Monitor Simulator

240, 360 or 480 Hz: what does more hertz still bring?

From 240 to 480 Hz blur halves: in a fast shooter turn at 3200 px/s it is 7.1 instead of 13.7 px. When scrolling the difference is small. It also takes 480 fps.

Settings

960 px/s
on screen; your eye tracks the object
Below the refresh rate, each frame stays on screen longer.
Each frame lights up for only about 1 ms (ULMB, DyAc, BFI).

What your eye sees

OLED

Still imageReference
240 Hz OLED4.1 pxHold time 4.2 ms
360 Hz OLED2.8 pxHold time 2.8 ms
480 Hz OLED2.1 pxHold time 2.1 ms

The images are still captures of what your eye sees while tracking the object. That is why your own monitor shows them correctly, even at 60 Hz. Response times are class values: IPS 5 ms, VA 9 ms, OLED 0.1 ms.

What more than 240 Hz still brings

On OLEDs almost only the hold time counts: 4.2 ms at 240 Hz, 2.8 ms at 360 Hz and 2.1 ms at 480 Hz. Blur halves from 240 to 480 Hz.

In pixels the gain is small for slow motion: scrolling at 960 px/s, blur drops from 4.1 to 2.1 px. In fast shooter turns at 3200 px/s it is 13.7 vs 7.1 px, and that is visible.

This also takes 360 or 480 fps. Mostly competitive games at low graphics settings get there. If a game runs at 240 fps, a 480 Hz monitor is as sharp as a 240 Hz one.

All formulas and assumptions

Questions about 240, 360 and 480 Hz

Can you notice 480 Hz over 240 Hz?

In fast motion, yes: blur halves. In a shooter turn at 3200 px/s it is 7.1 instead of 13.7 px. When scrolling, the difference is small at 2.1 vs 4.1 px.

Do I need 480 fps for a 480 Hz monitor?

For full sharpness, yes. At 240 fps each frame stays 4.2 ms and the monitor is as sharp as a 240 Hz OLED. At 360 fps it matches a 360 Hz monitor.

Is strobing an alternative to more hertz?

For sharpness, yes: with strobing each frame lights up for only about 1 ms, leaving about 1 px of blur at 960 px/s, less than a 480 Hz OLED. The cost is lower brightness, possible flicker, and double images when your fps are below the refresh rate.