60hz vs 120/144hz final Battle!

[danieldsklein]

I Think this is a pretty elaborate set up, and a very good comparison between 60Hz and 144Hz from Maximum PC

They have almost 2 identical machines (i7-3820, gtx580, same ssd, the only difference is the mobo, one uses sabertooth and the other the WS) and both asus but TN panels (the comparison is the freshrate not the color accuracy).

For the test they used 120FPS gopro footage, 24FPS movie and 120FPS FRAPS capture. THe games were L4D2 and Portal 2 (since both can reach above 144fps all the time, and scrolling a website and moving a window. They tested with random people and their staff.

 

The results are very curious, was almost a draw, the 144Hz monitor won, but not by far.

 

 

The Salesman

The second subject is a salesman who’s also a gamer and PC enthusiast. He preferred the 120fps GoPro video on the 144Hz panel, saying, “This is more realistic.” He had no preference in our high-frame-rate FRAPS video, and also preferred the 24fps material on the 60Hz panel. Interestingly, the subject felt Left 4 Dead 2 “felt smoother” on the 60Hz panel but then in Portal 2 preferred the 144Hz panel. In our scrolling and window-moving tests, he preferred the 144Hz panel.

 

The Gearhead

Our third subject is a hardware editor with a leading PC magazine. He was familiar with our challenge so we tried to throw him off by telling him we had swapped the monitor positions. He still picked the 144Hz panel for all of the tests save one: the HD source material at 24fps, which he said looked better on the 60Hz panel. Color us cynical, but we suspect some confirmation bias at play, as his picks didn’t actually mesh with others.

 

The Tech Editor

Our next subject is a long-time hardware and tech editor. He immediately picked our 120fps GoPro video on the 144Hz panel and had no preference for our FRAPS video.

And, like the others, picked the 60Hz panel for the 24fps HD movie.

In games, however, he had no preference in Left 4 Dead 2 and actually preferred Portal 2 on the 60Hz panel, saying, “It just looks sharper to me.” He also preferred the 60Hz panel for both our scrolling test and moving-window test, echoing our first test subject’s reasons: sharper text, albeit at an admittedly lower frame rate.

 

The PC Gamer

Our fifth subject, a junior games editor, chose the smooth rims of the wheels in our GoPro video at 144Hz versus the strobing on the 60Hz panel, had no preference on our FRAPS video, and like all others, picked the 60Hz panel for the 24fps material.

In games, he first picked the 60Hz panel saying, “This one definitely feels smoother,” but then reversed his preference in Portal 2, saying, “[The 60Hz] is definitely smoother, but I’m liking Portal 2 on [the 144Hz panel].” However, he described the differences between the two monitors in Portal 2 as “miniscule.” He also picked the 60Hz panel for both the scrolling and window-movement tests, saying it was “smoother” for both. 

 

The IT Guy 

An IT guy served as our next subject. He had no preference whatsoever in any of our video tests or when playing Left 4 Dead 2. But he thought the 144Hz panel had a slight advantage in Portal 2. In our scrolling and window-moving tests, he picked the 144Hz panel for both, saying the panel was “snappier.”

 

Games Editor

We included a second gaming editor for his “bionic-like” LASIK-corrected eyesight. However, he bucked our expectations by choosing the 60Hz panel in both our GoPro video and in the HD movie, believing the 60Hz panel was “sharper.” In our L4D2 test, he picked the 60Hz panel even though he said he thought the 144Hz panel was actually “smoother.” When we got to Portal 2 though, he uttered, “uh oh” and “oh, dear,” as he realized which panel was actually 144Hz, which is the one he preferred in that test. He said the scrolling and window-moving tests were both smoother on the 144Hz panel, but that he didn’t care about those factors very much.

 

The Video Producer

A self-proclaimed video nerd, this subject immediately keyed in on the differences between the panels. He picked the 144Hz panel for the GoPro video, calling it more “realistic” (albeit “wigging” to his eyes), but preferred the 60Hz panel for the FRAPS video and had no preference for the 24fps material. In gaming, he could tell the difference between the two monitors but actually chose the 60Hz panel because the motion blur felt more “comfortable” to his eyes. “This is like an old shoe,” he said, even though intellectually he knew the other one was faster. He thought that scrolling on the 144Hz panel made it seem like the web page was on “grease” and, though off-putting, he said he thought he could get used to it. “If you said I could take one home right now, I would take the high-refresh-rate monitor.”

 

 

More details about the results here : http://www.maximumpc.com/refresh_rate_2013?page=0,0

 

 

[Assassin]

This is cool! and Awesome! +1

[bartekxx12]

Yes well was this not obvious? 
They're using a TN panel for both 60 and 144Hz, so obviously 144Hz is better... 

The point of getting a 60Hz is to be able to get an IPS panel which look amazing.

I'm pretty sure this test was pretty pointless. It's obvious that on the same TN monitor, 144Hz will look better than 60Hz... 

I mean, the title of this thread is "final battle" but I don't think there ever was a battle.

[MdX MaxX]

Read this the other day; I was quite surprised by 24fps movie results.  Since 24 goes into 144 evenly but not into 60, I would have expected the 24fps movie experience to be better on the 144Hz display.

 

Anyway, I think the moral of the story here is that people like what they're used to.  Gamers and techies are used to pushing higher framerates, whereas average people are used to the framerates they're spoonfed by everyday media.

 

(Speaking of Maximum PC, Gordon Ung is a boss and should totally be on the WAN show haha.)

[MdX MaxX]

Yes well was this not obvious? 

They're using a TN panel for both 60 and 144Hz, so obviously 144Hz is better... 

The point of getting a 60Hz is to be able to get an IPS panel which look amazing.

I'm pretty sure this test was pretty pointless. It's obvious that on the same TN monitor, 144Hz will look better than 60Hz... 

I mean, the title of this thread is "final battle" but I don't think there ever was a battle.

You clearly didn't read the article...

 

It was not a clear win for 144Hz as many of us would have expected.  A lot of people preferred the 60Hz panel for different types of content.

 

We all know more frames are better for things like games, but this test is more focused on evaluating what the average person thinks about higher refresh rates.