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

By TechCompare · Updated · How we check

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.

165 FPS next to a 60 FPS reference, both moving at the same speed.

165 fps
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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 0.9 ms frame-time drop from 144 FPS is consciously perceptible to maybe half of competitive players and unnoticeable to everyone else.

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

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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. Many 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 1.9 ms frame-time gap to 240 FPS is the first one most players can clearly see in fast motion.

Verdict

Take 165 Hz only when it costs the same as 144 Hz. It's a free upgrade, never a target tier. The 6.06 ms frame budget at 165 FPS is just 0.9 ms shorter than 144 Hz's 6.94 ms, a roughly 15% faster refresh. That's consciously perceptible to maybe half of competitive FPS players in a blind A/B test and unnoticeable to everyone else.

The 1.9 ms cumulative drop from 165 to 240 Hz is the first step where most players can clearly see the smoothness gain in fast motion. A 240 Hz panel earns its premium where a 165 Hz premium doesn't.

More Frame Rate scenarios

24 FPS
The global cinema standard since the 1920s: film exposure shapes its motion look, while projector shuttering reduces flicker.
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30 FPS
The console 'quality mode' target: smooth on TV, feels slow on PC.
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60 FPS
A common baseline for smooth PC gaming, where mouse movement and motion feel connected.
View details

Related guides

27" 16:9 monitor screen size
The 165 Hz tier almost always lives on a 27-inch 1440p IPS panel.
View guide
27" 1440p monitor PPI
The standard 165 Hz panel's pixel density.
View guide

Frequently asked questions

Is 165 Hz noticeably better than 144 Hz?
For most people, no: the 0.9 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.
What's the frame time of 165 FPS?
6.06 milliseconds per frame. The math is 1000 / 165 = 6.06 ms. The improvement over 144 FPS (about 15% faster refresh) is subtle for most viewers, which is why 165 Hz is often the practical sweet spot for production: it gives headroom over 144 Hz without the price premium of 240 Hz.
Does 165 Hz work over DisplayPort and HDMI?
DisplayPort 1.4 handles 1440p at 165 Hz with DSC comfortably. HDMI needs 2.0 or better for 1080p at 165 Hz, and 2.1 for 1440p at that rate without compression. If your monitor runs at 144 Hz instead of 165, the cable or port version is the usual suspect, so check both ends before blaming the panel.

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