Playing at 40hz is garbage. Who started this shit?

drotahorror

Member
I was getting around 40-50fps with RT and all that jazz in the AC Shadows benchmark (game was free, I've never spent a dime on any AC game). Playing with fluctuating FPS that low sucks so I locked it to 40fps (120hz monitor, gsync). Fluctuating FPS between say 80-120 is totally fine and smooth.

I played for about 4 or 5 hours at 40hz and it just looked so terrible. The motion clarity is garbage. I'm team green but FSR frame gen can be enabled along with DLSS in AC Shadows. I unlocked my framerate and turned on frame gen. Wow, motion clarity sky rocketed, beautiful game. And honest to God I did not notice any input delay which is insane. Most areas were over 100fps and it felt great (was playing with a wired controller so, kb/m might have been noticeable).

40hz is definitely slightly better than 30 but honestly it's not a big difference at all. You're kidding yourself if you say otherwise.

I see a lot of folks here get excited and praising a 40hz option. Pointless topic I know, but FUCK 40HZ, it sucks dick just like 30.

Have a great Saturday
 
Rami Malek Reaction GIF
 
You are better off lowering graphics until you get to 60 fps, then use frame generation to get to 120.
And use Reflex to reduce input lag a bit.

And yes, everything bellow 60 fps sucks.
 
Don't use gsync if you have a 120hz monitor and lock your fps to 40.

40fps in 120hz container is better than 40fps in 40hz container. You will have superior control latency.
 
Last edited:
40fps is mathematically halfway between 30fps and 60fps in terms of frame times, so it's a significant upgrade. It's WAY better than 30.

And if you're playing at 40fps @ 120hz, you get perfect frame pacing and (depending on the game) much faster response time.
 
Last edited:
It sounds like youre on PC, ofc 40hz will look garbage to you when youre used to unlocked refresh rate 100% of the time. This isnt a relevant thing to your platform.

40hz gaming isnt a thing on pc, its praised because its an extra alternative between locked 60hz or 30hz on console for which its a very welcome option (i imagine)
 
Last edited:
Actually spot on. Look, its definitely feels much, much better than going 40 on a traditional monitor... but just not the same as going higher fps.
 
It's not the ideal but it's much better than 30 and better input response so not only in motion.

I'll go 40 on steam deck, but on PC I prefer lowering the setting. To me, 60 is a prerequisite on PC. A minimum.
 
It's not. 40 fps on a 120hz display makes a big difference compared to 30fps on a 60hz screen, especially if you're on an OLED TV where 30 fps feels awful.
40 in 120hz container doesn't feel particularly great either IME.
I found 40hz native much less offensive - on the same display too - but too bad that excludes console options.

If we're picking possible sub 60hz refresh options that are standard (not custom) - I'd take 50hz over any of the above - but platform holders collectively decided to give all of us the middle finger on that - even the 'good guy' Microsoft.

I played for about 4 or 5 hours at 40hz and it just looked so terrible. The motion clarity is garbage.
Since you are on a PC setup - you can lock your display to any arbitrary refresh and get much better experience.
40hz refresh will look better than '40fps locked from 120' but you can also do higher. For instance - 48hz (which I was forced to use on Dark Forces since the game has a fixed multiplier that doesn't fit 60hz and plays like complete shit at that framerate) actually still hits good smoothness, and that might be enough headroom for you to lock to?

I'm not commenting on frame-gen - that's just sacrificing one type of motion muddiness for another - but I digress.
 
Last edited:
E
No, it isn't amazing. It's a compromise you make because you can't reach 60. It's better than 30, but amazing? Lol
nah bruv

Rock solid 40 with better visuals is so much better then 60 with mids.

If i was pc gaming all the fucking fake framerates made me have no clue anyways what i was playing at
 
Remember like two months into PS360 gen we all thought native res and refresh rate was right around the corner… at least they found a way to sell people on motion smoothing ("frame gen") and just blurring out the scaling artifacts…
 
I grew up on the N64, so I count my lucky stars any time a game is more than 17fps.
 
E

nah bruv

Rock solid 40 with better visuals is so much better then 60 with mids.

If i was pc gaming all the fucking fake framerates made me have no clue anyways what i was playing at
And rock solid 30 is better than 40 with mids. Come on man.
 
And rock solid 30 is better than 40 with mids. Come on man.
No honestly after my steam deck 40-45 is my new bottom. I can not fucking stand 30.

Go check out alan wake in 40fps on ps5 pro maxed out.. it works
 
It is the only option for consoles to reach any form of good image quality or raytracing

And yeah it feels bad even at 120hz

I kind of like it on steam deck though sincw locking to 60 is not always possible
 
No honestly after my steam deck 40-45 is my new bottom. I can not fucking stand 30.

Go check out alan wake in 40fps on ps5 pro maxed out.. it works
60 with drops is horrible, but 45 with drops is fine?

Okay…
 
Last edited:
60 FPS = The current standard. Minimum acceptable frame-rate. While perfectly playable, fast camera panning presents tons of blur.

90 FPS (VRR) = Excellent frame rate. Motion-blur is almost completely non existent.

120 FPS = The golden number. The frame rate we should all aspire to.

Beyond 120 FPS = Only relevant on competitive games. Or for people who's fighting guilt after spending their lives savings on a PC.
 
40fps in 120hz container is better than 40fps in 40hz container. You will have superior control latency.
And worse motion clarity.
8-16ms reduction in input latency (in games that usually go over 100ms at this framerate) isn't really worth the compromise IME.
 
If you play a 40fps game after you played a 30fps one then its way better, if you play it after you played a 60fps game then its sucks balls ALWAYS. Its a compromise...
 
I mean, it's better than 30. That's about it.

It's still not good enough though, it looks choppy.
 
It's not. 40 fps on a 120hz display makes a big difference compared to 30fps on a 60hz screen, especially if you're on an OLED TV where 30 fps feels awful.
I've a Sony A80J and second this. I can't stand 30fps but 40fps has been a game changer! Playing AC Shadows on balanced mode has been like having the best of both worlds where fidelity and performance options made compromises.
 
It sounds like youre on PC, ofc 40hz will look garbage to you when youre used to unlocked refresh rate 100% of the time. This isnt a relevant thing to your platform.

40hz gaming isnt a thing on pc, its praised because its an extra alternative between locked 60hz or 30hz on console for which its a very welcome option (i imagine)
Can be also be the same thing in the same screen with the same frame times.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom