Refresh rate?

V

Vorret

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Messages
1,100
Good morning,

I've always wondered what the refresh rate really is... I've always kept it at default settings but the more I read the more I see people changing it to other value...

Any advantage to doing so?
Does it reduce the lifetime of the monitor?
 
well that depends on if you're talking about CRT monitors (old large type) or the newer LCD monitors.

i'll start with CRT's. to make it simple, they work by 'flashing' the image on the tube. its really an image thats there for a short time and then disappears. the refresh rate is how many times per second it will generate the image. at lower refresh rates many people see sort of a flicker. this is usually around 60Hz, i tend to see it even at 75Hz myself. what you're seeing is the gaps between image updates. increasing the refresh rate results in a 'smoother' image and is generally much easier on the eyes and can even alleviate headaches.

with LCD's its similar but they don't flash multiple images as such, the image is more static. simply put, its how many times the LCD will refresh itself every second. since all displays really show us many still images per second (usually 60 for LCD's) it gives us the illusion of motion. think of the refresh rate as how often the monitor will check back with the PC to update its image and make a new image. with LCD a lower refresh rate isn't a problem as it is with CRT's as they don't have that flicker as the image sticks around and doesn't fade so fast.

hope that answers your question, i'm sure someone will flame the hell out of me if i've made any mistakes.

EDIT: before i forget, no changing the refresh rate will NOT reduce the lifespan of a monitor! on CRT's it can reduce your maximum resolution. for example, my old 17" can do up to 1280x1024 but if i want to keep the refresh rate at 85Hz i can only go up to 1024x768. with LCD you're kinda stuck at their native refresh of usually 60Hz....but it doesn't matter so much.
 
Good summary, Threshin. Another thing to add is that in games, your FPS cannot go higher than your refresh rate. So, most LCD's are locked at 60 FPS.

Also, on a CRT, I think that running a very high refresh rate will wear the monitor out more quickly. I have a Diamondtron that can do 120Hz, but I it is difficult for the monitor to do so, and causes a slightly blurrier image overall. After searching Google, I haven't found anything conclusive, just other people that suspect similar things. I don't think it matters on LCD's. My LCD can do 75Hz.
 
ALot of lcds can do 75hz at least you have the option to set it at 75 however your hardware will most likely revert to 60hz and not tell you, best to leave your lcd at 60hz.
 
For a CRT, I recommend using the highest refresh rate supported by the monitor, and if that results in text being blurry at all, step it down to the next highest. That will reduce eye strain and make it easier to look at the screen. Refresh is most noticeable if you fill the screen with all-white and look at it out of the corner of your eye.

I had a 19" CRT for 5 years that I ran at 80Hz using PowerStrip, even though Windows only let me go up to 75Hz on it. The monitor specs said 80Hz at that res, and I want the highest I can get.
 
I found that at 120hz, you cant see that flash anymore. its really hard to notice it from 85-100. I have my 22" Mitsubishi at 85hz. I can see some movement sometimes if I zone out for a moment. 85-100 I see a small small blur happening so I step it back. I used to use this .21 dot pitch Hitachi that was about 21 inches diagonal, flatscreen. I cant imagine how much this thing costed, or maybe it was borrowed from work I duno, but anyways, it was the best monitor I have yet to use (planar 26 soon!!)... from 85-100 I didnt see much change, but from 85-120, was a huge difference. It was cool, the image just went flat. like a photo. so 120hz is optimal for me. Cant really do that on many monitors though.


just my anecdotal thingie
 
120Hz is actually the refresh rate of a lightbulb. That's my anecdotal thingy. Also, ~El~Jefe~ has been talking smack about us on silentpcreview.com's forums. Your days are numbered. That is all.
 
Incandescent light bulbs take a while to discharge and dim, so I don't think they have a refresh rate.
 
120 can be the hz of some flourescent higher tech bulbs. the ones you replace for a decent penny. I dont know which ones do this, I do not know if these things are always labeled

smack eh? hm. possibly! This is the most knowledgable, by a magnitude of 10, place for displays I have ever seen. If the smack I talk is insulting, I do apologize. very good thinkers on this forum, well informed.

powersupplies, power issues, fan usage, cooling, all that spcr is the place to be. its the best on the net for figuring out how to both power and cool a computer regardless of silence even. takes like 50 hours of reading though to grasp it all though.

Incandescent bulbs dont have any hz quality to them. they are a steady glow of light which is why they are superior to biological things, like people. The only one that could best it for other reasons is the LED at super high flashes per second ratings.

I put my monitor today at 100hz and noticed that out of the corner of my eye, I could still see some buzzing sorts of things. time for mr. lcd.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top