144Hz vs 240Hz for FPS Games (Is It Worth It in 2026?)

Introduction

Refresh rate is one of the most important features of a gaming monitor, especially for competitive FPS games.

It is measured in:
Hertz (Hz)

For example:

A 60Hz monitor refreshes the screen 60 times every second
A 240Hz monitor refreshes the screen 240 times every second

The higher the refresh rate, the smoother and more responsive gameplay feels.

In fast-paced FPS games, smoother motion can help players:

Track enemies more easily
React faster during fights
Aim more consistently
Experience lower perceived input lag

That’s why competitive players often prioritize higher refresh rate monitors over pure visual quality.

But does upgrading from:

144Hz → 240Hz

actually make a noticeable difference?

And is it really worth the extra money for most gamers?

In this guide, we’ll compare 144Hz vs 240Hz for FPS games, explain the real-world differences, and help you decide which refresh rate is best for your setup and playstyle.

Why Refresh Rate Matters

Higher refresh rates provide:

Smoother motion
Better enemy tracking
Reduced motion blur
Lower perceived input lag

This is especially important in fast-paced FPS games like:

Apex Legends
Valorant
Counter-Strike 2

Competitive players benefit heavily from higher refresh rates because fast movements appear much clearer on screen.

Refresh Rate vs FPS

Refresh rate and FPS work together, but they are not the same thing.

Refresh rate = how many frames your monitor can display
FPS (Frames Per Second) = how many frames your PC produces

Example:
A 240Hz monitor can display up to 240 FPS visually, but your PC must also be powerful enough to generate those frame rates.

Input Lag & Smoothness

Higher refresh rates can also reduce perceived input lag because the monitor updates information faster.

This makes gameplay feel:

More responsive
Smoother
More immediate during fast fights

That’s why upgrading from:
60Hz → 144Hz

often feels like one of the biggest improvements in competitive gaming.

60Hz vs 144Hz

Back in the day, 60Hz monitors were the standard because games were much less demanding and competitive gaming was not as advanced as it is today.

Older games were simpler and easier to run, so 60Hz felt completely normal for most players.

But modern games have evolved significantly with:

Faster gameplay
More realistic graphics
Advanced technologies like DLSS and Frame Generation
Competitive multiplayer environments

As gaming evolved, higher refresh rates became far more important.

The Difference Feels Massive

The jump from:
60Hz → 144Hz

is one of the biggest upgrades a gamer can experience.

Many players describe the difference as:
“night and day.”

Gameplay on 144Hz feels:

Much smoother
More responsive
Easier to track enemies with
More comfortable during fast movement

Why 144Hz Feels Better

Compared to 60Hz, a 144Hz monitor:

Updates the image more than twice as often
Reduces motion blur
Improves tracking clarity
Lowers perceived input lag

This is especially noticeable in fast-paced FPS games like:

Apex Legends
Valorant
Counter-Strike 2

Enemies appear smoother during movement, making aiming and tracking easier.

Should You Upgrade?

If you currently use:
a 60Hz monitor …upgrading to 144Hz is highly recommended for competitive gaming.

Even budget 144Hz monitors provide a huge improvement in:

Smoothness
Responsiveness
Competitive gameplay feel

For most gamers, upgrading from 60Hz to 144Hz provides a much bigger difference than upgrading from 144Hz to 240Hz.

144Hz vs 240Hz

144Hz is currently the most popular refresh rate for gaming monitors because it provides an excellent balance between:

Smooth gameplay
Good visual quality
Affordable pricing

For many gamers, 144Hz already feels extremely smooth compared to 60Hz.

Who Is 144Hz Best For?

144Hz is perfect for:

Casual competitive gamers
Story game players
Budget-to-mid-range gaming setups
Players who want both visuals and smoothness

Many modern:

1440p monitors
4K gaming monitors

still use 144Hz refresh rates because they focus on balancing:
visual quality and performance.

For most players, 144Hz is already more than enough for smooth competitive gaming.

Why 240Hz Exists

240Hz monitors are designed mainly for:
highly competitive esports gaming.

Professional players in games like:

Apex Legends
Counter-Strike 2
Valorant
Call of Duty: Warzone

often prefer 240Hz because:

motion appears clearer,
tracking feels smoother,
and input responsiveness improves slightly.

Does 240Hz Feel Better?

Yes—but the jump from:
144Hz → 240Hz

is much smaller than:
60Hz → 144Hz.

The improvement is still noticeable, especially for:

high-level competitive players,
fast reaction gameplay,
and tracking-heavy FPS games.

240Hz can provide:

Reduced motion blur
Clearer fast movement
Slightly lower perceived latency
Smoother tracking during fights

You Need Strong Hardware

A 240Hz monitor only becomes useful if your PC can actually produce:
200+ FPS consistently.

