Refresh rate is one of the key factors that can significantly impact your overall gaming experience. This is why gamers are constantly trying a higher refresh rate monitor to improve their gaming experience. But what exactly is the refresh rate? Refresh rate simply refers to how many times per second the monitor updates the image it displays. Among the numerous refresh rate options available in the market, 75 Hz is often considered a budget and middle-ground choice for many gamers. Therefore, in this article, we’ll study whether 75 Hz is good enough for gaming and dissect the nuances of refresh rates, and the advantages, limitations, etc.
Refresh rate is measured in Hertz (Hz), which indicates how many frames per second your monitor is updating the displayed image. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother and more fluid the motion and gaming experience because the monitor refreshes the display much faster so that it feels smoother in our vision. This can potentially elevate your gaming experience and even give you a competitive edge in fast-paced games. Currently, the conventional standard for monitors is 60 Hz, and has been an industry norm for many years.
Since then, the gaming community has increased the demand for increased refresh rates which is slowly pushing the evolution of monitors to exhibit higher refresh rate monitors. Due to the increased popularity of higher refresh rates on displays, more people are becoming aware of the benefits of higher refresh rates. Higher refresh rates have extended to even mobile phones especially flagship phones or phones that are targeted for gamers. It provides a very fluid and smooth motion which can be satisfying even for basic tasks such as scrolling.
Benefits of 75Hz in gaming
Below we will discuss the merits of opting for 75 Hz in gaming versus the standard 60 Hz in most monitors.
Enhanced Motion Fluidity
On paper, the difference between 60 Hz and 75 Hz might appear marginal, yet in practice, it has a significant impact on motion fluidity especially in gaming. These additional 15 frames per second can potentially provide you with a more fluid and immersive gaming experience. While certain games such as first-person shooter games can certainly benefit from even higher refresh rates, 75 Hz still offers a significant advantage over 60 Hz.
Reduced Motion Blur
Rapid motion such as those found in first-person shooter games where you are constantly looking around the game environment swiftly by camera panning can cause blurring which can hinder visual clarity. Therefore, with a faster refresh rate, motion blur can be reduced.
Budget-Friendly Solution
For many gamers who want a slight boost in their visual experience without plunging into the higher tiers of refresh rates such as 120 Hz, or 144 Hz and above, 75 Hz presents itself as an enticing middle-ground refresh rate boost. This is due to 75 Hz monitors coming at a more affordable price point compared to 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitors. Therefore, 75 Hz monitors can be a more accessible choice for budget-conscious gamers.
Hardware Synergy
75Hz is a sweet spot that can easily align with many mid-range graphics cards and gaming setups. This is because getting 75 fps in games is generally easier for mid-range setups and can easily sync with the 75Hz refresh rate on monitors. This compatibility ensures that gamers can harness the benefits of increased refresh rates without needing to overhaul their current hardware. For example, even if you do have a 144Hz monitor, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll actually get 144 fps in every game. It has to depend on the hardware of your PC to be able to take advantage of the monitor’s full refresh rate. Likewise, if your PC can only consistently hit 60 fps in games then you won’t notice any improvement whether you game on a 75Hz monitor or a 60Hz monitor. So if you have a less powerful PC, a 75Hz monitor is a great choice if you can’t hit higher frames per second anyway.
60Hz vs 75Hz
People who are upgrading from a 60Hz monitor may wonder whether it is worth it to upgrade to 75Hz and whether the difference is noticeable or not. Upgrading to a 75Hz monitor from a 60Hz monitor provides a 25% improvement in frame rate. Although the difference isn’t as impactful as upgrading from 60Hz to 144Hz, the difference is still noticeable.
If you’ve already got a 75Hz monitor but aren’t seeing any difference, chances are that you haven’t set the refresh rate on your computer to run on 75Hz. You will have to manually set it at the desired frame rate from the Control Panel.
In competitive first-person shooter games, gamers generally prefer high refresh rates going as high as 144Hz or even up to 280Hz, because even a few milliseconds could make an impactful difference in the game. However, 75Hz is still better than the standard 60Hz. Chances are your existing 60Hz monitor may be able to overclock it to 75Hz.
