Answer:
If your PC system can sustain over 240 frames per second, then a 360Hz gaming monitor is worth considering.
Keep in mind that the difference between 240Hz and 360Hz is subtle, but if you’re a professional or aspiring competitive gamer, it’s worth the investment as every millisecond counts.
The higher the refresh rate the better – as long as your frame rate can keep pace with the higher refresh rate, you get smoother performance and lower input lag, resulting in a more responsive gaming experience.
However, there are diminishing returns.
60Hz vs 144Hz vs 240Hz vs 360Hz
Going from 60Hz to 144Hz is a night and day difference while going from 144Hz to 240Hz is not as impactful, but it’s still noticeable.
The same goes for upgrading to 360Hz from 240Hz – it’s still not as game-changing as 60Hz vs 144Hz, but you can definitely feel and notice the subtle difference.
So – since in competitive gaming every millisecond counts, should you just get a monitor with the highest refresh rate available?
Or perhaps skip one generation for more noticeable improvements given that 360Hz feels considerably smoother than 144Hz?
AU Optronics has already announced 1080p 540Hz panels for 2023 – should you wait for those models instead?
Here’s the deal:
It all comes down to your budget, personal preference, video games that you play and what frame rate your CPU/GPU can sustain.
Additionally, it’s not only the refresh rate you should consider when choosing a monitor -other things that affect your gaming experience include:
- variable refresh rate technology
- pixel response time speed
- backlight strobing implementation (if available)
- panel type
- screen size and resolution
So, here are the gaming monitors we recommend, and you can choose one according to your preferences.
1080p 360Hz Gaming Monitors
If you want the smoothest performance possible and your PC can output over 360FPS, or at least close to it, we recommend the Acer XV252QF.
It has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, vivid colors and a quick response time speed. It’s overclockable to 390Hz, supports variable refresh rate and Motion Blur Reduction, which uses backlight strobing to reduce perceived motion blur.
This model is actually cheaper than the 360Hz G-SYNC variants yet it offers an extra 30Hz and it’s G-SYNC Compatible. Further, it can use backlight strobing all the way up to 390Hz, while the other models are limited to 240Hz.
1440p 240Hz Gaming Monitors
Alternatively, you might want to consider going with a 1440p 240Hz 1ms monitor, such as the Gigabyte M27Q-X instead.
The M27Q-X supports VRR and MBR up to 240Hz simultaneously. Further, it has an IPS panel with a wide color gamut for more saturated and rich colors. More distinct colors can also be helpful in competitive gaming as enemy players stand out more in certain environments.
Now, as we’ve already established, the difference between 240Hz and 360Hz is not that big, however, the difference between 1080p resolution on a ~24″ monitor and 1440p on a 27″ display is huge – and a lot of gamers will prefer the sharper and clearer image quality of 1440p to the benefits of 360Hz over 240Hz.
Keep in mind that getting 240FPS at 1440p is more demanding than getting 360FPS at 1080p, so whatever you decide to go for, double-check the benchmarks of your CPU/GPU for your favorite games.
Another thing you should check out is whether the games you play are FPS-capped. A lot of users run into certain issues when running Apex Legends at over 190FPS, for instance. So, in this case, a 360Hz monitor would be useless, but 240Hz would still provide you with some benefits over 144Hz.
1080p 240Hz Gaming Monitors
In case you just want a 1080p 240Hz display, we recommend waiting for the upcoming ViewSonic XG2431 with the Blur Busters Approved 2.0 backlight strobing technology.
If you’re not a fan of MBR, you can find great 1080p 240Hz gaming monitors for as low as $250, such as the Dell S2522HG or the LG 27GP750.
Upcoming Gaming Monitors
In 2023, we’ll be seeing the first 1080p 480Hz-540Hz and 1440p 360Hz gaming monitors, so you might want to keep an eye out for them; we keep track of all upcoming monitors in our New Monitors article.
Still not sure which gaming monitor is right for you? Feel free to leave us a comment below with your budget, PC specs and list of games you play, and we’ll help you out!
