60Hz vs 120Hz: Does Refresh Rate Matter?

What Refresh Rate Means on a Listing

Refresh rate is the number of times per second a laptop display redraws the image it shows. It is measured in hertz, written as Hz. A display that states 60Hz redraws 60 times per second; a display that states 120Hz redraws 120 times per second. On a listing, the figure usually sits in the display section, and sometimes in the title itself, as part of a phrase like 120Hz OLED or 60Hz IPS.

The refresh rate is one display spec among several. It sits alongside resolution, screen size, and the color words on a title such as sRGB or DCI-P3. It has no direct connection to how much RAM the laptop has, what its graphics card is, or how much storage the SSD holds. When you compare two editing laptops, the refresh rate is read with the other display details, not instead of them. For a fuller picture of display specs, the screen resolution article and the color gamut article explain the terms next to it.

Why an Editor Reads the Refresh Rate

While you edit, you watch motion on the display: the playhead moving along the timeline, a clip being trimmed, a camera pan, or a person walking through a shot. A display cannot show continuous motion; it shows a new image each time it redraws. A display that redraws more often shows smaller steps between the images it displays. That is why a listing that states a higher refresh rate is read as a display that shows movement with less visible stepping.

For editing, the refresh rate says how motion appears on the screen, not how quickly the laptop processes the project. Exporting a timeline comes down to the processor, graphics, and memory, which are separate details on a listing. So 120Hz on a title tells you about the display you watch your footage on. If you want the full picture of what decides a timeline's capacity, the RAM guide and the VRAM guide cover those figures.

How Refresh Rate Relates to Your Footage's Frame Rate

Your footage has its own frame rate: the number of separate images recorded per second. YouTube's recommended upload settings list the common frame rates used for uploads: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, and 60 frames per second. When you watch a clip in your editor, the display refresh rate and the footage frame rate are two separate figures that the display brings together.

A display that refreshes 120 times per second is an even multiple of several common frame rates: 24, 30, and 60 all divide evenly into 120. A 60Hz display is an even multiple of 30 and 60, but not of 24. In plain terms, a 120Hz display can show a 24, 30, or 60 frame per second clip with a whole number of redraws per frame. That arithmetic is why the figure is worth reading when you plan to watch your own footage at its recorded frame rate. The refresh rate article covers the term in more depth.

None of this means a 60Hz display is a wrong choice for editing. It is the base refresh rate on many laptops, and a large share of editing work involves reading clips, cutting, and arranging a timeline, which do not depend on the refresh figure. The number becomes more relevant when you are watching movement in the preview, such as a pan or a subject moving across the frame.

Adaptive Refresh Rates on MacBook and Windows Laptops

Some displays do not run at one fixed refresh rate. Apple's MacBook Pro tech specs state ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, and they also list fixed refresh rates of 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94, and 60Hz. The word adaptive means the display changes how often it redraws rather than holding one figure. If you read ProMotion on a MacBook listing, Apple's tech specs page is the place to check the stated refresh rates.

On Windows laptops, maker pages also state the refresh figure in the display spec. ASUS lists a 120Hz OLED touch display on the Zenbook Duo line and a 120Hz OLED display on the Vivobook 16 Flip line on its site. When a marketplace listing does not print the refresh rate, the maker's page is the next place to read it. The MacBook guides and Windows laptop guides on this site compare those stated details.

Reading the Refresh Rate in a Listing

On a laptop title, the refresh rate appears in the display line: 120Hz, 60Hz, or sometimes not at all. When the title does not state it, check the display bullet list; when the bullet list does not state it either, the maker's page is the next place to look. A listing may state 60Hz as the display figure, may state 120Hz, or may not state a figure at all, and the page template prints what the seller states.

When you compare two listings, read the refresh rate together with the resolution (for example QHD or 4K), the screen size, and whether the panel is stated as OLED or IPS. The refresh rate answers one question: how many times the display redraws each second. It does not answer how much memory or storage the laptop has, and it does not replace the color words on a title. Keep the question separate: RAM, graphics memory, and storage decide what your timeline can hold; the refresh rate decides how motion is shown.

What the Refresh Rate Does Not Decide

The refresh rate does not tell you anything about the laptop's ability to edit: not the RAM, not the graphics memory, not the storage. A 120Hz display and a high-spec graphics card can appear together on a listing, but they are separate details. The guides on this site compare laptops on stated details, and the refresh rate is compared as what it is: a display figure.

For a new editor starting a channel or a course, a 60Hz display is a common base and is not a reason to pass on an otherwise suitable listing. For an editor who spends the day watching movement on screen, a stated 120Hz display is a feature worth reading, but only as part of the whole display picture, which also includes resolution, panel type, and color words. The editing laptop guide and the 4K editing laptop guide show how the display figure sits alongside the other details on a listing.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

Is a 60Hz display enough for video editing?

Yes, in general terms. 60Hz is a common base refresh rate on laptops, and much of editing involves reading clips and arranging a timeline, which do not depend on the refresh figure. If you watch a lot of movement in the preview, a stated 120Hz display shows smaller steps between redraws.

Does a 120Hz display change how the laptop processes a project?

No. The refresh rate is a display figure; it states how often the screen redraws, and it does not change the stated RAM, graphics memory, or storage. Exporting and playback come down to those other stated details, not to the refresh number.

How do refresh rate and frame rate differ?

The frame rate is how many images per second your footage records; YouTube's recommended upload settings list common frame rates of 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, and 60. The refresh rate is how many times per second the display redraws. 120 is an even multiple of 24, 30, and 60, while 60 is an even multiple of 30 and 60 but not of 24.

What does adaptive mean on a refresh rate listing?

Apple's MacBook Pro tech specs state ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz and list fixed rates including 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94, and 60Hz. Adaptive means the display adjusts how often it redraws instead of holding one figure. Read the maker's page for the stated figure on the model you shortlist.

Should you choose a 120Hz display over more RAM?

They are different questions. RAM decides how much of your timeline and open programs the laptop can hold; the refresh rate decides how motion appears on the display. Compare each detail separately. If long projects are the priority, a listing with more RAM may matter more than a display figure.