Exactly what is a good/average refresh rate? I have often wondered this but never really figured it out. Mine has always been set to 60hz yet I have read that changing it can tweak some games i.e. make them faster fps-wise. I then heard something about a low refresh rate giving some people headaches?

[ 10-20-2003, 01:42 AM: Message edited by: SpiritWarrior ]

I feel refreshed every morning after my shower and then again at night after kicking off my shoes and laxing back on the couch with a JDs and coke [img]smile.gif[/img]

Well, when it hurt my head, I've adjusted mine to 75 hz. It worked. No more headaches, at least for me. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Downunda, that sounds taxing [img]tongue.gif[/img] .

Now that I think of it I do get headaches quite a bit especially when watching DVD's on the computer monitor as I just did about an hour ago.

The monitor refresh rate is simply the speed at which the data on the screen is refreshed - altering this value will have no effect upon a games' FPS rate.

60Mhz is the lowest value that a monitor can work at - in the EU, health and saftey regulations have imposed upon manufacturers an obligation to manufacture monitors that have the capability to refresh at a minimum of 75mhz (800x600 res.)- considered to be the lowest healthy refresh rate. (As you and others have discovered, a lower refresh rate quickly causes headaches).

The 'Optimal' setting uses the highest rate that video card and monitor combination can support - so all things being equal, this is generally the best setting to use.

However, windows does not always recognise your monitor (if it does not recognise it, you will see the generic term of 'Windows plug and play monitor' in the display settings). If this is the case, you have two options:

1. Consult your monitor manual to select the correct refresh rate vis-a-vis the screen size resolution that you work with.
or
2. Preferable - Go to your the manufacturer's site (for your monitor) and download and install the relevant monitor driver - and then set the refresh rate to optimal.

*Bear in mind that setting a refresh rate to a level higher than your monitor supports will eventually burn out your monitor - so do follow this advice.*

[ 10-20-2003, 05:10 AM: Message edited by: Skunk ]

This is what I've got. No detection of monitor at all, reading only as a Plug N Play monitor it warnes of hardware problems if the refresh rate is out above 60hz. I'll try look for my old drivers and see what happens.

Well, my Graphics card (or monitor) allows it to hide the rates it cannot support...and I just set mine to 150Hz...is that too fast? Just wondering whether its healthy or not...anyway, the screen looks kinda different now...but I don't really mind. High refresh rates can't give you headaches, right?

[ 10-20-2003, 02:04 PM: Message edited by: slicer15 ]

Also check the manufacturers website, you can often find the latest and greatest drivers there for your monitor.