Can HDMI do 240Hz? (Find It Out!)

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240Hz is an attractive feature for gamers who want crisp and smooth graphics.

If you are starting to upgrade your monitor, you might have to consider whether HDMI can handle 240Hz.

Bottleneck theory dictates that the transmission speed of the cable limits the maximum refresh rate your monitor can display.

There are several generations of HDMI cables, of which not all support a high refresh rate of 240Hz.

So, can HDMI do 240Hz?

a monitor and a HDMI cable

Let’s get started!

What is Refresh Rate?

Refresh Rate is the frequency at which a display updates the image on the screen. The refresh rate is usually measured in hertz (Hz). The faster the refresh rate, the faster images are refreshed.

The higher the refresh rate, the less likely you will see a blur in fast-moving images. However, not all displays are capable of a 240Hz refresh rate. 

E.g., If you have a 240Hz refresh rate monitor, it means that it would refresh at 240 times per second.

So, every new image comes at 1/240th second on the monitor.

To get a high refresh rate, you need to look beyond the “Hz” specification and find the “native” or “real” refresh rate, which is the maximum refresh rate it can display without having to use tricks to boost it.

Can HDMI do 240Hz?

HDMI can do 240Hz. The HDMI cable of the 2.1 version can do 240Hz at 1080p and 1440p.

With these capabilities, you’ll be able to play games with a much smoother experience with a much clearer and sharper picture.

You will enjoy playing the FPS games at 240Hz.

Not only that, but with the 2.1 version’s higher refresh rate, you can enjoy fast gaming speeds that give you smooth action and detailed characters on the screen.

What HDMI cable do you need for 240Hz?

240Hz needs HDMI 2.0 cable and above. HDMI 2.0 cable would be able to transmit at 1920×1080, and if a higher resolution of 240Hz is required, then HDMI 2.1 can transmit.

HDMI Generations

The Table below shows HDMI Generation, if they have 240Hz support and with max refresh rate support for them.

HDMI GenerationIs 240Hz Support presentMax Refresh Rate(Hz) at Full HD resolution
HDMI 1.0-1.2Not supported60Hz @1920×1080
HDMI 1.3Not supported144Hz @1920×1080
HDMI 1.4Not supported144Hz @1920×1080
HDMI 2.0240Hz @1920×1080240Hz @1920×1080
HDMI 2.1240Hz @ 1080p and 1440p480Hz @1920×1080

Does HDMI 1.4 support 240hz?

HDMI 1.4 does not support 240Hz. It can support up to 144Hz at 1080p.

Does HDMI 2.0 support 240hz?

HDMI 2.0 supports a 240Hz refresh rate but at Full HD(1920×1080) max resolution. Having a Full HD 240Hz is excellent for FPS gameplay.

Can HDMI 1.2 do 240Hz?

HDMI 1.2 cannot do 240Hz. With HDMI 1.2, you can only get up to 60Hz at 1080p resolution.

Can HDMI 2.1 do 240Hz?

HDMI 2.1 can easily do 240Hz with a resolution higher than Full HD, and it can do 240Hz at 1440p.

Can HDMI do 4K 240Hz?

HDMI 2.1 cable with DSC support can do 4k at a 240Hz refresh rate, and General 2.1 cables cannot do so.

The VESA’s Display Stream Compression (DSC) technology in HDMI 2.1 cables makes it good to go even at a higher resolution like 4k.

This codec helps keep latency lower and enables higher resolution and refresh rate.

Does HDMI support 1440p 240Hz?

HDMI 2.1 supports 1440p resolution at a 240Hz refresh rate.

It makes an excellent resolution in parallel with a great refresh rate great for gaming.

Is 240Hz Gaming good?

The 240Hz refresh rate is a pretty big jump from the average 60Hz refresh rate that you find on most monitors.

This change will mean that your screen operates in a much smoother and more efficient way.

However, whether or not the extra investment is worth the cost really depends on what types of games you want to play.

When you first hear about a 240Hz monitor, it’s hard not to think of the 240Hz refresh rate as being twice as good as a 120Hz monitor.

This is because the numbers are right there in front of you, and it just makes sense.

But does that mean it’s twice as good?

That’s not the case. 240Hz gaming offers a better visual experience, but that’s about it.

Both monitors are capable of displaying fast-paced action and smooth gameplay.

The difference is that a 240Hz display is capable of displaying it more smoothly and clearly.

Conclusion

Let’s conclude the post on whether HDMI can do 240Hz!

I hope you enjoyed our article about whether HDMI can do 240hz.

To know more about whether HDMI supports 144Hz, you can check this article.

HDMI is the most commonly used cable when connecting your devices and can be very useful if you want to play multiplayer games on the console. 

However, older generation HDMI cable is limited to 60Hz if you choose a lower HDMI cable version like HDMI 1.2.

If you want to do 240Hz, you will need to buy an HDMI 2.1.

Also, it will work if your monitor supports it well.