Frame time is the reciprocal of refresh rate, so equal steps in Hz are not equal steps in latency — 60 to 120 Hz saves 8.3 ms per frame, 240 to 480 Hz saves only 2.1 ms.
It sets where the money stops being worth it. The jump from 60 Hz is transformative, the jump from 240 Hz is a refinement, and the marketing number doubles either way — halving the frame time never halves what you actually feel.
Frame time is one term in the delay between input and photon, alongside input polling, the render pipeline and the panel’s own response time; a fast panel fed by a slow pipeline gains little. It also says nothing about motion clarity, which depends on how long each frame is held rather than how often frames arrive — a strobing backlight can beat a higher refresh rate for perceived sharpness.
Estimate with the rule, then check it against the calculator that models it properly.
Open Screen Refresh Rate Test →Frame time is the reciprocal of refresh rate, so equal steps in Hz are not equal steps in latency — 60 to 120 Hz saves 8.3 ms per frame, 240 to 480 Hz saves only 2.1 ms. It sets where the money stops being worth it.