To answer your question, no, you do not necessarily need 240 FPS to take full advantage of a 240Hz monitor. Allow me to explain why.
First, let’s understand the relationship between frames per second (FPS) and the refresh rate of a monitor. FPS refers to the number of frames that your graphics card can render per second, while the refresh rate of a monitor refers to the number of times the monitor can refresh the screen in one second.
In the case of a 240Hz monitor, it can refresh the screen 240 times in a second, which means it can display up to 240 frames per second. However, this doesn’t mean that you must have a constant 240 FPS to fully utilize the monitor’s capabilities.
Having a higher FPS than the refresh rate of your monitor can still provide benefits. For instance, if you have a game running at 300 FPS on a 240Hz monitor, you may not see all 300 frames, but you will experience reduced input delay and smoother gameplay compared to running the game at 60 FPS on the same monitor.
When your FPS exceeds the refresh rate, the monitor will still display the latest frame it receives, resulting in a smoother experience. This is particularly noticeable in fast-paced games where quick reactions are crucial.
However, it’s important to note that there is a diminishing return on the benefits of higher FPS beyond the refresh rate of your monitor. The difference between 240 FPS and 300 FPS on a 240Hz monitor may not be as noticeable as the difference between 60 FPS and 240 FPS.
Additionally, achieving extremely high FPS can be demanding on your hardware. While some high-end graphics cards can handle it, not all systems will be able to consistently reach such high frame rates in modern, graphically intensive games.
Ultimately, it’s important to find a balance between FPS and your monitor’s refresh rate that suits your specific needs and hardware capabilities. While having a higher FPS can provide benefits, it’s not necessary to match the refresh rate of your monitor to fully enjoy its advantages.
Personal Experience:
As a gamer myself, I have used both 144Hz and 240Hz monitors. While playing games on my 240Hz monitor, I have experienced smoother gameplay even when my FPS was not consistently hitting 240. The reduced input lag and responsiveness were noticeable compared to playing on a lower refresh rate monitor. However, I also realized that there was a point where the difference in FPS beyond the refresh rate became less noticeable. Therefore, I found that aiming for a stable FPS slightly above the monitor’s refresh rate provided the best balance for my gaming experience.