Overclocking your monitor to a higher refresh rate
In general, most standard monitors are 60Hz, but some monitors can be overclocked to a higher refresh rate. The maximum refresh rate that you can get out of your monitor will solely depend on the monitor itself. Some monitors can be overclocked to 75Hz from 60Hz safely without any problems. Otherwise, in other cases, you can push the monitor’s limit a bit too far which can damage the monitor or shorten its lifespan. So proceed with caution. But if you do want to overclock your monitor, there are a few popular applications you can use:
CRU (Custom Resolution Utility)
CRU is a very popular application but it may not work with every graphics card or integrated graphics. However, overclocking using this application is quite straightforward and easy. To overclock your monitor’s refresh rate, follow the following steps.
- After opening the CRU application, select “Detailed Resolutions” and then click on “Add”.
- Select “Timing” then click on “LCD Standard”
- You should change the refresh rate in small increments such as 5 hertz to ensure that it’s compatible with your monitor.
- Once you’re done, click on OK and simply reboot your PC. If the overclocked value is too high for your monitor, it’ll simply go black and will revert to your old settings. In this case, you’re going to choose a smaller refresh rate value.
- After all of this is done, you should go to the Control Panel where you will adjust your resolution in the Appearance and Personalization section.
- Adjust your refresh rate by selecting your monitor and going to its Advanced Settings to find the list of refresh rates under the Monitor settings.
Nvidia Control Panel
If you have an Nvidia graphics card, then you will use the Nvidia Control Panel to overclock your monitor.
In the Nvidia Control Panel, you should open the “Display Menu”. After that, you should select “Change Resolution” and click “Create Custom Resolution”.
Here, just like the steps in CRU, you’re going to test the new settings before confirming your settings and rebooting your computer.
However, do note that there are risks associated with overclocking your monitors that are not designed to run at higher refresh rates. Therefore, overclocking can cause unnecessary strain that can damage your components and you may have to replace your entire monitor. It can also void your warranty as many manufacturers do not cover damages done from overclocking monitors.
75Hz vs 144Hz
Does higher refresh rates such as 144Hz always mean that it’s better than 75Hz? As explained earlier, unless you can reach these frames per second, you’re not benefiting from the higher refresh rate. It can only do so if your hardware can reach these required frames. By doing so, you can expect very crisp and visually clear images along with smoother scrolls in general. So to those wondering whether 75Hz or 144Hz monitors are better, it depends on a variety of factors such as the game itself, your computer, and personal preference.
Monitor Recommendations
But if you’re dead set on purchasing a 75Hz monitor due to its mild improvement in gaming and affordability, then below are some of the best 75Hz monitors you can get to boost your gaming performance for cheap.
ASUS VY249HE
The ASUS VY249HE is a fantastic 23.8-inch monitor by ASUS with a 75Hz refresh rate. It has a fairly minimalistic design and sports a black matte plastic all over. The front panel comes in the usual ASUS frameless design. The VY249HE is well-built with the display covered with protective glass that is framed by the case’s side edge and overall has minimal bezels. The bottom of the chin of the screen is supported by a dark gray panel with a bit of brushed metal texture.
As for the stand, it is V-shaped and allows you to adjust the tilt angle from -5 to +23 degrees. Unfortunately, this monitor cannot swivel, rotate, or adjust its height but it is VESA mount compatible if you want to mount it on a wall or monitor arm.
For connectivity, you get only two ports, a single HDMI port, and a VGA port along with two mini jacks for audio. For the OSD, there are six physical buttons located on the monitor’s right bottom edge which allows you to change various monitor settings and features such as Eye-Care, AMD FreeSync, color adjustments, and other parameters.
Coming to the panel itself, the ASUS VY249HE is a 23.8-inch IPS panel with a 1080p resolution. It has a pixel density of 92.56 ppi and is sufficiently dense enough that you cannot distinguish individual pixels. The maximum refresh rate of the monitor is 75Hz. Another interesting feature is that it supports AMD FreeSync adaptive frequency so you can run FreeSync on it to prevent tearing and stuttering in games.
The black uniformity of the monitor is also quite good for the pricing with insignificant backlight bleeding. The IPS glow is quite weak which is surprising and it also has an impressive viewing angle due to being an IPS panel. The brightness is also okay for the price point having a peak brightness of 250 cd/m2 which is sufficient for most cases. The contrast ratio is 1150:1 which is above the standard IPS contrast ratios. The overall color accuracy of the monitor is also quite typical for a monitor of this price range.
