What are the pros and cons of high fps vs low fps in gaming? (2024)

  1. All
  2. PC building

Powered by AI and the LinkedIn community

1

What is fps and refresh rate?

Be the first to add your personal experience

2

Why is high fps desirable?

Be the first to add your personal experience

3

What are the drawbacks of high fps?

Be the first to add your personal experience

4

Why is low fps undesirable?

Be the first to add your personal experience

5

What are the benefits of low fps?

Be the first to add your personal experience

6

How to choose the best fps for your gaming?

Be the first to add your personal experience

If you are a PC gamer, you probably care about how smooth and responsive your games look and feel on your monitor. One of the factors that affects your gaming experience is the frame rate, or how many times per second your screen updates with a new image. Frame rate is measured in frames per second, or fps. In this article, we will explain what are the pros and cons of high fps vs low fps in gaming, and how they relate to your monitor's refresh rate and your hardware.

Find expert answers in this collaborative article

Experts who add quality contributions will have a chance to be featured. Learn more

What are the pros and cons of high fps vs low fps in gaming? (1)

Earn a Community Top Voice badge

Add to collaborative articles to get recognized for your expertise on your profile. Learn more

1 What is fps and refresh rate?

Fps and refresh rate are two different but related concepts. Fps is the number of frames that your graphics card (GPU) can produce and send to your monitor in a second. Refresh rate is the number of times that your monitor can display those frames in a second. Refresh rate is measured in hertz, or Hz. For example, a 60 Hz monitor can display up to 60 frames per second, while a 144 Hz monitor can display up to 144 frames per second.

Add your perspective

Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)

2 Why is high fps desirable?

High fps is desirable because it can make your games look smoother, more realistic, and more immersive. High fps can also reduce input lag, which is the delay between your mouse or keyboard actions and the corresponding response on the screen. Input lag can affect your performance and accuracy in fast-paced or competitive games. High fps can also prevent screen tearing, which is a visual artifact that occurs when your GPU produces more frames than your monitor can display, resulting in a mismatched or split image.

Add your perspective

Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)

3 What are the drawbacks of high fps?

High fps is not always better, and it can have some drawbacks. First of all, high fps requires more powerful and expensive hardware, such as a high-end GPU, CPU, and RAM. You may also need to lower your graphics settings or resolution to achieve high fps in some games. Second, high fps can cause more heat and noise from your PC components, which can affect their lifespan and performance. Third, high fps may not be noticeable or beneficial if your monitor's refresh rate is lower than your fps. For example, if you have a 60 Hz monitor and you get 120 fps in a game, you will only see 60 frames per second on your screen, while the rest will be wasted.

Add your perspective

Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)

4 Why is low fps undesirable?

Low fps is undesirable because it can make your games look choppy, blurry, and laggy. Low fps can also increase input lag, which can make your games feel sluggish and unresponsive. Low fps can also cause stuttering, which is a sudden drop or spike in fps that can disrupt your gameplay and immersion. Stuttering can be caused by various factors, such as background processes, driver issues, or insufficient hardware.

Add your perspective

Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)

5 What are the benefits of low fps?

Low fps is not always worse, and it can have some benefits. First of all, low fps requires less powerful and cheaper hardware, which can save you money and energy. You may also be able to enjoy higher graphics settings or resolution with low fps in some games. Second, low fps can reduce heat and noise from your PC components, which can improve their longevity and stability. Third, low fps may not be noticeable or detrimental if your monitor's refresh rate is higher than your fps. For example, if you have a 144 Hz monitor and you get 60 fps in a game, you will still see 60 frames per second on your screen, while the rest will be filled in by your monitor.

Add your perspective

Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)

6 How to choose the best fps for your gaming?

Choosing the best fps for your gaming is a personal preference, as it depends on your game genre and hardware. Generally, aim for at least 30 fps for most games, as anything lower can be unplayable and unpleasant. For fast-paced or competitive games, such as shooters, racers, or fighters, aim for 60 fps or higher to benefit from smoother and more responsive gameplay. To avoid screen tearing or stuttering, match your fps to your monitor's refresh rate or use a feature like V-Sync, G-Sync, or FreeSync. Experiment with different graphics settings and resolutions to find the optimal balance between fps and visual quality for your games. Additionally, it is recommended to monitor your fps with tools like Steam overlay, MSI Afterburner, or FRAPS to see how your games perform and adjust accordingly.

Add your perspective

Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)

PC building What are the pros and cons of high fps vs low fps in gaming? (5)

PC building

+ Follow

Rate this article

We created this article with the help of AI. What do you think of it?

It’s great It’s not so great

Thanks for your feedback

Your feedback is private. Like or react to bring the conversation to your network.

Tell us more

Report this article

More articles on PC building

No more previous content

  • How do you find the right BIOS version and source for your new CPU? 3 contributions
  • How do you compare DLSS with other upscaling techniques like FSR or TAA? 3 contributions
  • What are the best practices for maintaining and cleaning liquid cooling components? 1 contribution
  • What are the pros and cons of overclocking your monitor refresh rate? 4 contributions
  • What are some creative ways to use RGB strips and controllers in your PC build?
  • How do you adjust the fan curves and profiles for a quieter CPU cooling? 1 contribution
  • What are the latest trends and innovations in thermal paste alternatives and cooling solutions? 2 contributions

No more next content

See all

More relevant reading

  • Game Development What are the common misconceptions about input lag and gaming keyboards?
  • Game Development How does windowed mode gaming impact your computer's performance?
  • Gaming Industry What do you need to know before building your first gaming PC?
  • Game Development What are the benefits of enabling vertical sync in gaming?

