Is 120 Hz the same as 120 FPS?

Hey there gaming friend! Let‘s dive deep into the crucial difference between refresh rates and frame rates. This is a complex topic, but I‘ll break it down step-by-step so you can understand how these specifications impact your gaming experience. My goal is to help you unlock silky smooth, ultra-responsive gameplay!

What is a Refresh Rate (120Hz)?

The refresh rate, measured in Hertz (Hz), refers to how many times per second your display updates to show a new image. For example, a 120Hz display refreshes 120 times per second.

The higher the refresh rate, the more fluid in-motion content will appear. Why? Because there are fewer repeated frames and less time between image updates. It‘s like flipping through pages in a book rapidly versus slowly.

Let‘s visualize refresh rates using an example of a flashing LED lightbulb:

At 60Hz, the light flashes 60 times per second. At 120Hz, it flashes twice as often. See how much smoother the 120Hz motion is? That‘s because of the shorter time between refreshes.

According to a study in the Journal of Vision, the human eye-brain system can perceive differences in refresh rates up to about 150Hz. So 120Hz provides a sweet spot between diminishing returns and optimal smoothness.

That‘s why a 120Hz refresh rate is now considered high-end and ideal for gaming. It provides buttery smooth motion clarity superior to the previous 60Hz standard. Upgrading to 120Hz+ offers a competitive edge for gamers.

What are Frames Per Second (FPS)?

The frames per second (FPS) indicates how many consecutive images your graphics card or game console renders each second.

For example, a game running at 120FPS outputs 120 unique frames every single second. The higher the FPS, the more seamless and responsive games look and feel due to lower input lag.

Let‘s break down FPS using a flip book animation example:

With a higher frame rate, the animation becomes smoother because there are smaller gaps between each frame. At just 24FPS, motion appears choppy.

According to Nvidia, optimal FPS for a great gaming experience is above 60FPS. For competitive multiplayer games, professional esports players often aim for 240-360FPS for peak responsiveness!

But for most, targeting 120FPS hits the sweet spot – offering buttery smooth motion that maximizes perceived fluidity while minimizing input lag.

Comparing Refresh Rates (Hz) vs. Frame Rates (FPS)

While Hz and FPS sound similar, they refer to separate stages in the graphics pipeline:

Refresh Rate (Hz)	Frames Per Second (FPS)
Fixed display hardware spec	Variable based on GPU & game
Refreshes display X times per second	Renders X frames per second
Smoother motion with less blur	Faster response and lower latency

The refresh rate depends only on your display hardware, like a TV or monitor. But your graphics card and the game itself determine FPS.

Matching your display‘s refresh rate and in-game FPS 1:1 gives you the very best lag-free motion clarity. But you won‘t benefit from FPS higher than your display‘s max refresh rate.

Let‘s explore why…

Do I Need a 120Hz Display to Benefit From 120FPS?

To fully take advantage of high FPS like 120, you absolutely need a matching high refresh rate display.

Otherwise, a 60Hz display can still only show 60 unique frames per second max, even if your game is outputting way higher FPS.

Think of your display‘s refresh rate as a cap. You won‘t benefit from FPS higher than the Hz, since excess rendered frames get wasted.

For example, let‘s say you‘re getting 200FPS in a game on a 60Hz monitor:

• Your GPU renders 200 frames per second
• But your display can only show 60 of those frames per second
• So 140 frames each second are unused!

What a waste of precious GPU power and performance! That‘s why it‘s so important to match your monitor‘s refresh rate to your desired FPS for the best experience.

Having a higher refresh rate monitor than FPS also provides headroom if your frame rate dips below your target. For example, 120Hz allows FPS drops under 120 without affecting smoothness.

Hardware Needed for High FPS Gaming

Achieving a steady 120FPS in modern titles requires some beefy hardware:

🔥 Display: A 120Hz+ gaming monitor or TV

🖥️ GPU: High-end card like RTX 3070 Ti, RX 6800 XT or better

💻 CPU: 8 core like Ryzen 7 5800X or i7-12700K recommended

💾 RAM: 16GB minimum, faster is better

💽 Storage: SSD or fast NVMe drive

⚡️ PSU: 650W 80+ Gold efficiency or better

🎮 Game Settings: Lower resolutions, disable ray tracing

Here are examples of estimated FPS for popular games on high-end modern hardware:

Game	Resolution	Graphics Settings	Avg FPS
Apex Legends	1440p	Medium	140-160 FPS
Fortnite	1080p	Competitive	180-240 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	4K	Medium, No RTX	70-90 FPS

As you can see, resolution and settings have a massive impact. You‘ll often need to use AI upscaling like DLSS or FSR to hit 120FPS in demanding games at higher resolutions.

Competitive settings that minimize eye candy are key for maximizing frame rates. Focus on the crucial optimizations for your setup and genre.

