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How to change your monitor's refresh rate on Windows or a Mac
Refresh rate is an important component of any good display, and for many users, it may be crucial to change it according to their usage. You’d want to take advantage of the high refresh rate when gaming, but don’t really need all of it when you’re just browsing on the internet. The great thing is that you can easily change the refresh rate for most displays. Here’s how to change your monitor’s refresh rate on Windows or a Mac.
QUICK ANSWER
To change the refresh rate on your monitor on Windows, go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings, click the drop-down menu under Refresh Rate, and click the preferred option.
To change the refresh rate on your monitor on a Mac, go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Displays, click the drop-down menu next to Refresh Rate, and select the preferred option.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
How to change your monitor’s refresh rate on Windows
Open Windows Settings, and click System.
Click Display to open the display settings.
Scroll down and find the Advanced display settings button, and click it.
Select the display for which you want to change the refresh rate, using the drop-down menu towards the top, which says Display 1 by default. To change the refresh rate, click the drop-down menu under Refresh Rate. Click the preferred option.
You can repeat the process for other connected displays as needed. If needed, you can also follow our guide on changing screen resolution on Windows.
How to change your monitor’s refresh rate on a Mac
- Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen.
- Click System Preferences to open up the settings window.
- Click Displays.
- Click the drop-down menu next to Refresh Rate.
- Select the preferred option from the drop-down.
You can select the ProMotion option for adaptive high refresh rate on supported displays.
FAQs
Yes, you can change your refresh rate from 60Hz to 144Hz if your monitor supports it. Neither Windows, nor macOS impose any upper limits in the software.
No. Changing the refresh rate of your monitor through these steps will not cause any damage as the OS will only show the options that your monitor supports.
You need a compatible monitor that allows for high refresh rate, as well as a GPU powerful enough to support the refresh rate at that monitor’s resolution. You’d also need a compatible cable, which is likely to be either HDMI or DisplayPort.