To change the refresh rate in Windows 10, select Start > Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings. Choose your monitor, then pick a new rate under Refresh rate. The Display information box on the same page shows the current rate in Hz.
Applies to: Windows 10 version 21H1 and later. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, so a PC without Extended Security Updates no longer receives security fixes; that program runs until October 12, 2027.
The refresh rate is how many times per second the screen redraws. A higher rate, such as 120 Hz or 144 Hz, makes motion look smoother on monitors that support it.
Check your current refresh rate
- Right-click the desktop and select Display settings.
- Scroll down and select Advanced display settings.
- Under Choose display, pick the monitor if you have more than one.
- Read Refresh rate (Hz) under Display information.
Change the refresh rate
- On the same page, open the Refresh rate list.
- Pick the rate you want. The screen may go black for a moment.
- Select Keep changes. If you don’t, Windows switches back after 15 seconds.
On older Windows 10 versions
If you don’t see a Refresh rate list, use the adapter properties instead:
- In Advanced display settings, select Display adapter properties for Display 1.
- Open the Monitor tab.
- Pick a rate under Screen refresh rate and select OK.
Change it in your graphics software
- NVIDIA: open NVIDIA Control Panel and select Display > Change resolution, then choose a refresh rate.
- AMD: open AMD Software and go to Display to check the rate and related options.
- Intel: open Intel Graphics Command Center and select Display.
Games also have their own refresh rate setting. If a game feels choppy, check its display options too.
If the rate you want isn’t listed
- Use the right cable and port. Some cables can’t carry high rates at high resolutions. Use the cable that came with the monitor, or a DisplayPort or newer HDMI cable.
- Check the resolution. The highest rates are sometimes only available at lower resolutions.
- Update the graphics driver. A newer driver can add missing rates, and you can update all drivers on Windows 10 at the same time.
- Check the monitor’s own menu. Some monitors need a high refresh mode turned on there.
- Which cable for high rates: for 1440p above 120 Hz or 4K above 60 Hz, use DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1, and plug into the graphics card, not the motherboard.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use the highest refresh rate?
For gaming and smooth scrolling, yes, if your monitor and graphics card support it. On laptops, a lower rate can save battery.
How do I change the resolution instead?
Resolution sits on the main Display page, and the steps to change screen resolution in Windows 10 are short. Adding a second screen? Start with setting up dual monitors.
What is variable refresh rate?
Variable refresh rate, also called G-SYNC or FreeSync, lets the screen match the game’s frame rate to reduce tearing. If your monitor supports it, turn it on in the monitor’s menu and your graphics software. Windows 10 also has a Variable refresh rate switch in Settings > System > Display > Graphics settings.
Can a higher refresh rate damage my monitor?
No, as long as you pick a rate from the list. Windows only offers rates the monitor reports it supports.
Why does my laptop switch to 60 Hz on battery?
Some laptops lower the refresh rate on battery to save power. Check the power or display settings in your laptop maker’s app, or the graphics software, to change this.
How can I tell if the new rate is working?
Look at Display information in Advanced display settings. Moving the mouse and scrolling should also look noticeably smoother at 120 Hz or higher.
Related: turning hardware acceleration on or off in Windows 10 changes how your graphics card handles work. The same steps also appear on Microsoft’s refresh rate support page.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.