Is 240Hz Good for Gaming? The Ultimate eSports Choice

I still remember the first time I saw a truly high-refresh-rate monitor in action. It was years ago at a friend’s house. He had just upgraded and was playing a fast-paced shooter. I’d been gaming on a standard 60Hz screen for my entire life and thought it was perfectly fine. Then, I took over the mouse and keyboard. The difference was immediate and staggering. The game didn’t just look smoother; it felt fundamentally different. It felt real.

That brings us to the big question on every competitive gamer’s mind today. We’ve gone from 60Hz to 144Hz, and now the standard for serious players is climbing even higher. So, is 240Hz good for gaming? The short answer is a definitive yes, especially if your goal is to compete at the highest level. However, the long answer is a bit more complicated. It’s a powerful tool, but it’s not a magic wand, and it’s certainly not for everyone.

This isn’t just about a number on a box. It’s about understanding what that number means for your gameplay, whether your PC can even handle it, and ultimately, if it’s the right investment for the games you love to play. Let’s dive in and unpack whether this premium feature is your next essential upgrade or just an expensive luxury.

More in Refresh Rates Category

Is 144Hz Good for Gaming

Is 180Hz Good for Gaming

Is 100Hz Good for Gaming

What Exactly Is 240Hz and Why Does It Matter?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s quickly break down the terminology. The “Hz” or Hertz of a monitor is its refresh rate. In simple terms, it’s the number of times your screen updates with a new image every single second.

Think of it like a flipbook.

• A 60Hz monitor is a flipbook showing you 60 different pages per second.
• A 240Hz monitor shows you a whopping 240 pages per second.

Consequently, with four times the information being displayed every second, the motion you see on a 240Hz screen is incredibly fluid. This added information results in a clearer, sharper image, especially when things are moving fast. For a gamer, that’s just about all the time.

How Does It Feel Different from 60Hz or 144Hz?

The leap from 60Hz to 144Hz is an experience most gamers describe as “night and day.” I certainly did. The first time I upgraded to 144Hz, I couldn’t believe I’d ever played without it. Suddenly, aiming felt more intuitive, and the blurriness I never knew was there had vanished. I honestly thought that was the peak—how could it possibly get any better?

Then I tried 240Hz.

The jump from 144Hz to 240Hz isn’t as dramatic as the initial 60-to-144 leap, but it is absolutely noticeable. It’s a change of refinement rather than a revolution.

• Tracking Targets: Following a fast-moving enemy as they strafe across your screen becomes significantly easier. The target appears to stutter less and follows a much smoother, more predictable path.
• Flick Shots: Your reaction to an enemy popping into view feels more connected. The delay between your mouse movement and the crosshair’s response on screen feels almost nonexistent.
• Reduced Motion Blur: In chaotic fights, the visual clarity is on another level. Each frame is on the screen for a shorter period, which drastically cuts down on motion blur and ghosting, letting you see enemy shapes more clearly through the chaos.

It’s about removing a layer of separation between you and the game. The world inside the monitor feels more solid and directly tied to your inputs.

Who Truly Benefits from a 240Hz Gaming Monitor?

This is where the conversation gets real. A 240Hz monitor is a specialized piece of equipment, and like any specialized tool, it excels in specific scenarios. For the vast majority of people, it’s probably overkill. But for a certain type of player, it’s become an essential part of their setup.

That player is the dedicated eSports competitor.

If your gaming life revolves around titles where split-second reactions and pixel-perfect aim determine victory, then you are the target audience. We’re talking about games like:

• Valorant
• Counter-Strike 2
• Apex Legends
• Overwatch 2
• Fortnite
• Call of Duty

In these games, a single frame can be the difference between landing a headshot and staring at a death screen. Therefore, maximizing the amount of visual information you receive is a direct path to improving your performance ceiling.

Are We Talking About a Real Competitive Advantage?

Absolutely. This isn’t just a placebo effect or marketing hype. Having a higher refresh rate gives you tangible advantages. When you see more frames per second, you are literally receiving information sooner than an opponent on a 60Hz screen. The time difference is measured in milliseconds, but in the world of competitive gaming, milliseconds are an eternity.

Studies on the subject have confirmed this. For instance, research conducted at institutions like Purdue University on human factors and high refresh rates has explored how these technologies impact player performance. The data consistently shows that higher refresh rates can lead to faster reaction times and better target acquisition. It’s a measurable edge.

Now, I need to be honest here. I tried a 240Hz monitor for the first time about three years ago, and it didn’t magically turn me into a professional player overnight. I still lost gunfights and made dumb mistakes. But what it did do was remove uncertainty. My aim felt more consistent. When I missed a shot, I knew it was my fault, not because the enemy skipped a few frames while strafing. That feeling of direct control is, for me, the biggest advantage.

