Can You See 240 FPS on a 144Hz Monitor?

The short answer is yes! You can absolutely run games at 240 frames per second (fps) on a 144Hz monitor. However, that 144Hz refresh rate means only 144 of those 240 fps will actually be displayed.

But there are still competitive advantages to running at an fps higher than your monitor‘s maximum refresh rate. Let‘s dig deeper…

Refresh Rates and Response Times

First, a quick refresher on monitor refresh rates and response times:

• Refresh rate: How many times per second a monitor updates with a new image (measured in Hz or FPS)
• Response time: How fast a monitor‘s pixels can change color (measured in ms)

Here‘s how a 144Hz and 240Hz monitor compare:

As you can see, at 240Hz the screen updates nearly 3ms faster than a 144Hz display. This speedier response time is a key benefit.

Perceiving High Frame Rates

The human eye and brain can perceive differences in frame rates far beyond 60 fps. According to research, most people start to see improvements up until about 150 fps. After that gains become more subtle, but still measurable and beneficial.

So while 240 fps on a 144Hz monitor seems wasteful, your eyes and brain are still able to pick up on and take advantage of the faster rendering cycles and response times.

Genres and Games That Benefit

The benefits of 240Hz displays are most pronounced in competitive, fast-paced games where every millisecond counts:

• MOBAs: League of Legends, Dota 2
• Shooters: Fortnite, Apex Legends, Valorant, CS:GO, Overwatch
• Fighting Games: Super Smash Bros, Mortal Kombat

In addition to quick reactions, high frame rates give you smoother tracking of moving targets and help spot enemies sooner as you quickly scan the screen.

Slower paced or cinematic games like Red Dead Redemption 2 see fewer gains from such high frame rates. But competitive titles thrive on it!

Esports Players See Real Advantages

Why do so many pro streamers and esports players opt for 240Hz or even 360Hz monitors? Because at the highest level of competition, those extra milliseconds make a significant difference!

A 2021 study by Nvidia tested gamers on 60Hz vs 240Hz displays and found:

• Up to 3x faster reaction time improved aim, target acquisition and input speeds
• 2-5% boosts in scoring metrics like kills, damage, healing etc per match
• 7-15% increase in K/D ratio more kills, less deaths

So even though the full visual fidelity isn‘t realized on a 144Hz screen, you still get an edge from the faster internal rendering and response times when driving 240+ fps.

Hardware Requirements

Of course, achieving such high frame rates requires some seriously beefy gaming hardware:

• GPU: RTX 3070 Ti, RX 6800 XT or better
• CPU: Top-end Ryzen or Core i7/i9
• RAM: 16GB DDR4 minimum

With the right setup 240+ fps is achievable in esports titles. More demanding games will require reduced graphics settings.

Investing in a fast 240Hz monitor now gives you room to grow into with future GPU/CPU upgrades.

My Take As an Enthusiast Gamer

As both a recreational and competitive gamer, I think 240Hz monitors are excellent investments:

• Games feel more responsive, even when not breaking 144 fps
• Having overhead for dips under 240 fps avoids impacts to smoothness
• It‘s improved my K/D ratios and win percentages in games like Apex Legends
• Visual clarity tracking fast moving targets is improved
• Future GPU upgrades will let me fully utilize the 240Hz refresh rate

There is definitely an advantage to running 240 fps on a 144Hz screen. But to maximize the benefits, I do plan to upgrade to a 240Hz monitor soon!

Bottom line: If you‘re serious about gaining a competitive edge in your favorite multiplayer titles, I highly recommend the upgrade! Casual gamers can probably stick to more affordable 144Hz displays and achieve excellent results.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to chat gaming tech and share my experiences.