144Hz Monitor vs 60Hz Monitor - See The Difference
Question, If you’re gaming on a 60Hz monitor, is it worth the upgrade to 144Hz?
When you’re choosing a gaming monitor, there are a lot of considerations to make. Unless you want to go all-out, you’re going to need to make sacrifices in different areas. Sometimes, you’ll have to give up size if you want your other specs near maxed, or you may need to sacrifice refresh rate, or response time, or resolution, or the panel type…
Choosing the right path really depends on your budget, and which features matter to you the most, and what you’re going to be using the monitor for. If you plan on editing with it along with gaming, you’ll want something with a better, more color-accurate panel, for instance.
Generally speaking, 144Hz monitors are going to cost more than a 60Hz monitor, and they’re going to be more demanding of your hardware. So, you’ll need a more expensive monitor, and a more expensive gaming rig, but where is the point of diminishing returns?
Are you better off going with 60Hz and spending more on your processor, or on your ram, or even spending more on your GPU? Or are you better off with a 144Hz monitor?
It’s the age old question, so let’s compare your options here to help you make an informed decision based on what matters to YOU, not anybody else. You’re going to be the person using the computer, so you should use your own eyes to compare the difference, and see if it’s worth the extra money or not in your scenario.
Let’s start with the design. ViewSonic VX3258-2KC-MHD features a sleek 1800R curved screen complete with ultrathin bezels. With the massive 32” real estate, you’ll be in for an immersive viewing experience.
The time to move beyond the standard 1080p displays is here. VX3258-2KC-MHD display takes pride in its Wide Quad HD 1440p resolution that delivers incredibly detailed stunning visuals while still maintaining the 16:9 aspect ratio.
Gain a competitive edge in those fast-paced actions with this gaming powerhouse. ViewSonic VX3258-2KC-MHD has high 144Hz refresh rate and a high response time which deliver fluid and brilliant visuals without the annoying effects of screen tearing, image blurring or stuttering.
Equipped with AMD FreeSync technology, this monitor syncs the frame rate output between your GPU and the monitor. The result? Zero image tearing and stuttering for that remarkably smooth gameplay.
Even better, the monitor comes with customizable view settings that you can use to optimize the view. Use the ViewSonic’s exclusive ViewMode to change the temperature, contrast and brightness for the various screen applications including games, web surfing, file editing, and more, for the improved viewing experience.
ViewSonic VX3258-2KC-MHD also comes integrated with dual speakers, which together with the amazing display ensure you have an explosive experience in advanced gaming and multimedia entertainment.
For pro gamers, flexible connectivity matters and monitor has you covered on that front. ViewSonic VX3258-2KC-MHD comes integrated with 2 HDMI inputs and 2 DisplayPort inputs that you can use to hook other multimedia devices such as gaming consoles, PCs and more for additional possibilities.
Key Feature Highlights
- 32-Inch 1800R Curved display
- WQHD 2560x1440
- 144 refresh rate
- AMD FreeSync technology
- ViewSonics unique ViewMode
- Dual Integrated speakers
- 2 HDMI inputs & 2 DisplayPort inputs
Looking at the specs of this 32-Inch gaming beast, you can tell that ViewSonic VX3258-2KC-MHD is the monitor for hardcore gamers like you who attach much value to how smooth the visuals flow. The high 144Hz refresh rate, a curved display, the incredible resolution and more, packed on this extensive monitor, will advance your gaming experience.
BenQ EL2870U 28” 4K HDR Gaming Monitor – 60Hz
Perhaps you thought a machine with a 60Hz refresh rate is terrible for gaming. Allow us to introduce you to BenQ EL2870U 4K HDR Gaming Monitor, a 4K UHD monitor with a refresh rate of 60Hz. And make no mistake, it’s one of the top performing monitors in the gaming world. Like we pointed out in the introduction, the fast-paced gaming actions happen in a flash such that unless you’re a pro, telling the difference between the input lag can be tricky. But let’s see what this monitor has to offer.
