What is Frame Time?
Frame time (measured in milliseconds) is the amount of time it takes your computer to render and display a single frame of graphics. While FPS tells you the total volume of frames in a second, Frame Time tells you how long you are waiting for each update.
Comprehensive Frame Rate Conversion Table
A detailed breakdown of industry standards from 12 FPS to 540 FPS.
| FPS | Frame Time (ms) | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Hz | 83.33 ms | Animation Standard (2s) |
| 15 Hz | 66.67 ms | Low Detail / Retro / Early Console |
| 18 Hz | 55.56 ms | Vintage Silent Film |
| 24 Hz | 41.67 ms | Cinema / Movie Standard |
| 25 Hz | 40.00 ms | PAL TV Standard |
| 30 Hz | 33.33 ms | NTSC / Console Baseline |
| 45 Hz | 22.22 ms | Stable Handheld / Deck Standard |
| 48 Hz | 20.83 ms | High Frame Rate (HFR) Cinema |
| 50 Hz | 20.00 ms | European TV High |
| 60 Hz | 16.67 ms | Standard PC / Modern Console |
| 72 Hz | 13.89 ms | VR Minimum (Oculus Rift DK1) |
| 75 Hz | 13.33 ms | Mainstream Office Monitor |
| 80 Hz | 12.50 ms | Budget Gaming |
| 85 Hz | 11.76 ms | High-End CRT Standard |
| 90 Hz | 11.11 ms | VR Standard (Quest/Index) |
| 100 Hz | 10.00 ms | Smooth Gaming Surface |
| 120 Hz | 8.33 ms | iPad Pro / High Refresh Phone |
| 138 Hz | 7.25 ms | OC LG OLED Specialty |
| 144 Hz | 6.94 ms | Pro Gaming Standard |
| 155 Hz | 6.45 ms | Niche OC Monitors |
| 165 Hz | 6.06 ms | Modern Gaming Sweet Spot |
| 175 Hz | 5.71 ms | Ultra-Wide Gaming |
| 180 Hz | 5.56 ms | Fast LCD Standard |
| 200 Hz | 5.00 ms | E-Sports Entry Tier |
| 216 Hz | 4.63 ms | OC Ultrawide (Alienware) |
| 240 Hz | 4.17 ms | Ultra High Refresh |
| 280 Hz | 3.57 ms | Competitive Edge (ASUS) |
| 300 Hz | 3.33 ms | Pro Laptop Peak |
| 360 Hz | 2.78 ms | E-Sports Elite Standard |
| 390 Hz | 2.56 ms | Advanced Competitive (Acer) |
| 480 Hz | 2.08 ms | High-End OLED (2024) |
| 500 Hz | 2.00 ms | Next-Gen E-Sports (Dell) |
| 540 Hz | 1.85 ms | World Records (BenQ/ASUS) |
The Relationship: Lower is Better
The relationship is simple: 1000 / FPS = ms. As your FPS increases, the time between frames decreases. This reduction in time is what makes high-refresh-rate gaming feel more "instant" and responsive.
Why Enthusiasts Care About MS
Input lag is directly tied to frame time. If you are running at 30 FPS, there is a minimum of 33.3ms of delay before your action can even begin to appear on screen. At 144 FPS, that delay drops to just 6.94ms. This is why professional e-sports players prioritize high refresh rates over graphical fidelity.
Diminishing Returns
You'll notice in the table that the jump from 30 to 60 FPS saves a massive 16.6ms. However, jumping from 240 to 360 FPS only saves about 1.4ms. While every millisecond counts in competitive gaming, the most impactful gains happen in the 60-144 FPS range.