Is 240Hz overkill for laptop?
As an avid gamer and content creator, I get asked a lot if choosing a 240Hz refresh rate laptop is overkill. My unequivocal answer is no – I firmly believe 240Hz displays still provide very tangible benefits for both gamers and competitive esports players given the continued advancement of gaming hardware.
Why 240Hz is Not Overkill for Laptops
Higher Refresh Rates Directly Translate to Smoother Gameplay
At its core, a 240Hz display refreshes the image on screen 240 times per second. That‘s 4x faster than the 60Hz displays that are still commonplace and ~70% faster than 144Hz screens. The more images rendered per second, the smoother and more fluid gameplay becomes.
This is especially critical for fast paced competitive titles like Apex Legends, Valorant, and Overwatch 2. Being able to react quicker and precisely track moving targets gives you an edge over the opposition.
| Refresh Rate | Frames Per Second | % Faster than 60Hz |
|---|---|---|
| 60Hz | 60 fps | N/A |
| 144Hz | 144 fps | 140% |
| 240Hz | 240 fps | 300% |
Higher refresh rates translate directly to crucial lower input lag. That‘s the time delay between moving your mouse and seeing the reaction on screen. Cutting this down allows for much snappier reactions and reflex shots.
[Image showing difference in input lag between 60Hz and 240Hz displays]Latest GPUs Can Consistently Drive 240+ FPS
Pushing frame rates this high in the past required expensive dedicated gaming PCs with top-end graphics cards. But GPU performance continues to advance at a rapid pace.
Nvidia‘s latest 4000 series laptop GPUs like the RTX 4080 can now readily drive 240+ fps in popular competitive games, even at high graphical settings in 1440p resolution. AMD‘s RX 7000 series laptop chips rival them as well.
Let‘s take mega popular title Apex Legends as an example. The RTX 4080 drives frame rates well over the 240 fps threshold consistently, even with demanding settings. That allows you to fully capitalize on 240Hz displays.
[Frame rate benchmarks for Apex Legends with RTX 4080]Plus AAA single player titles easily achieve buttery smooth frame rates above 144 fps. So you benefit for all game types with minimal input lag and fluid frames.
Esports Players Overwhelmingly Prefer 240Hz
The clearest validation comes from esports professionals who essentially play games for a living. Their performance depends on reliably high frame rates and low lag.
Across top titles like CS:GO, League of Legends, and DOTA 2 – esports players overwhelmingly opt for 240Hz monitors, and sometimes even 360Hz displays to eliminate artifacts.
Given gaming laptops now deliver equivalent specs to dedicated rigs, they almost universally opt for 240Hz / 360Hz screens during tournaments. That says it all for 240Hz gaming displays still offering tangible competitive improvements.
You Can Absolutely Perceive the Difference from 144Hz
A question that comes up often – can you even tell the difference between 144Hz and 240Hz given the human eye can‘t necessarily see faster than 200 fps?
While the gains are less dramatic than the massive upgrade from 60 Hz standard screens, they are definitely still noticeable and measureable side-by-side.
[Split screen video showing difference in smoothness for 60Hz vs 144Hz vs 240Hz displays]Everything appears slightly more fluid, graphics render faster, and imprecise aiming motions or controller drift is minimized. I‘d equate it to going from 30 fps to 60 fps in game settings – very clear upgrade for competitive gaming scenarios.
When Does a 240Hz Laptop Screen Make Sense?
I believe a 240Hz display offers benefits for all gamers, but is an absolute must-have if:
- You play fast paced competitive multiplayer games (FPS, MOBA, RTS titles)
- You plan to connect your laptop to a high refresh rate external monitor
- You prefer 1080p resolution for maximize frame rates
- You want to future proof for even more powerful GPUs
Casual gamers playing slower paced single player games won‘t benefit quite as much. A solid 144Hz screen saves costs while still providing excellent performance. But for hardcore and esports gamers chasing every last fps, 240Hz represents the current sweet spot display technology has to offer.
Future Proofing Your Gaming Laptop Investment
My final rationale for opting 240Hz displays is future proofing. Laptops already rival dedicated gaming PCs and hardware keeps advancing rapidly. We saw a massive performance uplift from Nvidia‘s 3000 to 4000 series ray tracing GPUs.
Next-gen graphics combined with continually improving display panels means hitting 360Hz+ refresh rates at 1440p resolutions will be possible for laptops in just a few years.
By investing in at least a 240Hz screen today, you guarantee your laptop won‘t be a performance bottleneck when even faster GPUs invariably arrive. That helps protect your investment for several upgrade cycles rather than limiting frame rate potential.
The Verdict – Still Plenty of Headroom!
In summary, as both a gamer and hardware analyst, I believe 240Hz gaming laptop displays still have plenty of headroom left and are certainly not overkill for 2023. The measurable improvements in fluidity, response times, and input lag make it the definitive choice for competitive multiplayer and esports.
And as GPU power continues ramping up quickly, you‘ll be able to enjoy buttery smooth triple digit frame rates in demanding titles for years to come!
So when choosing that next gaming laptop, I‘d strongly recommend skipping past 60Hz, consider 144Hz, but settle for nothing less than a 240Hz display paired with the latest RTX/Radeon GPU to maximize performance potential both now and for future game releases.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