First off, BenQ EL2870U comes with a 4K display, which is a remarkable stride considering most gaming monitors are still stuck at 1080p. The 28” LED 3840x2160 resolution display will deliver vibrant, purely brilliant and realistic visuals. Using this monitor to play your favorite extreme games will get the eye-popping, colorful visuals immerse you and get glued to your chair.
To compensate for the slightly disappointing 60Hz refresh rate, BenQ EL2870U boasts an ultra-fast 1ms GTG response time perfect for fast-paced gaming. However intense the action gets, powered by the swift response time, the monitor will render steady and smooth visuals with zero lags or ghosting.
EL2870U is also optimized for gaming thank to its AMD FreeSync technology. Now this property steps in and complements the low refresh rate. Worry no more about image tearing and jerky visuals and prepare yourself for fluid transitions frame to frame in extreme gaming.
What’s more, BenQ EL2870U supports High Dynamic Range (HDR). And together with the Cinema HDR Mode, they’re capable of delivering true-to-life blacks and whites for your games and entertainment. In short, you can achieve exemplary brightness and sharp contrast much like what you see in real life.
And for the comfort of your eyes, this monitor comes equipped with Brightness Intelligent Plus Technology. It’ll first detect the surrounding ambient brightness and color temperature and then adjust the display settings to warm and cool white effectively reducing reduce eye strain and irritation for your comfort.
Avoid distractions and focus on the activity at hand. BenQ EL2870U features Smart Focus, a crucial property that will highlight your selected window or area and reduce background distractions, so you can concentrate on the key content.
For multi-device connection, this monitor features several ports including HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort and DP 1.4. Use them to hook your multimedia devices and make the best out of this gaming monitor.
Key Features
- 28-Inch LED 3840x2160 display
- 4K UHD monitor
- 60Hz refresh rate
- 1ms response time
- AMD FreeSync Technology
- Brightness Intelligent Plus technology
- HDMI, DisplayPort, DP ports
Sure, the BenQ EL2870U doesn’t score particularly well when it comes to its low 60Hz refresh rate. But the AMD FreeSync Technology, swift 1ms response time and an incredibly high 4K resolution effectively cancel that effect.
Does your battlestation look like this? Might be time for an upgrade…
There are certain specs where you might not notice the difference as much, and other ones that can make a world of difference when gaming. As such, building a gaming PC can feel like a balancing act, especially when you have a set budget in place that you can’t go over.
To help you make up your mind, we’ve put together this page to compare the differences between 60hz vs 144hz monitors.
We’re going to show some side-by-side comparisons and tests that people have done, along with explaining the difference. It can be hard to demonstrate the advantages of a 144Hz monitor by dong a side by side comparison, since everyone will be watching the video on a 60Hz monitor unless they already have something better, and if they already have something better, they’re already aware of how much smooth it looks.
That’s always the tricky thing when it comes to reviewing monitors, you can’t really see the full difference for yourself in a real-world setting until you actually get the monitor home, and if you only have one, what are you even going to compare it to?
There are some work-around for this, for instance even if you watch the following video on a slower monitor, the difference will still be really easy to see, simply by slowing things down a bit. Now, it shows you the difference, but obviously you aren’t going to be playing games in slow motion, so when you’re actually gaming, it might not be AS noticeable, but this video demonstrates that the difference is still there, and it’s a big one.
Here’s the slow-motion comparison between 240 Hz, 144Hz, 120Hz and 60Hz. Take a look at the 144 and 60 lanes in particular, it’s quite a difference. This video was made at 1000 frames per second, and your frame rates while gaming are going to be considerably lower than that, but this still helps put the differences into the context of comparing them against one another.
At the end of the day, that’s what matters, since these are the most likely options you’ll be shopping for. 60 Hz in reality won’t look as bad in this video, when it’s at a full speed, but the difference between 60 and 144, for example, will still be just as drastic, just slightly less noticeable to the naked eye. However, people who have used both still often see a big difference even at full-speed. With all of those explanations out of the way, just check out the video already!
What is the refresh rate?
