Refresh Rate
Refresh rate is how many times each second a screen redraws the picture, measured in hertz (Hz).
On this page 3 sections
Refresh rate is the number of times a screen redraws its picture every second. It is measured in hertz (Hz). A 60Hz screen redraws 60 times a second. A 120Hz screen redraws 120 times.
How it works
A screen shows motion as a quick series of still pictures, called frames. More refreshes per second means a shorter gap between frames, so movement such as scrolling or swiping looks smoother and touch feels more immediate. The time between two refreshes falls as the rate rises, from about 16.7 milliseconds at 60Hz to about 8.3 milliseconds at 120Hz.
What the numbers mean
- 60Hz: the long-standing standard for screens.
- 90Hz and 120Hz: common on newer phones and tablets.
- 144Hz and above: seen on gaming monitors and laptops.
- Adaptive or variable: the screen changes its rate by itself, from low for still pages to high for motion, to save power.
What it does not promise
Refresh rate is not the same as frame rate. A screen can only show the frames that the content provides, so a film made at 24 frames per second looks the same on a 60Hz or a 120Hz screen. A high rate also does not improve brightness or colour, and it draws more power than a low one.