Frame Rate (FPS) vs. Refresh Rate (Hz)
In video games, the frame rate is often abbreviated as “FPS” and refers to how many frames are displayed on a screen in one second. A higher FPS will result in smoother animations and gameplay. The refresh rate of a monitor is measured in Hertz (Hz).
It’s essentially how many times per second the display updates its image. So what should you care about? What does this mean for gamers? How do these two relate to each other? This blog post will answer all of those questions!
What Is Frame Rate (FPS)?
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The more frames per second, the smoother your screen will appear when you are watching videos or playing games. If you have a low frame rate, the game will look choppy and you may experience lag.
What Is Refresh Rate (Hz)?
Refresh rate is the number of times per second that the display is updated. This number is important for preventing image tearing and ensuring that your graphics look their best. A high refresh rate means that your graphics will be updated more often, which can help to reduce image tearing and improve overall image quality.
How Do These Two Factors Relate to Each Other?
The frame rate and refresh rate are two important factors to consider when it comes to gaming. They both play a role in determining how smooth your gaming experience will be, so it’s important to understand the difference between them.
Your frame rate is determined by the hardware that you’re using, while your refresh rate is determined by the display. The two numbers can be different if you’re using a monitor with a higher refresh rate than your graphics card can handle.
For example, if you have a graphics card that can handle a frame rate of 60fps, but your monitor has a refresh rate of 144Hz, your display will be updated 144 times per second. However, since your frame rate can’t go higher than 60 FPS, you’ll only be able to see 60 of those updates per second.
In general, you want your frame rate refresh rate to be as high as possible so that you can see more details and the game appears smoother. However, the two numbers don’t have to match and you may need to adjust your settings to get the best results.
For most competitive gamers, 144Hz is the ideal refresh rate. This will ensure that you see the smoothest image possible and reduce any potential lag or choppiness. However, if you’re not a competitive gamer, 60Hz may be just fine for you.
Additionally, to gain high FPS, you may need to purchase a high-end graphic card and it depends on the game you’re playing. If you have a budget to work with, then go for the one that will allow you to produce high FPS without compromising on quality and resolution as well as cost-effectivenesses such as Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT.
Furthermore, depends on the monitor, sometimes you need to use a DisplayPort cable to get a high frame rate on monitors instead of an HDMI cable.
Why Should You Care About FPS and Hz?
Having a higher FPS and Hz can make your games more enjoyable to play. You’ll experience less input lag and smoother animations, which means that the gameplay will feel better overall!
Once you experience 120 FPS and go back to 60 FPS, you will immediately notice the difference. The same goes with mechanical keyboard gaming. If you have not tried one, you are missing out on a whole new gaming experience that can be life-changing!
How Can I Get a Higher FPS?
If you already own a monitor that supports a high refresh rate and a graphic card that can handle a high frame rate, then you’re all set!
Additionally, there are some settings that you can adjust to get the most out of your games.
For example, changing the texture settings from High to Medium or Low can significantly improve your frame rate. However, this will also reduce the image quality so you’ll need to find a balance between high FPS and beautiful graphics!
Alternatively, you can also lower the resolution of your graphics. This will reduce the number of pixels that need to be updated and it might give you a higher FPS as a result.
If nothing else works, there are some games out there that allow players to use mods to increase their frame rate without compromising on graphics quality or other features!
When Is It Worth Upgrading?
It all depends on the game you’re playing and what you want to get out of it. If you’re looking for the best possible gaming experience and don’t mind spending a little extra money, then go for a card that will allow you to reach 144 FPS on most games!
However, if you’re not a competitive gamer and aren’t too concerned about having the highest frame rate possible, then it’s probably not worth upgrading.
Conclusion
Frame rate and refresh rate are two important factors to consider when it comes to gaming. If you want the best possible gaming experience, you should try to get a graphics card that can handle a high frame rate and a monitor with a high refresh rate.
However, if you’re not a competitive gamer or don’t have a lot of money to spend, don’t worry! You can still enjoy your games by adjusting some settings or using lower resolution graphics to achieve a higher frame rate.
Gaming is a very personal experience and you should make decisions based on what’s important to you!
In the end, it all comes down to preference!
