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Set your monitor to the highest stable refresh rate it supports at the resolution you want. For most PC users, 120Hz to 165Hz is an excellent range for smooth desktop use and gaming. Use 240Hz or higher mainly for competitive games that regularly run at very high frame rates. On PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series consoles, 120Hz is the practical target where supported.
If your monitor supports variable refresh rate (VRR), enable FreeSync, G-SYNC, or Adaptive-Sync as well. VRR lets the display adjust its refresh behavior to the game’s frame rate, so you normally do not need to lower the monitor’s setting every time a game runs below its maximum.
Quick recommendations
| Use case | Recommended setting |
|---|---|
| Office work, browsing, and video | 60–75Hz is sufficient; 100–120Hz feels smoother |
| General-purpose PC use and casual gaming | 100–144Hz |
| Most PC gaming | 144–165Hz |
| Competitive shooters and high-FPS gaming | 240Hz or higher, if your system can deliver the frames |
| PS5, PS5 Pro, or Xbox Series X/S | 120Hz, where the monitor, game, and connection support it |
| Laptop on battery | Dynamic Refresh Rate, if available, or a lower fixed rate |
Choose the maximum rate available at your preferred resolution—not necessarily the largest number printed on the box. A monitor might support 165Hz at 1080p but only 120Hz at 4K, or reach its advertised rate only through DisplayPort rather than a particular HDMI input.
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Refresh rate, FPS, and response time are different
Refresh rate is measured in hertz (Hz) and describes how often the display can update its image. A 60Hz monitor can refresh 60 times per second; a 144Hz monitor can refresh 144 times per second.
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Refresh rate is not the same as frame rate. FPS is the number of frames produced by the game, console, or computer. A 240Hz monitor does not create 240 FPS. If a game runs at 70 FPS, it supplies roughly 70 new frames per second even when the display is set to 240Hz. Sony explains the distinction between a display’s refresh rate and a game’s frame rate in its VRR guide.
Refresh rate is also separate from pixel response time and resolution. A high-refresh display with slow pixels, excessive overshoot, or poor overdrive can still look blurry or show inverse ghosting. Likewise, increasing Hz does not increase the number of pixels on screen.
| Refresh rate | Time between refreshes |
|---|---|
| 60Hz | 16.67ms |
| 75Hz | 13.33ms |
| 120Hz | 8.33ms |
| 144Hz | 6.94ms |
| 165Hz | 6.06ms |
| 240Hz | 4.17ms |
| 360Hz | 2.78ms |
| 500Hz | 2.00ms |
These values come from 1,000 ÷ refresh rate. The shorter interval at higher refresh rates can reduce the display-side portion of input latency, but total latency also depends on render time, the CPU and GPU, input-device polling, game-engine queueing, monitor processing, and settings such as V-Sync or VRR.
Which refresh rate fits your use?
Office work and browsing
60Hz remains perfectly adequate for documents, spreadsheets, email, and ordinary web browsing. A 120Hz or 144Hz setting makes scrolling, pointer movement, window animation, and pen input feel smoother, however. Microsoft lists smoother gaming, scrolling, and inking among the potential benefits of higher refresh rates.
For a non-gaming desktop, 90Hz to 120Hz is often a comfortable middle ground if your monitor supports it. It is not a requirement, and it may use more power than 60Hz.
Movies and television
Use the highest stable setting if it makes the desktop feel better, but do not expect it to turn 24-FPS film or 30-FPS video into high-frame-rate content. For video playback, matching the content cadence can matter more than selecting the monitor’s maximum number.
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Casual and general PC gaming
120Hz to 144Hz is a strong general-purpose target. It provides a noticeable improvement over 60Hz without requiring a system capable of sustaining the frame rates needed to justify 240Hz.
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AAA games and high-resolution gaming
Prioritize the combination you value most: resolution, image quality, HDR, and stable frame pacing may matter more than maximum refresh rate. A demanding 4K game running at 70 FPS can still benefit from a 120Hz monitor with VRR, even though it does not fill all 120 refresh opportunities.
