Refresh rate is how many times per second your monitor redraws the image on screen

A monitor's refresh rate is measured in hertz (Hz) and tells you how many complete pictures your screen displays each second. A 60 Hz monitor shows 60 new images per second. A 144 Hz monitor shows 144. Higher numbers mean smoother motion, but the difference only matters for certain tasks and only if your graphics card can actually send that many images to your monitor.

The refresh rate is separate from resolution — a 1440p monitor at 144 Hz and a 1440p monitor at 60 Hz have the same sharpness, but the 144 Hz version will show movement more smoothly. You cannot see the difference unless you are watching fast motion, and you will not benefit from a high refresh rate if your computer cannot produce enough frames to fill it.

Key Takeaways

  • Refresh rate measures how many times per second your monitor updates the image, with common rates being 60 Hz, 75 Hz, 144 Hz, and 240 Hz.
  • You only notice the benefit of high refresh rates when watching fast motion like gaming, video editing, or scrolling through documents.
  • Your graphics card must be able to output enough frames per second to match your monitor's refresh rate, or you are paying for a feature you cannot use.
  • A 60 Hz monitor is sufficient for everyday work like email, web browsing, and document editing, even if your graphics card is more powerful.
  • Refresh rate and resolution are independent — a 4K monitor can be 60 Hz or 144 Hz, and either choice affects smoothness but not sharpness.

When you actually notice the difference in refresh rate

Fast-moving content is where refresh rate becomes visible. If you play competitive games like Counter-Strike, Valorant, or Overwatch, a higher refresh rate gives you a smoother view of enemy movement and makes aiming easier. The same applies to fast-paced action games. In slower games like turn-based strategy or puzzle games, the difference is negligible.

Outside gaming, refresh rate matters when you are scrolling quickly through long documents, spreadsheets, or web pages. A 144 Hz monitor will feel noticeably smoother than 60 Hz when you drag your mouse rapidly across the screen. Video editors and animators benefit from higher refresh rates because they spend hours watching playback of motion-heavy content. For everyday tasks — email, word processing, web browsing at normal speed — 60 Hz is imperceptible from 144 Hz.

How your graphics card limits your refresh rate

Your monitor can only display frames that your graphics card sends to it. If you have a 144 Hz monitor but your graphics card outputs only 80 frames per second, your monitor will show those 80 frames and repeat some of them to fill the remaining time. You get the smoothness of an 80 Hz display, not 144 Hz, and you have wasted money on the higher refresh rate.

The graphics card you need depends on what you do. For gaming at 1440p and 144 Hz, an Nvidia RTX 4070 or AMD RX 7700 XT will reach that target in most modern games at high settings. For 4K and 144 Hz, you need a more powerful card like an RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XT. For everyday work and web browsing, even an integrated graphics chip in a modern CPU will exceed 60 Hz. Before buying a high-refresh monitor, check whether your current graphics card can actually feed it frames.

Common refresh rates and what they are used for

60 Hz is the standard for office monitors, all-in-one computers, and budget displays. It is sufficient for all non-gaming work and is the baseline that every monitor meets. Most laptops ship with 60 Hz screens.

75 Hz is a middle ground that costs slightly more than 60 Hz but less than 144 Hz. It provides a small smoothness bump for scrolling and general use without requiring a powerful graphics card. Some budget gaming monitors use 75 Hz.

144 Hz is the standard for gaming monitors and is where most people notice a real difference in smoothness. It requires a mid-range graphics card to reach in modern games and is common in 1440p gaming monitors.

240 Hz and higher are used by competitive gamers and esports players who want maximum smoothness in fast-paced games. They require powerful graphics cards and are most common in smaller, 1080p displays where the graphics card has less work to do. Most people do not notice a meaningful difference between 144 Hz and 240 Hz in everyday use.

Refresh rate versus response time — they are different things

Refresh rate and response time are often confused because they both affect how smooth motion looks, but they measure different things. Refresh rate is how often the monitor updates. Response time is how fast each pixel can change color, measured in milliseconds (ms).

A monitor with high refresh rate but slow response time can show ghosting or blurring during fast motion because the pixels do not change fast enough between frames. A monitor with low refresh rate but fast response time will still look choppy because the screen is not updating often enough, even if each pixel changes when ready. For gaming, you want both: 144 Hz or higher refresh rate and 1 ms to 4 ms response time. For office work, response time is irrelevant because you are not watching fast motion.

How to check your monitor's refresh rate and change it if needed

On Windows, right-click your desktop and select Display settings. Scroll down and click Advanced display settings. Look for Refresh rate in the dropdown menu. If your monitor supports 144 Hz but Windows shows 60 Hz, your graphics driver may need updating or your cable may not support the higher rate.

On Mac, click the Apple menu, go to System Settings, then Displays. Click Refresh rate and select the highest available option. Some older Mac models are limited to 60 Hz regardless of the monitor's capability.

If your monitor supports a higher refresh rate but your operating system does not show it, try updating your graphics driver first. On Windows, visit Nvidia.com, AMD.com, or Intel.com depending on your graphics card. On Mac, update to the latest macOS version. If the option still does not appear, your cable may be the bottleneck — DisplayPort and HDMI 2.1 support high refresh rates, but older HDMI versions do not.

Choosing a refresh rate for your needs and budget

If you do not play games or watch fast-moving video, 60 Hz is the right choice. It is the cheapest option, uses less power, and you will not see any difference in everyday work. A 60 Hz 1440p monitor costs significantly less than a 144 Hz version of the same resolution.

If you play games casually or want a smoother scrolling experience, 75 Hz or 144 Hz is worth considering if your graphics card can support it. Check your card's specifications first — if it is more than three years old, it may struggle to reach 144 Hz in modern games. A 144 Hz monitor is a long-term investment that will feel smooth with graphics cards you buy in the future.

If you play competitive multiplayer games or do professional video work, 144 Hz is the practical minimum. 240 Hz is only necessary if you have a graphics card powerful enough to consistently exceed 240 frames per second, which is expensive and only worth it if you are competing in esports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a 144 Hz monitor with a graphics card that only outputs 60 frames per second?

Yes, but you will only see 60 Hz of smoothness. The monitor will display 60 new frames per second and repeat frames to fill the remaining time. You are paying for a feature you cannot use, so it is better to buy a 60 Hz monitor and upgrade your graphics card later if you want higher refresh rates.

Does refresh rate affect how sharp the image looks?

No. Refresh rate controls smoothness of motion, not sharpness. Sharpness is determined by resolution — a 1440p monitor at 60 Hz is just as sharp as a 1440p monitor at 144 Hz. They look identical when nothing is moving.

Is 75 Hz worth buying instead of 60 Hz?

If the price difference is small, yes — 75 Hz provides a noticeable smoothness bump for scrolling and general use without requiring a powerful graphics card. If the price difference is large, 60 Hz is fine for non-gaming work. The jump from 60 to 75 is smaller than 60 to 144, so do not overpay for it.

What cable do I need to get 144 Hz?

DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 both support 144 Hz at 1440p. Older HDMI versions (1.4 and earlier) are limited to 60 Hz at high resolutions. Most 144 Hz monitors come with a DisplayPort cable, which is the safer choice if you want to may provide high refresh rates.

Will a higher refresh rate make my computer use more power?

Slightly. A 144 Hz monitor uses a bit more electricity than a 60 Hz monitor because it is updating more often, but the difference is small — usually 5 to 10 watts. Your graphics card will use more power if it has to work harder to produce 144 frames per second instead of 60, but that depends on what you are doing, not on the monitor itself.