way towards better eye health. In fact, at lower refresh rates you may even start to notice aflicker, which can cause a wide range of vision problems and challenges.
A big part of effective ergonomics – for work and for play – is a high-quality display. A higher refresh rate on your monitor goes a long way towards protecting your eyes. Even a small difference like 60 Hz vs 75 Hz can make a huge difference over time.
Though there aremonitors specializing in gaming performance, it’s not always possible to get a high-end monitor just for entertainment. However, raising the bar by just 15 Hz can make a world of difference in not only game enjoyment but also performance.
Together these three factors can make games way more fun to play and even improve accuracy in high-paced games. But unless it’s a dedicated gaming rig,even hardcore gamers feel high-performance monitors aren’t strictly necessary for anything but games.
When it comes to monitor refresh rates, bigger is definitely better. However, 60 Hz represents a bare minimum while anything over 120 Hz is more appropriate to more demanding users. More modest screens with a 75 Hz refresh rate offer a middle ground.
A crucial part of every system build, a well-made computer monitor ensures that you will realize the performance output by your computer hardware. Perhaps you spent days, weeks, and months choosing the right CPU and the best graphics card to play the games at the resolutions you want. However, suppose you blew your budget on all the horsepower and left none for the display. In that case, you’re not going to appreciate the intensity of all those pixels that your computer renders at incredible speeds. With PC games getting more graphically intense, you must ensure your display can keep up.
You’ve probably seen terms like HD and Full HD on the boxes of monitors and TVs, but what does that mean? As you may have guessed, HD refers to “High Definition,” a quick way to refer to a high-quality video output. So if you see the term “Full HD” on a monitor box, that’s just a shorthand to denote its resolution, which would be 1920 by 1080, also called 1080p. The reason why it’s specified as “Full HD” is that there are also some TVs and monitors that output at 720p (high definition but not relatively as high as 1080p), which is 1280 by 720 pixels. 1080p is considered the current standard for monitors, and popular manufacturers, including Dell, Acer, Samsung, LG, BenQ and Viewsonic, offer a variety of 1080p monitors in their product lineups.
When it comes to resolution, 4K is all the buzz right now. Game developers and graphics card manufacturers focus on making and running games at 4k resolutions, twice the horizontal and vertical resolution of 1080p. Officially labeled as 4K UHD, the full pixel resolution is 3840 by 2160. That’s why there had to be a new term to define the resolution scale because 4k is much clearer and more vibrant than 1080p. Many people would call it hyper-realistic because of how many pixels populate the display area. To make it easier to distinguish between the two resolution types, 1080p is often referred to as 2k resolution.
As you can imagine, the more pixels there are to display, the more critical it is that your monitor has a high refresh rate, especially when it comes to gaming. Typically, the standard has been a 120-hertz refresh rate in gaming monitors, but many features a 144-hertz refresh rate. The quicker a monitor can refresh the display, and the smoother the visual experience will be. This is because the refresh rate in the monitor works in tandem with a low response time (which specifies how quickly the monitor can send and receive new information) to make a seamless visual transition. Sometimes, if the response rate is not quick enough, some residual pixels can remain on the screen as the monitor is trying to refresh new ones. This is called ‘ghosting.’ Although it’s standard to have a four-millisecond response time on many gaming monitors, Samsung, LG, BenQ, Viewsonic, and more all offer 2k and 4k monitors with one-millisecond response times. It is also important to ensure refresh rates are identical if you plan to sync two monitors for your display.
Regarding the internal specs, response time and refresh rate are the main factors contributing to a smooth, immersive viewing experience. Still, the physical panel type of the monitor can also play into this. First, there’s the matter of how the monitor lights up: either with LCD or LED. The main difference lies in the material that is used to light the liquid crystals in the display. In LCD, it’s cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), and in LEDs, it’s tiny light emitting and low-energy consuming diodes. This is the preferred type in most monitors because it consumes less power and produces less harsh light, so darker colors appear more vivid. Additionally, LED monitors can be much thinner than LCD ones.
Newer LCD monitors have improved with the implementation of IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels. For some, it’s a matter of preference, but where the IPS panels have shown their strength with accurate color reproduction, which is great for content creators who want to do photo editing or graphic design. The panel type you choose depends more on preference than anything else. Samsung is well known for championing the IPS panel in their monitors, and many people also enjoy using them for gaming.
