What is hz (hertz)?
You just finished building your PC, you plug it in, but it looks pretty similar to your previous PC. When looking into purchasing a monitor, you might notice in the technical specifications that it says 60hz, 120 hz, 144hz, or possibly higher. What is that, and why is it important to you? Well, fellow reader, you are about to learn about hz (hertz) and what they bring to the table.
Hertz Explained
Let’s dive into some nerdy details about Hertz (Hz) so we can try and have a better understanding of how it relates to your gaming pc. Hertz is a unit of frequency, a unit of frequency that is the same as one second. One hert equals one second. Hertz are used not only in computer terminology, but vibration and electromagnetic radiation as well. However, we will be discussing the computer side of things. Fun fact, though, the average adult human can hear between 20Hz and 16,000Hz. Wild.
How does HZ affect FPS?
We covered this a bit in our other blog, Frame Rate vs Refresh Rate! Frames per second (FPS) is the frequency in which an image is displayed. The more frames your PC can push out, the smoother the experience will be. However, all of this is negligible if your monitor can’t keep up! This is where HZ comes in. Monitors will typically be assigned a refresh rate. If your gaming computer is running a game at 200 FPS, but your monitor only has 60Hz refresh rate, then you might as well be running the game at 60 FPS. You won’t be able to see the difference.
Well, for one, if you are spending a pretty penny on your custom desktop PC, you want to be able to utilize it to its full potential, right? You’ll need to make sure your monitor is able to handle what your gaming PC can put out. However, a bigger reason is the competitive edge it brings in the gaming scene. Of course, if you are only into single player games it is just going to bring “smooth as butter” gameplay, depending on if the game is optimized correctly or not. Let’s circle back around to competitive gaming, though. This is where Hz matters A LOT. You want the response time and refresh rate to be top-notch, as that will lead to better reaction time and decision-making in the heat of the moment. Also, you will be shooting, swinging, turning, whatever the case may be much quicker.
Do I need to keep HZ in mind when building a PC?
If you are someone that is of the business enterprise or general use consumer, this might not affect you all that much. I can attest that it is much easier on my eyes having a higher refresh rate monitor, but that is just personal preference. Not to mention, there is a cost difference. Granted, it is tremendous, but there is one; especially if you are shooting for a higher resolution. Let’s look at some of the price differences!
LG 24” UltraGear FHD IPS – 144Hz
Acer KG272 – 144Hz
Those are just a couple computer monitors, different price points. A big thing to take into consideration is the brand, as well. I have been an Acer fan for a long time, so I have always paid a little more than a competitor for their monitors. They have been reliable, sleek, and fit my desk setup perfectly.
The beauty behind PC’s and what comes along with them is there is always a component, or a monitor, mouse, however you want to look at that will cater to what YOU need. If you are surfing the internet, you probably don’t need a 240Hz monitor, but if you are competitively competing in gaming tournaments, then that might be a good option. Whatever way you look at it, you learned something new today!
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