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    Why is my 144Hz monitor only showing 60Hz?

    High refresh monitors often run at 60Hz out of the box. These are the usual causes, in the order worth checking, and how to confirm the fix.

    First, measure it

    Open the 144Hz test and leave it for a few seconds. It times the frames your browser draws, which follow your screen's real refresh rate. If it reads 60 Hz, work through the checks below and measure again after each one.

    Each frame at 60 Hz
    16.7 ms
    Each frame at 144 Hz
    6.9 ms
    More frames every second
    2.4×
    Time each frame stays on screen1,000 ms ÷ refresh rate. Shorter frames mean smoother motion and less delay.
    • 60 Hz16.67 ms
    • 75 Hz13.33 ms
    • 120 Hz8.33 ms
    • 144 Hz6.94 ms
    • 165 Hz6.06 ms
    • 240 Hz4.17 ms
    • 360 Hz2.78 ms

    1. The refresh rate setting

    Most monitors don't switch to their highest rate on their own.

    • Windows 11: Settings, then System, Display, Advanced display, and choose the highest rate under Choose a refresh rate.
    • Windows 10: Settings, then System, Display, Advanced display settings, and pick the rate under Refresh rate.
    • macOS: System Settings, then Displays, and choose a rate from the Refresh rate menu.

    If the higher rate isn't in the list, the cause is one of the next checks.

    2. The cable and port

    The connection has to carry enough data for the resolution and refresh rate together. Older HDMI ports and cables often can't do 144Hz, especially at 1440p and above, and will fall back to 60Hz.

    • Use DisplayPort if your monitor and graphics card both have it. It supports high refresh rates on almost every gaming monitor.
    • If you use HDMI, check that the monitor's HDMI port supports 144Hz at your resolution (the manual says) and use a cable rated for HDMI 2.0 or newer.
    • Avoid cheap adapters and docks, which often cap the refresh rate.
    Raw pixel data at 144 HzWidth × height × 144 × 24 bits (8-bit colour), divided by 10⁹. A lower bound: the real signal also carries blanking and encoding overhead.
    • 1080p7.17 Gbit/s
    • 1440p12.74 Gbit/s
    • 4K28.67 Gbit/s
    Bandwidth the connection standards state
    ConnectionMax bandwidthAlso stated
    HDMI 2.018 Gbit/s4K at 50/60 Hz
    HDMI 2.148 Gbit/sNeeds an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable
    DisplayPort 1.3 / 1.4 (HBR3)32.4 Gbit/s, 25.92 Gbit/s of video data4K at 120 Hz

    3. Plugged into the wrong port (desktops)

    On a desktop with a graphics card, the monitor must plug into the card's ports, not the ones on the motherboard's rear panel. The motherboard's ports use the processor's built-in graphics, which may not support high refresh rates and leaves your graphics card unused.

    4. Monitor and driver settings

    • Some monitors have an overclock or high refresh option in their on-screen menu that's off by default. Check the menu and the manual.
    • Update your graphics driver, then check its control panel. NVIDIA, AMD and Intel control panels each have their own refresh rate setting that can override Windows.
    • On laptops, battery saver and power-saving modes can lower the refresh rate. Plug in and switch to a balanced or performance power mode.

    Confirm the fix

    Run the refresh rate test again. The reading should match your monitor's rated refresh rate, and the motion strip should look visibly smoother. To check your graphics card can keep up, run the GPU benchmark and compare its frame rate with your refresh rate.

    Tests used in this guide

    Run the full gaming setup check

    Mouse, keyboard and monitor, tested in the order a competitive player would. 9 tests, one after another: Mouse test → Mouse polling rate test → Mouse DPI test → CPS test → Aim trainer → Reaction test → Keyboard ghosting test → Refresh rate test → Monitor motion blur test.

    Sources

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