You've probably been confused at some point reading monitor or console specifications and wondered what on earth those numbers mean. It's very common to see a brand, like Sony with the PS5, boast about supporting 120Hz , while others talk about performing at 120FPS , leaving many users wondering if they're talking about the same thing or completely different concepts.
To get straight to the point, the first thing to understand is that one depends on the output hardware and the other on the processing hardware. They aren't synonymous, but rather they work together to ensure that what you see on screen is smooth and the game doesn't appear choppy, especially in titles with fast-paced action.
Understanding FPS and Hz
FPS, or frames per second, is basically the number of images your graphics card can generate in one second. If your PC or console is a beast, it can output more images, but here's the catch: it's useless for your graphics card to generate 200 frames if your screen is old and can only display 60. That's where Hertz (Hz) comes in , representing the screen's refresh rate , that is, how many times the panel can redraw the image per second.
When both values ​​are synchronized, the experience is fantastic. However, if you have a 120Hz monitor but your game only runs at 60FPS, you'll be seeing each frame twice, so you won't be taking full advantage of your screen's potential . Conversely, if you have 120FPS on a 60Hz screen, you'll be wasting processing power since the monitor can't display all those frames.
The impact on response time and fluency
If we analyze the numbers objectively, the change is most noticeable in the milliseconds (ms) between frames. When you play at 60Hz, the image updates every 16,6 ms. By jumping to 120Hz, that time drops to 8,33 ms, representing a 50% reduction in latency . It's a dramatic change that makes everything feel much smoother and more responsive.
Now, many people are obsessed with upgrading to 144Hz. If we do the math, going from 120Hz to 144Hz reduces the response time from 8,33ms to 6,94ms. While technically an improvement, it's only about 20%. For the vast majority of people, this difference is much less noticeable than the initial jump from 60Hz. Some people swear they experience incredible smoothness at 144FPS, but it's most likely a very rare case or someone with exceptional visual sensitivity, as the improvement is usually progressively smaller.
Is it worth investing in more Hz?
When buying equipment, you might face the dilemma of choosing between a 120Hz monitor with a slower response time or a super-fast 100Hz monitor (1 ms). This is where you need to consider your priorities. While 20Hz less might seem insignificant, image stability and panel response time also matter. If you're used to playing at 60Hz, anything above 100Hz will feel like a whole new world, and once you get used to it, going back will make the game feel like it's in slow motion or the animations are choppy.
In the console ecosystem, 120Hz has become the gold standard. Future generations will likely seek to optimize performance using frame generators to achieve even higher frequencies, but for the average user, stabilizing at 120Hz is already an incredible luxury that changes the way they play.
In short, while FPS represents your machine's ability to create images, Hz represents your screen's ability to display them. The most dramatic jump occurs when going from 60 to 120 Hz, as the time between frames is halved. However, from that point on, the gains in smoothness become increasingly subtle and depend heavily on each person's visual acuity.
