What Refresh Rate Do You Really Need for Gaming?

When choosing a gaming monitor, refresh rate is one of the most important specifications to consider. You have probably seen gaming monitors advertised with 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, 360Hz, and even higher refresh rates. But does a higher refresh rate always mean a better gaming experience?

Not necessarily.

The right refresh rate depends on the games you play, your PC's performance, your resolution, and whether you prioritize competitive FPS performance or cinematic AAA gaming. Understanding what refresh rate you need for gaming can help you choose the right monitor without paying for performance you may never use.

What Is Monitor Refresh Rate?

Refresh rate is measured in Hertz (Hz) and represents how many times your monitor can refresh the image every second.

For example:

• 60Hz → 60 refreshes per second

• 120Hz → 120 refreshes per second

• 144Hz → 144 refreshes per second

• 165Hz → 165 refreshes per second

• 240Hz → 240 refreshes per second

• 360Hz → 360 refreshes per second

A higher refresh rate can make movement look smoother and make your mouse movement and gameplay feel more responsive.

However, your gaming PC also needs to produce enough FPS to take advantage of the monitor's refresh rate.

Is 60Hz Enough for Gaming?

For basic gaming, 60Hz is still usable.

If you mainly play slower-paced games, strategy titles, simulation games, or casual single-player games, 60Hz can provide an acceptable experience.

However, once you experience a 120Hz, 144Hz, or 165Hz gaming monitor, the difference in motion smoothness becomes noticeable.

For a new gaming PC in 2026, 60Hz would generally not be our first recommendation unless budget is the main priority.

120Hz–144Hz: The Gaming Sweet Spot

For many gamers, 144Hz is the sweet spot.

A 144Hz monitor provides a major improvement over 60Hz while remaining relatively easy for a gaming PC to utilize.

This refresh rate is particularly well suited for:

• 1080p gaming

• 1440p gaming

• Multiplayer games

• Racing games

• Action games

• RPGs

• General PC gaming

If your PC can consistently deliver around 100–144 FPS, a 144Hz gaming monitor can provide a noticeably smoother experience than a standard 60Hz display.

Is 165Hz Better Than 144Hz?

Technically, yes—but the difference is relatively small.

A 165Hz gaming monitor refreshes the image slightly more frequently than a 144Hz monitor.

The improvement isn't dramatic, so choosing between 144Hz and 165Hz shouldn't be your biggest purchasing decision.

If both monitors have similar image quality, resolution, response time, and features, 165Hz can be a nice upgrade.

But don't sacrifice a better panel or resolution simply to gain an additional 21Hz.

240Hz: Ideal for Competitive Gaming

If you primarily play competitive games such as Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Fortnite, Apex Legends, or Overwatch, 240Hz becomes much more interesting.

At 240Hz, the monitor can display significantly more frames per second than a 144Hz display.

This can provide:

• Smoother motion

• Lower perceived latency

• More responsive aiming

• Better tracking of fast-moving targets

However, there's an important requirement: your PC needs to produce high FPS.

If your game runs at 100 FPS, switching to a 240Hz monitor won't magically make it run at 240 FPS.

For competitive gaming, a powerful gaming PC paired with a high-refresh-rate monitor makes much more sense.

360Hz and Higher: Who Actually Needs It?

Refresh rates of 360Hz, 500Hz, and beyond are primarily aimed at serious competitive players.

If you're playing esports titles at extremely high frame rates and competing at a high level, these monitors can provide additional responsiveness.

For the average gamer, however, the difference between 240Hz and 360Hz is much harder to notice than the jump from 60Hz to 144Hz.

For most users, investing in a better resolution, panel, HDR capability, or GPU may provide a more noticeable improvement.

Match Your Refresh Rate to Your GPU

One of the biggest mistakes when buying a gaming monitor is choosing the refresh rate without considering your PC.

Your target should be to match your gaming PC performance with your monitor.

For example:

Entry-level 1080p gaming PC
→ 100–144Hz

High-performance 1080p gaming PC
→ 144–240Hz

1440p gaming PC
→ 144–240Hz

High-end 1440p / 4K gaming PC
→ 144Hz or higher depending on the game

A powerful GPU paired with a 60Hz monitor can leave some of your PC's potential unused.

Don't Ignore Resolution

Refresh rate isn't the only thing that matters.

A 240Hz 1080p monitor isn't automatically better than a 165Hz 1440p monitor.

Resolution determines image sharpness, while refresh rate determines how frequently the display updates.

For many gamers, 1440p at 144Hz–165Hz offers an excellent balance between image quality and smoothness.

For competitive esports, 1080p at 240Hz or higher may be more appropriate.

For cinematic AAA gaming, 4K at 144Hz can provide an exceptional combination of sharpness and smooth gameplay when paired with a sufficiently powerful GPU.

What Refresh Rate Should You Choose?

Here's a simple breakdown:

The important thing is not to buy the highest refresh rate simply because the number looks impressive.

Choose the Right Gaming Monitor for Your PC

The best gaming monitor is one that matches your hardware and the games you actually play.

At Vektra, you can explore gaming monitors alongside gaming PCs and components to build a system around your preferred resolution and refresh rate.

Explore Vektra Gaming Monitors

You can also explore Vektra's gaming PC range if you're upgrading your entire setup.

Explore Vektra Gaming PCs

Final Thoughts

So, what refresh rate do you really need for gaming?

For most gamers, 144Hz to 165Hz is the ideal starting point. It offers a significant improvement over 60Hz without requiring an extreme gaming PC.

Competitive players who consistently achieve very high FPS can benefit from 240Hz or higher, while casual gamers may be perfectly happy with 120Hz.

Ultimately, the right refresh rate depends on your GPU, games, resolution, and gaming style.

Don't buy a monitor based on refresh rate alone. Build the entire setup around how you actually play.

What are you currently gaming on — 60Hz, 144Hz, 165Hz, or 240Hz?