The Refresh Rate of our displays is always an important factor when it comes to choosing the right devices and hardware. Whether it is your smartphone, Television, Laptop, or FHD monitor, you would get great results in terms of display quality when you have a high refresh rate.
Refresh rate is basically a term or criteria to calculate the total number of times your screen refreshes with the new content.
Because, the videos or everything else is displayed on the screen in the form of frames, the refreshing of these frames would matter a lot when it comes to smooth displays. So, in this article, we are going to know about what is refresh rate and its importance as well.
You might have heard about the refresh rate and the FPS but most of us are not aware of this term.
However, it is very easy to understand it if you just have very less technical knowledge. Most gamers, programmers, graphics designers, video editors, and other professionals recommend using high refresh rate display devices.
These days, getting a 60Hz refresh rate monitor is very easy. However, the numbers have grown very high.
The latest monitors like Asus Rog Swift 360 can reach up to 360 Hz refresh rate which is a very large number. Of course, they will have high price tags as well.
So, it is very important to know the basic fundamentals of refresh rate so you can always make the right decision. Most people just grab any monitor by seeing its resolution such as 4K or 1080P. But, it is crucial to know that resolution is not the only thing.
A good refresh rate also plays a very important role in offering an excellent visual experience to the users.
So, in this article, we are going to cover everything about the refresh rate and its importance. Now, without any further delays, let’s get started.
What is Display Refresh Rate and Is it Different from Motion Rate?
The refresh rate is basically a parameter to calculate and determine the total number of times your monitor screen gets refreshed. For example, a 60Hz monitor would refresh itself 60 times within a second.
Obviously, we can’t see those transitions with bare eyes but it makes a huge difference which we are going to discuss further. So, if you have a 120Hz display, it would refresh 120 times within a second.
So, when your monitor is refreshing at that fast rate, the content will take a very small fraction of a second to respond. This results in a great user experience.
It is difficult to see the results of a high refresh rate with the bare eyes and with the still screen.
This would come into the play whenever you scroll the screen or play any content on it.
So, there will be a difference between a low refresh-rate screen and a high refresh-rate screen. A screen will be able to produce new content on it at a faster rate. This makes a big impact on the overall picture and video quality of the image. Also, it has a lot to do with the fluid movement on the screens.
Why high Panel Rate is important like ROG SWIFT?
A high refresh rate is important only for those who want their screen to refresh at a very fast pace. For normal users, these criteria don’t even matter. So, for professional gamers, graphics designers, and video editors, a monitor with a high refresh rate is definitely a great option to choose from.
A high-refresh would always mean great screen transitions, smooth scrolling effects, and great multimedia playing experience.
A high refresh rate is not something related to the FPS but it has a lot to do with the user experience.
Whether you are browning the internet or doing any other stuff, the screen would not move like some frames are getting moved. They will actually move like water.
You can clearly see the difference whenever you switch from a low refresh rate display to a high refresh rate display.
In some latest smartphones, you even get options to change the refresh rate as per your need needs. So, these things are allowing us to have many effective results in terms of user experience.
How to test your display refresh rate?
There are several software, apps, and websites to check the refresh rate of your screen. These tests would take some seconds to complete and then show you the results.
All of them are completely trustworthy but we suggest using UFO’s Refresh Rate Test.
This test would help you easily recognize the current refresh rate of your monitor or any other display device. The test is completely automated but you can adjust the decimal digit and test colors etc.
The monitors and all other devices are always capable of providing you with the specified refresh rate.
If you are not aware, you can always check the website or the user manual of your device. However, if you can’t do any of those things, the above-given test is always there for you.
Why do gamers prefer high Refresh rates?
When it comes to PC gaming, it is always important to have good PC hardware such as a professor, graphics card, etc. But, the monitor also plays an important role in all this.
If your graphics card is very powerful and offers the best frame rates and other visual features, you would not be able to experience them without a good monitor. A good refresh rate of your monitor would surely provide you with numerous benefits.
There is no benefit of having a very high FPS if your monitor is not able to refresh itself faster than that speed.
So, this is the main reason why gamers prefer using monitors with a very high refresh rate.
Difference between 60Hz and 120Hz refresh rate
As we discussed earlier, a 60Hz monitor refresh rate is a good option for those who are going to use their PC for normal work. However, the 120Hz is a good pick for professionals and gamers.
The main difference is the refreshing speed. The 60Hz display would refresh itself around 60 times within a second.
Whereas a 120Hz display would do it 120 times. So, it is good to go for the highest one because it has a great advantage for you. But, the higher refresh rate always means a higher price tag.
The 120Hz displays are not cheap. You would have to spend around 50% or more than a 60Hz display when you buy a 120Hz monitor. So, consider your requirements and budgets then go for the right one.
What is the relation between refresh rate and FPS?
Refresh rate and FPS (Frames per second) are two completely different things. Refresh rate simply means how many times your screen is getting refreshed on its own. However, the FPS is not dependent on your monitor in any way.
The FPS has everything to do with your graphics card and the internet (in the case of online gaming). But, your graphics card is responsible for the FPS rate.
So, even if your monitor is capable of refreshing itself for 120 times within a second, you would not get any benefits in terms of FPS.
If you want to increase the FPS, you will have to do something with your graphics card.
The refresh rate would surely help you get a smooth flow between the game. But, if the graphics card is providing you a low FPS, a high refresh rate is never going to increase it.
Most gamers get confused with these terms but they are completely different in terms of real-time applications.
How to increase the monitor refresh rate?
If your monitor is capable of providing you with more than a 60Hz refresh rate and you are still using 60Hz, you can easily increase the refresh rate by reaching the OSD menu.
However, if your monitor is made for 60Hz or 144Hz, you would never be able to increase it to higher levels. The reason is that the hardware can’t go higher than the limits for which it is made.
The monitor refresh rate is going to increase only if your hardware allows it. Unfortunately, there is nothing like monitor overclocking that exists.
So, either you would have to buy a new monitor or just stay happy with whatever you have.
The monitor refresh rate is a great way to see how your monitor is going to perform under certain conditions and what kind of results you can expect. So, it is your choice to pick the right one.
Drawbacks of low monitor refresh rate
The main drawback is the lack of fluidity when it comes to scrolling or moving anything from one part to another. The screen and its movements will appear very stiff. This will end up giving you a bad user experience. But, when you are habitual of that experience, you just forget about it.
The difference can be seen only when you upgrade your device which has more refresh rate than what you were having earlier.
Most people would think that the 60Hz refresh rate is bad but it isn’t that bad for a normal user. Surely, a gamer or professional will find it less but for everyone else, it is just fine. However, some drawbacks are as follows.
- No benefits of additional FPS. If the FPS is higher than 60, your monitor would never be able to give those results properly
- Not suitable to use with professional or gaming graphics cards
- Flickering might occur on high FPS inputs
These are some of the drawbacks but if you are playing games at 30FPS and 1080P resolution, a 60Hz monitor is a great pick for you.
Final Verdict
We hope you would have found this article helpful and now you can choose the right monitor for you. If you have any suggestions or feedback regarding this article, just let us know in the comment section.
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