As a competitive League of Legends player, having smooth and responsive gameplay is crucial for performing at your best. Two key factors that impact this are your frames per second (FPS) and your monitor’s refresh rate measured in Hertz (Hz). Finding the right combination of FPS and Hz settings can make a noticeable difference in reducing input lag and screen tearing for a buttery smooth gaming experience.
For League of Legends pros competing at the highest levels like Worlds, stable high FPS is a must. Most run the game on powerful PCs at high FPS, often leaving the framerate uncapped. LoL is a relatively easy game to run, so maintaining 240+ FPS is usually achievable for pro-level setups.
However, there are some good reasons to cap your maximum FPS, primarily to match it with your monitor’s refresh rate. The refresh rate is how many times per second the display can draw a new image. At 240Hz, the screen can refresh 240 times per second. If your FPS is significantly higher than your refresh rate, you may encounter screen tearing – where the monitor displays portions of multiple frames at once, resulting in a “torn” look.
The most common refresh rates used by pro and high ELO players are 144Hz and 240Hz. 144Hz is a major step up from standard 60Hz monitors and provides a very smooth experience. 240Hz takes it a step further for even more fluid visuals and lower input lag, but the difference is less noticeable than going from 60 to 144Hz.
To get the full benefit of a high refresh monitor, you need to maintain an equally high framerate. There’s no point in having a 240Hz display if your PC can only output 120 FPS. So when deciding on your new gaming setup, consider what level of performance your rig can consistently provide.
For a 240Hz monitor, ideally you want to be pushing 240 FPS or more. Some people even recommend targeting double your refresh rate (480 FPS for 240Hz). The reason is that if you only have exactly 240 FPS, the frames may not line up perfectly with the refresh windows, causing micro-stutters or a little input lag.
But realistically, as long as you have a good G-sync or Freesync monitor and keep your FPS above your refresh rate, tearing and stuttering shouldn’t be an issue. And the difference between 240 FPS and 480 FPS will be imperceptible to the vast majority of players.
So in general, here are some guidelines for choosing your League of Legends FPS and Hz combo:
- 60 Hz monitor: Cap your FPS at 120. Keeping some FPS headroom helps maintain a smooth framerate.
- 144 Hz monitor: If your PC can hold a steady 144+ FPS, this is a great sweet spot. Cap FPS at 144 to match the refresh rate.
- 240 Hz monitor: Only choose 240Hz if your rig can consistently push 240+ FPS. Ideally uncap your FPS and let it run as high as it can.
- For any setup, if screen tearing is an issue, enabling V-Sync will eliminate tearing at the cost of a little input lag and capping your FPS to your refresh rate.
The most important thing is having a stable, consistent framerate with enough headroom above your monitor’s refresh rate. Going from 144Hz to 240Hz won’t make a huge difference in your ability to compete, but major FPS dips and stuttering will. So focus first on a rig that can deliver reliable high FPS, then get a matching high refresh monitor.
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Hopefully this gives you a clearer picture of how to optimize your League of Legends setup for the smoothest gameplay experience. Experiment with different FPS caps and settings to find what looks and feels best to you. Everyone’s perception is a bit different. But following these general principles will help you achieve that buttery smooth feel the pros aim for.