Simply put, the refresh rate is the amount of times that your display can update, in any given second, what it’s displaying for you to see. This is measured in hertz, or Hz. So, a monitor with 144Hz is able to update what it’s displaying on the screen 144 times in a second.
A 60Hz monitor can update 60 times in a second. 60 times a second is still a lot, obviously, but it’s also a lot less than 144 times (Thank you, captain obvious…) The point is, there’s a difference there, it’s noticeable, and it really comes down to how much it matters to you.
If you’re playing strategy games or anything that’s slightly less about fast-paced action, you won’t need to worry as much about it in most cases, and can safety opt for a slower monitor. If you’re playing a first person shooter where every split fraction of a second can be the difference between fragging out or losing, the faster speed makes a world of difference.
You’ll still notice the difference in most games, it’s just more apparent in games where the screen updates often each second, which are typically action games, adventure games, racing games, and so on. People who love racing games and simulators love to opt for higher-end monitors and hardware typically, too, since part of the experience is taking in the cars, the scenery, and really feeling yourself flying down the track.
The Advantages of 144Hz
It’s easy to say “Trust us, 144Hz is better” but it’s a lot more convincing when you actually understand why. The comparison above does a good job of showing how it looks, but what impact does that have on your gaming?
For starters, a faster refresh rate ensures that what you’re seeing on your screen is as close as possible to what’s actually happening. In the demo above, imagine that instead of a car racing down a track, it’s an enemy walking onto your screen.
It’s possible for your opponent to see you a split second sooner, and that can make the difference between winning and losing. Is a fast monitor going to make you a pro gamer overnight? Of course not. Skill can make up for even the slowest and most dated of hardware, but having said that, what’s more frustrating than being held back by hardware that can’t keep up with your skills?
People with 60Hz beat people with 144Hz all the time, but it can and does make a difference. All things being equal, the person with the rig that can show them what’s happening in the game sooner, is going to have an advantage every time. It’s never bad to see things before your opponent can, even if it’s a fraction of the blink of an eye.
It’s not really swaying things much in the grand scheme of things, but aside from winning or losing, it’s just a more fluid and visually appealing experience, a great monitor can take your games to the next level just like a bad one can hinder the experience.
If your GPU is outputting at a faster frame rate than your monitor can display, it’s probabally time to upgrade to a better monitor. You can be outputting games at 100FPS, but if your monitor can’t display that, what’s the point? Monitors can be a huge bottleneck when it comes to gaming, that people don’t always realize. The monitor is what takes all your GPU’s hard work and turns it into something you can see. This is a very simplified version of things, there’s a bit more to it, but that’s the gist
The downside?
The only real downside is that you need a more powerful graphics card to send all of that extra data, and it’s going to cost you a little bit more. Monitors in general have been getting less expensive lately, so it’s much less of a hit than you’d have to take in the past, especially if you’re looking for something under 4k resolution. Having said that, even 4k gaming monitors have been getting more and more attainable recently.
Also, there’s a strange old misconception that the human eye can’t see above 30 frames per second, so people would say that anything above 30Hz is a waste. That’s demonstrably false the second you look at a monitor with a refresh rate faster than 30Hz, and it has been thoroughly debunked again and again. Another side of that argument is that many movies are shown at 24 fps, so if they look smooth, wouldn’t games look smooth too?
Again, no, that’s a false statement that managed to get some traction years ago, and has once again been debunked again and again.It’s interesting to see “Old Wives Tales” creeping their way into the world of technology, but at the end of the day…
The verdict:
If your graphics card can handle it, 144Hz is 100% the way to go.
It’s a world of difference.
Yes, you can game on 60Hz still, it’s not the end of the world, but to really put it in bold: 144Hz looks a lot better.
If you can afford a 144Hz monitor (Or 120Hz, or 240Hz for that matter), it’s worth the upgrade.
This is especially true for first person shooters and other fast-paced games. You’ll definitely notice the upgrade.
Don’t take our word for it, experience it for yourself. Just make sure you’re using the right cables that can support 144hz at your chosen resolution, there are many stories of people being underwhelmed with their new monitors because they’re using a dated cable that can’t support the specs they’re trying to run at.