Monitor Refresh Rate vs. FPS: Differences, Quick Tests, and the Best Choices in 2026

If your monitor says 240Hz but a game still feels choppy—or your FPS counter reads 200 but motion doesn’t look that fast—the issue is almost always the relationship between refresh rate (Hz), FPS, and frame timing. This guide explains what each one does, how they interact (tearing, V-Sync, VRR), how to check/test your display, and how to pick the right specs in 2026.

Refresh Rate (Hz): What it is and what it actually changes

Refresh rate is how many times per second your monitor can update the image. It’s measured in Hertz (Hz):

• 60Hz = up to 60 screen updates per second
• 120Hz = up to 120 updates per second
• 240Hz = up to 240 updates per second

Higher Hz can look smoother and reduce perceived blur only when your content is updating fast enough and your display is handling motion cleanly.

Common refresh-rate tiers

• 60Hz: office use, budget monitors, many laptops
• 120Hz / 144Hz: mainstream “smooth” tier for gaming and daily use
• 240Hz: a popular competitive gaming tier
• 360Hz+: niche esports/high-end

Why a “240Hz” monitor can still look bad

A high refresh-rate label doesn’t guarantee clean motion. Common reasons it can look messy:

• Pixel response isn’t fast enough → ghosting/smear
• Overdrive is poorly tuned → inverse ghosting (bright halos) or blur
• Bandwidth limits (port/cable/settings) → can force lower Hz, chroma subsampling, or instability at high resolution
• Unstable frame times (even at “high FPS”) → uneven motion that feels like stutter

Rule of thumb: once you chase high resolution + high Hz + HDR/10-bit, connection bandwidth and settings matter a lot more.

FPS and frame times

FPS is how many frames your GPU + software produce every second.

• Gaming: frames rendered by the game engine
• Video playback: the content’s frame rate (24/30/60, etc.)
• Editing/creation: preview FPS depends on codecs, effects, CPU/GPU acceleration, and storage

Why high FPS can still feel choppy

Two systems can both show “120 FPS,” but one feels smoother because its frame times are more consistent.

• FPS = how many frames per second (a speed)

• Frame time = how long each frame takes (usually shown in milliseconds)

  • Consistent frame times feel smooth
  • Spikes (e.g., 6ms → 25ms → 8ms) feel like stutter—even if average FPS looks high

Refresh rate vs. FPS

• Hz = display capability (how often the screen can update)
• FPS = content output (how many frames your system produces)

Quick comparison

Does monitor Hz affect FPS?

Not directly. A 240Hz monitor does not make your GPU produce more FPS. It can, however:

• show more of the frames you already have (up to its Hz limit)
• reduce perceived latency and improve motion clarity when FPS is high and stable

How Hz and FPS interact: tearing, V-Sync, and VRR

If FPS and refresh rate don’t line up, you typically see tearing or stutter.

What you’re seeing

• Tearing: the monitor displays parts of multiple frames at once (horizontal “splits”), most noticeable during fast camera motion
• Stutter/uneven motion: frames repeat irregularly due to inconsistent frame pacing or hard sync behavior

The main fixes

• V-Sync: synchronizes frame delivery to the monitor’s refresh rate → reduces tearing, but can add latency and feel worse when FPS drops below the refresh rate
• VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) like G-SYNC / FreeSync: the monitor adjusts refresh dynamically to match FPS (within a supported range) → usually smoother with fewer downsides

Best-practice setup (most gamers)

• Enable VRR

• Cap FPS slightly below your max refresh rate to avoid hitting the ceiling

  • Example: 237 cap on a 240Hz monitor
  • Example: 141 cap on a 144Hz monitor

This often reduces stutter/latency edge cases and keeps motion more consistent.

Quick troubleshooting: symptom → likely cause → fix

Use this when “240Hz doesn’t feel like 240Hz.”

Quick checks: confirm your current refresh rate (and that games aren’t overriding it)

Do this first: set Hz in the OS, then confirm your game is actually using it (fullscreen modes and in-game settings can override your desktop rate).

