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Refresh Rate Explained: 60Hz vs 144Hz vs 240Hz

Explainer · Updated for 2026

Refresh rate — measured in hertz (Hz) — is how many times per second your monitor updates the image. It's one of the biggest factors in how smooth gaming feels. Here's what each tier offers.

What Hz means

A 60Hz monitor refreshes 60 times per second, 144Hz refreshes 144 times, and so on. To benefit from a high refresh rate, your PC also needs to produce enough FPS to match it.

60Hz

The standard for years and still perfectly fine for slower, single-player games. It caps you at 60 FPS on screen.

144Hz

The most popular upgrade, and the one most people notice immediately. Motion is smoother and input feels more responsive — ideal for competitive and fast-paced games.

240Hz and beyond

For serious esports players. The jump from 144Hz is smaller than from 60Hz to 144Hz, but it's real for twitch shooters, provided your PC can push those frame rates.

Which should you get?

For most gamers, 144Hz is the sweet spot. Choose it if you play any fast games and your GPU can deliver 100+ FPS. Pair it with adaptive sync for the smoothest results.

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