144Hz vs 240Hz: Which is Best For Gaming In 2024?

For a gaming perspective the refresh rate should be as high as possible. But if you can’t play games with more than 144Hz, you don’t need a 240Hz monitor unless you want to prepare your system for the upcoming gaming experience.

144hz vs 240hz

In short, 240Hz makes fast-paced games feel very fluid and smooth. But remember that going from 60Hz to 144Hz is a much more significant change than going from 144Hz to 240Hz. We will discuss this further and differentiate between 144Hz and 240Hz in detail.

What is a Refresh Rate?

The number of times in one second that an image may be refreshed on a screen is referred to as its refresh rate. In theory, the screen will provide a more fluid experience for the user when the number of times it can refresh per second is increased.

One helpful approach to thinking about it is in terms of the number of frames that are displayed in a movie or game. Generally speaking, a movie will have a frame rate of 24 frames per second.

Therefore, when one second has passed, you will see 24 individual photographs displayed in succession, creating the illusion of a moving picture.

Also Read: 240hz vs 360hz Refresh Rate

Importance of Refresh Rate 

refresh-rate

A monitor’s refresh rate refers to how many times the image may be refreshed per second. The more the idea can be revived, the smoother and crisper the action seems. Most consumers have grown accustomed to viewing content on a 60Hz display because it has been the industry standard for quite some time.

However, 60 frames per second can feel stuttery to some people, similar to a ripped-out flipbook (kineograph), the predecessor of cinema animation.

Increasing the number of times an image is refreshed substantially impacts motion smoothness while improving clarity. The picture becomes crisper and easier to see as the refresh rate increases, as shown in the section below.

It also reduces input lag because there is less delay between frames, allowing the monitor to display your input instruction more quickly. Another advantage of high refresh rate monitors is that they typically have a faster response time, which enables them to generate a cleaner image with less ghosting behind fast-moving objects.

In short, these are the kinds of things that can significantly improve the entire user experience.

144Hz Refresh Rate

VA vs TN Panel

Even though considerably faster panels are available, several manufacturers still utilize 144Hz as their default refresh rate because it is so widely used. In comparison to 60Hz or 75Hz, it offers a substantially more fluid and responsive experience, which is beneficial both for gaming and for general desktop use.

A monitor with a refresh rate of 144 hertz can display content with a frame rate of 24 hertz, such as Blu-ray movies, without requiring the frame rate to be converted. This makes it an excellent choice for media consumption.

For gaming at 1080p and 1440p, you’ll need a computer with a mid-range graphics card; however, a high-end graphics card is necessary for 4k.

240Hz Refresh Rate

TN vs VA panel

Monitors with a refresh rate of 240 hertz are still relatively new to the market, but they are quickly gaining popularity among enthusiasts and competitive gamers. You can choose between a resolution of 1080p or 1440p for them.

To get the most out of these displays, you will need a graphics card with a middle-to-high level of performance, depending on the resolution.

144Hz vs. 240Hz: Short Analysis

Monitors with 144 hertz refresh the image every 6.94 milliseconds, whereas monitors with 240 hertz refresh the image every 4.17 milliseconds. The gap between 60 hertz and 144 hertz is significantly more pronounced, whereas moving up to 240 hertz will provide you with a more seamless experience.

Refresh rates of 144 hertz are more common than those of 240 hertz in consumer electronics. You will not notice a significant difference between the two unless you play games or consume media at 144 frames per second or higher consistently.

Why Do We Need a High Refresh Rate Monitor?

Effect of refresh rate

High refresh rate panels are becoming increasingly common for computer monitors, tablets, laptops, and even cell phones. Some versions can even reach 360hz, although whether these ever-increasingly faster refresh rates assist the end user is debatable.

As with any product, each Hertz speed has advantages for someone depending on how they use their screen.

A 240hz monitor is undoubtedly worth it for gamers who enjoy fast-paced and competitive games and whose PC can consistently play at or above 144 FPS. Even for those who can achieve close to 144 FPS and are planning a component update, 240hz makes sense.

A 144hz monitor, on the other hand, is an attractive choice if you want to be a little more budget-conscious while still enjoying a smooth screen experience.

We would not necessarily advocate going for anything above 144hz if you seek a high refresh rate TV, tablet, or smartphone. Technology is constantly evolving, and soon long, instead of 60hz being the typical refresh rate, it will be at or near 144hz. At that point, we’ll probably be debating whether it’s worthwhile to upgrade to a 360hz or 444hz screen.

