Monitor Refresh Rate

[Colb]

Ok, there was a discussion about the Radeon 9700 in a gaming forum and someone posted that most monitors are between 75 and 100mhz(?) refresh rate. And that this hardcore card would be a waste of money since the monitor could not support that much "high quality" information.
I have no knowledge about monitors at all, so could someone clear this subject up for me?

And does refresh rate limit frames per second?

[Charger]

Depends on how old the monitor is. Mine runs fine@85mhz, but my older one will not go beyond 60. Newer monitors can go to 100mhz and beyond. You can check yours in your video card properties. Usually 75-85 is the norm.

[HAL9000]

You need to check the specs of the monitor. They have different maximum refresh rates for different resolutions. If you have the INF file installed for your particular monitor, Windows won't let you exceed the maximum refresh rate for a given resolution which would potentially damage your monitor, although quite often in situations where the refresh is too high, you will just get a blank screen.

Yes, low refresh rates will lower FPS.

I generally tell clients to leave the refresh rate alone unless they are having problems with eye strain... then to increase it until it no longer bothers them. I have very sensitive eyes and find that even a refresh of 85Hz isn't enough for extended periods of staring at my monitor, so I run at 100Hz and have no problems with eye strain now.