How to Change Your Monitor’s Refresh Rate in Windows 10

In Windows 10, your monitor’s refresh rate determines how often your screen image is updated every second. Higher is usually better. If you need to change your monitor’s refresh rate, Windows 10 makes it easy for you. Here’s how.

What is the refresh rate of a monitor?

A monitor̵

7;s refresh rate is the rate at which the image on your screen is updated. For example, a refresh rate of 60 Hz means that the image on your monitor refreshes itself 60 times per second. A refresh rate of 120 Hz means that the image is updated 120 times per second. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the motion will look on your screen.

On older CRT monitors, some people see flicker at lower refresh rates, so monitors that support higher refresh rates produce a more stable picture that’s easier on your eyes. LCD monitors don’t flicker, so lower refresh rates are generally okay for most users. Typically, you’ll want to use the highest refresh rate that your monitor supports at its native resolution.

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How to change your refresh rate in the display settings

Starting with the Windows 10 October 2020 Update, you can now choose your refresh rate directly in the new Settings app. Here’s how. (If you’re using an older version of Windows 10, see the section below.)

First, right-click on your desktop and select “Display Settings” from the menu that appears. (You can also open “Settings” and navigate to System> Display.)

In ‘Display settings’, scroll down and click ‘Advanced display settings’.

In “Advanced display settings”, look for the “Refresh rate” section. Click the “Refresh Rate” drop-down menu. From the menu that appears, select the refresh rate you want to use.

Windows will test the new refresh rate for about 15 seconds. If the image looks good, click ‘Keep’. Otherwise, click “Revert” or wait for the countdown to complete and the monitor will automatically switch back to the previous refresh rate.

When you are happy with your refresh rate, close Settings.

Select a refresh rate for older versions of Windows 10

If you are using an older version of Windows 10, here’s how to change the refresh rate of your monitor. First, right-click on your desktop and select ‘Display settings’.

In Screen Settings, scroll down and select Advanced Screen Settings.

If you have multiple monitors, select the monitor you want to configure from the “Choose monitor” drop-down list. Then scroll down and click on ‘Display adapter properties’.

In the window that appears, click the “Monitor” tab, then click the “Screen Refresh Rate” drop-down menu and choose the refresh rate you want to use.

Then click “OK” to save your changes and the window will close. Then you can close Settings. Have a fresh day!