Windows 11 / Windows 10

1. Settings → System → Display → Advanced display
2. Look for Choose a refresh rate and confirm the active value

macOS (ProMotion / Apple displays)

1. System Settings → Displays
2. Select your display → choose Refresh Rate (or enable ProMotion on supported devices)

Linux (GNOME example)

1. Settings → Displays
2. Select monitor → choose refresh rate → Apply

CLI (X11 / xrandr): list supported modes, then set a specific refresh rate with --rate (exact steps vary by setup).

Quick tests: verify motion quality and stability 

Fastest method: open TestUFO in a supported browser and compare 60Hz vs your max Hz. If the difference isn’t obvious, something is limiting performance or motion tuning.

What to look for

• Motion clarity: higher Hz usually improves clarity and reduces perceived blur
• Ghosting/inverse ghosting: indicates overdrive needs tuning
• Frame skipping: can happen with unstable high-Hz modes or “overclocked” refresh settings

Tips that prevent bad test results

• Use a modern browser and disable odd post-processing features (if any)
• Make sure your OS is set to the target Hz before testing
• Close heavy background tasks so the browser test isn’t jittering

How to adjust refresh rate (and avoid the common compatibility traps)

Set the highest stable refresh rate your monitor supports at your chosen resolution, then verify the connection can actually carry it.

Compatibility checks people forget

• Cable/port bandwidth matters more at 1440p/4K high Hz, especially with HDR/10-bit
• GPU output support: older GPUs or ports may not support certain high-Hz modes at high resolutions
• VRR support: enable it in the monitor OSD and in the GPU driver settings (when available)

Practical advice: use a quality cable (often the one that shipped with the monitor is safest), and if a mode is unstable, reduce complexity first (HDR off, lower bit depth, lower resolution) to confirm the bottleneck.

Best refresh rate choices in 2026: what to buy 

Choose based on what you play/do most, the FPS you can realistically sustain, and whether you have VRR.

The simplest buying rule

Buy the refresh rate you can feed most of the time.

• If your typical FPS is under ~120, prioritize image quality (resolution, settings) and VRR over extreme Hz
• If you can hold 180–240+ in your main games, 240Hz becomes a meaningful upgrade
• If you play esports and can maintain very high FPS consistently, 360Hz+ can help—but returns diminish fast

Recommended targets by player type

Balance Hz with resolution (real-world sweet spots)

• 1080p + high Hz (240–360Hz): easiest to drive to very high FPS, common for competitive play
• 1440p + 144–240Hz: a popular balance of sharpness and speed for many PC gamers
• 4K + 120Hz-class: often a practical upper tier for many setups; pushing higher can require compromises (settings, chroma, DSC, HDR/bit depth, or newer ports/cables)

For video editing and creative work

Refresh rate is usually secondary to:

• color accuracy / gamut coverage
• panel uniformity
• resolution and scaling comfort
• HDR workflow needs (if relevant)

That said, 60–120Hz can make the timeline and UI feel nicer, especially on fast machines, without forcing you into esports-style tradeoffs.

Conclusion

Refresh rate (Hz) is how often your monitor can update; FPS is how many frames your system produces—and the smoothest experience comes from matching both with consistent frame times. Check your active Hz, verify stability with quick tests, enable VRR when available, and pick a refresh rate that fits the FPS you can realistically sustain. For most people in 2026, the best value sits in 144–240Hz with VRR, balanced against your preferred resolution and hardware.

FAQ

Does 144Hz increase my FPS?

No. FPS is produced by your GPU/game, not your monitor. A 144Hz monitor can display up to 144 updates per second, so it can show higher FPS you already have—but it won’t make the game render more frames by itself.

Is 60 FPS on a 144Hz monitor still better than 60Hz?

It can feel a bit more responsive because the display updates more frequently (lower average wait time for the next refresh). But motion smoothness is still limited by 60 FPS, so the improvement is usually subtle unless FPS is higher or VRR is helping during fluctuations.

Should I enable V-Sync?

Enable V-Sync if tearing bothers you and you don’t have VRR—or if a specific game behaves better with it. The tradeoff is that classic V-Sync can add latency and feel worse when FPS drops below refresh. If your display supports VRR, that’s often the smoother first choice.

Do I need HDMI 2.1 for 120Hz?

Not always—it depends on resolution and settings. Many setups can do 1080p at 120Hz on older HDMI versions, but 4K at 120Hz is commonly tied to higher-bandwidth HDMI 2.1-class connections and compatible devices.