60hz monitors and 120hz monitors, differences and other questions

[Sommanker]

Hello, I have spent a while researching the differences between 60hz and 120hz monitors, and can't find anything relevant to me or anything definitive, so I thought I'd try asking here.
I'm using a GTX 970M with 3gb dedicated ram. If it's relevant, I have 16gb ram and 6th gen i7 - 2.7ghz/3.5 with turboboost.
I read somewhere that games running at 60fps look better in 60hz than 120hz. Some games I play run at 60, some at 100-300 fps. I also read that V-Sync can make a difference too, but I don't understand how or whether I should or shouldn't use it, and for what.

Question list:
Is it more efficient to cap fps at 60 and use a 60hz monitor?
Is it possible to get a 120hz monitor and run it in a 60hz mode? In control panel --> screen resolution --> advanced settings --> monitor, it is possible to change the refresh rate of the monitor. On my friends 60hz monitor, he can change it to 60, 59, 50, 30, 29 and 25. If I had a 120hz monitor, could I select 60hz or something for games that run with a lower fps?
How does V-Sync affect everything?
How does AA affect everything? I read somewhere that it affects that maximum refresh rate too.
Which would be the most efficient for me?

Thanks in advance

 

[ssddx]

1. depends on the frame rates you get and preferences. if you have a stable framerate just over 60 then having a smooth and stable 60 may look better than for example a 80-100 wildy varying framerate. of course that depends on your preferences too. some people say they can see jitter in 60fps while some say it looks fine (i'm of the second myself). higher framerate will look "smoother" but whether or not you care is personal preference.

2. i believe so but this might vary from model to model.

3. vsync matches your fps to your monitors refresh rate. basically it is to prevent screen tearing. there are of course more advanced forms of this like gsync which fixes some of the problems vysnc had.

4. think of aa like bluring. a slight blur is used on solid lines to make images look smooth and not jagged http/i.stack.imgur.com/pA7uy.png turning on aa can suck up alot of resources on AAA games but also makes them look better. on 1080p you will want to be using it. on 4k you can get away with not using it given pixel density is so high it doesnt matter as much. it doesnt affect your monitor refresh rate at all but might lower your fps if your gpu is not powerful enough to run the game at the settings you pick. of course you dont have to pick the highest level of AA either and some people run without it when they play. its just a graphical enhancement that makes things look better.

5. depends on your preferences. generally people are one of two types. A) people who want a 8bit or 10bit monitor for color accuracy and less banding (think quality) and since most of those are 60hz they just deal with 60fps. B) people who think 60fps looks choppy and want more to look smoother. generally they like tn panels with fast response times and are not as picky about things like banding or color accuracy as long as its "good enough" and is smooth. i'm the prior myself.

 

[Sommanker]

3. vsync matches your fps to your monitors refresh rate. basically it is to prevent screen tearing. there are of course more advanced forms of this like gsync which fixes some of the problems vysnc had.


.

What happens when you use a 120hz monitor, are playing a game that you can run at a max of say, 50 fps, and use v-sync?

 

[ssddx]

if you cannot produce a good deal over 60fps in most titles (a good number to get would be at least 80+) then buying a 120hz panel is pointless.

i havent experimented since i dont use a 120hz panel myself but i believe vsync will try to match what refresh rate you have your monitor set to in your display settings. if you fall way below you might get stuttering.

now there is adaptive vsync http/www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/adaptive-vsync/technology which turns on/off to both stop screen tearing and help prevent stuttering in cases where your fps fluctuates wildly.

in an ideal world (for 60hz panels), you would have your setting so that you can get a constant 59/60fps (settings so that for most of the game at least your fps would naturally be over this number so vsync limits you and your performance is smooth). for greater than 60hz panels you might want to use adaptive vsync or gsync to make things a bit smoother.