If you have ever bought a new PC or gaming laptop, refresh rate is one of the concepts that often pop up. With any PC or laptop, the GPU, CPU, and monitor would work together to achieve a specific refresh rate. The better your refresh rate, the better the quality of the display and the overall performance your PC could achieve.
The refresh rate of your monitor refers to how quickly your monitor can process and display a new image. The time between these refreshes is measured in milliseconds, while the refresh rate of the overall display is measured in hertz.
In essence, it would refer to how many times per second your display can create and display a new image.
Since refresh rate is such an important part of a PC, we should dive deeper and have a closer look at some examples of how the refresh rate would affect your display and the performance of the monitor. We will also look at how it works in unison with your GPU and CPU to ensure you have the optimal visuals.
How Does Monitor Refresh Rates Work?
Every monitor works by displaying images one after the other. However, the tempo at which these images are displayed is what we would call the refresh rate of the system. As mentioned, this is measured in hertz (Hz) and milliseconds (ms).
If your monitor has a refresh rate of 144Hz, it means that the monitor has the capability of refreshing the image 144 times per second. Since we cannot see milliseconds with the naked eye, it means you have a constant flow of images that you can see without being impeded or having delays.
How GPU And CPU Affect Refresh Rate
Now that you have some understanding of the basics of refresh rates, there are a few things that could affect the refresh rate, which means that it is often made better or worse. The GPU and CPU will also affect the refresh rate significantly. Here is how your refresh rate is affected by these different factors:
GPU
Even though you have a specific refresh rate from the monitor, the GPU can affect these refresh rates to improve them. If you have a fast GPU, you can improve the speed at which these instructions can be communicated.
CPU
The CPU will communicate the functions and features of the game. If you click on something through the game, the CPU is responsible for how long it takes to process the command. Once combined with the refresh rate, it would significantly improve the overall speed and refresh rate of the system.
The GPU and CPU system will significantly affect the refresh rate of the system and this will improve or reduce the refresh rate quality.
Wrap-Up
The refresh rate is one of the vital components of your monitor and gamers, who enjoy playing fast-paced games would find that the refresh rate is one of the essential aspects they need to understand. It is best to find the best-possible refresh rate for your system to ensure you have smooth and uninterrupted gameplay.
This article was last updated on October 25, 2022 .