For some people, it’s essential, not just the monitor specs. Having a monitor that is fast, intuitive, and also looks nice on their desk is a crucial part of a computer build designed to make a statement. Asus’ Predator X34 shows off with its 34-inch curved IPS panel that also features Nvidia’s Gsync technology, which matches the gaming framerates with the monitor’s native refresh rate to prevent screen tearing. For those who want the style without the price tag, Samsung offers a 29-inch curved monitor with a 4-millisecond response time.
As touch navigation becomes more normalized due to mobile browsing, you may also want to consider a touch monitor for maximum accessibility. Planar offers a 22-inch optical touchscreen monitor that is highly portable due to its USB connection type. For something you can use in meetings for presentations, Dell provides a capacitive touchscreen monitor that also features an IPS panel.
Finally, another consideration is whether there are enough HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) ports. HDMI allows simultaneous digital video and audio transmission from one source to another. While HDMI ports are often standard, especially on gaming monitors, verifying that a monitor has enough HDMI compatibility for your setup before purchasing is essential.
When you’ve picked out the perfect display, don’t forget the essential accessories to go with it. For a two or three-screen setup, Ergotron, Rosewill, and SIIG offer a variety of stationary and swivel monitor mounts for both the wall and your desk. Soon, you’ll have a command center that you’ll never want to leave. So, ready to get started?
They are a shorthand to describe how many pixels in total are displayed on the monitor. For 2k, that’s 1920 x 1080 in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. For 4k, it’s 3840 by 2160 in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.
Since monitors have to be lit in order for the viewer to see anything, the difference between the two types is in what is used to light up the crystals within the display. For LCD, that’s cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL’s) and in LEDs, it’s tiny light emitting and low-energy consuming diodes. LED monitors tend to be thinner and more power-efficient, but improvements in the panel types have made LCDs more competitive.
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Resolution:2560×1440 | Refresh rate: 75 Hz with FreeSync | Ports: HDMI, DisplayPort in, DisplayPort out, USB-C | USB-C charging:65 W | USB hub:four USB 3.0 Type-A ports
The Asus ProArt Display PA278CV has a great-looking screen with good enough color accuracy for most people and all the ports you need to hook up desktop or laptop PCs. The PA278CV’s stand can tilt, swivel, and pivot the screen and raise and lower its height, its USB-C port can provide enough power to charge most 13-inch laptops, and it comes with a three-year warranty and a good dead-pixel policy. Its QHD resolution (2560×1440) means it isn’t as sharp as a 4K screen, but it’s also hundreds of dollars cheaper than comparable 4K monitors.
The MD271QP has a USB-C connection, making it easy to connect a modern laptop without the need for an HDMI cable or extra dongle. However, you’ll still need to plug in your laptop’s charging cable.
The MSI Modern MD271QP is a simple, streamlined 1440p monitor that’s perfect for laptop users. If you have a laptop with a USB-C port, a single cable will send the image to the monitor and slowly charge your laptop with 15 watts of power. However, you’ll still need to plug in a power cable as well to keep your laptop fully charged. The MD271QP lacks features we liked in the Asus ProArt PA278CV,including a built-in USB hub, granular color calibration controls, and blue-light filtering modes for reading. But if you don’t need to tinker with color settings or those extra USB connections, the MSI Modern MD271QP is a great monitor for $100 less than our top pick.
Resolution:3840×2160 | Refresh rate: 60 Hz with FreeSync | Ports: HDMI, DisplayPort in, USB-C in | USB-C charging:65 W | USB hub:two USB 3.0 Type-A ports
The Dell S2722QC is a 3840×2160 display that’s great for anyone who watches 4K content or casually edits photos or video. However, if most of your time is spent on general office work or browsing the internet, you don’t really need to spend the extra cash. The S2722QC has a USB-C port with 65 watts of charging, so it can power most laptops except higher-end devices like the Dell XPS 15-inch or the 16-inch MacBook Pros (which are picks in our guide to the best laptops for video and photo editing). For more powerful 4K displays, check out our guide for the best 4K monitors.
Resolution:2560×1440 | Refresh rate: 144 Hz with Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, up to 170 Hz overclocked | Ports: two HDMI in, DisplayPort in | USB-C charging:none | USB hub:two USB-A
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ is a full-featured gaming monitor with HDR, a USB hub, and a robust menu system. The XG27AQ can reach a 170 Hz refresh rate, meaning the picture is updated 170 times per second, making motion in games look smoother and more realistic. We think this monitor is a nice balance between price and premium features like HDR, an overclockable refresh rate, a USB hub, good build quality, and a sturdy stand.
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