Competitive games
240Hz or higher makes the most sense for players who regularly achieve very high FPS in competitive shooters or other fast-action games. The benefits are smaller than the jump from 60Hz to 120Hz, and they depend on a fast panel response time and a system capable of producing the frames.
Microsoft positions 240Hz as a possible fit for professional-level competitive gaming rather than a universal requirement. A 240Hz monitor will not automatically improve aim or reaction time when the game runs at 70 FPS.
PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series consoles
For current consoles, target a monitor that supports 120Hz over the required HDMI connection. A monitor’s 165Hz or 240Hz DisplayPort specification does not prove that it can accept 120Hz at the console’s desired resolution over HDMI.
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On PS5 and PS5 Pro, open Settings → Screen and Video → Video Output, then set 120 Hz Output to Automatic or On, and set VRR to Automatic where supported. Sony notes that 4K 120Hz output depends on compatible hardware and HDMI 2.1, and recommends turning the option off if video problems occur. See the PlayStation 5 resolution guide.
Xbox Series X and Series S support up to 120 FPS in supported games, with HDMI VRR compatibility depending on the display and connection. A game must offer a 120-FPS mode, and performance modes may reduce resolution or visual quality. Check the monitor’s manual for its exact HDMI timings. Xbox lists the Series X’s display capabilities on its official product page.
Laptops
When plugged in, use the high-refresh mode if smoothness is important. On battery, choose a lower fixed rate or enable Windows 11 Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) if your laptop and display support it. Microsoft says DRR requires Windows 11, a VRR-capable display, and a refresh rate of at least 120Hz; Windows 10 does not support DRR.
DRR can sometimes cause a game to run at a lower-than-expected refresh rate. If that happens, disable DRR for the affected game and select a fixed high-refresh mode instead.
Why VRR usually matters more than matching FPS manually
Variable refresh rate technologies—including AMD FreeSync, NVIDIA G-SYNC or G-SYNC Compatible, DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync, and HDMI VRR—allow the display to vary its refresh behavior within a supported range. This can reduce tearing and stuttering when the game’s FPS changes. Microsoft describes these technologies in its DirectX graphics settings guidance.
For a VRR gaming monitor, the usual setup is:
- Set Windows or the console to the monitor’s maximum stable refresh rate at the desired resolution.
- Enable Adaptive-Sync, FreeSync, or G-SYNC in the monitor’s menu and GPU software where applicable.
- Keep the game’s FPS within the monitor’s VRR range when possible.
- If FPS regularly exceeds the monitor’s maximum, use V-Sync or a frame-rate cap according to your latency and tearing preferences.
VRR is not unlimited. Below the monitor’s supported range, it may disengage or use low-frame-rate compensation. Docks, adapters, KVMs, receivers, and switches can also block VRR even when the monitor and GPU support it.
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There is no universal requirement to cap exactly three frames below the monitor’s maximum. A small cap below the maximum can be a useful starting point for some configurations, but the best offset depends on the game, driver, monitor, GPU, and latency priorities. AMD recommends synchronization or a frame cap when FPS exceeds the display’s maximum; its FreeSync guidance explains the broader principle.
How to change refresh rate in Windows
Windows 11
- Open Settings.
- Select System → Display.
- Select the correct monitor if multiple displays are connected.
- Open Advanced display.
- Choose the desired rate under the refresh-rate control and confirm.
The same page can show the display’s resolution, available refresh rates, and VRR support. Microsoft’s Windows refresh-rate guide documents the current path and DRR requirements.
Windows 10
- Open Settings → System → Display.
- Open Advanced display settings.
- Select Display adapter properties.
- Open the Monitor tab.
- Choose a rate under Screen refresh rate, then apply it.
Labels can vary slightly by Windows update, monitor driver, and graphics driver.
NVIDIA Control Panel
- Right-click the desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Select Display → Change resolution.
- Select the correct monitor.
- Choose the monitor’s native resolution under the PC resolution list.
- Select the desired refresh rate and click Apply.
NVIDIA documents this path in its Control Panel help. Choosing the PC resolution list rather than an HDTV/TV list can expose additional high-refresh modes.
