1440p or 144Hz? These questions are often asked by gamers deciding to build their own PCs. If you’re starting out, you are probably reeling from all the technical stuff you must consider to make the best PC that fits your games and preferences. Don’t worry. You’ll make light of the 1440p vs. 144Hz dilemma right here.
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What Are 1440p and 144Hz?
Related: Best 1440P 144HZ Monitor – 7 Options For All Budgets
First, if you haven’t noticed, 1440p vs. 144Hz feud uses two very different units of measure. If you look at it as it is, it doesn’t make sense to compare two different units of measurement. They’re like comparing apples to oranges, which you already know is unfair.
Nonetheless, there’s a reason why these two are being compared to each other. First of all, 144Hz refers to the refresh rate. Refresh rate refers to the number of times your screen “refreshes” the display every second. A 144Hz refresh rate means a refresh of 144 times in a second.
Regarding refresh rates, it’s better to have more refreshes in a single second. This means that if you are a hardcore gamer and you play fast-paced games, then a 144Hz display is better.
Second, 1440p refers to video resolution. It’s a shortcut for a 2560×1440 resolution. As you can see, this is such a mouthful, so it was shortened to “1440p”. Anyway, for resolutions, the higher the resolution, the more pixels there are in the image. This means that the picture quality becomes better. But a high-resolution display does not guarantee an overall high-quality display; pixel density does that.
Pixel density refers to the actual pixels per inch. It’s often measured in pixels per inch (PPI) or pixel per centimeter (PPCM). A 24-inch 1080p monitor has a ratio of 93 PPI, while a 27-inch of the same resolution has a lower PPI. In short, the more you increase the size of the screen while retaining its resolution, the lesser the pixel density is.
Why Compare 1440p and 144Hz?
You might still wonder why the two are being compared even if they have different units of measure. And so what if you choose 1440p? Or 144Hz?
1440p monitors often have a refresh rate of 60Hz. The more affordable monitors are almost always 1440p and 60Hz. It’s like a package deal. In the same way, the 144Hz is always paired with a 1080p resolution. In the end, you’re comparing two different types of display.
Related: How to Set or Change Your Monitor to 144HZ – Follow These Simple Steps
Which One is Better?
All you need to know is which one is better, but unfortunately, it’s hard to give a direct answer knowing that these two have different sets of pros and cons. Nonetheless, here are instances when you should buy one over the other.
The 1440p 60Hz has a high resolution and a lower refresh rate than the 1080p 144Hz. When it comes to the resolution and the graphics, the former definitely trumps the latter. 1440p is becoming popular these days simply because it displays high-quality graphics. If graphics are a big deal for you, then you’ll find this model ideal. Plus, if your games are more graphic than fast-paced, it makes sense to buy a 1440p 60Hz.
However, the budget is one of the two major disadvantages of a 1440p 60Hz. While it has one of the best graphics available, it comes with a hefty price tag. On average, it costs around $250. Sometimes, you’ll get to thinking if the graphics were that big of a deal because it’s definitely a lot more expensive than the 1080p 144Hz.
The other disadvantage with the 1440p is, of course, the response rate. Since it comes with just 60Hz, this can be very slow when you are playing competitive and racing games where each millisecond matters. But if you don’t plan to play them so much, the 60Hz response time is not so bad.
Now for the 1080p 144Hz. As you already know by now, the central selling point of this display is the response rate. It has a high response rate which means it refreshes the screen more. This is a giant leap from the 60Hz, and those who have tried both know the difference. The 144Hz allows you to react faster because the movements are more fluid. This can even be your competitive advantage against other opponents. You’ll also love that this is cheaper than the 1440p 144Hz display. It’s only around $150, so you have more savings on other parts of your PC.
As for the cons of the 1080p 144Hz, it has a lower resolution. If you love graphics, you’ll notice how different the picture quality is. The image quality is even worse if you buy a 27-inch monitor with a 1080p resolution. As mentioned earlier, larger screens with a 1080p resolution tend to have less image clarity.
The Bottomline
The debate between the 1440p 60Hz and the 1080p 144Hz never ends because it depends on your preference. The 144Hz has a higher response rate, which is unimportant if your graphics are not great. Meanwhile, if you don’t really care about the graphics and want to focus on performance, the 1440p will be your pick.
At the end of the day, you must know which is your priority. It would help to identify the games you play most of the time. If you love playing Call of Duty, PUBG, Battlefield, and the like, then you need a display that has a high response rate. On the other hand, if you love games like CS: GO and Overwatch, it’s best to buy a display that can give you the best graphics.
If money is not an issue, you can look for a model with both 1440p and 144Hz. This is ideal, but if you don’t need it, there’s no point in buying it, too.
1 comment
Hey I just wanted to say that you made a mistake in this article. The most important thing for CS:GO and Overwatch is a higher refresh rate display, not a higher resolution display. Graphics don’t matter in the games, they are super competitive and require that higher refresh rate. They should be grouped with COD and PuBG. Games that would benefit from a higher resolution and don’t need a higher refresh rate are less competitive games like The Witcher 3, Assassin’s Creed, and Red Dead Redemption.
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