Refresh rates on flat crt moniter

The refresh rate (most commonly the "vertical refresh rate", "vertical scan rate" for CRTs) is the number of times in a second that display hardware draws the data it is being given. This is distinct from the measure of frame rate in that the refresh rate includes the repeated drawing of identical frames, while frame rate measures how a video source can feed an entire frame of new data to a display.
For example, most movie projectors advance from one frame to the next one 24 times each second. But each frame is illuminated two or three times before the next frame is projected using a shutter in front of its lamp. As a result, the movie projector runs at 24 frames per second, but has a 48 or 72 Hz refresh rate.
On CRT displays, increasing the refresh rate decreases flickering, thereby reducing eye strain. However, if a refresh rate is specified that is beyond what is recommended for the display, damage to the display can occur.

Frame rates are considered important in video games. The frame rate can make the difference between a game that is playable and one that is not. The first 3D first-person adventure game for a personal computer, 3D Monster Maze, had a frame rate of approximately 6 frame/s, and was still a success. In modern action-oriented games where players must visually track animated objects and react quickly, frame rates of between 30 to 60 frame/s are considered minimally acceptable by some, though this can vary significantly from game to game. Most modern action games, including popular first person shooters such as Halo 3, run around 30 frames a second, while others, such as Unreal Tournament 3, run at 60 frames a second. The framerate within games, particularly PC games, typically varies with the hardware configuraton, and depending upon what is currently happening in the game at a given moment. When the production of a frame makes large demands on the CPU and / or GPU, the framerate falls.
A culture of competition has arisen among game enthusiasts with regards to frame rates, with players striving to obtain the highest frame/s count possible. Indeed, many benchmarks (such as 3DMark) released by the marketing departments of hardware manufacturers and published in hardware reviews focus on the frame/s measurement. Modern video cards, often featuring NVIDIA or ATI chipsets, can perform at over 160 frame/s on graphics intensive games such as F.E.A.R. One single GeForce 8800 GTX has been reported to play F.E.A.R. at up to 386 frame/s (at a low resolution).[citation needed] This does not apply to all games: some games apply a limit on the frame rate. For example, in the Grand Theft Auto series, Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City have a standard 30 frame/s (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas runs at 25 frame/s) and this limit can only be removed at the cost of graphical and gameplay stability. It is also doubtful whether striving for such high frame rates is worthwhile. A regular CRT monitor (somewhat outdated now) runs at up to 85 hertz, meaning that any performance reached by the game over 85 frame/s is discarded. For that reason it is not uncommon to limit the frame rate to the refresh rate of the monitor in a process called vertical synchronization. However, many players feel that not synchronizing every frame produces sufficiently better game execution to justify some "tearing" of the images.

In conclusion: If you want better experience in games you must upgrade your videocard.