February 18, 2026

Food with Mood

Food with Mood

I Paid Extra for This Laptop Monitor As a result of I Cannot Reside With out Its Finest Characteristic


Abstract

  • I received a 100Hz secondary monitor, and it is a lot smoother than my outdated 60Hz one.
  • 100Hz hits the candy spot, because it’s considerably smoother than 60Hz whereas nonetheless being inexpensive.
  • Even for a secondary monitor, you need to in all probability keep away from 60Hz except you discover a low-cost used one.

I used to suppose refresh price solely mattered for gaming. My secondary monitor was simply there to point out static textual content, whereas I went all-in with a 240Hz 1440p major show. Nonetheless, I made a decision to spend just a little further to get a 100Hz secondary monitor, and now I am glad I did.

There’s Little Cause to Purchase a 60Hz Monitor Anymore

Earlier than we dive in, here is a fast explainer for these of you who aren’t acquainted with the time period “refresh price.” It refers to what number of instances per second a show updates its contents (to maintain issues easy, let’s assume the FPS is equal to the refresh rate).

A 60Hz show refreshes 60 instances per second, whereas a 100Hz show refreshes 100 instances per second. That is why a better refresh price ends in smoother movement and animations.

To be sincere, I feel 60Hz displays are slowly turning into a factor of the previous, and that is a terrific factor. Relying on the place you are looking for displays, you may not even come throughout 60Hz shows anymore, as they’re largely being changed by larger refresh price fashions, even within the enterprise phase.

Credit score: Sydney Louw Butler / How-To Geek

I browsed via some displays on Amazon and needed to scroll fairly a bit to discover a 60Hz one—the SAMSUNG LC24F390FHNXZA. Humorously, its function set would not match its worth in any respect, so it is in all probability an older mannequin that simply by no means managed to promote out.

Realistically talking, if you browse Amazon, Walmart, Finest Purchase, or another on-line storefront, you are most probably going to come across refresh charges of a minimum of 100Hz. Even if you do discover 60Hz displays, they’re normally solely $10–$20 cheaper, so that they’re not precisely a cut price.

It makes extra sense to spend just a little further on certainly one of these inexpensive high-refresh-rate shows and use it as a secondary monitor, moderately than combating a uneven 60Hz panel for years.

Gaming displays on a deep low cost are normally the perfect deal, as they’ll provide refresh charges of 144Hz or extra, together with extra options for a similar worth as a normal enterprise monitor. Some good examples I would take into account for a secondary show are the ASUS TUF VG249QE5A, Philips 241V8LB, and ASUS VA249HG.

ASUS TUF VG249QE5A.

Model

ASUS

Display Measurement

24″

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG249QE5A is the proper 24-inch secondary monitor, because it gives a 1080p IPS panel with a refresh price of 144Hz. If you happen to’re on a finances, it may even function a major gaming monitor, thanks t o its clean refresh price and 1ms response time.
 


The one cause to ever take into account a 60Hz secondary monitor is that if you’ll find a used one regionally for an insanely low worth. I personally draw the road at round $40 for a used monitor, since you may by no means actually know its age or situation. To me, it makes extra sense to spend $100 on a brand new unit with a excessive refresh price and use it for years as your secondary monitor.

100Hz Is the Proper Stability Between Value and Smoothness

ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM 540Hz monitor at CES 2023. Credit score: Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

After my outdated secondary monitor, which I’d been utilizing for 15 years, caught on hearth final yr, I’ve been casually searching for a substitute over the previous few months.

I wasn’t positive if I ought to get a used 60Hz show for reasonable, as a result of that was one of many issues that all the time bothered me about my outdated secondary monitor. It was a 19-inch 1440×900 show arrange subsequent to a 1080p 140Hz monitor on the time, and the transition between the 2 all the time felt off. Now that I’ve a 240Hz monitor, I knew that going from 240Hz to 60Hz when shifting home windows could be much more jarring.

That is why I made a decision to pay a bit extra for a top quality monitor that comes with a guaranty and can possible final for a few years. I ultimately discovered the MSI PRO MP252. I had an inventory of pretty fundamental necessities, and this monitor checked all of the packing containers: a minimum of 24 inches in measurement, IPS panel, 100Hz+ refresh price, DisplayPort and HDMI connectivity, and a VESA mount so I may connect it to a monitor arm. At underneath $100, I thought-about it a good worth, particularly since lots of the gaming displays I checked out didn’t have a VESA mount, which was a deal-breaker for me.

MSI PRO MP252.

Model

MSI

Display Measurement

25″

The MSI PRO MP252 is a 24.5-inch enterprise monitor with a 1920×1080 decision and a 100Hz refresh price. It helps adaptive sync, is VESA mountable, has built-in audio system, and contains a number of Eye Care options to assist defend your eyesight.


The second I arrange my new monitor, I knew I had made the best selection. I attempted the basic refresh price check, dragging a window up and down throughout each screens, and whereas I may discover the distinction between the 2, it wasn’t practically as dramatic as you would possibly count on given the hole between 100Hz and 240Hz.

In reality, I can barely inform the distinction between my 120Hz TV and 240Hz monitor in non-competitive gaming, so utilizing a 100Hz screen for everyday Windows tasks is greater than ample.

I do know that 100Hz doesn’t sound like a lot, however it really is—100Hz is 66.7% quicker than 60Hz, and it’s a distinction virtually anybody can really feel. It makes any trendy laptop really feel a lot smoother to make use of. Even when the common individual can’t inform precisely why their PC feels smoother with a high-refresh-rate show, they’ll discover the distinction.

Surprisingly, what bothered me extra was the 1080p resolution, as I had grow to be so used to my 1440p monitor. Nevertheless, given the considerably larger costs of 1440p displays, it’s not one thing I’m prepared to spend extra cash on for a secondary show.


Whether or not you’re shopping for a major or secondary monitor, ensure it has a excessive refresh price. Not like different gamer-focused features like low response time or Adaptive Sync, a excessive refresh price is noticeable even throughout fundamental net searching or on a regular basis duties. It’s undoubtedly value spending just a few further bucks on!