VRR vs Fixed Refresh Rate: Which Display for Editing?

What a fixed refresh rate display is

Editing laptop listings state a display refresh rate as a number followed by the letters Hz, which stands for refreshes per second. A fixed refresh rate display refreshes its image at one constant rate the entire time it is on. A 60Hz display refreshes 60 times per second, and a 120Hz display refreshes 120 times per second. These figures appear as stated details on listings: ASUS laptop titles, for example, state 120Hz OLED displays. The word "fixed" tells a buyer that the rate does not change.

For an editor, the refresh rate line matters because video is played back and previewed on the display. The rate at which a display refreshes is a detail you can read on a listing, alongside screen size, resolution, and color gamut. This article explains the two kinds of refresh rate figures you will read: fixed and variable.

What a variable refresh rate display is

A variable refresh rate display, shortened to VRR, changes its refresh rate to match the frame rate of the content on screen. Instead of one constant rate, the display follows the rate at which frames appear. Different makers state this feature with different names. NVIDIA's GeForce laptop page lists G-SYNC among its display technologies. Apple's MacBook Pro specifications describe "ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz."

On a listing, words like "variable," "adaptive," "ProMotion," and "G-SYNC" are the maker's way of stating that the refresh rate can vary. The catalog quotes what the maker states; it does not state what any display will do on a particular timeline. Read the words as stated details and compare them between laptops.

Video frame rates an editor delivers

An editor delivers video at standard frame rates. YouTube's recommended upload encoding settings list common frame rates: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, and 60 frames per second. The footage you record and the timeline you edit run at one of these rates, depending on the project. A fixed refresh rate display refreshes at one rate, so a 60Hz figure sits near 60 frames per second. The other display details on a listing, such as screen resolution and color gamut, matter for the same reason: each line states what the display is described as.

Apple's MacBook Pro specs page lists fixed refresh rates of 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, and 60.00Hz. Those figures sit beside the frame rates at which editors record and deliver: 48, 50, and 60 frames per second appear on YouTube's list. When a listing states a fixed refresh rate, compare that figure with the frame rates you deliver.

Reading the refresh rate line on a listing

On a laptop listing, the refresh rate appears in a few forms. A title may state "120Hz OLED" or "adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz." The stated refresh rate is a display detail, just like screen size or resolution. It tells you what the display is described as, not how a specific clip will play. When comparing two laptops, compare the refresh rate line and the words that describe it.

The refresh rate for video editing article explains the term in more detail. For a full comparison of laptops on stated details, the best video editing laptop guide carries the current picks.

• Hz figures: 60Hz and 120Hz appear on listings; ASUS titles state 120Hz OLED displays
• Adaptive or variable: the maker states the refresh rate can vary
• ProMotion: Apple's name for adaptive refresh, stated on MacBook Pro specs
• G-SYNC: a display technology name on NVIDIA's GeForce laptop page

Refresh rates on MacBook Pro listings

MacBook Pro listings and the Apple specs page state the refresh rate in two parts: fixed rates at video standards and adaptive refresh. Apple's MacBook Pro specifications list fixed refresh rates of 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, and 60.00Hz, and state "ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz."

For an editor, the fixed-rate figures sit near the frame rates used for delivery, and the adaptive line states that the display can vary its rate. MacBook Air listings state a different display line; the best MacBook for video editing guide compares MacBook listings on stated details.

How to compare two laptop displays

To compare two laptops, write down the refresh rate stated on each listing and the words that describe it. A listing that states a 120Hz display and a listing that states a 60Hz display are different on the stated refresh rate. A listing that states "adaptive" or "variable" refresh is different from one that states a fixed rate.

The guides compare laptops on stated details only. Decide the frame rates you deliver and read the display line against those rates. The best laptop for 4K video editing guide and the best laptop for YouTube video editing guide carry full comparisons for those workflows.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

What does variable refresh rate mean on a laptop listing?

It means the display can change how often it refreshes to match the frame rate of the content on screen. Apple's MacBook Pro specs page describes "ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz." NVIDIA's laptop page lists G-SYNC as a display technology. On a listing, the words "adaptive," "variable," "ProMotion," or "G-SYNC" state that the refresh rate can vary.

What does fixed refresh rate mean?

A fixed refresh rate display refreshes at one constant rate. Apple's MacBook Pro specs page lists fixed refresh rates of 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, and 60.00Hz. A 60Hz display refreshes 60 times per second.

Which is better for video editing, VRR or fixed refresh rate?

For editing, what matters is what the listing states and how it matches the frame rates you deliver. YouTube's recommended upload settings list 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, and 60 frames per second. A display that states a fixed refresh rate at a video standard, or an adaptive refresh rate, both appear on MacBook Pro listings. Compare the stated line to the frame rates you work with, and read the how to check laptop specs guide.

Are 60Hz displays fine for editing?

A 60Hz figure on a listing states a fixed refresh rate near 60 frames per second. Apple's MacBook Pro specs page lists 60.00Hz among fixed rates. Many laptops list 120Hz displays. For editing, the choice depends on the frame rates you deliver and how the rest of the laptop is configured; the guides compare full laptop details, not the refresh rate alone.

Why does the MacBook Pro specs page list 47.95Hz and 59.94Hz?

Those figures are fixed refresh rates that Apple states on the MacBook Pro specifications page, alongside 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, and 60.00Hz. They sit on the same list as fixed rates close to the standard video frame rates of 48, 50, and 60 frames per second.