Is a 240Hz Monitor Worth It? | The Honest Verdict

Guides / By

Yes, for competitive gamers with powerful PCs; no, for everyone else.

That question — is a 240Hz monitor worth it — is a common upgrade dilemma in PC gaming. The answer depends on the games you play and your hardware. A 240Hz panel delivers a real edge in fast-paced shooters where milliseconds matter. For office work, streaming, or story-driven titles, that edge goes unused, making the cost hard to justify against a cheaper 144Hz panel.

Before comparing prices, ask: can your PC push past 200 FPS in the games you care about? If not, the panel’s peak refresh rate is wasted, and a 144Hz display will deliver nearly identical performance for less.

The Real Case For 240Hz: Competitive Gaming

240Hz exists to keep the image on screen as recent as possible. BenQ frames it as a gaming-focused improvement, pointing to higher refresh rates for smoother motion and responsiveness. The difference between 144Hz and 240Hz is most visible in fast-moving objects; at high refresh rates, ghosting and perceived blur all but disappear.

This matters for esports titles like CS2, Valorant, and Overwatch 2, where players run frame rates in the hundreds and opponents move in fractions of a second. A 240Hz panel reduces motion blur and delivers frame updates that feel nearly instant, shaving milliseconds off perceived reaction time — a real competitive advantage.

That benefit rarely transfers beyond competitive play. A 240Hz panel does not improve color accuracy, text sharpness, or video streaming. If you are not playing titles that sustain very high frame rates, you are paying for headroom you will never touch.

What 240Hz Actually Costs Today

The price has dropped significantly. That sits well under many 165Hz and even some 144Hz panels from a few years ago. If the gap between a decent 144Hz and a 240Hz display shrinks to twenty or thirty dollars, the upgrade becomes about whether extra smoothness is worth it for your games, not budget.

Dell’s SE2426HGS packs a 1920 x 1080 IPS panel at 240Hz, with two HDMI ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 connection. The HDMI ports support up to 1080p at 240Hz with VRR support “as specified in HDMI 2.1 (TMDS),” per the datasheet. It ships with an HDMI cable, so you can run at full refresh rate out of the box on a compatible device.

Before Buying: Compatible Ports, Cables, and Hardware

240Hz does not happen just because a monitor says 240. Dell’s spec sheet spells out the exact combination — 1920 x 1080 at 240Hz — which is only available if your source device and cable cooperate. Check these:

  • Confirm the refresh rate ceiling. The advertised rate is resolution-specific; Dell’s quoted support is exactly 1080p at 240Hz. The panel runs at lower refresh rates at higher resolutions, but not 240Hz.
  • Use a cable that explicitly supports 240Hz. A cheap, old cable can silently cap the refresh rate. Use DisplayPort 1.4 or the included HDMI cable.
  • Check your GPU and console output. The monitor’s HDMI may support 240Hz at 1080p while your GPU or console does not. DisplayPort is the safer PC connection, which is why Dell lists DisplayPort 1.4.
  • Verify your PC can render the frames. A 240Hz panel pays off only if the GPU consistently delivers close to 240 FPS. A mid-range card targeting 120 FPS will not benefit.

RTINGS’ current best-240Hz roundup confirms the category’s strength for high-level performance, but the benefit is tied to gaming, not everyday use.

The Verdict

Whether 240Hz is worth it comes down to one variable: your frame rate. If you play competitive shooters and your PC holds 240 FPS, it is worth it — lower motion blur and faster frame updates give a real edge. Dell’s $119.99 SE2426HGS makes that jump affordable.

If you mostly work, stream, or play single-player games at 60–120 FPS, it is not worth it. The money is better spent on a quality 144Hz display or a better GPU that can push the frames a high-refresh panel demands.

FAQs

Can a PlayStation 5 run games at 240Hz?

Only in specific cases. The PS5 outputs 1080p at up to 120Hz in most titles, with select games supporting 120Hz modes. A 240Hz monitor accepts that 120Hz signal without issue, but you will not see 240 FPS from the console.

Is a 240Hz monitor better than a 144Hz monitor for casual gaming?

Not meaningfully. The jump from 60Hz to 144Hz is dramatic; the jump from 144Hz to 240Hz is subtle and mostly benefits players who can perceive and use the difference in fast-moving scenes. Casual gaming does not justify the added cost.

Does 240Hz cause eye strain?

Higher refresh rates generally reduce eye strain compared to lower rates, as the screen updates more often with less visible flicker. Common causes of eye strain — brightness, distance, and blue light — apply to all monitors regardless of refresh rate.

References & Sources

Please use a real email you check. If it's fake or mistyped, your message won't reach us and we can't reply — wrong addresses are rejected automatically.