Quick Answer
For someone who is a hardcore gamer or one who is into competitive gaming, getting a 144hz monitor is worth it, most especially since you will have superior refresh rates. Nonetheless, if you are just a casual gamer, it may not be entirely worth it because, at a range of $600, it is a heavy price to pay for something you will only use casually without taking advantage of its full potentials.
For many years, the 60hz monitor has remained the standard in the gaming community and we have practically come to be comfortable with it, or almost completely. That was until a few years ago when the 144Hz monitor got to hit the market. Although it comes with its fair share of benefits, it also came as you would expect, with a huge price which kept many at the crossroads wondering if it is even worth it.
Before taking a look at that, let me point out that as far as gaming is concerned, every millisecond in speed is as important as every second, every minute, and even more. More so, every blur, tear, a shift in position, and whatever you have, can likewise be very important to the outcome of a game.
For those that are new, the refresh rate is essentially the rate or speed at which images on your monitor are able to change or refresh. It is determined by the hertz (Hz), which is the number of times that images can update every second.
While you get to have 24Hz in cinemas, you get 50hz to 60 with some TVs and the latter is also what a standard monitor offers. Nevertheless, recent gaming monitors have offered us 144hz display with some even heading as high as 240Hz.
What are the benefits of getting a 144hz monitor for gaming
The most important thing you get with monitors that have higher refresh rates is that you get massive smoothness and response. When playing a racing game, FPS, or any gaming that has to do with any movements, typically, when you make a quick turn or movement, the images would not be smooth for some milliseconds before it smoothens. This is caused by having a lower refresh rate.
With a 144hz monitor, you are not going to get this problem because it is able to handle as much as 120 frames per second which is very significant considering that only 75 frames per second is what is rendered by a 60Hz display, leading to the roughness or screen tearing which happens because the display is unable to get the frames at the right time that the GPU sends them.
In addition to that, you will get less blurring of images than with a display that has a lower refresh rate. As pointed out above, because the response is slow, the transitioning of images from executing an action and seeing the effect can take a little time. This is a very significant problem that higher refresh rates have been able to solve.
If you are a casual gamer or if you have not tried using the 144hz monitor, you may hardly realize this, but as soon as you change monitors, you will get to notice how hard life has been for you. If you are a competitive gamer, on the other hand, playing with an opponent who makes use of a higher or lower frame rate monitor can take from you or give you the gaming advantage.
Disadvantages
Even though the argument mostly supports going for a 144Hz monitor, there is also the other side of the story. The monitors mostly feature TN panels which as you have probably known by now, are not exactly the saints when it comes to good monitor panels because while they do not offer the best viewing angles, you also have the issue of color reproduction.
If you consider that as too big of a problem, the good news is that there are a good number of IPS panel monitors that are now hitting the market. You will get better color reproduction and viewing angle, but that will cost you much more in price than the TN panel.
See Also: Is OLED Monitor Worth The Price? Here’s What We Recommend
Another thing that can turn a gamer off with the 144hz monitor is the price. You will be able to get a TN monitor in the 600 dollar range, but when you decide to go for the IPS panel monitor, you may find yourself squeezing out over a hundred dollars more. Compared to monitors of lower refresh rates, that is significantly expensive, most especially for someone who is not a hardcore gamer.
Is it worth it?
Considering everything, it is very much worth it for a true and dedicated gamer to get 144HZ gaming monitor. As indicated, it can be the determining factor in winning or losing for a competitive gamer. It even becomes more important for someone who plays FPS games or racing games.
But then, as again pointed out, it is entirely not worth it for someone who just plays games as a by-the-way thing. On one hand, you have a price that is too much to pay and on the other, you have a feature that may not get to make any difference to your gaming since you will not take full advantage of it.
Apart from gaming, higher refresh rate display will also be beneficial for you if you are watching movies and other things, but spending that much may not be worth it.
Conclusion
A million things can be said on whether or not you should get a monitor with a higher refresh rate, but after all has been said, there will still be more to be done if it has not been done already. I am talking about other components such as a good graphics card, processor, and other components that would enhance your overall gaming experience. This is because getting a good monitor is only one part of the trick to achieving great visuals, and all other components are also likewise important, most especially the GPU.
Hence, whether you decide that having a monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate is good for you or not, ensuring that all other components are great will also be important for the display you get.
