i'm setting up a pc for my nephew. he use it mainly on gaming. i want to optimise the new system for gaming use. i need some help on configuration before handing over to him. 1. higher refresh rates on monitor/video card give better performance or image quality? or both? 2. both refresh rate on monitor and video card must go on par? or should be set to the highest limit of each devices? thanks in advance.

Refresh rate is how many frames per second the monitor can display. If you have a max refresh rate of 80, and you're getting 100 FPS, you will get image tearing. SO the higher the refresh rate, the better.

Just be careful to only use refresh rates the monitor can support, or else you limit the life of the monitor.

hi RPGreg2600, so, am i right to say that if my monitor support max 85hz, it's pointless to set my video card at 100 or 120hz. (sorry, i'm not a gamer myself):>

If you put the refresh rate higher than what the monitor can support you risk blowing the monitor, it can happen, I had an old 15inch CRT monitor and it would only support 70hz at 1024x768 max, I set it to 80hz and boom, biggest bang you ever heard :-) almost fell of my chair LOL Luckily some moinitors if you set them higher than what the monitor can support it will either say resolutions is to high or will black out and go back to the resolution before you attempted to change it I have a 15inch TFT now and is much better for gaming I find, games run very smooth at 1024x768 at 75hz

my new monitor maxes out at 85hz anything higher it goes black and tells me what i attempted to set it to but ive had an old 14inch crt go bang setting it at a higher res id say put it at the highest the monitor supports anything over 72 is considered suitable at 60hz anyhting below can cause eye damage apparently! i have a second monitor 14" running at 60 hz and it looks fine but on a bigger monitor 60hz looks nasty.

To the basic question- yes higher refresh is much better. Its a low refresh rate that gives you a headache from looking at the monitor. If your monitor can't handle 85 mhz invest in a better one. Your nephew's eyes will thank you. Jim