What About Casual Gamers and Single-Player Experiences?

So, is 240Hz good for gaming if you’re not trying to go pro in Valorant? For most people, the answer is probably no. If your library is filled with cinematic, story-driven games, you’ll likely get more enjoyment from a monitor with a higher resolution or better color accuracy.

Think about these genres:

• RPGs (The Witcher 3, Elden Ring): In these games, visual splendor and immersion are key. A 1440p or 4K monitor at 60Hz or 120Hz will provide a much more breathtaking experience than 1080p at 240Hz.
• Strategy Games (Civilization VI, StarCraft II): While smoothness is nice, these games don’t rely on twitch reflexes. Your strategic mind is more important than your monitor’s refresh rate.
• Adventure Games (The Last of Us, God of War): You’re here for the story and the world. You’re better off investing in technology that makes that world look as beautiful as possible, like HDR (High Dynamic Range) and wider color gamuts.

For these experiences, 240Hz is a point of significantly diminishing returns. The money you’d spend on a top-tier 240Hz monitor and the powerful PC to run it could be better invested in a stunning 4K 120Hz display that will make your favorite virtual worlds truly pop.

Do You Have the Hardware to Actually Power a 240Hz Monitor?

This is perhaps the most critical—and often overlooked—part of the equation. Buying a 240Hz monitor without a PC that can consistently push 240 frames per second (FPS) is like buying a Ferrari and only driving it in school zones. You’re simply not getting what you paid for.

To take advantage of a 240Hz refresh rate, your computer’s hardware must be able to render 240 new frames every second. If your FPS drops to 150, your 240Hz monitor is effectively acting as a 150Hz monitor at that moment. Consistency is key.

Let’s Talk GPU: What Graphics Card Do You Need?

The graphics card (GPU) does the heavy lifting when it comes to rendering frames. To hit that golden 240+ FPS mark, you’re going to need a powerful, modern GPU.

Exactly how powerful depends entirely on the game you’re playing and the settings you use.

• For less demanding eSports titles like Valorant or CS2, you can often achieve 240+ FPS with a mid-to-high range card, something like an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, especially at 1080p with competitive settings (meaning, not everything on Ultra).
• For more demanding games like Apex Legends or Call of Duty: Warzone, you’ll need to step up to a higher-tier card. Think NVIDIA’s RTX 4070 or AMD’s RX 7800 XT and beyond to maintain a stable 240 FPS, even at 1080p.

The bottom line is you need to check benchmarks for the specific games you play with the GPU you have or are considering buying. Don’t just assume it will work.

Why Your CPU is More Important Than You Think

Here’s a trap I fell into myself a few years back. I bought a brand-new GPU, expecting a massive FPS boost, but my performance barely budged in my favorite shooter. The problem? My processor (CPU) was too old and slow. It was creating a “bottleneck,” holding my powerful new GPU back.

At lower resolutions like 1080p (the most common for 240Hz gaming), the CPU plays a huge role. It’s responsible for game logic, physics, and preparing data for the GPU. When you’re trying to generate a massive number of frames per second, the CPU can easily become the limiting factor.

I spent hours digging through forums and watching technical videos to finally understand the issue. It was a frustrating lesson in how a balanced system is crucial. To properly feed a 240Hz monitor, you’ll want a modern and powerful CPU, such as a recent Intel Core i5/i7 or an AMD Ryzen 5/7, to ensure your GPU can run at its full potential.

Is 240Hz Good for Gaming Beyond Just the Refresh Rate?

When you’re shopping for a monitor, the refresh rate is a huge headline feature, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. The overall quality of your gaming experience also depends heavily on other factors, like the panel type and resolution.

The Great Panel Debate: TN vs. IPS vs. VA

The screen technology, or “panel type,” determines a monitor’s characteristics regarding color, viewing angles, and response time.

• TN (Twisted Nematic): For a long time, TN was the undisputed king of competitive gaming. It offers the absolute fastest pixel response times, which helps eliminate any trace of ghosting or smearing. However, this speed comes at a cost: TN panels typically have poor color reproduction and limited viewing angles. Games can look washed out.
• VA (Vertical Alignment): VA panels are the masters of contrast. Blacks look deep and inky, which is great for atmospheric games. Their downside has traditionally been slower response times, which can lead to noticeable smearing in fast-moving scenes.
• IPS (In-Plane Switching): IPS panels are the champions of color accuracy and have great viewing angles. For years, they were considered too slow for competitive play. However, technology has advanced rapidly. Modern “Fast IPS” panels now offer response times that are nearly on par with TN panels while retaining their beautiful, vibrant colors.

