How to adjust monitor refresh rate on Windows 11

• To change the display refresh rate on Windows 11, open Settings > System > Display, click “Advanced display,” change the refresh rate (60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, 240Hz, etc.), or use “Dynamic” to enable DRR.
• You can also use the legacy display adapter properties or the Control Panel from graphics card manufacturers. 

UPDATED 9/26/2024: Although Windows 11 can automatically set the optimal refresh rate for your monitor, you may still need to change this setting manually. For example, if you have a gaming monitor that supports high refresh rate settings, such as 120Hz, 144Hz, 240Hz, and higher. Or, if the screen is flickering, it could indicate that the display is using a lower refresh rate, and you may need to increase the rate to improve the viewing experience.

In a nutshell, “refresh rate” describes how often the display renders an image per second, measured in Herts (Hz). For instance, if the monitor has a refresh rate of 60Hz, it can refresh the image on the screen 60 times per second. The most common refresh rate is 60Hz, but higher rates allow movements on the screen to feel smoother.

Windows 11 also offers the Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) feature, which allows laptops and desktops computers to automatically lower or increase the refresh rate based on the content on the screen to balance performance and power consumption. Dynamic Refresh Rate is available on displays that support variable refresh rate (VRR) and a refresh rate of at least 120Hz. Also, the feature requires a graphics driver (WDDM 3.0) to support it. 

In this guide, I will teach you the easy steps to change the refresh rate on Windows 11.

• Change monitor refresh rate on Windows 11 from Settings
• Change monitor refresh rate on Windows 11 from Control Panel
• Change monitor refresh rate on Windows 11 from graphics panel

Change monitor refresh rate on Windows 11 from Settings

To change the monitor refresh rate on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Display tab.

4. Click the Advanced display setting under the “Related settings” section.

   

5. Select the display to configure from the “Select to view or change its settings” option (if applicable).

6. Confirm the correct refresh rate using the “Choose a refresh rate” setting under the “Display information” section.

   

7. (Windows 11 23H2) Choose the “Dynamic” option to enable the Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) on Windows 11 (if available).

8. (Windows 11 24H2) Turn on the “Dynamic refresh rate” toggle switch to enable the DRR feature.

   

Once you complete the steps, the display should start rending images with the new refresh rate. 

It’s important to note that the available refresh rates will depend on the settings that the monitor supports. If the option is grayed out or you can change the settings, the computer probably has a graphics or display driver problem. Usually, reinstalling or updating the corresponding drivers will fix the problem. If you don’t see the option to enable a “Dynamic refresh rate,” the monitor may not support this feature. 

Change monitor refresh rate on Windows 11 from Control Panel

To change the refresh rate from the legacy Display Adapter properties, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Display tab.

4. Click the Advanced display setting under the “Related settings” section.

   

5. If you have a multi-monitor setup, select the display to configure from the “Select to view or change its settings” option.

6. Click the “Display adapter properties” option.

   

7. Click the Monitor tab.

8. Change the screen refresh rate.

   

9. Click the Apply button.

10. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, the screen will start working with the specified refresh rate setting.

Change monitor refresh rate on Windows 11 from graphics panel

Although it shouldn’t be necessary, if you have a graphics card from Intel, you can also use the “Intel Graphics Control Panel” application to set a different screen refresh rate. You can use the “Nvidia Control Panel” software, and if you use AMD Radon graphics, you can use the “AMD Catalyst Control Center” software from the “Desktop Properties” page.

To adjust the refresh rate of the screen from the Nvidia Control Panel, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Nvidia Control Panel and click the top result to open the app.

3. Click on Change resolution under the “Display” section.

4. Select the monitor to change its settings.

5. Change the refresh rate user in the “Choose the Resolution” section.

   

Once you complete the steps, the new refresh rate settings will apply to the monitor.

Update September 26, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.