Explainer · Monitors
Is 240Hz worth it? 144Hz vs 240Hz vs 360Hz vs 500Hz explained
Each jump in refresh rate helps less than the one before. Here is what you actually gain at each step, and the GPU you need to see it.
Refresh rate is how many times per second a monitor can show a new image. Higher rates make motion smoother and clearer and reduce the delay between your input and the screen, but only if your PC renders that many frames, and each step up gives a smaller improvement.
Frame time at each refresh rate
| Refresh rate | Frame time | Saved vs previous step |
|---|---|---|
| 60Hz | 16.7 ms | — |
| 144Hz | 6.9 ms | 9.7 ms |
| 240Hz | 4.2 ms | 2.8 ms |
| 360Hz | 2.8 ms | 1.4 ms |
| 500Hz | 2.0 ms | 0.8 ms |
| 720Hz | 1.4 ms | 0.6 ms |
Going from 60Hz to 144Hz saves almost 10 ms per frame and is obvious to anyone. 144Hz to 240Hz saves under 3 ms and is clear to most gamers in fast games. Beyond 360Hz, the gains are real but small, and matter mostly to competitive players.
Who should buy which
- 144Hz to 165Hz: single-player gamers, consoles via a PC, and anyone on a mid-range GPU.
- 240Hz: the sweet spot for most PC gamers who play shooters.
- 360Hz: competitive players with high-end CPUs and GPUs.
- 500Hz and up: esports players chasing every millisecond in games like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant.
Questions we get
Is 240Hz noticeably better than 144Hz?
Yes, if your PC renders more than 144 frames per second. Frame time drops from 6.9 ms to 4.2 ms and moving objects look clearer. The jump is smaller than 60Hz to 144Hz, and it is most noticeable in fast shooters.
Does refresh rate matter if my FPS is lower?
Somewhat. With variable refresh (G-Sync or FreeSync), the monitor matches whatever frame rate your PC produces, so a 240Hz monitor running at 120 fps looks like a good 120Hz monitor. You just do not get the extra clarity until frame rates rise.
Is 240Hz useful for consoles?
No. PS5 and Xbox Series X top out at 120Hz, so anything above 120Hz goes unused on a console.