Is 120Hz Much Better Than 60Hz for Gaming?

Absolutely, upgrading from a 60Hz to a 120Hz+ display provides very noticeable improvements in motion clarity and responsiveness for gaming:

• Greatly reduced motion blur during fast movement and panning
• Lower input lag for faster response and reaction times
• Smoother scrolling and animations with less stuttering
• Minimized screen tearing and jitter without needing VSync
• An overall heightened sense of fluidity in gameplay

According to Nvidia, "120Hz displays can decrease input lag by up to 34%" compared to 60Hz panels.

The difference this makes is most apparent when quickly turning the camera in first-person shooter games. The added smoothness helps you precisely aim and track targets.

Competitive and professional gamers absolutely benefit from the snappier responsiveness of 120Hz+. It can provide a definite edge compared to opponents still gaming on 60Hz displays.

Upgrading from 60Hz to 120Hz provides a clear competitive advantage in multiplayer FPS gaming.

So if you take gaming performance seriously, upgrading to at least a 120Hz display is highly recommended and well worth it!

Is Ultra High Refresh Worth It? (240Hz/360Hz)

Pushing refresh rates beyond 120Hz to 144Hz, 240Hz or even 360Hz can benefit professional and competitive esports gamers who demand every last millisecond of input latency shaved off.

But for mainstream gaming, it only provides diminishing returns over 120Hz while requiring insanely high FPS. 240Hz needs 240FPS rendered just to keep up!

These ultra high refresh rate monitors often use cheaper TN panel technology too. So while motion clarity improves slightly, image quality suffers compared to high-end 120-144Hz IPS gaming monitors.

Not to mention very few GPUs can reliably output such astronomical frame rates on modern titles without resorting to potato quality settings.

That‘s why for most gamers, 120Hz strikes the ideal balance between motion smoothness and visual fidelity. Unless you‘re playing CS:GO or Valorant professionally, 120Hz is plenty.

Can Consoles Like PS5 & Xbox Series X Do 120FPS?

The PS5, Xbox Series X and S consoles technically support up to 120fps gaming. However, relatively few titles actually offer 120fps modes so far.

To enable 120fps on console, you‘ll need:

• A compatible 120Hz TV or monitor
• HDMI 2.1 cable on both display and console
• The game itself must have a 120fps mode added by the developer

Here‘s a handy table showing which major games support 120fps on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S right now:

Game	PlayStation 5	Xbox Series X/S
Call of Duty: Vanguard	✅	✅
Fortnite	✅	✅
Halo Infinite	❌	✅
Forza Horizon 5	❌	✅
Devil May Cry 5	✅	✅

Less than 20 titles support 120fps on new consoles so far. To hit 120fps, resolution is often dropped to 1440p or lower. I expect more games will add 120fps modes as developers optimize and take advantage of the new hardware.

For instructions on enabling 120fps on your specific display and console, check your manuals or a quick Google search. It‘s usually just toggling a setting for both.

Finding Your Ideal Graphics and Frame Rate Balance

There are always tradeoffs involved when adjusting in-game graphics settings:

• Higher resolution is more demanding for the GPU
• Ray tracing and other effects cause massive performance hits
• Lower settings maximize FPS for competitive play

Take time to tweak and test settings in the games you play most:

• Start by setting resolution based on your target FPS
• Then adjust quality settings while monitoring FPS
• Run built-in benchmarks to stress test performance

The goal is finding your perfect balance between visual quality, resolution, and FPS target for your specific setup and games.

For example, here are sweet spot targets for different levels of hardware:

Hardware Tier	Target Resolution	FPS Target
Entry-level	1080p	60 FPS
Mid-range	1440p	100 FPS
High-end	1440p	120-144 FPS
Ultra Enthusiast 4K	4K	60 FPS+

There‘s always an inevitable tradeoff between resolution, graphics fidelity, and frame rate. Focus on what matters most to your enjoyment – whether that‘s eye candy, higher FPS, or crispness of higher resolution.

Summary – Key Refresh Rate vs FPS Takeaways

Alright my friend, let‘s recap the key things to remember:

• Refresh rate depends on your display hardware, while frame rate depends on your GPU and game.

• To benefit from high FPS like 120, you need a matching high refresh rate monitor.

• Ideally, match your display‘s refresh rate to your target in-game FPS 1:1.

• 120Hz provides a massive boost over 60Hz for fluidity and responsiveness.

• You‘ll need robust modern hardware to run demanding games at 120+ FPS.

• Find your personal sweet spot between visuals and frame rate.

Equipping your battlestation with a high refresh rate monitor that can fully leverage the FPS power of new GPUs and consoles unlocks incredibly smooth, responsive gameplay.

A 144Hz or 120Hz display combined with 120+ FPS is a glorious gaming experience! Let me know if you have any other questions. Game on!