Is 240Hz Monitor Good for Gaming and Worth the Upgrade?

As gaming monitor technology advances, gamers often ask: what specs matter most for an edge in fast-paced games? Speed and accuracy are crucial, and refresh rate plays a big role. 

Is 240Hz overkill for gaming? The short answer: absolutely NO! Higher refresh rates mean smoother visuals and better responsiveness, giving you the advantage you need. Let’s explore why.

• What does 240Hz mean?
• Hz vs FPS: A Power Combo—If Balanced Right
• Is 240Hz Noticeable?
• So, Is 240Hz Monitor Good for Gaming?
• Can Your Setup Handle 240Hz? Requirements & Tips
• FAQ

In order to know about how 240Hz is good for gaming, we have to know what refresh rate is first. Refresh rate means how many times per second the display updates the image. Therefore, 240Hz means it refreshes 240 times per second. 

The biggest benefit of higher refresh rates comes in the form of more responsive and accurate gaming, with lower input lag. If you enjoy competitive multiplayer in reflex-based genres like first and third-person shooters, fighting games, sports, and racing, then you should aim for the highest refresh rate possible and 240Hz will give you an immediate advantage over competitors that use 60Hz or even 144Hz monitors because your responses will be a few milliseconds faster.

In addition, Refresh rate (Hz) and frame rate (fps) are both essential for a smooth experience. If they don't match, it can lead to issues like screen tearing or input lag. For example, on a 240Hz monitor with a 60fps video, the display is capable of showing 240 frames per second, but the video can only render 60 frames per second. 

As a result, the monitor will have to repeat the same frame, causing visual stuttering for the player. On the contrary, if you have a high-performance system running a game at 144–240fps, but your screen only supports 60Hz, you're essentially wasting that powerful performance, which negatively impacts your gaming experience.

Compared to 60Hz and 120Hz, for sure, it’s very noticeable. Movement in games becomes much smoother, which also helps reduce eye fatigue in general. Basically everyone notices the difference between 60Hz/120Hz and 240Hz. When talking about 144Hz and 165Hz, the move to 240Hz may not be as immediately visible, but the lower lag and smoother response will still be there regardless of whether or not you can “see” them.

Importantly, our own tests and general industry evaluation reveal that people become used to 240Hz quickly, and then when asked to game in 144Hz or even 165Hz they do notice the slower update. So, it seems that going up in frame rates beyond a certain point may not be strongly noticeable, but once used to it, going back to lower frame rates is very noticeable. As people say, it’s easy to get used to good things. 

Of course. That’s like asking if a plane that can fly fast is good for traveling. Getting a 240Hz gaming monitor is a smart move. Just make sure to get a screen that has DisplayPort for your PC plus dual HDMI ports for consoles. And the below tips are for you to run a 240 Hz gaming experience.

Not every gaming setup is ready to run at 240Hz, and upgrading your monitor alone isn’t enough. You need the right combination of hardware, settings, and cables to unlock its full potential. Let’s walk through the key steps—and explain why 240Hz might be the best way to futureproof your gear.

1. Get a Monitor That Supports 240Hz

Start with a display that’s actually capable of 240Hz. BenQ MOBIUZ gaming monitors like the EX270M and EX270QM offer full 240Hz support on IPS panels, with features designed to elevate your gameplay.

2. Make Sure Your Graphics Card Can Keep Up

Modern GPUs are well-equipped to handle 240Hz—at least at 1080p and 1440p. An RTX 3060 can manage 1080p @ 240Hz with ease, while an RTX 3070 or newer can do the same at 1440p. If you’re into competitive games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, or Rocket League, these aren’t demanding and can hit high frame rates even on mid-range cards.

And if you’ve invested in something powerful like an RTX 4070 but are using a 144Hz display, you’re not maximizing your system’s potential. Many games run well over 165fps on these cards, meaning a 240Hz monitor would let your system stretch its legs instead of bottlenecking performance.

That said, avoid 240Hz 4K monitors for now—even the best GPUs today can’t deliver a consistent experience at that combo.

3. Set Your System to 240Hz

On Windows 10:

Go to System > Display > Advanced Display Settings > Display Adapter Properties. Under the “Monitor” tab, choose your preferred resolution and select 240Hz from the refresh rate dropdown.

On Windows 11:

Navigate to System > Display > Advanced Display > Display information > Choose a refresh rate. Pick 240Hz from the list.

Or use your GPU control panel:

• NVIDIA: Open NVIDIA Control Panel > Display > Change Resolution. Choose a PC resolution and 240Hz refresh rate.

• AMD: Right-click desktop > AMD Radeon Settings > Display. Select your resolution and 240Hz option.

4. Use the Right Cables and Ports

To get full 240Hz, use DisplayPort 1.2a or higher, or HDMI 2.0 (check your port labeling).

Always update your GPU drivers and make sure the correct ports are used—especially on laptops or consoles with multiple outputs.

A 240Hz monitor is four times faster than a 60Hz monitor and 70% faster than a 144Hz display. That’s quite a leap forward.

However, if you already had a 144Hz monitor and hesitated about whether you should upgrade to a 240Hz monitor. The answer would be clear enough: Definitely should! In the long run, most FPS games like CS and Apex are now capable of supporting refresh rates above 240Hz. To give you a smoother and more competitive gaming experience, upgrading your setup would definitely be a worthwhile investment.

With BenQ MOBIUZ gaming monitors like the EX270M and EX270QM you don’t just get 240Hz on a gorgeous IPS panel, but a lot of custom features meant to further enhance gaming experiences. For example, in addition to regular HDR you also have smart HDRi, which optimizes HDR content plus adds simulated HDR to SDR content. HDRi takes into account screen contents plus ambient lighting conditions to deliver the best high dynamic range presentation possible. 

Light Tuner and Black eQualizer balance contrast, brightness, and color temperature to make sure dark and bright areas of the screen don’t crush or wash out details. This is very important to competitive players especially, because the last thing you want are surprises lurking in corners of the screen improperly displayed by a lesser monitor. Well, with MOBIUZ that’s not going to happen.

Audio is an area where many monitor manufacturers cut corners. Sometimes you don’t get speakers at all, or when you do, they’re very poor quality. BenQ MOBIUZ uses technology derived from exclusive treVolo sound design to add built-in 2.1 channel audio into 240Hz monitors. That’s dual speakers plus a subwoofer for powerful, room-filling audio. Sure, you can still use a headset but it’s good to have the option of built-in monitor sound that’s just as good and equally accurate for spotting opponents and effects while in-game.