120hz monitors in the test 2023

Many PC owners don't really care what kind of monitor they have. The main thing is that it is high-resolution and ideally also has a nice design. Demanding gamers, on the other hand, take a much closer look when looking for a suitable monitor - because in order for the gaming experience to run smoothly when playing modern games, the monitor must come with the highest possible number of Hertz. Numerous well-known manufacturers of high-resolution PC monitors have now upgraded and offer 60hz monitors in addition to the widespread 120hz monitors, which are aimed directly at ambitious gamers, regardless whether 27 inches or 49 inch monitors.

But why exactly is a 120hz monitor so recommendable? In our shopping guide below you will find all the answers to frequently asked questions about gaming monitors with 120hz and also tell you what you should definitely pay attention to when buying.

120hz monitor - what is that actually?

If you are looking for a new monitor, you may have noticed that some more expensive models are labeled as 120hz monitors. The abbreviation "hz" stands for Hertz - and the Hertz unit is used to indicate the refresh rate of a monitor. If you look around in stores, you will find numerous standard monitors that are equipped with 50 or 60 Hertz. Conversely, this means that they are able to display 50 or 60 frames per second. In most cases, such a value is absolutely sufficient. Anyone who prefers to surf the Internet with their PC, play small browser games or watch videos on YouTube is well advised to use such a monitor - as well as high-resolution videos made with a digital camera or Smartphone are recorded, mostly bring it to a refresh rate of 60 Hz at the moment.

A 120hz monitor, on the other hand, is much more interesting for demanding gamers who not only dare to play a little game every now and then, but also use their PC regularly for extensive gaming sessions. Since a 120hz monitor delivers twice the number of images within a second compared to a 60hz monitor, this ensures significantly smoother gameplay, which proves to be an immense advantage, especially in fast-paced games (e.g. racing games) and in strategic games. Above all, games in which the player has to make important decisions within a few milliseconds can be played much more comfortably on a 120hz monitor, since the higher refresh rate means you are literally ahead of the curve. This proves to be a big advantage, especially in first-person shooters, since gamers with a 120hz monitor can secure a small but not inconsiderable advantage over their opponents who "only" play with a 60hz monitor.

However, a 120hz monitor is not only a recommended purchase for ambitious gamers: Anyone who likes to watch films on the PC or makes films themselves and edits them in a variety of ways will also get their money's worth with a 120hz monitor - as will professional image editors. Although 60hz is still the measure of all things for video recordings, you never know what the future will bring in this area.
So if you want to get a new monitor and are mainly active in the areas of gaming, image processing or videography, you can equip yourself optimally for the future with a 120hz monitor - at least in the coming years you won't have to buy a new monitor to be To be able to enjoy the hobby as much as possible.

120hz monitor: There are different display types

It could be so easy: You put on a 120hz monitor for your computer and you can play games smoothly right away. Maybe you've already thought it: Unfortunately, it's not that easy after all. Instead, when looking for a new monitor, you should not only keep an eye on its Hertz number, but also on the type of display used. Here you have the choice between a TN panel, an IPS panel and a VA panel.

TN panel

The TN panel is the oldest of the three current screen technologies. 120hz monitors with this type of display are relatively cheap to buy, but also forgo the most natural color representation possible. The fact that TN panels are still very popular, especially among gamers, is mainly due to the very fast response times and high level of energy efficiency - the latter should not be neglected, especially during very long gaming sessions. However, a major disadvantage of a TN panel is its viewing angle. If you look at the screen from an angle that is too horizontal or vertical, the image looks relatively weak and almost faded. On the other hand, if you always sit directly in front of your monitor anyway, you won't have any problems with this circumstance, because the picture appears perfect from this perspective.

IPS panel

IPS panels compensate for all the disadvantages of TN panels. They score with excellent color representation and deliver a perfect picture from a wide range of viewing angles - so you can also sit next to the monitor as a spectator and still follow the game without any losses. But there are also two disadvantages: Monitors with IPS panels do not come close to TN panels in terms of their response times. In addition, they are more expensive to buy than their cheaper siblings, although their prices have now fallen sharply.

VA panels

VA panels also offer good color brilliance and have a significantly better viewing angle compared to TN panels. However, the biggest advantage of a VA panel is clearly in the area of ​​contrast values, which are excellent even in cheaper models: While similarly expensive monitors with VA panels in the entry-level class usually end up with a contrast ratio of 1.500:1, VA panels do not offer this rarely 4.000:1 and more.
The biggest weakness, however, is the too slow response time of VA panels. If you want to buy a VA panel that has a similarly high response speed as a TN or IPS panel, you have to dig much deeper into your pocket than for the other two technologies. Here you have to ask yourself how important the perfect contrast ratio of such a monitor is to you and whether you are willing to invest more money for this advantage.

These criteria should also be considered when buying a 120hz monitor

In addition to the refresh rate and the display type, there are a few other criteria to consider if you want to buy a 120hz monitor - especially if you want to use it to play PC games. We will tell you here what you should definitely pay attention to when choosing the right model.