AMD graphics
AMD’s documented Windows route is Windows Display settings → Advanced display settings → Display adapter properties → Monitor, where you select the refresh rate. For FreeSync, open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, go to the display settings, and enable FreeSync if available. Also enable Adaptive-Sync or FreeSync in the monitor’s on-screen menu. Some monitor presets or custom modes can disable FreeSync.
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If only 60Hz is available
Do not assume the monitor is defective. The connection path is often the limitation. Work through this checklist:
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- Confirm the monitor model’s resolution-and-refresh table in its manual.
- Make sure the correct monitor is selected in Windows.
- Connect the display directly to the discrete GPU rather than a motherboard output, dock, adapter, receiver, or KVM.
- Try the manufacturer-recommended or included cable, then test another suitable cable.
- Test the monitor’s other HDMI or DisplayPort input.
- Check whether the desired rate requires a particular HDMI or DisplayPort port.
- Temporarily disable HDR or reduce color depth to diagnose a bandwidth limitation.
- Update or reinstall the graphics driver.
- Check the monitor’s on-screen menu for an overclock or high-refresh option.
- In NVIDIA Control Panel, select the native resolution from the PC list.
- Test a lower resolution. If higher refresh appears there, the original combination may exceed the connection’s bandwidth.
HDMI is not automatically limited to 60Hz, and DisplayPort is not always required. The result depends on the specific port and standard, resolution, color depth, HDR mode, cable, GPU, and monitor timing.
If the monitor flickers at its maximum rate
Reduce the rate temporarily—for example, from 165Hz to 144Hz or from 240Hz to 200Hz or 144Hz—to determine whether the maximum mode is marginal. Then:
- Disable monitor overclocking.
- Try another cable and port.
- Toggle VRR off and on to identify VRR flicker.
- Disable HDR temporarily.
- Update the monitor firmware if an official update exists.
- Try a less aggressive monitor preset or overdrive setting.
- Use a fixed refresh rate to check whether VRR is the trigger.
If the lower setting is stable and the higher one is not, the stable setting is the better choice. A reliable 144Hz image is preferable to an unstable 165Hz signal.
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Check both the display and the game:
- Confirm Windows is actually set to the intended refresh rate.
- Check the game’s own display mode and refresh-rate setting.
- Use an FPS counter and, where available, inspect frame-time consistency.
- Check whether V-Sync or a frame cap is limiting output.
- Look for CPU or GPU bottlenecks.
- Check whether a laptop is using an integrated GPU or battery-saving profile.
- Disable or adjust motion blur if it masks the improvement.
- Check pixel-response behavior, ghosting, and overdrive; refresh rate alone does not guarantee clear motion.
Is a higher refresh rate always better?
No. Higher refresh is usually the best default when stable, but several trade-offs matter:
- GPU performance: A high-refresh monitor cannot make a slow system produce more frames.
- Resolution: You may prefer 4K at 120Hz over 1440p at 240Hz, depending on the games and image quality you value.
- Motion handling: Pixel response, overshoot, and VRR flicker can matter more than a small difference in Hz.
- Power: Higher rates can increase energy use, especially on laptops.
- Signal bandwidth: HDR, 10-bit color, high resolution, docks, and older cables can limit available modes.
- Content: A higher setting does not increase the frame rate of movies or games that produce fewer frames.
Higher refresh may make scrolling and animation feel smoother, but it should not be treated as a guaranteed cure for eye strain. Brightness, glare, viewing distance, text size, dry eyes, contrast, backlight behavior, and panel motion handling also matter.
Quick Recap
A simple decision tree
- Want the simplest answer? Select the highest stable rate at your preferred resolution.
- Have VRR? Enable it and leave the monitor at its maximum stable rate.
- Play mostly on PC? Choose 120–165Hz for the broad sweet spot.
- Play competitive games at very high FPS? Consider 240Hz or higher.
- Use PS5, PS5 Pro, or Xbox Series? Verify 120Hz over HDMI, not merely the monitor’s PC maximum.
- Use a laptop on battery? Choose DRR or a lower fixed rate.
- Seeing flicker, signal loss, or artifacts? Step down to the next stable rate and investigate the cable, port, VRR, and resolution.
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