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FPS Visualizer

Compare target frame intervals side by side. Visible updates remain bounded by the browser and display refresh cadence.

Speed960 px/s

At 60 fps, each frame moves 16 px.

1.00x

Real frame rates. Slide it down to show fewer frames at the same speed, so the jumps get bigger and easier to see.

Frame rates
60 FPS(16.67ms)
30 FPS(33.33ms)
15 FPS(66.67ms)
60 fps
30 fps
15 fps

Checking your screen's refresh rate...

How to use this tool

  1. Pick the frame rates to compare

    The lanes start at your screen's refresh rate, half of it and a quarter of it, so every lane moves evenly. Drag a slider to set your own frame rate from 1 to 720 FPS, add up to 4 lanes, or press Match my screen to go back. Each rate shows its frame interval in milliseconds next to its slider, while visible repaint timing remains bounded by the browser and display.

  2. Watch the automatic animation

    The visualizer starts automatically, with no play button required. It advances each lane from the target interval inside a requestAnimationFrame loop, so the browser displays the available cadence. If a lane is faster than the detected display refresh rate, a note above the lanes says it'll look like the screen's rate.

  3. Compare motion smoothness side-by-side

    Watch the lanes together to compare target frame intervals, then use the detected refresh rate warning to judge which lanes the current display can actually present. Use a real high-refresh panel for the final visual decision about a monitor upgrade.

  4. Read the frame time numbers

    Each slider shows the target per-frame interval in milliseconds (33.3 ms at 30 FPS, 16.7 ms at 60 FPS, 6.9 ms at 144 FPS, 4.2 ms at 240 FPS). Lower target frame time can support smoother motion and lower input latency when the display and game pipeline can present it.

About this tool

The FPS Visualizer places target frame rates side by side and shows each target's frame interval. It opens on your screen's refresh rate, half of it and a quarter of it, and any lane can go from 1 to 720 FPS. Its requestAnimationFrame loop is synchronized to the browser's repaint opportunity, so a 240 FPS lane cannot become 240 distinct visible updates on a 60 or 144 Hz display.

Use it to compare the math behind monitor and game settings, then check the detected refresh rate warning before treating the animation as a visual hardware comparison. The page is useful for frame-time education, but the final feel of a high-refresh game depends on the real display, GPU, game, synchronization mode, and input pipeline.

Frame time and display cadence

Target frame time is the interval between rendered frames: 33.3 ms at 30 FPS, 16.7 ms at 60 FPS, 8.3 ms at 120 FPS, 6.9 ms at 144 FPS, and 4.2 ms at 240 FPS. A browser page can only show a new visible state when the browser and display repaint, so a target above the detected refresh rate is numeric context rather than a literal visible cadence in this page.

When to use it

Reach for this when comparing frame-time targets or tuning in-game settings. Pair it with the Display Bandwidth Calculator to confirm your cable can carry the target mode at your resolution, and use a real high-refresh display plus a game benchmark for the final visual and input-latency decision.

Popular frame rate scenarios

Pre-computed frame times and use-case guidance for the most-searched refresh rates.

60 FPS
16.7 ms frame time, the PC gaming baseline
View details ➜
144 FPS
6.9 ms frame time, competitive gaming entry point
View details ➜
240 FPS
4.2 ms frame time, esports standard
View details ➜

Refresh-rate comparisons

Side-by-side animations and analysis for the most common refresh-rate upgrades.

30 FPS vs 60 FPS
Twice the frames, and the heart of every console performance mode debate.
Read comparison ➜
24 FPS vs 30 FPS
Cinema's century-old standard versus the modern console quality-mode target - an 8.3 ms frame-time gap that feels more cinematic than smooth.
Read comparison ➜
60 Hz vs 120 Hz
A clean 2× doubling — the high-refresh tier that current consoles and phones target.
Read comparison ➜

Frequently asked questions

Is the difference between 60 FPS and 144 FPS really visible?
The target frame intervals differ clearly on paper: 60 FPS is 16.7 ms per frame and 144 FPS is 6.9 ms. This visualizer can show those numbers and relative timing, but a browser animation can only repaint at the display and browser's available cadence. For a real visual comparison above your current refresh rate, use a matching high-refresh display.
Do I need a 240 Hz or 360 Hz monitor for competitive games?
For competitive esports titles like CS2 or Valorant, the lower motion blur and faster input pipeline give a measurable advantage. For single-player, story-driven games, 120-144 Hz is usually more than enough.
What's the difference between FPS and refresh rate (Hz)?
FPS is how many frames your GPU renders per second. Refresh rate is how many times per second your monitor redraws the screen. A 144 Hz panel can present at most 144 refreshes per second. G-Sync and FreeSync synchronize timing within the display's supported variable-refresh range, but they don't raise that maximum. A GPU can render 200 FPS internally, which may affect latency or tearing, while the cable carries the configured display mode. A higher output refresh rate, not a higher internal render FPS, needs more signal bandwidth, so check display bandwidth before chasing a high-refresh panel.
Why does 30 FPS feel choppy on PC but smooth on console?
Consoles typically use motion-blur techniques and frame pacing tuned to 30 FPS output on TVs, which are also further from your eyes. PC monitors sit close and have higher contrast. Because frame-to-frame differences are more obvious, 30 FPS feels less fluid on a monitor.
Is 120 FPS on TV the same as 120 FPS on a monitor?
The frame rate is identical, but response times differ. Gaming monitors have 1-5 ms pixel response times. Many TVs have 10-20 ms response times, which can smear fast motion even at 120 Hz. Look for TVs with a dedicated game mode and low input lag.
Can the human eye see more than 60 FPS?
Yes, the "human eye can only see 30 FPS" myth is false. The human eye does not sample at a fixed rate. Motion smoothness, input latency, and motion blur reduction are all perceptible up to several hundred frames per second in the right scenarios.
How do I find out what Hz my monitor is actually running?
Windows Settings > System > Display > Advanced display shows your configured refresh rate, but that can lie when the wrong cable or GPU port is feeding the panel. The honest check is to measure your display's real frame cadence in the browser with our Detect My Refresh Rate tool, which catches a 144 Hz panel silently running at 60 Hz over HDMI 1.4.

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Use this tool on your own site

Drop the FPS Visualizer into your blog, docs, or CMS with one iframe snippet. Free, no signup. See all embeddable tools