The reaction time

The refresh rate and the response time are quickly confused, especially by beginners. However, the reaction time describes the delay between an input, such as moving the mouse, and the resulting reaction on the screen - i.e. the visible movement of the cursor. Almost all modern 120hz monitors come with a response time of less than 10 ms, some models even achieve impressive peak values ​​of less than 1 ms. Just like the refresh rate, the response time of a monitor is of great importance for gamers in particular - especially if they mainly play first-person shooters, fighting games or racing games. On the other hand, if you use your monitor primarily to watch videos, do office work, or surf the Internet, you don't have to pay too much attention to the response time: For example, response times of 12 to 15 ms are absolutely sufficient for watching films, while it is Gaming should be at least 5 ms.

The resolution

Also important when choosing a suitable 120hz monitor is its resolution. Here you have the choice between Full HD, WQHD and UHD. Full HD monitors are still particularly popular because they are comparatively inexpensive to buy, but at the same time have a very good resolution. They have 1.920 x 1.080 pixels and are therefore able to play back films from Blu-ray discs and video games with 1080p without loss. At the same time, Full HD is the smallest of the three available resolutions, but the demands on the existing hardware in the PC are not too high.

Monitors with WQHD resolution, on the other hand, offer 2560 x 1440 pixels and therefore have a higher resolution than Full HD monitors. Although they are not quite as sharp as the alternatively available UHD monitors, they are ideal for users who want a bit more sharpness when using a Full HD monitor. However, buying a QGHD monitor only makes sense if it has a screen diagonal of at least 27 inch because underneath you can hardly tell the difference to a classic Full HD monitor.

UHD monitors, on the other hand, come with a resolution of 3.840 x 2.160 pixels, which is four times the resolution of a Full HD monitor. They offer outstanding image sharpness, which proves to be a real advantage, especially with real UHD films - although there are not too many of these at the moment. In addition, one must also note that a UHD monitor places extremely high demands on the hardware and the graphics card installed in the PC, so that one has to upgrade as best as possible. Therefore, a UHD monitor only really makes sense for very demanding gamers and film lovers.

screen size

One might think that the largest possible monitor is the best choice. However, that is not necessarily correct: If you mainly want to play games on your 120hz monitor, you will quickly notice that a smaller model with a screen diagonal of up to 24 inches (which is a whopping 61 cm) definitely has its advantages. While you quickly lose the overview on a large monitor because you have to constantly look into the right and left corners, you always have full control with a smaller model - which is particularly advantageous in tactical games.

In addition, the distance between the seats and the monitor can be smaller, while at the same time the model has a lot of space on the Desk saves. Last but not least, smaller monitors do not necessarily need the most powerful graphics card on the market and they usually use less power. If, on the other hand, the monitor is used for image processing or for watching films, a model with a large screen diagonal is definitely recommended.

The connections

Both the HDMI port, as well as DisplayPort play an important role in a 120hz monitor. The HDMI interface had a maximum refresh rate of 1.0 Hz in version 60, but up to 2.0 Hz has been possible since version 144. 4K resolutions can also be achieved via HDMI transmitted, but only at a maximum of 60 Hz.
The alternative DisplayPort connection, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly popular with more and more quality fanatics: it can even be used to transmit 8K resolution with up to 60 Hz, while 4K resolution is possible with 120 Hz. If the 120hz monitor has a DisplayPort connection, you are perfectly equipped for the future with this model.

When is a 120hz monitor not worth it?

This question sounds strange at first, but there are actually reasons against buying a 120hz monitor. We have put together a list of these for you here.

You prefer to play your games on the console

Do you prefer to play your favorite games on a console and want to connect them to a 120hz monitor? If it's a PlayStation 5 or an XBOX Series X, 4k gaming at up to 120Hz is indeed possible. However, if one PlayStation 4 or XBOX One in your living room, a 120hz monitor is not required as both consoles support a maximum of 60 Hz.

Your computer is too powerful or too weak

Do you own a PC that, thanks to its excellent hardware, is able to reach more than 120 frames per second? In this case, too, a 120hz monitor makes little sense, because purchasing a more powerful monitor with 144hz or 240hz is definitely the better choice here - after all, the given strength of the computer should also be optimally used. Conversely, it also makes no sense to get a 120hz monitor if your own PC offers less than 120 frames per second, because in this case the advantage that a 120hz monitor offers its user would be simply useless, since it cannot be claimed.

Conclusion

A 120hz monitor is particularly interesting for demanding gamers who play games regularly and want to benefit from the fastest and smoothest possible picture - a monitor with 120 Hz can also be just as interesting for people who deal a lot with the topic of video editing. It should be noted, however, that the use of a 120hz monitor also requires a suitably well-equipped PC and that the purchase of such a model is not absolutely necessary in some cases. However, if you follow all the advice in our buyer's guide, buying a new 120hz monitor shouldn't pose any problems.