the subtle change on your screen that your eyes will appreciate after eight hours of Excel

If you work or study for many hours every day in front of the PC screen, It is very likely that you will end up with tired eyes: reading a lot of text, watching videos, going from one Excel to another (and then to another, and another), writing, editing images or videos and a very long etcetera of tasks sustained over time will almost certainly cause you to have eye fatigue and a tiredness in your eyes that is as uncomfortable as it is unhealthy.

If you have no choice but to be in front of the monitor for a good handful of hours each day (something quite common in many cases, in these times), you can always do everything possible on your part to minimize it and even remedy it: Get up every now and then, don’t stare too long at a time and look at distant objects, stand at a distance that prevents you from straining your eyes too much, and more similar tricks.

And added to all this, I am going to give you an idea that perhaps you had not considered and that is not going to solve your life, but it will make you gain visual comfort (and I say this from experience): using a monitor with a high refresh rate. Even if you don’t play. Because having more than 60 Hz (120 Hz, 144 Hz and even more) is an excellent idea outside of the field of video games. And (spoiler) nowadays, the price difference between some monitors and others is so small, that I can tell you that it is very worth it that little extra investment.

What is refresh rate (and what does it affect)

Okay, on paper, purely speaking of specs, 120Hz is better than 60Hz. And 144 Hzbetter than 120 Hz. That has become clear to us. But exactly what are we talking about? We are talking about hertz, which in short determine the number of frames per second that the screen in question is capable of displaying.

In other words: the number of still images that appear, one after another, in one second of time. The greater the quantity, the more fluid the image, which can be a video game, a video or the apps we use in our daily lives. The latter, just what we are looking for.

In practice, having more than 60 Hz and therefore a higher refresh rate translates into fluidity. Fluidity in everything: transitions, application effects, window and cursor movements, scroll much softer and, ultimately, everything that generates movement on the screen. Something that may seem minor, but in the long run, and after spending hours in front of the monitor, it is noticeable. A one-way road.

At this point, we must take into account the ‘price factor’. Because long ago, going above that base 60 Hz from which monitors start was expensive. However now, with refresh rates that even exceed 360 Hzwe find 144 Hz (or 120 Hz, or 165 Hz and even more) options at great prices. Which means that for a fairly contained investment you can make a huge leap in quality.

The good and the bad, face to face

Although the theory is simple, the differences between one type of monitor and another can be confusing if you are not familiar with it. Then, This table as a summary will clarify it a lot for you..

Which one may interest you more: we do the math

As we have already mentioned, price is not a determining factor today when deciding between a 60 Hz monitor and another with 144 Hz or more. Even so, if a 60 Hz one is enough for you, you can dedicate that extra investment in other aspects of the screens, such as the resolution, the diagonal or the format.

• Actual use: 60 Hz is enough for you and you prefer to spend what 144 Hz would cost you on a ultrawidebecause you need more horizontal space on the screen.
• What experience you get: similar to what you have been obtaining with previous 60 Hz monitors, but you gain in those other characteristics that are important to you (more diagonal, different format, more resolution…).

If, on the other hand, you notice that after finishing the work day your eyes are very tired and it seems that applications, transitions and other movements are not as fluid as you would like, then going from 60 Hz to 144 Hz or more is an excellent decision. Spending little more than you would with a 60 Hz monitor, you double (and even more) its refresh rate and the view thanks you.

• Actual use: It bothers you that the animations of the operating system, the scroll or the passing of the cursor across the screen goes in fits and starts and you decide to go above 60 Hz.
• What experience you get: From the first second, you see that everything runs more smoothly and is more comfortable for the eyes. Where before there were almost imperceptible but existing cuts, now everything is going smoothly. It even looks like you’ve upgraded to a better PC!

In summary:

👉 Choose 60 Hz if: You don’t notice visual fatigue because you don’t spend too many hours in front of the screen, you don’t want to spend more and you also don’t play games or plan to do so in the short term.

👉 Choose 144 Hz or higher if: The lack of fluidity in your team brings you down the street of bitterness, you feel eyestrain after long days and you play (or you are going to do so soon).

Recommended models

60 Hz: Asus ProArt Display PA279CV

Nowadays, 60 Hz is usually very present in high-end monitors that stand out for other characteristics. Recommended models for graphic design, photography and video editing and other creative tasksin which the refresh rate takes a backseat and more attention is paid to adding very sharp panels and very good color representation.

In this area, the Asus ProArt family: monitors for image professionals that you can also use for any study or work task. This 27-inch with Ultra HD resolution is a magnificent purchase option, which I recommend if 60 Hz is enough for you and you prefer to invest that extra compared to basic models in aspects such as their great sharpness, their high dynamic range (HDR 10) or such interesting technologies as Flicker Free (which reduces screen flickering, which affects certain users with more sensitive eyesight).

Furthermore, also stands out for its calibration and color verification signed by CalMAN (world’s leading color calibration software), for including speakers and, in addition, for offering a USB Type C port that acts as a DisplayPort and charging (up to 65 W) for laptops. Eliminating, in the process, annoying cables on the table thanks to this ‘all in one’.

144Hz: Lenovo Legion R24s

If we prefer to make the jump to 144 Hz, most monitors (if not all) are part of the gaming families of the main manufacturers. This is not a problem beyond its design, which usually has more striking lines, strident colors and sometimes even RGB lighting. On the other hand, those 144 Hz are part of really economical models and if what you prioritize is making the jump to that amount of Hz, then You won’t have to spend too much to get it..

This Lenovo Legion R24s is a great example of this. It is a monitor that reaches those 144 Hz that your eyes will appreciate from the first moment and that you will notice even more as the days go by. In addition, it is a 24-inch screen with 1080p resolution that, as we already saw, It is a magnificent standard for any use today in terms of sharpness.

Without moving from 144 Hz, but taking a significant leap in quality for the rest of its features, this other Asus ROG model (the Strix XG27UQR) is also an excellent alternative that I recommend if you prefer, already, to make the jump to 4K. More focused on gaming, due to its compatibility with NVIDIA G-Sync and a minimum response time, It’s also a great buy for productivity and professional tasks.

Do you want to see more models?

In monitors there is a lot to cut and, regardless of whether they have 60 Hz, 144 Hz or more, There are a thousand variables to take into account when deciding. by one model or another. In this sense, if you are clear about what you gain by going up from 60 Hz but you still have doubts, these guides on what monitor to buy for work and productivity and what each label on these screens meansthey are going to come in handy.

Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary.

Images | Jakub Zerdzicki and Nicholas Worrell on Unsplash, Xataka, Lenovo, Asus

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