Refresh Rate, Frame Rate and Input Lag: What Matters for Aim

From moving the mouse to seeing the change

After you move the mouse, the signal passes through several steps before the screen changes. The mouse reports the movement to the computer, the game reads it and computes a new frame, the graphics card draws it, the monitor shows it on its next refresh, and the pixels change colour. Each step takes a little time, and together they make up input lag.

For aiming, lower lag means faster feedback between hand and eye, so the crosshair feels glued to your hand while tracking. Smoother motion makes it easier for your eyes to judge how a target is moving.

Monitor refresh rate: the most visible difference

Refresh rate is how many times per second the monitor updates the picture, measured in hertz (Hz). The higher it is, the shorter the gap between pictures and the smoother moving targets look.

The biggest jump is from 60 Hz to 144 Hz; each step after that gives less. For most players, 60 to 144 Hz is the most worthwhile upgrade. 144 to 240 Hz is noticeable, but less so.

Frame rate: how fast the computer draws

Frame rate (FPS) is how many pictures the game draws per second, set by your hardware and graphics settings. When it is below the refresh rate, some refreshes just repeat an old frame and the high refresh rate is wasted. So aim for a frame rate at least as high as your refresh rate.

Above the refresh rate you will not see more pictures, but each refresh gets a fresher frame, so lag drops a little further. The cost is more heat and power. Many players cap frame rate slightly above the refresh rate as a compromise.

• Shadows, reflections and volumetric lighting usually cost the most performance, and lowering them barely affects aiming.
• A frame rate that jumps around feels worse than one that stays steady a bit lower. If yours swings a lot, set a cap you can hold.
• On a laptop, plug in the charger and make sure the game runs on the dedicated graphics card.

V-Sync: tearing versus lag

When frame rate and refresh rate are out of step, the screen can show parts of two frames at once, which looks like the picture is torn horizontally. V-Sync removes tearing by making the graphics card wait for the monitor, but waiting adds lag, and when frame rate drops it can cause sudden stutters.

Many monitors support variable refresh rate, which makes the monitor follow the graphics card instead, reducing tearing without much extra lag. If your monitor and card both support it, enabling it is usually better than classic V-Sync. Some players who care most about lag turn everything off and accept a little tearing.

Mouse polling rate: usually already enough

Polling rate is how many times per second the mouse reports its position. At 125 Hz that is every 8 ms, at 500 Hz every 2 ms, at 1000 Hz every 1 ms. Most gaming mice default to 1000 Hz now. Higher rates change very little and add processing load, which on some computers can cause stutter instead.

Wired versus wireless: current mainstream gaming wireless mice are close to wired in latency, and the difference is hard to notice in normal use. More important is keeping the receiver close to the mouse with no metal in the way, and charging before the battery runs low.

A checklist

1. The refresh rate in your display settings is the highest the monitor supports.
2. The cable and port support that refresh rate.
3. In-game frame rate is stable, ideally not below the refresh rate.
4. Variable refresh rate is on if supported; consider turning classic V-Sync off.
5. Mouse polling rate is 500 to 1000 Hz.
6. System mouse acceleration is off. See Mouse acceleration.

Questions

Does refresh rate matter for browser-based aim training?

Yes. Mainstream browsers generally update at your monitor's refresh rate, so training in the browser is smoother on a 144 Hz monitor, as long as the system refresh rate is set correctly and the browser has hardware acceleration on.

What is monitor response time?

Response time is how long a pixel takes to change from one colour to another. Slow response leaves a trail behind moving objects. It is separate from refresh rate, but together they decide how clear motion looks.

My frame rate is high, so why does it feel choppy?

Usually because frame rate swings a lot or occasional frames take much longer. Watch the minimum frame rate as well as the average. Background apps, thermal throttling and driver problems can all cause it.