Monitor Refresh Rate Calculator
Compare frame times and input latency across monitor refresh rates.
About Monitor Refresh Rate Calculator
Average latency from the display is half a frame time plus panel response, so going from 60 to 144 Hz saves about 5 milliseconds. Frames rendered above the refresh rate are never shown. Returns diminish sharply: 60 to 144 Hz halves frame time, while 144 to 240 Hz saves only another 2.8 milliseconds.
Formula
Monitor Refresh Rate
Frame time = 1,000 ÷ refresh rate; average display latency = half a frame + response time
- frame time
- Milliseconds each frame remains on screen
- half a frame
- Average wait for the next refresh, assuming random input timing
Worked example
With the default values below, Monitor Refresh Rate Calculator returns Average Display Latency of 7.472. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Refresh rateminimum 1 Hz
- 144 Hz
- Game frame rateminimum 1 fps
- 165 fps
- Panel response timeminimum 0 ms
- 4 ms
- Refresh rate to compare againstminimum 1 Hz
- 60 Hz
Results
- Average Display Latency
- 7.472 ms
- Frame Time
- 6.944 ms
- Frames Actually Displayed
- 144.0 fps
- Latency Saved Against the Comparison
- 4.861 ms
- Verdict
- Frame rate and refresh rate are well matched
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Monitor Refresh Rate
- 3Average Display Latency= 7.472 ms
- 4Frame Time= 6.944 ms
- 5Frames Actually Displayed= 144.0 fps
- 6Latency Saved Against the Comparison= 4.861 ms
- 7Verdict= Frame rate and refresh rate are well matched
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Monitor Refresh Rate calculated?
Frame time = 1,000 ÷ refresh rate; average display latency = half a frame + response time Average latency from the display is half a frame time plus panel response, so going from 60 to 144 Hz saves about 5 milliseconds. Frames rendered above the refresh rate are never shown.
Why does Monitor Refresh Rate matter?
Returns diminish sharply: 60 to 144 Hz halves frame time, while 144 to 240 Hz saves only another 2.8 milliseconds.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Refresh rate, Game frame rate, Panel response time, Refresh rate to compare against. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.