144Hz Vs 240Hz: Which Is Better For Gaming?

Are you looking forward to replacing your 144Hz monitor with a 240Hz monitor? If yes, this complete guide will help you. But do you know? 

All the screens we use have displays and the backbone of every display is the refresh rate.

It’s one of the most important characteristics of projection devices and display monitors such as computers.

Refresh Rate Checker is a website that provides a comprehensive refresh rate test for your monitor. Its simple interface and easy-to-follow instructions allow you to quickly determine your monitor’s refresh rate.

The transition from a 60Hz monitor to a 144Hz one shows an effective change whereas the transition from 144Hz to 240Hz won’t make a lot of difference and the changes are almost negligible. 

However, a 240Hz monitor ensures smooth and crisp gaming for fast-paced games. Let’s have a look if the deal is worth it. 

Definition Of Refresh Rate In Displays

It can be defined as the ability of the monitor to display an image per second. For eg.

If the monitor has a refresh rate of 144Hz, the image will be refreshed 144 times per second.

The measurement of the refresh rate is done in Hertz and it depends on the architecture of the display monitor.

Vertical refresh rate and vertical scan rate are the two terms used for refresh rate. 

Comparison Of 144hz And 240hz Refresh Rates

144hz-240hz

During the era of LCDs, people were only introduced to the 60Hz refresh rate and they were rarely aware of it. 

But with the growing technology and the use of PCs for gaming at the peak, the demand for 144Hz and 240Hz has increased a lot and the factors like screen resolution and panel type also add up. Now, the question is which one is better? 

Though the difference between the refresh rates is not much observable yet there are many advantages of one over the other. Let’s figure it out. 

Screen Resolution

It is a very big factor when choosing a refresh rate for your device. If talk about a 144Hz refresh rate, it can be used in a gaming monitor with a resolution as high as 4K whereas the 240Hz refresh rate works well with 1080p and 1440p monitor devices.

Apart from this, you have to decide for yourself if you prefer a variable refresh rate such as G-SYNC and FreeSync or a motion blur reduction via backlight strobing or both of them. The 144Hz and 240Hz monitors have these technologies. 

Time Between The Frames

The time between the frames for 144Hz and 240Hz monitors are 6.94ms and 4.17ms respectively.

The lesser the time between the frames, the faster the rate at which it refreshes. 

Competitive Gaming

The 144Hz refresh rate is less preferred than the 240Hz because it has less FPS than the other.

Make sure that you have above 144 FPS if you are spending your money on a 240Hz monitor. Otherwise, the deal won’t be worth it. 

Average Cost

The 144Hz is cheaper than the 240Hz monitor. The 144Hz has an average price of $200 whereas the price for 240Hz varies from $250-$300.

The main element of the decision is the cost but some extra amount of money always goes well if the quality is not compromised. 

Simulation-Based Gaming

In simulation-based gaming, the quality of the game is very important due to the presence of activities copied from real life and the high refresh rate will help you to ace the game. 

Keeping in mind the above comparisons, you can choose the best for yourself. If you are looking out for all your requirements fulfilled you will go well with the 144Hz monitor and save some extra penny. 

Whereas, if you want a smooth gaming experience and if you are not ready to compromise with the gaming quality plus have above 144 FPS you can go with a 240Hz monitor. 

Every coin has two sides likewise technically, every device or technology has its share of advantages and disadvantages. Let’s throw some light on the same.

Advantages Of 144Hz

advantages-of-144hz

Improved Visual Clarity And Smoothness In Games

  • It has better visual clarity than the 60Hz monitor. The higher the refresh rate, the better it will be for fast-paced games. It works best with 144 FPS. It fulfills all the requirements and refreshes quickly i.e. 144 times per second. 
  • The improved visual clarity will also support better game logic, critical game instructions, rendering data, suitable AI, and physics.
  • The instructions can be executed quickly and the graphics can be created with the help of a fast enough GPU.

Reduced Motion Blur

Motion blur is the biggest curse for any PC monitor. It occurs due to the time taken for refreshing the screen or when the refresh rate is low.

What exactly happens is when you are using a PC with a low refresh rate of 60Hz, it means the image will be refreshed 60 times which is quite slow and due to this the motion of the image starts to get blurred due to the lag in it.

But with a refresh rate as high as 144Hz, the motion blur is reduced to its maximum. 

