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How to Enable Your Monitor's Full Refresh Rate (Windows & Mac)

New high-refresh monitors frequently default to 60Hz. The hardware is fine — the setting isn't.

Windows 10/11

  1. Settings → System → Display.
  2. Advanced display.
  3. Under Choose a refresh rate, pick the highest value.
  4. If the max isn't listed, see "If it's missing" below.

macOS

  1. System Settings → Displays.
  2. Click Refresh Rate and choose the highest option (hold Option while clicking the menu to reveal all modes on some displays).

Confirm it worked

Open the Refresh Rate Test. It should read close to your panel's rating (a 144Hz panel typically measures ~143–144).

If the high rate is missing

  • Cable/port: high refresh at high resolution needs DisplayPort or HDMI 2.1. Swap a cheap or old cable.
  • Bandwidth: dropping resolution or color depth may unlock a higher rate — check your cable's spec first.
  • GPU drivers: update them and set the rate in the NVIDIA/AMD/Intel control panel too.
  • Adaptive sync: enable G-Sync/FreeSync so the rate tracks your frame rate.