{"id":126929,"date":"2026-06-08T14:11:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T12:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/?p=126929"},"modified":"2026-06-08T14:15:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T12:15:10","slug":"what-south-african-gamers-must-know-about-refresh-rates-vs-fps-and-where-g-sync-and-freesync-come-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/features\/126929-what-south-african-gamers-must-know-about-refresh-rates-vs-fps-and-where-g-sync-and-freesync-come-in","title":{"rendered":"What South African gamers must know about refresh rates vs FPS &#8211; and where G-Sync and FreeSync come in"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Trying to figure out the best frame per second (FPS) output to match your monitor&#8217;s refresh rate (Hz) is confusing for many gamers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The maximum refresh rates of modern monitors typically range from 60Hz up to 360Hz &#8211; but the actual frame rate you should target will vary based on the games you play, as well as your GPU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many South Africans have older GPUs and are just trying their best to get 30 FPS without sacrificing too much image quality for most games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, even gamers with weak GPUs should prioritise higher frame rates for certain games &#8211; even at the expense of texture sharpness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a stronger GPU, you can aim for anywhere from 60 FPS upwards, with the specific FPS target varying on a per-game basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of this must also take into account factors like screen tearing, which can be jarring if you are not optimising your frame rate and refresh rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, whether you are looking to optimise your current rig without spending a cent, or you&#8217;re planning a full monitor and GPU upgrade, it pays to understand how these two metrics interact with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frame rate vs refresh rate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Comparing refresh rate and frame rate &#8211; or Frames Per Second (FPS) &#8211; is simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>FPS:<\/strong> The number of individual images (frames) your GPU renders every second.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Refresh rate (Hz):<\/strong> How many times per second your monitor can update the screen to display a new image.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It stands to reason that there is little point having an FPS that exceeds your monitor&#8217;s refresh rate, as your monitor will not be able to display the additional frames your GPU is rendering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, there is no point in having your GPU generate 120 frames per second if your monitor only refreshes 60 times per second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This would mean that for every two frames your GPU is generating, one of them is not being shown, and is therefore wasting your GPU power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than generating these unnecessary frames, you should use this surplus GPU power to improve the quality of the frames you monitor will show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The general rule of thumb is that your refresh rate should match or exceed your GPU&#8217;s FPS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sync technologies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FreeSync.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"597\" src=\"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FreeSync-1024x597.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-126932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FreeSync-1024x597.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FreeSync-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FreeSync-768x448.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FreeSync-600x350.jpg 600w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FreeSync.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Credit: AMD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The best case scenario is that your frame rate matches your refresh rate &#8211; as this means you are using both your GPU and your monitor optimally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example: If you have a 120Hz monitor, and your GPU can run the game at 120 FPS without sacrificing image quality, you are maximising both the refresh rate capability of your monitor, and your GPU&#8217;s full processing ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, this is usually not possible or feasible, as your GPU and monitor are unlikely to perfectly align on every game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a problem, as when your FPS does not exactly match your monitor&#8217;s refresh rate, you end up with screen tearing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thankfully, there is a simple solution to this: synch technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Synch technologies are available on almost every gaming monitor and reduce screen tearing or visual artefacts when your frame rates <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intel.com\/content\/www\/us\/en\/gaming\/resources\/highest-refresh-rate-gaming.html\">fluctuate.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The original synch technology, V-Sync, locks the framerate to the refresh rate &#8211; but since most monitors are at least 60Hz, it requires your framerate to be a minimum of 60 FPS to run well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It essentially forces your GPU to wait until the monitor is ready for the next frame. This action <a href=\"https:\/\/www.corsair.com\/us\/en\/explorer\/gamer\/gaming-pcs\/frames-per-second-fps-vs-refresh-rate-hz\/\">eliminates screen tearing<\/a> but comes at a cost &#8211; it introduces input lag and can cause stuttering if your FPS drops below your monitor&#8217;s refresh rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nvidia&#8217;s G-Sync and AMD&#8217;s FreeSync technologies came after V-Sync, and are known as adaptive sync technologies, or Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They essentially do the inverse of V-Sync. Instead of forcing your GPU to wait for your monitor, they force the monitor to wait for the GPU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your GPU only outputs 85 FPS but your monitor is 100Hz, they sync the monitor to the GPU, effectively resulting in the monitor operating as if it was a 85Hz monitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This ensures a much smoother gameplay experience, free from screen tearing and with much lower input lag than V-Sync.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important to note that G-Sync requires that you have an Nvidia graphics card, whereas FreeSync is supported across both Nvidia and AMD cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Buying a monitor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When buying a gaming monitor, it is important to take all of the above into account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should also consider the types of games you want to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Online first-person shooter games require higher refresh rates, as a smoother image can be the difference between who shoots first, and who shoots second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, for single-player AAA games, you may want to sacrifice some refresh rate for a sharper, more aesthetically pleasing image quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your gaming monitor should meet the capabilities of your GPU, while taking into account the types of games you play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you plan on primarily playing competitive online games, you may be willing to sacrifice display resolution for a higher refresh rate (Such as a 1080p, 240Hz gaming monitor).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you are a single-player game who cares more about graphics, you will want a higher-resolution monitor even if it means sacrificing refresh rate (such as a 4K, 100Hz gaming monitor).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And if you plan to play a mixture of game types, your best option is to buy a monitor that finds a fair compromise (Such as a 1440p, 165Hz gaming monitor).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trying to figure out the best frame per second (FPS) output to match your monitor&#8217;s refresh rate (Hz) can be confusing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":266,"featured_media":126930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_enabled":true,"_sma_x_custom_text":"Trying to figure out the best frame per second (FPS) output to match your monitor's refresh rate (Hz) can be confusing.","_sma_x_autopost_status":"posted","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"2063957233562525800","_sma_x_attempts":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[26629,2202,9759,47,26628,15713,15719,16541,25976],"class_list":["post-126929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-amd-freesync","tag-fps","tag-frames-per-second","tag-gpu","tag-hz","tag-monitor","tag-nvidia-g-sync","tag-refresh-rate","tag-v-sync"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/266"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126929"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126939,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126929\/revisions\/126939"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}