Refresh Rate Test
Measure your display's refresh rate in Hz and see how smooth its motion is. Useful for confirming your 60, 120, 144 or 240 Hz monitor is actually running at full speed.
If the green box stutters, your browser or monitor may not be running at full refresh rate.
How to Use This Test
- Close other browser tabs and heavy background applications before starting — they compete for GPU resources and can reduce the frame count.
- Start the test and let it run for at least 10 seconds before reading the result. Short readings are noisier.
- The reported Hz should match your monitor's rated refresh rate: 60, 120, 144, or 240.
- Make sure the browser window is on the specific monitor you're testing, not a secondary display at a different rate.
- If you have multiple monitors running at different refresh rates, move the browser window to test each screen separately.
- If the reading is significantly below your monitor's rated rate, your OS display settings need updating.
What Your Results Mean
Reported Hz matches your monitor's rated rate: Your display is running at full capacity and your OS is configured correctly.
Reading is 59–61 when expecting 60: Normal. Browser frame timing has natural sub-millisecond variation. Within ±2 of rated Hz means everything is correct.
Reading shows 60 on a monitor rated 144Hz: The most common outcome. Windows defaults to 60Hz even on high-refresh hardware until you change it manually.
Reading well below rated rate (like 30 or 45): Heavy system load is preventing full-speed rendering, or the cable connection can't carry the full signal at the current resolution.
Reading fluctuates and won't settle: Background processes are competing for GPU resources. Close all other applications and retry.
Common Problems and Fixes
Monitor supports 144Hz but test shows 60Hz
This is almost always an OS setting. On Windows: Settings → System → Display → Advanced display settings → Refresh rate dropdown → select 144Hz. On Mac: System Settings → Displays → select the higher rate. After changing, reload the browser page and retest.
Rate is set correctly in OS but test still reads low
Check your cable. DisplayPort supports high refresh rates reliably. HDMI 2.0 handles 144Hz at 1080p; HDMI 1.4 caps at 60Hz at 1080p. For 1440p or 4K at 144Hz, you need DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1. Adapters also limit bandwidth — check yours.
Reading changes when browser moves to another monitor
Expected. Browsers sync animation to the display they're on. If your monitors run at different rates, the reading changes with the window. Test each screen with the browser window on that screen.
Rate is accurate but motion still looks choppy
The display is running at the right Hz, but the GPU may not be producing enough frames to fill it. A 144Hz display fed 40 FPS still looks choppy — check that applications are running at a frame rate close to your refresh rate.
Why This Test Matters
Many people buy a 144Hz or 240Hz gaming monitor and never check whether it's actually running at that rate. Windows defaults to 60Hz in many cases, and the monitor looks normal at 60Hz — you'd only notice the difference by direct comparison or by testing.
This confirms in 10 seconds whether the investment in a high-refresh display is doing anything. If not, it tells you exactly what setting to change.
Why Your Monitor Is Stuck at 60Hz
If you bought a 120Hz, 144Hz or 165Hz display and it feels no smoother than the old one, Windows is almost certainly still driving it at 60Hz — a setting, not a fault.
On Windows 11 24H2, go to Settings → System → Display → Advanced display, and set "Choose a refresh rate" to the panel's highest value. If the high number isn't listed, the cause is usually the cable or the port: HDMI on older cables and ports caps high refresh rates at higher resolutions, so a high-refresh 1440p or 4K monitor often needs DisplayPort or a certified high-speed HDMI cable to unlock its full rate. After that, make sure your GPU driver is current — update through NVIDIA's app, AMD's Adrenalin software, or Intel's driver tool — since a stale driver can hide the higher modes entirely. On a laptop with both integrated and discrete graphics, also confirm the external monitor is being driven by the dedicated GPU.
Refresh Rate vs Frame Rate (FPS)
People mix these up constantly, and they're different things. Refresh rate, measured in hertz, is how many times per second the monitor physically redraws — a fixed property of the display. Frame rate, measured in FPS, is how many images your computer produces per second, which varies with the game and your hardware. The two work together: a 144Hz monitor can only show its full benefit if your PC also pushes well over 60 FPS, and conversely 200 FPS on a 60Hz panel still only shows 60 distinct images. This test measures the display side — the refresh rate — so pair it with a frame-rate counter in-game to see the whole picture.
How to Get the Most From a High Refresh Rate
- Set the rate in Windows first. Advanced display → Choose a refresh rate is the single most-missed step after buying a fast monitor.
- Use the right cable. DisplayPort or a certified high-speed HDMI cable; a cheap or old cable silently limits you to 60Hz at higher resolutions.
- Update the GPU driver. New drivers expose the correct modes and fix flickering at high rates.
- Match in-game settings. Raise or remove FPS caps so your frame rate can actually reach the refresh rate.
- Enable the right sync. G-Sync or FreeSync smooths the gap between frame rate and refresh rate and removes tearing.
- Re-test here after each change. This page confirms the rate your display is genuinely running at, so you know the change took effect.
Is a Higher Refresh Rate Always Worth It?
Up to a point, yes — but with diminishing returns. The jump from 60Hz to 120Hz or 144Hz is dramatic and obvious to almost everyone: smoother scrolling, clearer motion, a more responsive feel to the whole system. The step from 144Hz to 240Hz is real but subtler, mostly appreciated by competitive gamers, and beyond that the 360Hz and 500Hz panels chase tiny margins that only matter at the very top of esports. For everyday work and most gaming, a 120–144Hz display at native resolution is the sweet spot — provided your graphics hardware can actually push frame rates to match. Paying for a refresh rate you can't feed with enough FPS, or can't perceive in your usage, is money better spent on resolution or panel quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check my monitor's current refresh rate?
Run this test for 10 seconds and read the Hz. This shows what's actually running right now, which may differ from what your OS display settings say is selected.
Why does the test show 143 instead of 144?
Sub-millisecond variation in browser frame timing. A reading of 143 or 145 when expecting 144 is completely normal and means your monitor is running at the correct rate.
My 144Hz monitor shows 60 in the test. How do I fix it?
Go to Windows Advanced display settings and change the refresh rate dropdown to 144Hz. Confirm your cable can support the rate — DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0+ is needed.
Does a higher refresh rate actually look different?
Yes. The difference between 60Hz and 120Hz is clearly visible during motion and scrolling. Between 144Hz and 240Hz the difference is smaller and most meaningful for competitive gaming.
Why does the reading change when I move to my other monitor?
The browser syncs to the display it's on. Each monitor can run at a different refresh rate, so the reading changes when you move the window.
Is this the same as a game FPS counter?
No. This measures how often the display redraws — set by the refresh rate. An in-game FPS counter measures how many frames the game engine produces per second, which can be higher or lower than the display rate.
Why is my 144Hz monitor only showing 60Hz?
Windows defaults new displays to 60Hz. Open Settings → System → Display → Advanced display and choose the higher refresh rate. If it isn't offered, switch to a DisplayPort or certified high-speed HDMI cable and update your graphics driver, since old cables and drivers cap high-refresh modes.
Does a higher refresh rate really make a difference?
Yes, and it's most obvious in motion — cursor movement, scrolling and fast games look noticeably smoother at 120Hz or higher. The benefit only appears if your frame rate also exceeds 60, so a fast monitor paired with a slow frame rate shows less of a difference.