Lower Input Lag

Input lag is the lag of milliseconds between your gaming monitor and the controller. Of course, the lower input lag is preferred for a better gaming experience.

Talking about 144Hz monitors the minimum input lag is 3.47 ms, so even if we observe an input lag of 4 ms, mathematically it’s just 0.53 ms higher than the minimum input lag which is a good thing and serves as an advantage. 

Advantages Of 240Hz

advantages-of-240hz

Even Smoother And More Responsive Gameplay

A more refresh rate is equal to more smoothness and responsive gameplay. So, 240Hz monitors experience much smoother than 60Hz and 144Hz monitors. More smoothness means less strain on the eyes. 

The difference between 144Hz and 240Hz will not be clearly visible as 60Hz to 144Hz but still, the smoothness will be much better. 

Increased Competitive Edge In Games

You will be able to beat your competition and have an extra advantage with the 240Hz monitor as it will ensure a smooth gaming experience for your fast-paced games and that’s what you require. 

When the other players will struggle with the motion blur, you’ll have an extra edge with the 240Hz monitor.

For eg-: Competitive multiplayer games like Rainbow 6 Siege, PUBG, and Call of Duty work best with 240FPS and the gamers already using 240Hz monitors will have an increased edge over someone who is using a monitor with less refresh rate. 

More Fluid Motion

Fluid motion is a real-life phenomenon and it adds up to a more realistic experience in the world of virtual gaming.

So, if you have 240Hz monitors or are looking forward to switching to them, they guarantee better fluid motion which will help with games involving fluids such as swimming or pools. It makes the game more immersive and it’s worth it.

Drawbacks Of 144Hz

Limited Availability Of Compatible Hardware And Content

The biggest disadvantage comes here as there are very less compatible hardware and content available for it which means if you are finding suitable hardware for your 144Hz monitor you won’t get it easily in your local markets. 

Higher Cost Compared To Standard Displays

Though it’s cheaper than 240Hz monitors, it still has a high price when combined with an IPS display.

We can get many 144Hz monitors at a cheap rate that use TN panels but they have a poor color output. 

Issue With The GPU Setup

If you want to add your 144Hz in a standard GPU setup because it will surely go in vain.

For that purpose, you will need a high-end GPU that will maintain a high frame rate for the utilization of the potential of a 144Hz display.

Drawbacks Of 240Hz

Even More Limited Availability Of Compatible Hardware And Content

We have just discussed the shortage of compatible hardware for 144Hz monitors, the case is no different for 240Hz monitors.

Here the case is worse. You’ll rarely find any compatible hardware and guide for your 240Hz monitors which is why it serves as the biggest disadvantage.

Even Higher Cost Compared To Standard And 144Hz Displays

Due to its quality and smoothing provided to the gaming experience, it is very expensive compared to all other monitors with fewer refresh rates like 60Hz or 144Hz.

The price range for 240Hz monitors can range between $250-$300 which is not affordable for many. 

If you have made up your mind to stick with a 240Hz display, it means you will have to compromise the visual quality over the game performance. 

As most of the 240Hz monitors in the market have 1080p resolution and you’ll have to pay more for 1440p resolution 240Hz monitors. 

FAQs

Is It Worth It To Buy A 240Hz Display Even If The Change In A 144Hz Display To 240Hz Display Is Unnoticed? 

It totally depends on your choice. Even if the change is not observable largely still there’s a change in the smoothness and quality of the display. It even avoids strain on the eyes.

So if you are ready to pay some extra amount for quality you can whole-heartedly go with the 240Hz display. 

Conclusion

While both 144Hz and 240Hz displays have their own significant improvements in visual quality and gaming experience, the decision ultimately comes down to personal preference, budget, and available hardware. 

Though a 144Hz display may have less smoothness than a 240Hz display still it can fulfill all the requirements.

Whereas, a 240Hz monitor might be more expensive than a 144Hz monitor yet it provides quality and smoothness which is healthy for your eyes. 

Your choice also depends on the type of games you prefer to play. If you like to play Minecraft games they work best with 120-144Hz monitors whereas if you love playing competitive multiplayer games like PUBG or Call of Duty, you need a 240Hz monitor for the best gaming experience.

Then there’s a struggle to find compatible hardware related to both the varying refresh rate displays.

You can check all such points mentioned in the article above for your guidance and make a wise decision according to your needs. 

If you have any queries, you can contact us or mail us. Positive criticism is always welcome. Stay tuned for the next upcoming interesting technical content. 

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