How to Check your Monitor Refresh Rate

A monitor’s refresh rate, measured in hertz (Hz), tells you how many times per second the screen redraws the image. A 60 Hz panel updates 60 times each second, while a 144 Hz display refreshes 144 times, delivering smoother motion and less perceived blur.

• Smooth gameplay - Faster refresh rates keep fast‑moving games looking fluid.
• Reduced eye strain - Less flicker means a more comfortable viewing experience.
• Better responsiveness - Higher rates lower input lag, giving you a quicker reaction window.

1. Right‑click the desktop and pick Display settings.
2. Scroll down and click Advanced display settings.
3. Under Refresh rate (Hz) you’ll see the current value.

Tip: If you have multiple monitors, select the one you want to inspect from the “Select a display” dropdown first.

• NVIDIA: Right‑click the desktop → NVIDIA Control Panel → Change resolution → look for Refresh rate.
• AMD: Right‑click → AMD Radeon Settings → Display → Refresh Rate.
• Intel: Right‑click → Graphics Properties → Display → Refresh Rate.

• Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS).
• Go to Displays → click Advanced (or hold Option and click Scaled).
• Choose the desired refresh rate from the Refresh Rate dropdown.

Most modern panels let you view the current rate directly:

• Press the Menu button on the monitor.
• Navigate to a section usually labelled Info, Status, or Settings.
• The refresh rate is displayed alongside resolution and input source.

If you can’t find it, consult the user manual - the OSD layout varies by brand.

• Cable limits - HDMI 1.4 tops out at 120 Hz at 1080p, while HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2+ support 144 Hz and higher.
• GPU capability - Your graphics card must be able to output the chosen refresh rate at the selected resolution.
• Windows “Default” mode - If you see “60 Hz (Default)”, you may need to manually select a higher rate in the settings panel.