When buying a PC monitor, one of the specifications you'll see everywhere is refresh rate.
You'll commonly see monitors advertised as 60Hz, 75Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, and even higher.
But what does Hz actually mean?
And is a 240Hz monitor really better for you than a 144Hz or 60Hz monitor?
This guide explains how monitor refresh rates work, what difference they actually make, and how to choose the right refresh rate for your PC.
What Is Monitor Refresh Rate?
Refresh rate is measured in Hertz (Hz) and tells you how many times your monitor can refresh the image every second.
For example:
- 60Hz → 60 refreshes per second
- 120Hz → 120 refreshes per second
- 144Hz → 144 refreshes per second
- 240Hz → 240 refreshes per second
A higher refresh rate allows the monitor to display more frames per second and can make motion look smoother.
Think of it like a flipbook.
The more images you can show every second, the smoother the movement appears.
60Hz: The Basic Standard
60Hz has been the traditional standard for PC monitors, TVs, and laptops.
It's perfectly usable for:
- Web browsing
- Office work
- Watching videos
- Schoolwork
- Programming
- General desktop use
For these tasks, moving from 60Hz to a higher refresh rate isn't essential.
However, once you experience a higher refresh-rate display, scrolling and animations can feel noticeably smoother.
120Hz: A Noticeable Upgrade
120Hz doubles the refresh rate of a 60Hz monitor.
This can make a noticeable difference in:
- Scrolling
- Window animations
- Gaming
- Mouse movement
- General desktop navigation
120Hz is also common on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs.
For someone who wants a smoother everyday experience without specifically targeting competitive gaming, 120Hz can be a very good middle ground.
144Hz: The Popular Gaming Choice
144Hz became extremely popular among PC gamers because it provides a significant improvement over 60Hz without requiring the extreme hardware needed to take full advantage of very high refresh rates.
It's particularly useful for:
- First-person shooters
- Racing games
- Competitive games
- Fast-paced action games
If your PC can consistently produce around 144 FPS, a 144Hz monitor allows you to take advantage of those additional frames.
For many gaming PCs, 144Hz is more than enough.
165Hz: A Small Step Above 144Hz
165Hz monitors are also common.
The difference between 144Hz and 165Hz is relatively small compared with the jump from 60Hz to 144Hz.
The advantage is mainly additional smoothness and slightly lower frame intervals.
If you're choosing between two otherwise similar monitors, 165Hz can be a nice bonus.
But there's usually no reason to replace a good 144Hz monitor just to move to 165Hz.
240Hz: For High-Frame-Rate Gaming
240Hz refreshes the screen 240 times per second.
This is primarily useful for gamers who can actually produce very high frame rates.
It's particularly relevant for:
- Competitive FPS games
- Esports
- Fast-paced competitive games
If your game runs at only 80–100 FPS, a 240Hz monitor won't magically make it run at 240 FPS.
Your monitor and PC work together.
Your FPS Matters
One of the biggest misunderstandings about refresh rate is thinking:
"A 240Hz monitor means I'll get 240 FPS."
It doesn't.
Refresh rate is a capability of the monitor. FPS is produced by your PC.
For example:
- PC produces 60 FPS → monitor can display up to 60 new frames per second
- PC produces 144 FPS → a 144Hz monitor can display up to 144 frames per second
- PC produces 240 FPS → a 240Hz monitor can take advantage of those frames
A high-refresh monitor is most useful when your PC can produce enough frames to take advantage of it.
Higher Refresh Rate Doesn't Always Mean Better
A 240Hz monitor isn't automatically better for everyone.
There are other factors that matter:
- Resolution
- Panel type
- Color accuracy
- HDR
- Response time
- Adaptive sync
- Screen size
- Price
For example, you might prefer a 1440p 144Hz monitor over a 1080p 240Hz monitor if you care more about image quality and resolution than competitive gaming.
It depends on your priorities.
Refresh Rate vs Response Time
These two specifications are often confused.
Refresh Rate
Measured in Hz.
It tells you how often the monitor can update the image.
Response Time
Usually measured in milliseconds (ms).
It describes how quickly a pixel can change from one color to another.
They are related, but they aren't the same thing.
A monitor can have a high refresh rate but still have poor motion performance if its pixel response is slow.
That's why you shouldn't choose a monitor based on Hz alone.
What About Adaptive Sync?
Technologies such as AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-SYNC help synchronize the monitor's refresh rate with the frame rate produced by your GPU.
This can reduce problems such as:
- Screen tearing
- Stuttering
- Uneven motion
For gaming, adaptive sync can be particularly useful when your FPS isn't perfectly consistent.
How Much Refresh Rate Do You Actually Need?
Here's a simple way to think about it.
60Hz
Good for:
- Office work
- Browsing
- Programming
- Schoolwork
- Basic use
120Hz
Good for:
- General use
- Smooth scrolling
- Casual gaming
- Laptops and productivity systems
144Hz–165Hz
Good for:
- PC gaming
- Fast-paced games
- Most gaming PCs
- A balance between smoothness and hardware requirements
240Hz+
Good for:
- Competitive gaming
- Esports
- High-FPS gaming
- Gamers with powerful GPUs
How Much Difference Will You Actually Notice?
The jump from 60Hz to 120Hz or 144Hz is generally much more noticeable than the jump from 144Hz to 240Hz.
The approximate time between refreshes is:
- 60Hz → 16.67ms
- 120Hz → 8.33ms
- 144Hz → 6.94ms
- 240Hz → 4.17ms
As refresh rates increase, the improvement between each step becomes smaller.
Going from 60Hz to 144Hz is a much larger change than going from 144Hz to 240Hz.
Common Refresh Rate Mistakes
Buying 240Hz Without Enough FPS
If your PC can only produce 80–100 FPS in the games you play, you're not taking full advantage of a 240Hz display.
Ignoring Resolution
A higher refresh rate doesn't automatically mean a better-looking image.
A 1440p display can provide a sharper image than 1080p, even if both have the same refresh rate.
Focusing Only on Hz
A monitor with 240Hz but poor response performance, color, or image quality isn't necessarily a better overall monitor.
Assuming You Need the Highest Number
Most users don't need 360Hz or 500Hz monitors.
Higher refresh rates are most useful when your workload actually benefits from them.
Simple Rule for Choosing Refresh Rate
If you don't want to overthink it:
60Hz → basic productivity
120Hz → smooth everyday use
144Hz–165Hz → gaming sweet spot
240Hz+ → competitive high-FPS gaming
Your ideal refresh rate depends on both what you're doing and how many FPS your PC can actually produce.
Final Thoughts
Refresh rate is one of the easiest ways to improve the feeling of using a monitor, especially when moving from 60Hz to a higher-refresh display.
But higher isn't always necessary.
For everyday users, 120Hz can provide a noticeably smoother experience.
For most gamers, 144Hz–165Hz offers a strong balance between smoothness and hardware requirements.
For competitive gamers with powerful systems, 240Hz and above can make sense.
The important thing is to match your monitor to your PC and your workload.
Don't buy the highest refresh rate you can afford—buy the refresh rate you'll actually be able to use.
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