Change the refresh rate on your monitor in Windows
Applies To
Windows 11 Windows 10The refresh rate of a display is the number of times per second that the image refreshes on the screen. For example, a 60Hz display will update the screen 60 times per second.
What are the benefits of changing the display refresh rate?
The benefits of changing the display refresh rate depend on the type of content you are viewing and the capabilities of your display. Some of the benefits are:
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Gaming: A higher refresh rate can improve your gaming experience by reducing motion blur and screen tearing. It can give you a competitive edge in fast-paced games by reducing input lag and increasing responsiveness.
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Browsing and Inking: A higher refresh rate can make scrolling and using a digital pen more fluid and natural. It can also reduce eye strain and fatigue by minimizing flicker and ghosting.
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Battery Life: Lowering your refresh rate can save battery power by reducing the amount of energy your display consumes. This can be useful when you are using a laptop or tablet and want to extend your battery life.
To change the refresh rate
Display refresh rate changes can be made from the Advanced display settings:
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Select Settings > System > Display > Advanced display .
The Display information panel shows the current resolution and refresh rate for the selected display, and whether the display supports variable refresh rate (VRR).
If your motivation for changing the display refresh rate is to improve your gaming experience, you may find this unnecessary if your display supports VRR, as many popular game titles automatically use VRR to dynamically adapt the refresh rate to provide the best gaming experience.
To change the refresh rate from the Advanced display settings page:
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Select the rate you want next to Choose a refresh rate. The refresh rates that appear depend on your display and what it supports. Select laptops and external displays will support higher refresh rates.
Important: The refresh rate dropdown list shows an asterisk (*) next to refresh rates that don't support your current resolution. Selecting one of these rates will cause your display resolution to change in order to achieve the selected refresh rate.
What is Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR)?
Windows 11 introduces a new feature called Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) that automatically adjusts the refresh rate based on what you are doing at the time. This can help you get the best of both worlds: a smooth experience when you need it for gaming, browsing or inking, and a longer battery life when you’re not doing these types of things.
To enable or disable DRR:
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Select Start > Settings > System > Display > Advanced display .
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Use the Dynamic refresh rate toggle to turn DRR on or off. Note: It is only possible to turn DRR on if your hardware supports DRR.
Important: DRR requires that a display supports VRR and a refresh rate of at least 120 Hz. DRR should not affect games designed for VRR, but it can limit the maximum refresh rate of other games. If you enable DRR and find that a favorite game appears to be running at a lower refresh rate, the best mitigation is to disable DRR.
Support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025
After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. Your PC will still work, but we recommend moving to Windows 11.
To change the refresh rate
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Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings.
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If you are using multiple monitors, select your display from the dropdown under Choose Display.
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Under Refresh rate, select the rate you want. The refresh rates that appear depend on your display and what it supports. Some laptops and external displays will support higher refresh rates.
What is Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR)?
Note: Windows 10 does not support Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR). If you would like to enable DRR, consider upgrading to Windows 11.
Windows 11 introduces a new feature called Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) that automatically adjusts the refresh rate based on what you are doing at the time. This can help you get the best of both worlds: a smooth experience when you need it for gaming, browsing or inking, and a longer battery life when you’re not doing these types of things.
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