What is the difference between refresh rate and FPS?

Refresh rate (Hz) is how many times per second the screen redraws. Frame rate (FPS) is how many frames the computer produces. They are separate, and the lower one limits what you see.

Does higher FPS than my refresh rate help?

You will not see more frames than your refresh rate, but extra FPS can still slightly lower input latency. Matching FPS to refresh rate is the sweet spot.

What causes screen tearing?

Tearing happens when the frame rate and refresh rate are out of sync. V-Sync, G-Sync or FreeSync align them to stop it.

Refresh Rate vs Frame Rate (FPS) Explained

Quick answer: Refresh rate (Hz) is how many times per second your screen redraws; frame rate (FPS) is how many frames your computer produces. What you see is limited by whichever is lower, so both need to be high for smooth motion.

Check your numbers: open the FPS test.

The difference

Refresh rate is a property of the display, fixed at 60Hz, 144Hz and so on. Frame rate is produced by your graphics card and varies with the game and settings.

Why both matter

A 144Hz screen fed 60 FPS still only shows 60 new frames a second, and 144 FPS on a 60Hz screen is capped at 60. You only get the smoothest result when the display and the GPU are both high.

Screen tearing and sync

When FPS and Hz drift out of step you can get screen tearing. V-Sync, G-Sync and FreeSync synchronise them to remove it. For what Hz alone means, see refresh rate explained.

Confirm

Use the FPS test, and our guide to testing FPS for measuring in-game frame rates.