FPS to Monitor Hz Match Calculator
Compare your game’s FPS against your monitor’s refresh rate to see how many frames actually display, wasted frames and whether you should cap the frame rate.
How it works
Unique frames shown = min(FPS, Hz) · Wasted frames = max(0, FPS − Hz)
A display can only present one new image per refresh, so it physically shows at most as many unique frames per second as its refresh rate. Render faster than the panel and the extra frames are discarded (and, without sync, cause tearing); render slower and some refreshes repeat the last frame, which reads as stutter. Variable-refresh-rate tech (G-Sync, FreeSync) fixes the mismatch by making the monitor refresh exactly when a frame is ready.
Worked example
At 100 FPS on a 144 Hz monitor, only 100 unique frames appear each second and 44 refreshes repeat a frame — a 69% fill rate, best smoothed with VRR. At 200 FPS on the same panel, 144 frames show and 56 (28%) are rendered but never displayed, so capping near 144 saves GPU work and heat.
Frequently asked questions
Should my FPS match my Hz exactly?
Matching or slightly exceeding the refresh rate gives the smoothest result. Far above it wastes GPU power for frames that are never shown; far below it means repeated frames and visible stutter, which VRR helps hide.
Why cap FPS below my monitor’s refresh?
With VRR enabled, capping a few frames under the max refresh (e.g. 141 on 144 Hz) keeps rendering inside the variable-refresh window, which avoids both tearing and the input-lag spike that hitting the ceiling can cause.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.