Overall, the ASUS VY249HE is a splendid 75Hz monitor that offers a balanced set of features while maintaining an affordable price point.
SCEPTRE 24” C248W-1920RN Curved 75Hz Monitor
The Sceptre C248W-1920RN is a curved 24-inch Full-HD 1080p monitor that is designed for casual gamers with a very affordable price tag. It has an attractive design with super narrow bezels and adopts a frameless design so it looks much more premium than it actually costs. It uses a VA panel which provides a high contrast ratio of 3000:1 and has a decent color gamut. It has a refresh rate of 75Hz which is a slight upgrade from the standard 60Hz.
The monitor is supported by a circular base stand and a cylindrical arm. It looks quite minimalistic but does not offer any kind of height, swivel, or pivot adjustments as expected from a budget monitor. However, it does tilt offering a little bit of adjustment. It also supports VESA mounting of 75mm x 75 mm if you want to mount it on a wall or a monitor arm. The speakers also come included with speakers if that’s something that you need to know. In the box, you’ll also find a Philips head screwdriver included which is something that Sceptre has been known for doing for all their monitors.
Performance-wise, it has a 5ms gray-to-gray response time, a 250 cd/m2 brightness, and a 1500R curvature. In terms of inputs, the rear of the Sceptre monitor features a single HDMI port, a VGA port, a headphone jack, and a DC connector. There are also five physical buttons on the left rear side of the monitor for navigating through the monitor’s OSD settings. The OSD doesn’t offer any advanced six-color adjustments though. Only the basic settings can be done through the OSD menu. For day-to-day use, the Sceptre C248W performs decently with vibrant colors due to the VA panel technology. However, in modern games, you might feel some lag but it still offers a decent input lag of 12.8 ms, though it doesn’t beat the average 10.6 ms standard for budget monitors. Color accuracy is quite standard, providing 98% sRGB. For casual gaming and office work, this monitor is great and comes at a very affordable price point.
However, if you can spend a little more and add $50 to your monitor budget, you’ll be able to get some budget 144Hz or 165Hz monitors which can provide a much better gaming experience than 75Hz monitors. Some of them include the Acer Nitro VG240Y or the AOC 24G2S which are both 165Hz monitors.
Sceptre 22” E225W-19203R 75Hz Monitor
The Sceptre E225W is another 75Hz monitor from Sceptre that rocks the same sleek design for office use with narrow bezels and easy-to-access ports. This monitor has a screen size of 22 inches at 1080p resolution. The display looks clear and sharp and for a budget monitor, it offers a great balance between quality and design. Performance-wise, it has a 5 ms gray to gray response time, a 250 cd/m2 peak brightness, and a refresh rate of 75Hz.
Coming to the rear of the Sceptre E225W there are five physical buttons for navigating through the OSD to adjust various monitor settings. For connectivity, you get a single VGA port, two HDMI ports, a headphone jack along a single AC power jack. It also supports VESA mounting if you want to mount it to the wall or a monitor arm. The OSD offers a decent variety of picture settings but don’t expect it to have any advanced six-color adjustments that you find in more expensive gaming monitors. The monitor also comes with
Performance-wise, 75Hz gives an edge over the standard 60Hz. Its 12.8ms second input lag is also decent but it doesn’t beat the standard of 10.6 ms for most budget monitors. However, when it comes to viewing angles and color accuracy, don’t expect too much from this monitor as it is a TN panel. However, the contrast ratio is still okay considering it’s a budget monitor. Ergonomically, it doesn’t have many adjustments other than a tilt of -5 to +15 degrees. For the affordable price point, this 75Hz monitor is a great pick for those who don’t have the budget to get a 144Hz monitor.
Final Thoughts
So whether you’re someone who wants to get a tiny boost in visual smoothness and fluidity, or looking to upgrade their monitor to improve their gaming experience, a 75Hz monitor is a great start especially if you have a lower budget or you’re someone who isn’t ready to spend a lot on an expensive monitor. But if you have the budget, we recommend you to get a 120Hz or 144Hz monitor instead where you will feel a much more drastic performance jump than from a 75Hz monitor.