144 Hz vs. 240 Hz Monitors Analysis 

IPS vs TN

When purchasing a high refresh rate gaming monitor, you should examine the panel type, screen resolution, and adaptive-sync technology. A 240Hz refresh rate is available exclusively on some 1080p and 1440p monitors, but a 144Hz gaming monitor with a 4K resolution is also available.

You’ll also need to decide if you want your monitor to have a variable refresh rate, like FreeSync and G-SYNC, or motion blur reduction, like backlight strobing — or both. Fortunately, these technologies are available in both 144Hz and 240Hz monitors, influencing pricing.

There are also 360Hz gaming monitors, which substantially improve motion clarity over 144Hz displays, but the jump from 240Hz is not as visible. They are, however, significantly more expensive and so primarily geared at professional players. The difference between 240Hz and 360Hz is unlikely to be worth the extra $250 for the average gamer.

If you’re a serious or professional FPS gamer, you’re willing to try anything to increase your performance, in which case a 240Hz monitor is a worthwhile investment. For casual gamers, on the other hand, a 144Hz refresh rate is likely acceptable, especially given how hard games at 240FPS with decent settings can be.

144Hz vs. 240Hz:  Gaming Comparison 

refresh-rate-for-gaming

Competitive gaming is mainly responsible for these screens’ meteoric rise in popularity, as well as the exponential increase in the number of companies that now produce them. The gaming industry is a significant influence behind the development of consumer PC components.

We can tell you from our personal experience that having a monitor with a faster refresh rate will not make you a better player in a particular game. When playing fast-paced video games, you will notice a smoother image when your refresh rate increases from 144 to 240 hertz, but this will not immediately result in more headshots in Fortnite or whatever game you happen to be playing at the time.

If it doesn’t make you a better gamer, then what’s the point of doing it? A monitor with a greater refresh rate will, for one thing, make games feel more immersive while also reducing the appearance of the irritating screen tears that we all despise.

Be aware that if you don’t typically receive more than 144 frames per second (FPS) in your games, you won’t be able to get the most out of what a display with a 240 Hz refresh rate offers.

It’s possible that somewhere in the system, like with most of the computer’s components, there will be a bottleneck if you haven’t accounted for it. It does not make sense to spend the additional money on a 240hz monitor unless you intend to update your personal computer to the point where you can play games at a frame rate that is consistently higher than 144 frames per second.

144Hz vs. 240Hz: Everyday Tasks

TN vs. VA office work Comparison

Because the frame rate rarely exceeds 60 frames per second in media such as movies and TV episodes, most people do not require high refresh monitors to get the most out of their viewing experience.

However, this does not always imply that a faster refresh rate will not improve the overall user experience that a TV provides. There are not a lot of televisions on the market that can go as high as 240 hertz, but more and more of them are upgrading to 144 hertz.

Gamers of consoles may seek a more fluid experience when they play on a larger screen, which is driving this trend. There’s also the possibility that it’s because more and more people are using their TVs in the living room as a center for streaming content.

When streaming, users can spend more time in front of their televisions, scrolling through apps and menus, which feels far more fluid and rapid when you have a higher refresh rate.

144Hz vs. 240Hz: For Other Electronic Devices

Advantages of QLED Display

Other electronic items have begun to catch on to increasing refresh rates now that personal computer monitors have caught up to the trend. Gaming is not the primary usage for tablets and smartphones because no one can play games at above 60 frames per second on either of these devices.

A faster refresh rate, on the other hand, gives the impression that the device is quicker and more responsive when it is used with controls that are primarily based on touch screens. 

There is currently no such thing as a smartphone with a screen that operates at 240 hertz, yet a specific subset of the mobile industry produces screens that use 144 hertz. We have a strong suspicion that during the next few years, 144 Hz will become the norm for flagship products.

The past several years, notably this year, have seen a significant increase in the capability of laptop computers, to the point that particular laptops are now competitive with full-sized personal computers. 

Therefore, it was only natural that the technology behind the screens needed to be modernized to maintain the fluidity of the experience. Most laptops with screen refresh rates of 144Hz or 240Hz are explicitly designed with gamers in mind.

Despite this, many laptops aimed at professionals are increasing their refresh rate to provide the same snappy experience to a more significant number of users.

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