Do 165Hz Gaming Monitors Make a Difference Compared to 144Hz?

Frequently asked questions about 165Hz monitors

Are 165Hz Gaming Monitors Good?

The answer to this quandary depends on your situation. If you already have a good 144Hz gaming monitor the increase in max framerate might not be worth an upgrade. But if you’re in the market for a high refresh rate gaming monitor and want to choose between a 144Hz and a 165Hz model, then we say go with the latter. That’s because 165Hz is becoming the new 144Hz, the middle ground between 60Hz and really high frame rates like 240Hz and 360Hz. Being a newer standard means with 165Hz monitors you’re more likely to get improved panels, better color accuracy, better HDR, and faster response. Given the choice, go with 165Hz.

Will running a 165Hz monitor at 144Hz make it look worse?

True, 165Hz can display 144Hz just fine, but there’s no need to. The difference between the two refresh rates is small, so a GPU that handles 144Hz will do 165Hz with little difficulty. This applies in particular to 1080p. As a rule, while 144Hz is fine on 165Hz, it’s still better to set everything as close to the native specs of the monitor as possible. But 165Hz doesn’t have neat multipliers as do native 60Hz and 120Hz panels, being essentially a “custom” refresh setting. That allows for more flexibility and greater support for 144Hz and other refresh rates.

Can HDMI 2.0 run 165Hz?

In 1080p, that’s a definite yes. For 1440p, it varies by the quality of the cable and graphics card drivers. Generally, HDMI 2.0 can do 4K 120Hz with reduced color depth and lower quality chroma subsampling. So 1440p at 165Hz is doable if you lower color depth to 8-bit and also set chroma subsampling to 4:2:2 or 4:2:0. But the thing with 165Hz monitors is that they’re newer and therefore may have HDMI 2.1 included. If they don’t have HDMI 2.1, you can still enjoy 1080p 165Hz. And because this refresh rate is primarily aimed at multiplayer and competitive gaming, 1080p should be more than enough for the experience you want. If you’re into single-player games and prioritize resolution and graphics settings, we recommend a good 4K 60Hz monitor.