The refresh rate race got hotter with three new gaming monitors

The refresh rate race in gaming monitors is like the megapixel race that has always dogged smartphone cameras, with the latest releases from companies like Asus and Acer at the recently concluded Computex 2025 event in Taiwan upping the ante in terms of ever-expanding refresh rates.

But first, let's, err, refresh our understanding of its significance: For gaming, an ideal refresh rate falls between 144Hz and 200Hz. Higher refresh rates (like 240Hz or beyond) can offer even smoother and more responsive gameplay, especially in fast-paced competitive games. However, a 144Hz or higher refresh rate is generally considered the sweet spot for most gamers, offering a significant improvement over the standard 60Hz refresh rate.

You'd think that would be enough, right? No. In 2025, manufacturers are pushing the limits with unprecedentedly high refresh rate monitors. Two of them, from MSI and Acer, are 144p displays with a staggering 500Hz refresh rate—it's a bit puzzling actually because even if you have the top-of-the-line Nvidia RTX 5090 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) with multi-frame generation, you’d be unable to utilise all of it. But, one other monitor has blown even these two out of the water: the ROG Strix Ace XG248QSG (yes, that’s a mouthful), from Asus with a 1080p display and an astounding 610Hz refresh rate.

But, do we really need super-fast gaming monitors? With these kind of refresh rates, you’re not only going to need a powerful graphics card (like Nvidia’s RTX 5090) but also a top of the line CPU to support it (the CPU helps feed the GPU with data). Most games won’t even be rendered this quickly, though. And yet, the refresh rate arms race is a live and kicking.

Let’s check out the three monitors unveiled at Computex and see what they have to offer beyond crazy refresh rates:

Asus ROG Strix Ace XG248QSG

The ROG Strix Ace XG248QSG, a 24.1-inch FHD monitor from Asus is going global. It’s a Super TN panel, which has lower colour accuracy than IPS panels but is known for its incredible speed. Asus claims that this monitor has 90% DCI-P3 color coverage. One other advantage of this monitor over other high refresh rate models is the support for Extreme Low Motion Blur 2. This means that, according to the company, the panel is 65% brighter than its competitors.

The highlight of the monitor is the absurdly fast 610Hz refresh rate. It’s native refresh rate is 600Hz and it can be overclocked to 610Hz. It’s got a 0.1ms response time, support for FreeSync Premium and G-Sunch.

There’s also the ROG Strix OLED XG34WCDMTG (yes, another mouthful). This is a 34-inch WQHD (3440×1440 resolution) QD-OLED monitor. This one features a 240Hz refresh rate and DCI-P3 99% color gamut, It vibrant, immersive, and enhances the gameplay visuals. This monitor has Google TV (based on Android 14) embedded.

Acer Predator X27U F5

For 2025, Acer has unleashed the Predator X27U F5. This 26.5-inch WQHD QD-OLED gaming monitor has a 2560x1440 resolution and a 500Hz refresh rate. On top of that, it’s got a 0.03ms response time and comes with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro (to reduce screen tearing) technology. It’s VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 certified and has a whopping 1,6000,000:1 contrast ratio. In HDR mode, the peak brightness is 1000 nits (the native brightness is 300 nits). There are 2 DisplayPort 1.4 ports, 2 HDMI 2.1 ports, a USB-C port (with 65W charging), two USB 3.2 ports and an audio out port. Additionally, two 5W built-in speakers can be tilted, swivelled, and pivoted, with a height adjustment of up to 120mm.

Acer also unveiled some other models alongside the Predator X27U F5. First up is the Predator X27 X. This is a 4K UHD QD-OLED gaming monitor with a more modest 240Hz refresh rate. Next up are the Nitro GA321QK P and GA341CUR W0 smart monitors. The Nitro GA321QK P is a 31.5-inch 4K UHD (3840×2160 resolution) display with an even more modest 165Hz refresh rate. Then comes the Nitro GA341CUR W0, a 34-inch ultra-wide QHD (3440×1440 resolution) display featuring a 240Hz refresh rate.

MSI MPG 271QR X50 and MAG 272QP X50

MSI (aka Micro-Star International, a Taiwanese company) is billing the MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 and MAG 272QP X50 as the world’s first 27-inch WQHD (2K) QD-OLED gaming monitors with a huge 500Hz refresh rate. The mainstay of these monitors are that they feature Samsung Display’s latest 3rd-gen QD-OLED panel. The advantage of this is an ultra-smooth motion for a truly immersive gaming experience. They’ve got a 2560x1440 resolution for crisp text, vivid colours and twice the pixel density of Full HD.

The difference between them is that the MPG 271QR X50 gets a sensor, at the bottom of the display, that detects when you’re away from the screen and automatically turns it off.

MSI also introduced five other monitors:

- MPG 272URX: This 27-inch monitor has a 3840x2160p resolution, runs at 240Hz refresh rate and has comes with a 4th-gen QD-OLED panel.

- MPG 322URX: Identical to the 272URX except that it has a bigger 31.5-inch screen.

- MAG 272QPW: A 280Hz gaming monitor with a 3rd-gen QD-OLED panel.

- MPG 274URDFW E16M: A 27-inch Rapid IPS monitor. This one offers a dual-configuration mode, meaning it can display UHD at 160Hz and FHD at 320Hz, so you can choose between better visuals or fast-paced gaming.

- MPG 242R X60N: This one is for esports professionals. It’s made using a Rapid TN panel, comes in a 24-inch size and offers a 600Hz refresh rate.