Can You Get More Than 60 FPS on a 60Hz Monitor?

Do you want to know can you get more than 60 FPS on a 60Hz monitor? We have the answers in this guide!

So, you’re playing your favorite game, but when you check your framerates, it clearly says it’s over 60. 

You start checking your monitor and find out that it only runs at 60Hz. Now, you want to know if you’re getting the most out of your monitor and gaming experience.

The short answer is NO. A 60Hz monitor means that it refreshes its screen 60 times per second. Even if your FPS numbers say otherwise, you’re only going to be shown 60 of those frames every second. However, if you exceed it, there is no problem, and we’ll explain why.

You will not be able to exceed your monitor’s frame rates.

However, running much higher FPS has advantages since more is happening behind the scenes.

Can You Get More Than 60 FPS on a 60Hz Monitor with FreeSync

Let’s look at some factors that can affect your game and monitor performance.

If you have a 60Hz monitor, you know you’ll be locked into that unless you get a better one. 

There are ways that you can improve it even if you can’t get beyond 60 FPS.

1. FPS

This is the frequency at which images get displayed on your screen. The higher the number here means more frames you can see, resulting in a better and smoother experience.

2. Screen Tearing

Your GPU is mainly responsible for your FPS. Whenever your monitor’s refresh rate and framerates are not in sync, you can experience screen tearing.

You will notice a horizontal split across your screen.

3. FreeSync

It’s synchronization technology that eliminates screen tearing. Stuttering is also reduced since it aligns with your FPS and display’s refresh rates.

4. Frametimes

This is the time it takes for your GPU to render images. If your system has low frametimes, it will be easier to sync FPS and refresh rates.

These are the things you need to take into account to enjoy the best experience, even with a 60Hz monitor.

How to Get More FPS on 60 Hz Monitor

You will not necessarily be able to see more than 60 FPS on a 60Hz monitor.

However, if your system can pump more frames per second, you will still enjoy a few advantages.

For one, you can be sure that you’re seeing the latest frame produced by your GPU. 

This means that you can nail down the position of your enemies to the last millimeter for more accurate targeting.

Now, if you don’t have a system that can easily hit 60 FPS, you can still improve that by doing a few things.

Solution #1: Update Your Graphics Card Drivers

One of the first things you need to do is update your graphics card drivers.

It’s an easy step that should give you an FPS boost every time a new update is released. These drivers essentially ensure that your GPU runs all the time optimally.

Here’s how to update your graphics card drivers:

1. Go to your GPU manufacturer’s website.
2. Look for the Drivers menu option.
3. Search for your GPU model.
4. Download the latest drivers.
5. Install the drivers and restart your computer.

Pro Tip: You can also go to their Support pages as the drivers can also be found there.

Solution #2: Optimize Your Game’s Video Quality Settings

After updating your GPU drivers and you’re still not consistently hitting 60 FPS, you will want to optimize your game’s video settings.

You will need to lower the graphics quality sacrificing good looks for smoothness.

You will also avoid screen tearing since running at a much lower FPS than your monitor’s refresh rate can cause this.

Here’s how to optimize your game’s video settings:

1. Launch the game you want to change the settings.
2. Go to your game’s Settings.
3. Navigate to Video.
4. Lower the Quality from Ultra or High to Medium.
5. Disable graphics-intensive settings like Shadow Quality.

Note: You can test out every time you change the settings to see if it gives you an FPS boost.

Solution #3: Lower Your Display Resolution

Another option that you have is to lower your display resolution.

A higher resolution means that your graphics card will need to render more pixels giving it more work. If you’re playing a hard game on your GPU, it can cause low FPS.

One way to fix this would be to lower your display resolution. It will affect the quality, but if you’re looking for much smoother gameplay, this is the way to go.

Here’s how to lower the display resolution on your game:

1. Open the game you want to change the settings.
2. Go to Settings, then select Video.
3. Look for Display Resolution.
4. Select a lower value than the default.

Tip: You don’t need to go all the way down. You can lower one increment and see if you get a significant increase in your FPS.

Solution #4: Enable FreeSync or Other Syncing Software

Enabling syncing software will improve your overall game experience. In cases where your FPS will not be able to match your monitor’s framerates, it can eliminate screen tearing.

Activating it is also useful when your system can push more FPS out than your monitor can handle.

Here’s how to enable these syncing software:

Enable AMD FreeSync:

1. Open your Radeon Software.
2. Click on the gear icon.
3. Select Display.
4. Set AMD FreeSync to Enabled.
5. Close the Radeon Software.

Enable NVIDIA G-Sync:

1. Open NVIDIA Control Panel.
2. Click on the + icon beside Display.
3. Select Set up G-Sync.
4. Check the box that says Enable G-Sync.
5. Choose between Full Screen and Windowed Modes.

Tip: We recommend that you restart your computer after enabling these settings.

Solution #5: Upgrade your Graphics Card

In cases where software does not help, your next option would be to upgrade the hardware.

You want to look at your graphics card or GPU as that’s the main component that determines FPS.

If you have a system that’s at least five years old, there’s a good chance that you’re running outdated hardware for the latest games.

We’re not talking about the drivers but the actual graphics card on your computer. As long as you’re not using a laptop, you will be able to get a new one and replace it.

For laptops, it’s going to be a different story since you will need to replace the entire thing.

Pro Tip: Always get the latest models to future-proof your gaming rig. This way, you will not need to get the newest model every time they come out.

Solution #6: Upgrade Your Monitor

Since you can’t see more than 60 FPS on a 60Hz monitor, you will need to get a new monitor if you want to go beyond.

Gaming monitors now come with super-fast panels that can go beyond 60Hz. Some offer 144Hz, while high-end ones can go to 240Hz.

If you’re a casual gamer that plays mainly for fun, we recommend getting a 144Hz monitor.

The performance should be enough for your gaming needs. However, competitive gamers, especially those playing shooting games, will benefit from 240Hz displays or faster.

As long as you have a 60Hz monitor, you really will not be able to enjoy playing games beyond 60 FPS.

Of course, you can go above it, but you’ll only see 60 frames per second.

You can get a much faster display to see the extra frames or, if you’re up to it, do some monitor overclocking.

Read Next: Can a 1440p Monitor Display 1080p?

Bottom Line

Can you get more than 60 FPS on a 60Hz monitor? Well, no. But you can always optimize your current setup, so you hit 60 FPS all the time.

These are incredibly easy steps that you can follow so you can have the best gaming experience with your current hardware.