Hz in monitors, what they are, what they are for and how to choose them

If you are thinking of changing the screen for your computer or your TV you will surely have come across this value, but what do Hz in monitors mean? Why are they an indispensable factor in our viewing experience and how should we choose them?

Let's find out everything about Hz in monitors , obviously starting from their definition.

Hz in monitors

Hz is short for Hertz. Unit of measurement recognized internationally, with which frequency is quantified. This unit of measurement takes its name from Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, a scientist who dedicated his life and studies to frequencies.

Staying in the field of monitors , we can consider Hz as the number of images that our monitor can project every second. Therefore, when we see 60 Hertz indicated we will immediately understand that they correspond to 60 images projected per second. Consequently, if for example we opt for a 120 Hz monitor we will have double the images projected compared to the previous monitor.

However, the issue of Hz in monitors does not remain an absolute reference field, but, in a PC configuration, must always be related to the Frames Per Second (FPS) that can be delivered by the computer. Therefore, having a computer and its video card capable of processing 120 FPS mounted together with a 60 Hz monitor will be a significant limitation. The same thing will happen with inverse parameters, as in the case of a video card that processes at 60 FPS combined with a monitor with a frequency of 120 Hz.

In any case, when talking about Hertz, it is always essential to remember that the number of Hertz (especially high) will not have any impact on the graphics and image quality, but only on how fluid it will be.

So which monitor to buy?

Before betting everything on Hertz you should therefore make an overall evaluation, in which you will check each of the three fundamental parts for excellent viewing. So pay attention to the CPU, GPU (video card) and monitor . The goal is to have three parts performing at the same level, or at least know the current characteristics and know where and how to proceed with any upgrades. the goal is to avoid and remove any bottlenecks.

The mission is to have all the components updated and "pushing" in the same direction. So here's what we need to pay attention to:

The monitor is in fact the final part of this process and can only show what is produced by the upstream peripherals.

Hz in monitors and games

We could decide what refresh rate we need for our monitors by also checking which features are required by the games we play most often. Therefore, assuming that we already have a decent CPU and GPU that allows us to "go" at least 150 FPS, these are the Hz we should aim for:

Frequency and FPS

Let's start from a necessary premise and introduction, that of FPS, Frames Per Second.

It was long thought that the human eye could not perceive anything higher than 30 FPS. This theory, which would therefore have made any update and upgrade useless, has been invalidated by practical tests. In fact, it seems that a trained eye, such as that of a professional gamer or that of an airplane pilot, can perceive up to 200 FPS.

This gave a further boost to the FPS generated by the GPU, moving the bottleneck towards the monitor .

In fact, if the number of frames produced by the video card is much greater than the Hz in the monitors , not only will we waste resources and possibilities for nothing, but we will also find ourselves faced with graphic defects, with "split" images that do not match in the various parts, due to a phenomenon known as “tearing”. Of course, this defect can partly be solved and avoided through specific software features, but even if it is limited it still remains a "blemish" in the machine's performance.

And the response time?

By increasing the number of Hertz we will have a lower update time on the monitor , we will therefore have to be sure that the response time is the same, in order to avoid once again a bottleneck which would undermine all the advantages given by a richer and more efficient configuration. more performing.

So what is the best frequency?

6o Hz, 144Hz, 24o Hz, the frequencies of the monitors available on the market are increasingly higher and more performing. But if we consider a good quality gaming station, what number of Hertz should we aim for?

(Always considering having high-performance hardware upstream that "supports" the various monitors...)

60Hz and 144Hz

Going from a standard 60Hz monitor to one designed for 144Hz gaming will bring you obvious advantages from the point of view of gaming fluidity. You'll see very visible differences in input lag too.

144Hz and 240Hz

This step involves a more substantial hardware purchase cost and a double check that the CPU and GPU fully support this frequency. Compared to the previous leap, this is much less evident, although from a visual point of view, the greater image fluidity is clearly appreciated.

240 Hz is quickly becoming "the frequency" for gamers, so if you have ambitions of becoming a PC Gamer, this further upgrade is practically obligatory.