FPS vs Refresh Rate: What Is the Difference?

Published by

Jake Lim@jakelim_fps

FPS (frames per second) and refresh rate (Hz) are related but separate. FPS is a measurement of your GPU: how many frames it renders every second. Refresh rate is a measurement of your monitor: how many times per second the screen updates the image it displays. They work together, but they are not the same thing, and mismatches between them create specific visual problems.

The Simple Explanation

Your GPU is the kitchen, and your monitor is the delivery window. The kitchen (GPU) might produce 200 meals per minute (frames). But if the window can only pass through 60 meals per minute (60Hz), only 60 reach the customer. The rest are wasted, or multiple arrive at once and cause a pile-up (screen tearing).

Conversely, if the kitchen only makes 30 meals per minute but the window updates 60 times per minute, the window sometimes shows the same meal twice because nothing new is ready (this creates stuttering).

FPS vs Hz: Direct Comparison

What Happens When FPS and Hz Are Mismatched

FPS Higher Than Hz: Screen Tearing

When your GPU renders more frames per second than your monitor can show, the monitor starts displaying the next frame before finishing the current one. The result is a horizontal visual split or tear across the screen where two different frames show at the same time. This is screen tearing.

Example: GPU producing 200 FPS, monitor at 60Hz. The monitor refreshes partway through a new frame being delivered, creating a visible tear line.

FPS Lower Than Hz: Stuttering

When your GPU renders fewer frames than your monitor refreshes, the monitor has to show the same frame multiple times in a row. This produces visual stuttering where motion looks uneven despite a stable (but low) frame rate.

Example: GPU producing 40 FPS, monitor at 144Hz. Each frame is shown approximately 3.6 times before the next one arrives, but the timing is not perfectly even, causing stuttering.

The Ideal Scenario

The smoothest gaming experience comes from FPS matching or slightly exceeding your monitor's refresh rate, with consistent frame times (the time between each frame is even, not variable). This produces smooth, tear-free motion.

For a 60Hz monitor: target stable 60 FPS. For a 144Hz monitor: target 144 FPS. The exact match matters more than raw FPS numbers.

G-Sync and FreeSync: How They Solve the Mismatch

Variable refresh rate (VRR) technologies, branded as G-Sync (NVIDIA) and FreeSync (AMD), solve the tearing problem by making the monitor adjust its refresh rate to match the GPU's frame output in real time. Instead of the monitor refreshing at a fixed 144 times per second, it refreshes exactly when the GPU sends a new frame, eliminating tearing without requiring you to cap your FPS.

This means a G-Sync or FreeSync monitor shows a tear-free image even when your FPS varies between 60 and 144. The monitor dynamically matches each frame.

Common Setups and What to Target

Frequently Asked Questions