Resolution calculator

Resolution, refresh rate and screen size interact, and the combination decides how much graphics card you need. This calculates pixel density and relative rendering load for any combination.

Pixel density and why screen size matters

A resolution figure on its own tells you nothing about how sharp a display looks. 1440p is excellent on a 27 inch monitor and unremarkable on a 32 inch one, because the same pixels are spread over more area.

Pixels per inch is the figure that actually describes sharpness. Around 90 to 110 PPI is the range most desktop interfaces are designed around: text is sharp and interface elements are a comfortable size without scaling. Below about 90 PPI you start to see individual pixels at a normal desk distance. Above about 140 PPI you generally need display scaling, at which point the extra resolution buys sharper text rather than more usable space.

What the throughput figure means

The multiplier the calculator shows is how many more pixels per second the graphics card must draw compared with 1080p at 60 Hz. 1440p at 144 Hz is roughly 4.3 times the work. 4K at 144 Hz is roughly 9.6 times.

That is arithmetic, not a frame rate prediction. Real performance depends on the game, the settings, and the whole system. Treat it as a rough sense of how much more card you need, not as a number to plan around.

Resolution or refresh rate?

If you mainly play fast competitive games, refresh rate is usually the better investment. Higher refresh reduces motion blur and shortens the delay between something happening and you seeing it, and that is more noticeable in a fast game than extra pixel detail.

For slower games, single-player titles and desktop work, resolution generally gives more. Sharper text and more usable screen area are present constantly, not only during fast motion.

Doing both at once is where graphics cards get expensive, and it is worth being honest about which one you will actually notice.

Variable refresh rate is worth more than the headline number

Adaptive sync, sold as FreeSync or G-Sync, matches the display refresh rate to whatever frame rate the graphics card is producing at that moment. Without it, a frame rate that does not match the refresh rate produces either tearing or stutter.

In practice this matters more than a higher headline refresh figure, because it makes an uneven frame rate far less distracting. A 120 Hz display with adaptive sync generally gives a better experience than a 165 Hz one without it.

Check the cable and the port

A high refresh rate at high resolution needs enough bandwidth, which means a specific DisplayPort or HDMI version at both ends and a cable rated for it.

This catches people out because it fails quietly. The display works, the picture looks fine, and it is simply running at 60 Hz instead of 144 Hz. After connecting a new monitor, check the refresh rate in your display settings and confirm it is set to what you paid for.

Related reading: How to choose a graphics card.