Refresh rate (measured in Hz) indicates how many times the screen refreshes per second. For example, 60Hz means 60 refreshes per second. Higher Hz (90, 120, 144) provides smoother visuals, especially for gaming and fast-moving content. Lower Hz means longer battery life. However, the human eye struggles to distinguish above 60Hz. Which matters more to you—is 60Hz sufficient, or do you need a higher value?
What is refresh rate and why does it matter?
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High refresh rate is really smooth, I switched to 120Hz and the movements in games felt much smoother, especially in FPS titles where the difference was immediately noticeable. I used to think 60Hz was enough, but now that I'm used to it, I'd recommend 90Hz+ 😅.
I’ll step away from the IoT topic for a moment, but it’s a recurring debate. In everyday use with my phone, I don’t notice a difference between 60Hz and 90Hz for regular tasks, but the stroke of a stylus in drawing apps or smooth scrolling on social media does stand out. What I *have* noticed is that when I bump it up to 120Hz or 144Hz (where the phone supports it), the battery drain skyrockets, and by the end of the day, the difference compared to 90Hz is almost nonexistent. Where it really shines is in gaming, especially fast-paced titles like FPS or MOBAs, where every frame counts. If you prioritize fluidity in games or animations, something above 90Hz is worth it, but for general use, 90Hz—or even 60Hz—is more than enough most of the time.
Thanks for the info, it really helped! For my mom, is 60Hz enough or should I go for something like 90Hz? Which one would she notice the difference more?
Refresh rate, measured in hertz (Hz), is a key parameter in modern displays because it defines how many times per second the image on the screen updates. But here’s the catch: more Hz doesn’t always mean better—you have to consider how your brain processes that information. For example, the long-standing standard of 60Hz is still optimal for most casual users: browsing, social media, or even some casual gaming won’t show a noticeable difference compared to 120Hz. The trick lies in the *human visual system*: according to applied neuroscience research on displays, our eyes detect abrupt changes between 45-60Hz, but beyond 90Hz, the improvement becomes more psychological (perceived smoothness) than truly visual.
Where high refresh rates *do* make a difference is in *dynamic content* or *precision tasks*. For video editors, 3D animators, or competitive gamers, 120Hz/144Hz isn’t a luxury—it’s a tool. On iOS, for instance, iPad Pros with ProMotion (adaptive 120Hz) use this range to reduce *motion blur* during smooth scrolling or in apps like Procreate. The critical factor here is the device’s *sampling*: if your screen runs at 120Hz but the system only renders 60 FPS, you won’t see any improvement at all. The hardware+software combo is everything.
And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: *battery life*. High refresh rate displays can consume up to 30% more power during active use (e.g., iPhone 13 Pro lasts fewer hours with ProMotion enabled vs. 60Hz mode). This is where smart solutions come in: features like *adaptive refresh rate* (Android 12+ or iPadOS) dynamically adjust Hz based on content. For the 90% of users who watch YouTube videos or scroll Instagram, 60Hz is more than enough... unless you already have a device built for those jumps, in which case the extra smoothness becomes addictive.
It depends on what you use it for. At home, most of my screens are 60Hz (TVs, dashboard tablets, etc.), and they're more than enough for watching series or regular content. But I have a 144Hz monitor for my PC to game on, and the difference is noticeable when moving the camera in fast-paced games. Before, I used 60Hz and found sudden movements looked like "jerks," but now with 144Hz, everything is as smooth as butter.
That said, for home automation, you don’t need anything fancy. My Home Assistant server is connected to a 60Hz TV, and I haven’t had any complaints. If you're into energy consumption graphs or animated sensor dashboards, 120Hz might be a nice extra, but 60Hz works perfectly fine and saves a lot more on battery or network usage.
Yo, totally valid. I also use a phone with a 90Hz display and honestly, it does eliminate what's called "ghosting"—way smoother in games and when scrolling. The difference compared to my old 60Hz phone is really noticeable at night.
I tried a 144Hz monitor for gaming, and honestly, the jump from classic 60Hz is noticeable. The smooth transitions in fast-paced games like FPS or racing gave me an edge, though for regular use (office work, browsing) it doesn’t make as much of a difference. That said, with static images or documents, there’s no noticeable improvement.