Monitor Simulator

60 Hz vs 144 Hz: how much sharper does motion get?

A lot: at 144 Hz each frame stays 6.9 instead of 16.7 ms. Scrolling at 960 px/s, blur on an IPS monitor drops from 22 to 12.7 px. No other step in refresh rate gains as much.

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

LCD (IPS, VA)

Still imageReference
60 Hz IPS22 pxHold time 16.7 ms
144 Hz IPS12.7 pxHold time 6.9 ms
144 Hz VA17.5 pxHold time 6.9 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.

Why the step from 60 to 144 Hz is so clear

At 60 Hz each frame stays on screen for 16.7 ms, at 144 Hz for only 6.9 ms. When your eye tracks a moving object, your gaze sweeps across the still frame during that time, and it smears. A shorter hold time means less blur, directly.

At 960 px/s, a typical scrolling speed, that is 16 px of pure hold blur at 60 Hz and 6.7 px at 144 Hz. An IPS panel also needs about 5 ms to switch, which adds another 6 px. That is why the images above show 22 vs 12.7 px.

In absolute terms this is the biggest step you can take in refresh rate: from 144 to 240 Hz you only gain 2.8 ms of hold time, from 60 to 144 Hz almost 10 ms.

All formulas and assumptions

Questions about 60 and 144 Hz

Can you see the difference between 60 and 144 Hz?

Yes, as soon as you scroll or move the mouse. Text stays much more readable while scrolling because it smears about 40 % less. New frames also arrive every 6.9 instead of every 16.7 ms, so motion looks smoother.

Do I need 144 fps for a 144 Hz monitor?

For the full effect, yes. With fewer fps each frame stays longer: at 100 fps a 144 Hz IPS smears by 15.6 px instead of 12.7 px at 960 px/s. That is still much sharper than 60 Hz with 22 px.

IPS or VA at 144 Hz?

For sharp motion, rather IPS. VA panels switch more slowly; we calculate with 9 ms instead of 5 ms. At 960 px/s that gives 17.5 px of blur instead of 12.7 px. VA scores with better contrast instead.