To begin with, there are currently no TVs that support a screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, much less 170 Hz. At the beginning of this year at CES 2022, Samsung only announced the release of the first TV with 144 Hz support. For now, only 120Hz Samsung 4K and 8K TVs are available specifically for gaming.
If we talk specifically about the difference between 144 Hz and 170 Hz monitors, it does exist, albeit a small one. Gamers will definitely be able to notice it even with an untrained eye. Nevertheless, let’s look at the difference between 144 Hz and 170 Hz.
Why is the monitor refresh rate important?
Games and other moving images appear on the display when the GPU sends fixed images in rapid succession. If the graphics card is powerful, the images will be sent faster. In order to enjoy smooth playback of the video card, make sure that it matches the game you are going to play.
A gamer needs to have an excellent monitor that can keep up with the GPU. Otherwise, the video card will unnecessarily create frames that the monitor cannot display. Moreover, unnecessary overloading of the graphics processor can lead to overheating and other problems.
Standard monitors have a frequency of 60 Hz, but there are monitors with a higher frequency – 144 Hz, 240 Hz, and even 360 Hz. Hertz (Hz) – the number of images that are displayed per second when the monitor is updated. The higher their number, the more spectacular and detailed the picture on the display will look. This parameter is very important for games because this process is characterized by a constant change of the frame.
What is the difference between Hertz and frames per second?
The refresh rate of a monitor indicates how many times per second it can display a new image. It is measured in Hertz, or number of cycles per second, and indicates the maximum number of frames the monitor or TV can display per second. For example, a monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate can display up to 144 frames per second, a monitor with a 170Hz refresh rate can display up to 170 frames per second, and so on.
By displaying images faster, the gameplay looks and feels smoother, controls become more agile and responsive, and even helps reduce or eliminate the various visual artifacts that appear in games when FPS is low.
FPS refers to how many frames per second your PC gives out, while refresh rate refers to the maximum number of frames your monitor can display per second. This distinction is more important than it sounds. Your PC’s performance should match your monitor’s refresh rate, because otherwise, you may experience screen tearing.
There’s no point in a monitor with a 144 Hz or 170 Hz refresh rate if your PC can only render 60 FPS.
What is the difference between 144Hz and 170Hz?
In fact, there is little difference between the two frequencies. It will only be noticeable in some shooters or dynamic games where you will get more than 144 fps. You can definitely notice the difference in CS: GO, for example. The image will be smoother, you will see the picture more clearly.
For a long time, a 144Hz screen refresh rate was the minimum requirement for gaming battles. However, the current trend is to use it much more. One of the main reasons why not all users have started to use a monitor with a frequency of 170 Hz is that the difference between them isn’t as sharp as in the case of switching from 60 Hz to 144 Hz.
Recently, an increasing number of professional eSports players are already switching to a 240 Hz screen. Perhaps over time, this will become a new low. If you want to upgrade your gaming monitor, you should definitely go straight to 240Hz and skip the 144 Hz and 170Hz options. However, if you are looking for a competitive advantage when using 144Hz or 170Hz, you can wait a bit and go straight to 360Hz. Of course, all this only makes sense if you have the hardware that can support this frame rate.
What are the necessary conditions for games with a frequency of 144 Hz and higher?
To find the best refresh rate for gaming, you need to consider many things. Keep in mind that a monitor with a high refresh rate is useless if you don’t have the necessary hardware. Of course, you can get a good frame rate by optimizing a few settings.
However, there is nothing you can do to increase the maximum frame rate provided by the monitor. You will just have to buy a more powerful video card later on.
NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 series will be an excellent choice for games with a frequency of 240 Hz, and the RTX 3060 series will be enough to work with 144 Hz. Alternatively, you can choose AMD RX 6700 XT or RX 6800 XT. Keep in mind that the proposed options are more suitable for modern games. For older and less demanding games, 144 Hz with GTX 2060 will suit you.
