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Summary
- I got a 100Hz secondary monitor, and it’s much smoother than my old 60Hz one.
- 100Hz hits the sweet spot, as it’s significantly smoother than 60Hz while still being affordable.
- Even for a secondary monitor, you should probably avoid 60Hz unless you find a cheap used one.
I used to think refresh rate only mattered for gaming. My secondary monitor was just there to show static text, while I went all-in with a 240Hz 1440p primary display. Still, I decided to spend a little extra to get a 100Hz secondary monitor, and now I’m glad I did.
There’s Little Reason to Buy a 60Hz Monitor Anymore
Before we dive in, here’s a quick explainer for those of you who aren’t familiar with the term “refresh rate.” It refers to how many times per second a display updates its contents (to keep things simple, let’s assume the FPS is equal to the refresh rate).
A 60Hz display refreshes 60 times per second, while a 100Hz display refreshes 100 times per second. That’s why a higher refresh rate results in smoother motion and animations.
To be honest, I think 60Hz monitors are slowly becoming a thing of the past, and that’s a great thing. Depending on where you’re shopping for monitors, you might not even come across 60Hz displays anymore, as they’re largely being replaced by higher refresh rate models, even in the business segment.
I browsed through some monitors on Amazon and had to scroll quite a bit to find a 60Hz one—the SAMSUNG LC24F390FHNXZA. Humorously, its feature set doesn’t match its price at all, so it’s probably an older model that just never managed to sell out.
Realistically speaking, when you browse Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, or any other online storefront, you’re most likely going to encounter refresh rates of at least 100Hz. Even when you do find 60Hz monitors, they’re usually only $10–$20 cheaper, so they’re not exactly a bargain.
It makes more sense to spend a little extra on one of these affordable high-refresh-rate displays and use it as a secondary monitor, rather than struggling with a choppy 60Hz panel for years.
Gaming monitors on a deep discount are usually the best deal, as they can offer refresh rates of 144Hz or more, along with additional features for the same price as a standard business monitor. Some good examples I’d consider for a secondary display are the ASUS TUF VG249QE5A, Philips 241V8LB, and ASUS VA249HG.
- Brand
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ASUS
- Screen Size
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24″
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG249QE5A is the perfect 24-inch secondary monitor, as it offers a 1080p IPS panel with a refresh rate of 144Hz. If you’re on a budget, it could even serve as a primary gaming monitor, thanks t o its smooth refresh rate and 1ms response time.
The only reason to ever consider a 60Hz secondary monitor is if you can find a used one locally for an insanely low price. I personally draw the line at around $40 for a used monitor, since you can never really know its age or condition. To me, it makes more sense to spend $100 on a new unit with a high refresh rate and use it for years as your secondary monitor.
100Hz Is the Right Balance Between Cost and Smoothness
After my old secondary monitor, which I’d been using for 15 years, caught on fire last year, I’ve been casually looking for a replacement over the past few months.
I wasn’t sure if I should get a used 60Hz display for cheap, because that was one of the things that always bothered me about my old secondary monitor. It was a 19-inch 1440×900 display set up next to a 1080p 140Hz monitor at the time, and the transition between the two always felt off. Now that I have a 240Hz monitor, I knew that going from 240Hz to 60Hz when moving windows would be even more jarring.
That’s why I decided to pay a bit more for a quality monitor that comes with a warranty and will likely last for many years. I eventually stumbled on the MSI PRO MP252. I had a list of fairly basic requirements, and this monitor checked all the boxes: at least 24 inches in size, IPS panel, 100Hz+ refresh rate, DisplayPort and HDMI connectivity, and a VESA mount so I could attach it to a monitor arm. At under $100, I considered it a fair price, especially since many of the gaming monitors I looked at didn’t have a VESA mount, which was a deal-breaker for me.
- Brand
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MSI
- Screen Size
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25″
The MSI PRO MP252 is a 24.5-inch business monitor with a 1920×1080 resolution and a 100Hz refresh rate. It supports adaptive sync, is VESA mountable, has built-in speakers, and includes several Eye Care features to help protect your eyesight.
The second I set up my new monitor, I knew I had made the right choice. I tried the classic refresh rate test, dragging a window up and down across both screens, and while I could notice the difference between the two, it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as you might expect given the gap between 100Hz and 240Hz.
In fact, I can barely tell the difference between my 120Hz TV and 240Hz monitor in non-competitive gaming, so using a 100Hz screen for everyday Windows tasks is more than adequate.
I know that 100Hz doesn’t sound like much, but it actually is—100Hz is 66.7% faster than 60Hz, and it’s a difference almost anyone can feel. It makes any modern computer feel much smoother to use. Even if the average person can’t tell exactly why their PC feels smoother with a high-refresh-rate display, they will notice the difference.
Surprisingly, what bothered me more was the 1080p resolution, as I had become so used to my 1440p monitor. However, given the significantly higher prices of 1440p monitors, it’s not something I’m willing to spend extra money on for a secondary display.
Whether you’re buying a primary or secondary monitor, make sure it has a high refresh rate. Unlike other gamer-focused features like low response time or Adaptive Sync, a high refresh rate is noticeable even during basic web browsing or everyday tasks. It’s definitely worth spending a few extra bucks on!
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