A Deep Dive: Displays
The refresh rate is exactly that, it is how many times a second your screen refreshes what it displays. This is measured in Hz (Hertz) and typically comes in 60, 120 or 244Hz.
As you stare into your computer screen ready to digest yet another article, you contemplate the feasibility of high-definition computer screens. You question how effective yours is at delivering light to your retinas. You soon realize that you are not yet knowledgeable and should continue reading to fulfill your thirst for omniscience. Scale your eyeballs down the screen, because there are roughly 2 million pixels to talk about.
The computer monitor, often overlooked when young folk price out their gaming PC, is one of the most important peripherals you need. But which one do you buy? Which monitor is best? And why do I care about how much my monitor hertz? Well, you see there are many factors to consider when choosing a monitor, including what you are using it for, how large you want it and all the specifications that should be chosen to fit your needs. In general, there are four pieces of information that should affect your choice for a monitor: screen size, resolution, latency, and refresh rate.
Screen size is obviously how much physical space your screen takes up, but many people do not know that the size is measured from corner to corner. So, next time you break out that ruler make sure you are not measuring it wrong. When considering screen size taking resolution into account is also important, because that will determine how easily pixels are visible. Common screen resolutions, consecutively listed, include 720p, 1080p, 1140p, 4K, and 8K. The issue with buying a larger monitor at a low resolution is with pixel density. If you have a 720p monitor at 20 inches the pixels will be packed much closer together than a larger monitor. Your best course of action if you are trying to get the best bang for your buck is to choose a standard sized monitor and use the standard 1080p screen resolution.
So, you have purchased a monitor but you fire it up and soon realize that you can visibly notice your mouse lagging behind. You may just be crazy, but a more likely option is that you forgot to buy a monitor with a good latency. The latency on a monitor measures the amount of time it takes for input from the computer to be represented on the screen. This is also referred to as input lag. It is also important to be aware that even though blaming your monitor for poor latency is fun there are many factors that are separate from your monitor that can contribute to your input latency. These include your computer being slow or any adapters that convert from new to older display types.
It hertz for me to say this (ha ha), but for a smooth monitoring experience you have yet another factor to take into account. The refresh rate of your monitor can make it so when you are trying to play video games at work you have precise and accurate visuals. The refresh rate is exactly that, it is how many times a second your screen refreshes what it displays. This is measured in Hz (Hertz) and typically comes in 60, 120, or 244Hz. Most low-end modern monitors come in 60Hz, which is very fluent for an office setting. If you are not careful with your purchase or have an old monitor it is likely that you’ll end up with a bad refresh rate. Which at first may not seem like a big issue but you’ll soon be annoyed as your video, mouse, loading screens, and whatever you do to waste your time away all seems choppy and just plain unenjoyable. If you aren’t going to be productive might as well have a good time while doing so!
This concludes the deep dive into computer monitors. You should no longer be ignorant to the ways of the screen as the information written above is true and accurate. It may possibly be more true and more accurate than the pixel fidelity on your 10-year-old monitor that is holding on for dear life. And because I empathize with the theoretical monitor that is begging to be replaced, trust me when I say, it is worth the extra penny to buy quality!
- Crimson Wheeler, Service Technician