If you are unsure of what refresh rate means then it is highly recommended that you read our article covering the definition of refresh rate.

Listed below the are steps to check your monitors refresh rate.

Windows

XP

Right-click on any free area on your desktop and select “Properties” from the menu that appears. This will open the window titled ‘Display Properties ’.
In the Display Properties window, navigate to the “Settings” tab.
Click on the “Advanced” button located at the bottom-right corner of the window. This will open the Advanced Settings window for your display.
Under the Advanced Settings window, find and click on the “Monitor” tab.
Under the Monitor tab, you will find the “Screen refresh rate” section. Here, you can see the currently set refresh rate for your display.

Please note that the steps provided above are based on the general procedure in Windows XP, but the interface and options might slightly vary depending on your specific system configuration and any manufacturer-specific software installed on your device.

7

Right-click on any free area on your desktop and select “Screen resolution” from the menu that appears. This should open a window titled “Screen Resolution”.
In the Screen Resolution window, click on the “Advanced settings” link.
This will open the Advanced settings window for your display. Go to the “Monitor” tab.
Under the Monitor tab, you will find the “Screen refresh rate” section. Here, you can see the currently set refresh rate for your display.

Please note that the steps provided above are based on the general procedure in Windows 7, but the interface and options might slightly vary depending on your specific system configuration and any manufacturer-specific software installed on your device.

10

Right-click on a free area on your desktop and select “Display settings” from the context menu. This will open the Display settings page.
Scroll down and click on “Advanced display settings” located at the bottom of the page.
In the Advanced display settings window, scroll down and click on “Display adapter properties for [your display name].” This will open the Properties window for your display adapter.
In the Properties window, navigate to the “Monitor” tab.
Under the Monitor tab, you will find the “Screen refresh rate” section. Here, you can see the currently set refresh rate for your display.

Please note that the steps provided above are based on the general procedure in Windows 10, but the interface and options might slightly vary depending on your specific system configuration and any manufacturer-specific software installed on your device.

11

Right-click on a free area on your desktop and select “Display settings” from the context menu. This will open the Display settings page.
In the Display settings window, scroll down and click on “Advanced display settings” located at the bottom of the page.
In the Advanced display settings window, scroll down and click on “Display adapter properties for [your display name].” This will open the Properties window for your display adapter.
In the window labeled properties, go to the “Monitor” tab.
Under the Monitor tab, you will find the “Screen refresh rate” section. Here, you can see the currently set refresh rate for your display.

Please note that the steps provided above are based on the general procedure in Windows 11, but the interface and options might slightly vary depending on your specific system configuration and any manufacturer-specific software installed on your device.

Using Nvidia control panel

To check the refresh rate using the NVIDIA Control Panel, you can follow these steps:

Right-click on a free area on your desktop and select “NVIDIA Control Panel” from the context menu. This will open the NVIDIA Control Panel window.
In the NVIDIA Control Panel, navigate to the “Display” category. You can typically find it on the left-hand side of the window.
Under the “Display” category, click on “Change resolution” or “Change resolution/Adjust desktop size and position.” This will open the display settings for your NVIDIA graphics card.
In the display settings, you will see a section labeled “Refresh rate.” It will display the currently set refresh rate for your display.

Please note that the steps provided above are based on the general procedure in the NVIDIA Control Panel, but the interface and options might slightly vary depending on the version of the control panel software you have installed and any specific customizations made by your graphics card manufacturer.

Using AMD control panel

To check the refresh rate using the AMD Control Panel (known as AMD Radeon Settings or AMD Radeon Software), you can follow these steps:

Right-click on a free area on your desktop and select “AMD Radeon Settings” or “AMD Radeon Software” from the context menu. This will open the AMD Control Panel window.
In the AMD Control Panel, navigate to the “Display” or “Display & Eyefinity” category. You can typically find it on the left-hand side of the window.
Under the “Display” category, look for the option that allows you to view or adjust the display settings. It will be as “Display settings,” “Display properties,” or something like that.
In the display settings or properties, you should see a section that displays the currently set refresh rate for your display. It may be categorized as “Refresh rate,” “Screen refresh rate,” or something along those lines.

Please note that the steps provided above are based on the general procedure in the AMD Control Panel, but the interface and options might slightly vary depending on the version of the control panel software you have installed and any specific customizations made by your graphics card manufacturer.

Lowering the Refresh rate

Knowing the refresh rate of your display can help your diagnose problems or help to decide whether to lower your refresh rate or not.

Now the gamer inside of you might ask, for what possible reason would one want to lower their displays refresh rate. While reducing refresh rate does result in the (obvious) decrease in smoothness and responsiveness, but it does have it’s set of advantages as well.

Lowering the refresh rate of a display can have certain advantages in specific situations, although it is generally recommended to use the highest refresh rate supported by the display and the graphics hardware for optimal performance. Here are a few potential advantages of lowering the refresh rate:

Reduced power consumption: Lowering the refresh rate can help conserve battery life on laptops, tablets, and other portable devices. By reducing the number of times the screen refreshes per second, less power is consumed by the display.
Enhanced longevity: In certain cases, lowering the refresh rate might help extend the lifespan of the display. This is especially relevant for older CRT (cathode-ray tube) monitors, where higher refresh rates could contribute to a higher rate of image persistence or “burn-in.”
Improved compatibility: Some older or less powerful graphics hardware may not be capable of driving displays at high refresh rates. Lowering the refresh rate can help ensure compatibility and prevent issues such as screen flickering or display artifacts.
Compatibility with older software: Some older software or games may not be optimized for high refresh rates. By lowering the refresh rate, you can ensure compatibility and prevent issues like screen tearing or stuttering in those specific applications
Reduced system load: Lower refresh rates can reduce the workload on the graphics processing unit (GPU) and CPU, which may be beneficial in resource-intensive tasks. This can result in lower temperatures and potentially improve overall system stability