- To change the display refresh rate (manually or dynamic) 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.
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 what you’re doing 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) that supports it.
This guide will teach you the easy steps to change the refresh rate on Windows 11.
Change monitor refresh rate on Windows 11
To change the monitor refresh rate on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Settings.
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Click on System.
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Click the Display tab.
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Under the “Related settings” section, click the Advanced display setting.
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Under the “Display information” section, change the refresh rate with the “Choose a refresh rate” setting.
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(Optional) Choose the Dynamic option to enable the Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) on Windows 11 (if available).
Alternatively, click the “Display adapter properties” option and change the refresh rate from the Monitor tab.
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 if you use an NVidia adapter from the “Change resolution” page in the “Display” category. And if you use AMD Radon graphics, you can use the “AMD Catalyst Control Center” software from the “Desktop Properties” page.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].