A high refresh monitor does nothing if your PC cannot feed it frames. Pair the panel with honest FPS targets.
What refresh rate is
60Hz updates the picture 60 times per second. 144Hz and 240Hz update faster, so motion looks smoother and you see enemy movement earlier in the frame cycle.
The real requirement
You want average FPS comfortably above your refresh rate in your main game. A 240Hz panel stuck at 90 FPS feels worse than a stable 144Hz at 200 FPS.
Buy the refresh rate your GPU can feed in your title — not the number on a marketing slide.
144Hz first
For most players upgrading from 60Hz, 144Hz is the biggest jump. Going from 144 to 240 is smaller and more expensive. Do it when your FPS is already high and you feel the limit.
Settings that matter
- Enable the monitor’s max refresh in Windows display settings
- Use the correct DisplayPort / HDMI cable for that rate
- Turn on V-Sync off for competitive play; consider a frame cap slightly above refresh if tearing bothers you
Response time and panel type matter too, but refresh + stable FPS is the foundation.