To fully benefit from 240Hz, you usually need:

A strong CPU
A powerful GPU
Optimized game settings

Without high FPS, a 240Hz monitor loses much of its advantage.

Which One Should You Choose?

Who Should Buy a 240Hz Monitor?

A 240Hz monitor is best suited for players who value:

Maximum smoothness
Faster response times
Lower perceived input lag
Competitive performance during chaotic fights

If you are highly competitive and always strive to win, a 240Hz monitor can provide a noticeable advantage in fast-paced FPS games.

This is especially useful in games like:

Apex Legends
Counter-Strike 2
Valorant
Call of Duty: Warzone

where fast reactions and tracking matter heavily.

Best for Mid-to-High-End Gaming PCs

If you already own:

A strong gaming PC
A powerful gaming laptop
Hardware capable of 200+ FPS

pairing it with a 240Hz monitor makes sense.

Using a lower refresh rate monitor like 120Hz or 144Hz on extremely powerful hardware can limit how much smoothness your system is capable of displaying.

When 144Hz Is Enough

144Hz is still excellent for the majority of gamers.

If you:

Play casually
Are on a budget
Play both competitive and story games
Do not consistently reach 240 FPS

then a 144Hz monitor is more than enough.

Why 144Hz Is Still Popular

Most budget gaming monitors use:
144Hz refresh rates

because they provide:

Smooth gameplay
Good responsiveness
Affordable pricing
Strong competitive performance

A good 144Hz monitor with solid response times is still highly capable of handling competitive FPS gaming.

Even many skilled competitive players still perform extremely well on 144Hz displays.

Final Recommendation

Choose 240Hz If:

You are highly competitive
You mainly play FPS games
You already own powerful hardware
You want the smoothest experience possible

Choose 144Hz If:

You are on a budget
You play casually or semi-competitively
You want the best balance between price and performance

Common Refresh Rate & Monitor Mistakes

Many gamers buy high refresh rate monitors but never fully optimize them.

Here are some of the most common mistakes players make when setting up their gaming monitors.

Not Changing the Refresh Rate After Buying the Monitor

One of the biggest beginner mistakes is using a new gaming monitor straight out of the box without changing the refresh rate settings.

Even if your monitor supports:

144Hz
165Hz
240Hz

Windows may still default it to:
60Hz.

How to Fix It

After connecting your monitor using:

HDMI
or preferably
DisplayPort

Go to:

Settings → Display → Advanced Display Settings

Then manually select the highest refresh rate your monitor supports.

Thinking Refresh Rate Equals FPS

Refresh rate and FPS are connected, but they are NOT the same thing.

👉 Think of:

Refresh rate (Hz) = the maximum smoothness your monitor can display
FPS = the performance your PC actually produces

Simple Example

You can own:

A 240Hz monitor

…but still only get:

90 FPS

if your:

cannot produce higher frame rates.

At the same time, you could own a powerful gaming PC capable of 300 FPS, but a 60Hz monitor would still only visually display 60 frames per second.

Think of refresh rate like:
a cup.

The bigger the cup, the more water it can hold.

A 240Hz monitor is a larger cup because it can display more frames smoothly.

A 60Hz monitor is a smaller cup, meaning extra FPS beyond 60 cannot be fully displayed visually.

Leaving Overdrive Disabled

Many gaming monitors include:
Overdrive settings

but players often leave them on:

Normal
or
Default.

Overdrive helps reduce:

Ghosting
Motion blur
Smearing during movement

This is especially important in fast-paced FPS games.

Recommended Overdrive Settings

Most monitors perform best on:

Medium
Fast

Avoid extreme overdrive settings unless they perform well on your specific monitor because too much overdrive can create:

Inverse ghosting
Overshoot artifacts

Conclusion

Refresh rate plays a massive role in how smooth and responsive games feel, especially in competitive FPS titles.

The jump from:

60Hz → 144Hz

is one of the biggest upgrades most gamers will ever experience because gameplay becomes:

smoother,
clearer,
and more responsive.

And while the upgrade from:

144Hz → 240Hz

is smaller, competitive players can still benefit from:

reduced motion blur,
smoother tracking,
and lower perceived input lag.

For most gamers:
144Hz is the perfect balance between price, performance, and smoothness.

But if you:

play FPS games competitively,
own powerful hardware,
and want the smoothest experience possible,

then a 240Hz monitor is absolutely worth considering.

No matter which refresh rate you choose, remember:

your monitor settings matter,
your PC performance matters,
and optimizing both together creates the best gaming experience.

If you want to optimize your setup further, check out:

the best monitor settings for FPS games
the best FPS settings for competitive gaming
how to reduce input lag in FPS games
/the best sensitivity settings for FPS games

And if you’re planning to build a smoother competitive gaming setup, check out the best gaming setup under $1000.

144Hz vs 240Hz for FPS Games (Is It Worth It?)