60Hz vs 120Hz: What’s the difference? 

If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, laptop, TV, or monitor then you may have come across the terms “60Hz” and “120Hz”.

But, what do they mean? And, is it worth spending a bit more on a 120Hz screen? We’ve addressed both of these questions in this guide. 

What’s the difference between 60Hz and 120Hz?

60Hz and 120Hz are both numbers that signify display refresh rates. 

The higher the number, the smoother the screen will appear to the human eye.

This means that a 120Hz display – which updates itself 120 times a second – will look noticeably slicker and more natural than your average 60Hz screen which only updates itself 60 times a second.

Is a 120Hz refresh rate necessary?

Yes and no. The short answer is that it depends on what you’re using it for.

Speedy refresh rates are still considered a premium feature on a smartphone or a monitor, meaning that if you’re primarily using your device to browse and chat with friends and family then you probably won’t see a huge benefit from it.

For gamers, the feature has a more obvious value as it can make gameplay feel much smoother and more natural.

However, you also need to consider whether your favorite games and apps are even compatible with a higher refresh rate. If they top out at 60Hz then there isn’t much point in chasing after a 120Hz display.

On top of this, 120Hz displays are a bigger power drain than 60Hz screens. A great way around this is to buy a device with a variable refresh rate (VRR) instead of a fixed refresh rate.

A variable refresh rate means that your refresh rate will automatically increase or decrease depending on the apps you use and the content displayed on your screen. This prevents your phone from wasting battery by refreshing itself 120 times a second in apps that max out at 60Hz, while also reducing latency and preventing screen tearing in games that do support a 120Hz image.

FAQ

1. How do I check for 144hz?
Ans -  Navigate on your Windows PC to Start > Click Settings > Click System. From there, you'll want to check the Refresh rate (Hz). This will show display information for your computer and monitor including desktop resolution, active signal resolution, and refresh rate (or hertz).

2.  Is 144hz faster than 60hz?
Ans -  In this way, 60 Hz means that the screen can show 60 pictures in 1 second and 144 Hz means that the screen can show 144 pictures in 1 second, and so on. A higher number of hertz or a higher refresh rate means you get more pictures per second adequately which makes an increasingly smoother picture display on the screen.

3.  Is 144Hz necessary for FPS?
Ans -  No, you don't need to match the speed of the monitor. The higher you can get though, the better. ... You don't have to hit the full 144fps to utilize the monitor's refresh rate though, so long as your fps is above 60 and not fluctuating much you'll be benefiting from it.

4.  Can the human eye see 360Hz?
Ans -  Human eyes cannot see things beyond 60Hz. So why are the 120Hz/144Hz monitors better? The brain, not the eye, does the seeing. The eye transmits information to the brain, but some characteristics of the signal are lost or altered in the process.

5.   Can 60Hz handle 120fps?  
Ans -  In short, No. A 60 Hz monitor basically refreshes the panel 60 times every second, which is basically 60 frames per second. So even if hardware capable of higher frame rates is plugged into a 60Hz monitor, the monitor output will be capped at 60FPS.