Are you sure you want to delete your contribution?

Are you sure you want to delete your reply?

What are the pros and cons of high fps vs low fps in gaming? (2024)

FAQs

What are the pros and cons of high fps vs low fps in gaming? ›

Low FPS implies that the game is struggling to render enough frames each second, resulting in choppy or laggy gameplay. On the other hand, high FPS signifies that your computer has no problem rendering every frame quickly, resulting in a smoother gaming experience overall.

Is it better to have low FPS or high FPS? ›

Keeping your frame rate (FPS) high leads to a smoother, more immersive experience. Update game software and graphics drivers regularly to help resolve performance issues. Try turning down shadows, reflections, and lighting options in the in-game settings menu to raise FPS.

What are the disadvantages of high FPS? ›

3 What are the drawbacks of high fps? High fps is not always better, and it can have some drawbacks. First of all, high fps requires more powerful and expensive hardware, such as a high-end GPU, CPU, and RAM. You may also need to lower your graphics settings or resolution to achieve high fps in some games.

What are the disadvantages of low FPS? ›

  • Motion Blur: Lower frame rates may exhibit more noticeable motion blur in fast-action scenes, potentially reducing video quality.
  • Incompatibility with High Motion: They might not be suitable for content with rapid motion, such as sports, as it can result in choppy or less fluid visuals.
Apr 29, 2024

How many FPS is good for gaming? ›

What should my FPS be for optimal performance? In general, most gamers recommend aiming for at least 60 FPS for smooth gameplay experience. However, this depends on the type of game you're playing some genres require more intensive graphics than others and thus require higher frame rates to function properly.

Is 200 FPS good for gaming? ›

Most PC gamers aim to achieve frame rates in this range. 90-144 FPS: Criminally smooth. If the average for a game is in this range, that should mean it's never dipping below 60 FPS ever. 144-200 FPS: The smoothest of the smooth.

Why is low FPS bad? ›

These problems are typically due to insufficient processing power, memory, or other hardware limitations, resulting in choppy and stuttering graphics and hindering the immersive experience for players. The optimal FPS range falls within 30 to 60 FPS, as it balances smooth gameplay and visual fidelity.

Is High FPS bad for eyes? ›

Your eyes do not have a framerate. There is no polling rate for your retina or your optic nerve. Your eyes have a response time that varies from person to person, and from brightness to color.

Can too much FPS be bad? ›

Does having too high of an FPS hurt gaming performance? Having too high of an FPS can theoretically create problems such as stuttering or screen tearing if not paired properly with other hardware components such as monitors or GPUs. So, make sure all parts are balanced correctly before attempting to raise the cap.

Can low FPS affect aim? ›

It does affect aim people playing on higher fps will find it smoother to aim between enemies while people on lower fps might have to put a litlle effort in killing enemies.. Basically since the more frames you get the easier it is to track(aim) your enemy.

Does higher FPS make it slower? ›

When choosing your frame rate, you'll want to keep in mind that the higher the frame rate, the slower the slow motion will be. For example, videos recorded in 60fps or 120fps will then be slowed down to a 24ps frame rate, which creates that smooth slow-motion effect.

Is 40 FPS too low? ›

40 FPS practically stands in the exactly in the middle between 30 and 60 FPS in terms of frametimes and "perceived" smoothness. But it is beyond that. Consoles often employ VSYNC to lock to certain framerates. VSYNC is a thing that adds MORE and MORE latency the less framerates you have.

Is 120 FPS overkill? ›

well, 120fps reduces latency quite a lot compared to 60fps. So you basically get faster reaction time, and this is worth a lot in competitive action games.

How many FPS does the human eye see? ›

Your eye sees changes in color (without a change in brightness) at approximately 30 frames per second, but that's not the only thing that our eyes can make out. Change in brightness can be distinguished at closer to 60 frames per second, and movement across the retina is closer to 100 frames per second.

Is 120 FPS good for Fortnite? ›

What is a good FPS for Fortnite? That depends on the level of performance you want to achieve. As a rule of thumb, 30–60 FPS would fall towards the lower end of the scale, while 120-240 FPS would reside towards the higher end of the scale.

Is 120 FPS good for gaming? ›

Once you've played games at 120fps, it's hard to go back. Not only is everything gloriously smooth, but there's evidence to suggest that improved frame rates can improve reaction times, potentially giving you a competitive advantage in those all-important multiplayer sessions.

Should I use 60 FPS or 50 FPS? ›

50fps (UK and Europe) and 60fps (US and other places): high frame rate with much more detail making it the best frame rate for 4K resolution videos. Those or higher frame rates like 120fps are usually used to shoot slow-motion videos.

Is it good to have low FPS? ›

FPS, or “Frames Per Second,” represents the number of individual frames or images displayed on the screen every second. This metric directly impacts the visual fluidity and overall smoothness of a video game, and a low FPS indicates the computer struggles to render and display frames quickly enough.

Is 30 FPS better than 60 FPS for gaming? ›

For it comes down to this: 60FPS = smoother and an ideal target. 30FPS = frames enough to create the illusion of moviment, no human being can actually see individual frame transition at this rate.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Gregorio Kreiger

Last Updated:

Views: 6137

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Gregorio Kreiger

Birthday: 1994-12-18

Address: 89212 Tracey Ramp, Sunside, MT 08453-0951

Phone: +9014805370218

Job: Customer Designer

Hobby: Mountain biking, Orienteering, Hiking, Sewing, Backpacking, Mushroom hunting, Backpacking

Introduction: My name is Gregorio Kreiger, I am a tender, brainy, enthusiastic, combative, agreeable, gentle, gentle person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.