Personally, I’ve made the switch and haven’t looked back. I used to be a TN purist, believing that every millisecond of response time was worth the sacrifice in visual quality. But today’s Fast IPS 240Hz monitors have completely won me over. I get the world-class speed I need for competitive play without having to stare at dull, lifeless colors. It’s the best of both worlds.

What About Resolution? 1080p vs 1440p

Resolution is the number of pixels on your screen, determining how sharp and detailed the image is. For a long time, 240Hz was exclusively a 1080p (1920×1080) feature. Pushing that many frames was already a huge challenge for hardware, and doing it at a higher resolution was nearly impossible.

Today, 1440p (2560×1440) 240Hz monitors are becoming more common, but they represent the absolute high-end of gaming. They require a top-of-the-line, no-compromise PC to run effectively.

This creates a fundamental choice for gamers: do you prioritize raw speed or visual fidelity?

• 1080p 240Hz: The eSports standard. Maximum performance, maximum smoothness. The image isn’t as sharp, but for competitive play, performance is everything.
• 1440p 144Hz/165Hz: The all-around sweet spot. A sharp, beautiful image with a very smooth and responsive feel. Excellent for a mix of competitive and single-player games.
• 1440p 240Hz: The premium enthusiast choice. The best of both worlds, but it comes with a massive price tag and requires a monster PC.

You have to ask yourself: Do you want to see the enemy with crystal clarity, or do you want to see them a split-second sooner? Your answer will guide you to the right choice.

The Financial Reality: Is a 240Hz Monitor Worth Your Money?

Let’s be blunt: 240Hz monitors are expensive. They represent a premium tier of gaming hardware, and you’re paying for that cutting-edge performance. When you also factor in the cost of the powerful PC components needed to drive it, the total investment can be substantial.

This is where you need to have an honest conversation with yourself about your priorities and your budget.

Understanding the Law of Diminishing Returns

In technology, the law of diminishing returns is a powerful concept. It means that as you spend more money, the performance gains you get for each extra dollar become smaller and smaller. This applies perfectly to monitor refresh rates.

• The jump from 60Hz to 144Hz: This is a massive, game-changing upgrade. The difference in smoothness and clarity is monumental. The value you get for your money is enormous.
• The jump from 144Hz to 240Hz: This jump is noticeable and beneficial for competitive players, but the difference is much less pronounced than the first jump. You’re paying a significant premium for a more subtle, refined improvement.

Think of it this way: going from 60Hz to 144Hz is like upgrading from a bicycle to a sports car. Going from 144Hz to 240Hz is like getting a professional tune-up and better tires for that sports car. It makes it faster, but it’s still the same car.

When Should You Consider a 144Hz or 165Hz Monitor Instead?

A 240Hz monitor is a fantastic piece of tech, but a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor is often the smarter choice for a wider range of gamers. You should probably stick with this sweet spot if:

• You’re on a budget. You can get a fantastic 144Hz/165Hz monitor for a fraction of the price of a 240Hz model.
• Your PC isn’t a high-end beast. If your system struggles to consistently push over 150 FPS, you won’t see any benefit from a 240Hz screen.
• You play a wide variety of games. If you love single-player epics as much as you love competitive shooters, a 1440p 144Hz monitor offers a much more balanced and versatile experience.
• You value resolution over speed. If you want a sharper, more detailed image for work, media consumption, and gaming, the clarity of 1440p at 144Hz will likely serve you better than the raw speed of 1080p at 240Hz.

Final Thoughts: The Right Tool for the Right Job

So, after all that, we come back to our original question. For the aspiring eSports athlete, the hardcore competitive enthusiast, the player who analyzes every death and strives for every possible advantage, the answer to “is 240Hz good for gaming” is an unqualified, resounding YES. It is the new standard for serious, high-level play. It provides a tangible advantage in smoothness, clarity, and responsiveness that can directly translate to better performance.

However, for everyone else, it’s a luxury, not a necessity. It’s a specialized tool for a specific task. If you’re a casual gamer who loves to explore vast open worlds or get lost in incredible stories, your money is almost certainly better spent on a monitor with a higher resolution, better colors, and superior contrast.

For me, after years of focusing on competitive titles, my 240Hz monitor is a piece of my setup I wouldn’t trade. It’s not magic; it’s a tool that removes one more barrier between my intentions and the game’s response. It gives me the clarity and confidence to know that my performance is truly my own. In the world of competitive gaming, that feeling is everything.

Frequently Asked Questions