TechCompare LogoTechCompare

What does 165 FPS look like? The next step up from 144 Hz, explained with frame time

165 Hz is worth taking when it costs the same as 144 Hz on a monitor you'd buy anyway - never pay a premium for the 21 Hz jump. If you're actively choosing between a 165 Hz and 240 Hz panel, go 240 Hz if both fit your budget because it's the first tier above 144 Hz where the smoothness gain is clearly visible. Treat 165 Hz as a 'free upgrade' overlay, not a target tier.

At 165 FPS, each frame lasts 6.06 milliseconds. 165 Hz is the in-between monitor tier that sits one notch above 144 Hz and well below 240 Hz, and it exists almost entirely because panel makers started shipping 144 Hz IPS panels that could be safely overclocked to 165 Hz over DisplayPort. The 1.4 ms frame-time drop from 144 FPS is consciously perceptible to maybe half of competitive players and unnoticeable to everyone else.

By TechCompare · Updated

Frame rate
165 FPS
165 Hz refresh rate
Frame time
6.06 ms
Time per frame
Use case
High Refresh Rate
gaming

165 FPS shown 10x slower so the frame cadence is actually visible

165 FPS6.06 ms / frame
10x slower so the frame cadence is visible

How this is calculated

165 Hz monitors became the default '144 Hz upgrade' in the budget gaming tier around 2022-2023 because the panels are physically the same and the overclock is stable, so the manufacturer can market a higher number at almost no cost. Most 144 Hz IPS gaming monitors sold today are actually 165 Hz panels marketed as '144/165 Hz' to cover both listing keywords. The real visual gain over 144 Hz is small enough that it should never be the deciding factor in a monitor purchase - prioritize panel quality, resolution, and response time instead. The interesting tier 165 Hz competes with is 240 Hz, where the 5.8 ms frame-time gap to 240 FPS is the first one most players can clearly see in fast motion.

Verdict

165 Hz is worth taking when it costs the same as 144 Hz on a monitor you'd buy anyway - never pay a premium for the 21 Hz jump. If you're actively choosing between a 165 Hz and 240 Hz panel, go 240 Hz if both fit your budget because it's the first tier above 144 Hz where the smoothness gain is clearly visible. Treat 165 Hz as a 'free upgrade' overlay, not a target tier.

More Frame Rate scenarios

24 FPS
The global cinema standard since the 1920s - looks filmic because of the projector shutter trick.
View details ➜
30 FPS
The console 'quality mode' target - smooth on TV, feels slow on PC.
View details ➜
60 FPS
The standard all displays target - the baseline where mouse movement and motion feel modern.
View details ➜

Frequently asked questions

Is 165 Hz noticeably better than 144 Hz?
For most people, no - the 1.4 ms frame-time drop is below the threshold most eyes consciously register. About half of competitive FPS players can pick 165 Hz from 144 Hz in a blind A/B test, but the margin is small. If a 144 Hz monitor is cheaper, take the cheaper one.
Is 165 Hz the same as 144 Hz overclocked?
Often, yes - many 165 Hz IPS gaming monitors are physically the same panel as their 144 Hz equivalents, with the higher refresh shipped as a stable factory overclock. Some 144 Hz monitors can be user-overclocked to 165 Hz; some cannot.

Related tools

Screen Size Visualizer

Compare screen sizes side-by-side to visualize physical dimension differences.

Use tool ➜

PPI & Retina Calculator

Calculate PPI and Retina distance for your display.

Use tool ➜

Display Bandwidth Calculator

Check if your HDMI/DP cable supports your resolution and refresh rate.

Use tool ➜

Data Read Visualizer

Visualize the massive speed difference between CPU cache, RAM, and storage.

Use tool ➜