How to Set Your Monitor to Its Full Refresh Rate (144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz)

A high refresh rate monitor redraws the picture 144, 165, 240 or more times a second instead of 60, which makes motion look smoother and cuts the delay between your input and what you see. But it only does that if Windows, the cable and the game all run it at that rate. It’s common to plug in a new monitor and play for months at 60Hz without knowing.

This guide is one step in our process for tuning a gaming PC.

Step 1: Set the refresh rate in Windows

Microsoft’s steps are the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10:

1. Open Start > Settings > System > Display.
2. Scroll down and select Advanced display.
3. If you have more than one screen, choose the gaming monitor from the list at the top.
4. Under Refresh rate (Windows 11) or Choose a refresh rate (Windows 10), pick the highest number.

The rates offered depend on what the monitor reports and what the connection can carry. In Windows 11, a rate marked with an asterisk isn’t available at your current resolution, and picking it changes the resolution to match. For gaming you normally want the monitor’s native resolution and its highest rate together, so if that combination isn’t listed, the cable or port is the limit (see Step 2).

Dynamic refresh rate

On some laptops and monitors, Windows 11 also shows a Dynamic refresh rate option. It lowers the rate while you’re reading or typing to save power, then raises it for smooth scrolling and motion. Microsoft says it needs a display that supports variable refresh rate and at least 120Hz. It’s mainly a battery feature, and games still run at the full rate.

Step 2: Check the cable and the port

If the rate you paid for isn’t in the list, the connection is almost always why.

• Plug into the graphics card, not the motherboard. On a desktop with a separate graphics card, the display outputs on the back panel near the USB ports belong to the processor’s integrated graphics. Use the outputs on the card, lower down on the back of the case.
• Use DisplayPort if you can. Most gaming monitors include a DisplayPort cable, and it’s the most reliable way to reach high refresh rates on a PC.
• Using HDMI? High refresh rates at 1440p and 4K need HDMI 2.0 or 2.1 on both ends, and a cable rated for it. Many monitors have one older HDMI port limited to 60Hz, so check which port supports what in the monitor’s manual.
• Avoid adapters and cheap extension cables while you test. An adapter or old cable can quietly limit the bandwidth.

Step 3: Check the monitor’s own menu

Some monitors ship with their highest rate locked behind a setting such as overclock, or with the DisplayPort version set to an older mode. Open the on-screen menu with the buttons on the monitor and look for refresh rate, overclock or DisplayPort version settings. The manual lists what each model has.

Step 4: Check the graphics driver and control panel

An outdated or generic driver can stop Windows offering the full rate. Update your graphics driver from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel. The NVIDIA Control Panel (Display > Change resolution) and AMD Software (Settings > Display) also show the refresh rate, and are another place to set it.

Step 5: Check your games

With Windows set correctly, check each game’s display or video settings:

• Set any refresh rate option to your monitor’s maximum.
• Look for a frame rate limit set to 60 and raise it or turn it off.
• V-Sync caps frames at the refresh rate. With a 144Hz monitor that’s 144 FPS, which is fine, but on a G-Sync or FreeSync display there are better options, covered in V-Sync vs G-Sync vs FreeSync.

Remember that a 240Hz monitor only shows 240 new frames a second if your PC can render them. If your frame rate is well below your refresh rate, the FPS calculator gives a rough idea of what your hardware can reach, and the PC gaming performance guide covers how to raise it.

Frame time at each refresh rate

Each refresh rate gives every frame a fixed slot of time on screen: 1,000 milliseconds divided by the rate.

Going from 60Hz to 144Hz cuts the time between frames by more than half, which is why the jump is so obvious. The step from 240Hz to 360Hz is much smaller and mostly matters in competitive shooters.