What are fPS and refresh rate?

Frames per Second (fps)

“Frames per second,” often abbreviated as “FPS,” is a measure of how many individual pictures, or frames, are shown in one second in a video or animation. It’s a way to describe how smoothly and quickly motion is portrayed on a screen.

Think of it like a flipbook. In a flipbook, you have a series of drawings, and when you flip the pages quickly, it creates the illusion of movement. The more pages you flip per second, the smoother and more fluid the motion appears.

Similarly, in a video or video game, the higher the number of frames shown in one second (measured in FPS), the smoother and more realistic the motion will look. For example, movies typically play at 24 FPS, while most video games aim for 60 FPS or more to provide a smoother gaming experience.

The following video by ProtectFind provides a great example of how different frame rates result in different qualities of how motion is portrayed:

So, in simple terms, fps tells you how many individual pictures are shown each second to make things move on your screen, with higher numbers leading to smoother and more lifelike motion.

What is the refresh rate?

A similar concept that is sometimes confused with that of “frames per second” is “refresh rate”.

Refresh rate refers to how many times a display can redraw the entire screen in one second, and is usually measured in Hertz (Hz, in this case 1Hz = 1 display refresh per second).

In other words, it’s like how quickly the screen can refresh or update the image it shows. A higher refresh rate means the screen can update more frequently, which can result in smoother and more fluid motion, especially in fast-paced content like video games. Common refresh rates for TV monitors include 60Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz. Good gaming monitors have refresh rates of 144 Hz or higher.

As you can see from this video by WASD.ro, higher refresh rates result in more fluid motion:

In a nutshell, refresh rate is a property of the display itself, indicating how many times it can update the image, regardless of the content. Frames per second, on the other hand, is about the content being shown, indicating how many frames are used to create motion in that content.

While they are different concepts, both a higher refresh rate and a higher FPS help make the portrayal of motion smoother and more realistic.

How fPS and refresh rate impact gaming

As we have seen above, higher fps and refresh rate can make motion in a video game looks smoother, but they can also result in a more responsive gaming experience. When you move your mouse or press a key, the game can respond more quickly because it’s processing and displaying the input in more frequent frames.

In competitive gaming, where split-second reactions and precision matter, a higher FPS and refresh rate can give you a competitive edge. You’ll see enemy movements more clearly and be able to react faster to in-game events.

A higher refresh rate also contributes to responsiveness by reducing the delay between your input and what you see on the screen, something known as as input lag.

However, achieving high FPS and taking full advantage of a high refresh rate monitor typically requires powerful hardware. You will need a fast graphics card (GPU) and a capable processor (CPU) to maintain high FPS consistently in modern, graphically-intensive games (see our before you buy guide for more info on GPUs and CPUs).

Keep also in mind that there’s a balance between FPS and refresh rate. For example, if your monitor has a 60Hz refresh rate, having an FPS higher than 60 won’t provide any additional benefit, as the monitor can only refresh at 60Hz. However, if you have a 144Hz monitor, aiming for 144 FPS will be beneficial.

In summary, FPS and refresh rate impact gaming by affecting how smooth and responsive your gaming experience is. They go hand in hand, with higher FPS making the game look smoother and more responsive, and a high refresh rate allowing your monitor to display these benefits effectively.