How To Change Display Refresh Rate in Windows

Do you want to improve your experience with the monitor or display? Do you want to make images, gaming, and videos look better? Do you want to reduce the strain on your eyes? Then this is possible by managing the refresh rate of the monitor. This post will share details about the refresh rate and how you can change the display refresh rate in Windows.

Change Display Refresh Rate in Windows

How To Change the Display Refresh Rate in Windows?

This section will review a few known ways of changing the display refresh rate or your monitor in Windows 11/10. Windows provides you with native features for doing so, and we’ll precisely cover them in this section. Here’s all that’s covered:

  1. Using The System Settings
  2. Using The Display Adapter Options In Windows Settings
  3. Using Nvidia Control Panel

You may need an administrator account for some of these.

1] Using the System Settings

Using the Windows System Settings is the most straightforward way of changing your display’s refresh rate. Follow the steps listed below:

  • Press Windows + I key to launch the System Settings.
  • Navigate to System> Display > Advanced display> Choose a refresh rate.
  • Click on the refresh rate value next to the option of Choose a refresh rate, and select your desired refresh rate from the drop-down menu.Changing Display Refresh Rate In Windows Using Windows System Settings

2] Using The Display Adapter Properties in the Windows System Settings

Aside from the method mentioned above, there is one alternative way of changing your display’s refresh rate from the Windows System Settings. Follow the steps listed below to proceed with the alternative method:

  • Launch the Windows System Settings from the Start menu, or press Windows + I key together.
  • Go to System> Display > Advanced Display > Display Adapter Properties for display (n), where n denotes the monitor(s) attached to the System.
  • A monitor properties window should appear. Go to the Monitor tab in the window, and under Monitor Settings, you’ll find an option for Screen refresh rate.Changing Display Refresh Rate In Windows Using Display Adapter Options
  • Change it according to your preferences, and that’s it.

3] Using Nvidia Control Panel

You can also change the refresh rate of your monitor using the Nvidia Control Panel. Here’s how you can go about doing so:

  • Right-click on your desktop, and click on Show more options.
  • Find and click on the Nvidia Control Panel.
  • Once opened, navigate to display on the left-hand side of the screen, and click on Change resolution.Nvidia Change Resolution
  • Ensure you’ve selected the right monitor and set the refresh rate as you want it to be by the suitable resolution.
  • Click on Apply.

What Is the Meaning of Refresh Rate for Displays?

In the most straightforward words, the refresh rate of any display refers to the total number of times per second an image refreshes on the screen. The refresh rate of a display is an indicator of how smoothly that screen displays motion and animations. The higher your display’s refresh rate is, the smoother you’ll find your System’s day-to-day operations in terms of frames per second and animations.

In most cases, a high refresh rate is related to the task of gaming, implying that a high refresh rate is a tad bit advantageous, especially in shooting games. Most monitors, laptops, and smartphones today have a variable refresh rate. These values range from 60hz to 240hz.

What Happens When You Change the Display Refresh Rate?

As mentioned earlier, changing a display refresh rate can make a Windows system significantly smoother, but is that it? The answer is no. Switching to a higher refresh rate in your Windows system will surely make it faster and smoother, but doing so will also increase the overall power consumption causing the System to use up the battery faster than it did on a lower display refresh rate.

Do All Monitors Support Changes in Refresh Rates?

No, not all monitors support multiple or dynamic refresh rates. It depends on the monitor’s hardware and specifications and on support from the GPU. Even if your monitor supports it, but the GPU doesn’t, you cannot utilize it. Hence it’s crucial that when you are buying a monitor, check if the GPU can manage it.

Pros and Cons of Changing the Display Refresh Rate in Windows

Now that we’ve covered how to change the display refresh rate in our Windows systems, it is equally important to learn its pros and cons.

Pros:

  • Increase in overall responsiveness.
  • Smoother animations
  • Better gaming experience
  • Less jittery user interface

Cons:

  • Increased power consumption
  • Possible drastic decrease in the overall battery life

Conclusion: 

In this article, we learned how to change the display refresh rate in Windows and some basic questions about the display refresh rate. Modifying the display refresh rate can help you save power on your computer at crucial times and improve performance when required. We hope you found the article to be insightful. Please make sure that you share it with everyone.

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