“More FPS is always better” is one of the most common oversimplifications in PC gaming. The reality involves your monitor’s refresh rate, how the two numbers interact, and several technologies designed specifically to handle the mismatch between them. Here’s the complete picture.
The core distinction
FPS (Frames Per Second) is how many individual images your GPU renders and sends to the display each second. This depends on your graphics card, CPU, game settings, and the specific game’s demands.
Hz (Hertz), or refresh rate, is how many times per second your monitor physically redraws the image on screen. This is a fixed hardware property of your display — a 60Hz monitor redraws 60 times per second regardless of what’s being shown.
These are related but independently determined — your GPU doesn’t know or care what your monitor’s Hz is unless you’ve enabled a syncing technology, and your monitor will display whatever frames arrive at its fixed refresh interval, dropping or repeating frames as needed.
Why higher FPS than your Hz doesn’t help
If your GPU outputs 200 FPS but your monitor is 60Hz, your monitor still only refreshes 60 times per second — you cannot see more than 60 distinct images per second on that display, regardless of how many your GPU produces. The “wasted” frames beyond your monitor’s Hz aren’t entirely useless (they can still slightly reduce input lag in some configurations), but the smoothness benefit caps out at your monitor’s refresh rate.
Why higher Hz than your FPS doesn’t help either
The reverse is also true — a 240Hz monitor showing a game running at 60 FPS will still only display 60 unique images per second; the monitor simply redraws the same frame multiple times between new ones arriving. You won’t see smoother motion than 60 FPS actually provides, even though the monitor is technically capable of much more.
What happens when they don’t match: screen tearing and stutter
When FPS and Hz aren’t synchronized, you can get screen tearing — where the top and bottom portions of the display show different frames at the same time, creating a visible horizontal split during fast motion. This happens because the monitor is mid-refresh when a new frame arrives, showing part of the old frame and part of the new one.
You can also get stutter, where frame delivery is inconsistent even if the average FPS looks fine, causing perceptibly uneven motion.
Technologies that manage the FPS/Hz relationship
V-Sync (Vertical Sync) caps your FPS to match your monitor’s Hz, preventing tearing by ensuring frames are only sent at the monitor’s refresh intervals. The tradeoff is added input lag, and if your GPU can’t consistently hit the Hz target, V-Sync can cause more noticeable stutter as it waits for the next refresh cycle.
G-Sync (NVIDIA) and FreeSync (AMD) take the opposite approach — instead of capping FPS to match Hz, they let the monitor’s refresh rate dynamically adjust to match whatever FPS the GPU is currently producing, within the display’s supported range. This eliminates tearing without the input lag penalty of traditional V-Sync, and is generally considered the better solution when your GPU’s output fluctuates, which is most of the time in real-world gaming.
Measure your setup
Use our Refresh Rate & FPS Test to see both numbers in real time. The tool reports your monitor’s actual refresh rate and your current frame rate. If FPS is significantly below your monitor’s Hz, you are GPU-limited. If FPS is above your monitor’s Hz and you see tearing, you need V-Sync or a variable refresh rate technology.
So what should you actually aim for?
Match your FPS to your Hz as closely as possible, ideally with FPS at or slightly below your monitor’s maximum Hz if you’re not using G-Sync/FreeSync, or let adaptive sync handle it if you have a compatible monitor and GPU. A 144Hz monitor paired with a GPU that reliably produces 120-144 FPS in your games gives you a genuinely smoother experience than a 240Hz monitor paired with a GPU that only manages 80 FPS.
For competitive, fast-paced games, prioritize consistent frame times (fewer stutters) over chasing the highest possible average FPS number — a stable 100 FPS with no dips often feels better and performs better than an average of 130 FPS with frequent drops to 70.
Common misconceptions
- “A 240Hz monitor makes any game look smoother.” Only if your GPU can actually produce frames at or near that rate — otherwise you’re not getting the benefit the monitor is capable of.
- “FPS above my monitor’s Hz is completely wasted.” It’s mostly wasted for visual smoothness, but can still marginally reduce input lag in certain configurations, which is why some competitive players still target FPS above their monitor’s Hz even without seeing every frame.
- “V-Sync is always the right choice to prevent tearing.” G-Sync/FreeSync generally provides a better experience with less input lag penalty, if your hardware supports it.
- “Refresh rate and frame rate are basically the same thing.” They’re related but distinct — one is a fixed hardware property of your display, the other is a variable output of your GPU and game settings.