Refresh Rate Test

Run a refresh rate test and you may discover that the monitor you paid extra for has been running at 60Hz all along. It happens often. A new gaming monitor gets unboxed, plugged in with whatever cable was in the drawer, and Windows quietly leaves it on the standard setting. The picture looks fine, until you move the mouse and realise it does not feel as smooth as the reviews described. This page explains how to check what your screen is really doing. If you would rather start with your connection, our UK speed test tools on the SpeedTestUK homepage cover broadband, ping and more.

Refresh rate is how many times per second a display draws a new image, measured in hertz, shortened to Hz. A 60Hz screen updates 60 times a second, a 144Hz screen 144 times. Each update is one frame, so refresh rate and frames per second are closely related, although they are not quite the same thing. The higher the rate, the shorter the gap between frames, and the smoother moving images tend to look.

What a refresh rate test actually measures

The test at the top of this page runs in your browser. When you press start, it asks the browser to paint frame after frame and times the gap between each one, using a method called requestAnimationFrame. Browsers tie that painting to your display, so the gap reveals the rate your screen is using: frames every 16.7 milliseconds mean 60Hz, and every 6.9 milliseconds mean 144Hz.

That makes a browser test a practical check of your whole setup, not just the panel. It reflects your operating system setting, your cable and port, and any limits applied by your laptop or browser — in other words, what you are actually getting. It is not a laboratory measurement, and a result a fraction below a round number, such as 59.94Hz instead of 60Hz, is normal.

One point is worth knowing first. The test measures the display this window is sitting on. If you have two monitors, drag the window fully onto the screen you want to check, then run the test there. A window straddling both screens can give a confusing reading.

How to use this refresh rate test

1. Move the window to the right screen. If you use more than one display, put this browser window fully on the monitor, laptop screen or TV you want to measure.
2. Close heavy apps. Games, video editors, video calls and large downloads can disturb the timing. Closing them gives a steadier reading.
3. Plug in your laptop. Many laptops drop to 60Hz on battery to save power. Connecting the charger removes that variable.
4. Press Start test. Keep this tab visible for the few seconds the test needs. Switching tabs pauses the measurement, and frames from a hidden tab are ignored rather than counted.
5. Watch the live figures. You will see a live frames-per-second counter, a frame time in milliseconds, and a ball gliding across a track. Treat the ball as a rough visual guide and the numbers as the result.
6. Read the detected rate. The measured average is matched to a familiar rate such as 60Hz, 120Hz or 144Hz. If it is lower than expected, work through the troubleshooting section below, change one thing at a time, then re-test.

Your results explained

Most people are checking one thing: does the number on screen match the number on the box? If it does, your settings, cable and port are all doing their job. If it does not, the gap usually points to a setting rather than a faulty screen, which is good news because settings are free to change.

The table below covers the common rates, their frame times, and what each suits.

Frame time explains why the jump from 60Hz to 144Hz feels large, while 144Hz to 240Hz feels smaller. The first cut removes nearly 10 milliseconds between frames; the second removes less than 3. Both steps are real, but the first changes far more, which is why many players settle at 144Hz or 165Hz and spend the rest of their budget elsewhere.

Content sets a limit too. A film shot at 24 frames per second gains no extra frames from a 144Hz screen, and a game must actually produce frames quickly to fill a fast display. Refresh rate is the ceiling your display offers; your content and hardware decide how much of it you use.

Refresh rate, frame rate and ping: what is the difference?

These three numbers often get mixed up. Refresh rate is a property of your display, measured in Hz. Frame rate, or FPS, is how many frames your computer, console or phone produces each second. If a game produces 50 frames per second on a 144Hz monitor, you see 50 distinct frames, because the display cannot invent the missing ones. If it produces 200 on a 60Hz monitor, you still only see 60 each second.

Ping is different again: it measures how long data takes to reach a server and return, and it affects online games regardless of your screen. A fast monitor will not fix an unstable connection, and a fast connection will not make a 60Hz screen draw more frames. If a game feels unresponsive online but smooth offline, check your latency with our ping tester and run a check on our broadband speed test page. If it feels sluggish everywhere, your display is the likelier culprit, and our click speed test can help you judge how responsive your mouse input feels once the screen is sorted.

Buying a monitor or TV in the UK: refresh rate in context

UK shops advertise refresh rate prominently, and the headline number needs a careful read. On monitors, the quoted figure is usually the panel’s genuine rate at its native resolution, but check the small print for the connection needed to reach it. Some monitors only get there over DisplayPort, or after you switch on an overclock option in the monitor’s own menu.

TVs need more care. Many TVs sold in the UK describe motion with manufacturer terms such as motion rate or picture quality index, and those numbers are not the panel’s refresh rate. A set marketed with a large motion number may still have a 60Hz panel. For console gaming, look for a native 120Hz panel and at least one HDMI 2.1 port, and check that 120Hz applies at 4K. Model numbers matter too, because UK versions of a set can differ from the version reviewed in the United States.

For gaming, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S games with a performance mode usually target 120Hz, so a 120Hz display is the natural partner for a console. On PC, 144Hz or 165Hz at 1440p is a popular middle ground: sharp enough for work, quick enough for games, and cheaper than 4K at similar rates. Budget for the right cable, and keep the receipt and packaging until you have run a test like this one — checking inside the retailer’s returns window is far easier than arguing months later.

Troubleshooting: why your 144Hz monitor shows 60Hz

This is the problem most readers arrive with, and it is usually fixable. Work through the causes in order, re-testing after each change.

1. The operating system is still set to 60Hz

Windows often leaves a new monitor at 60Hz until you change it yourself. Follow the steps in Microsoft’s support guide to changing the refresh rate in Windows: open Advanced display settings, choose your monitor at the top if you have more than one, and select the higher rate. On a Mac, open System Settings, then Displays, select the display and use the Refresh Rate menu; Apple’s guide to Displays settings on Mac covers each option, including ProMotion, which varies the rate up to 120Hz on supported models. If the higher rate is not listed at all, the cause is likely further down this list.

2. The cable or port cannot carry the rate

Cables look identical and behave very differently. An older HDMI lead, particularly HDMI 1.4, can hold a 1440p monitor to 60Hz even though it worked fine at 1080p. DisplayPort is the safer choice for a PC monitor, and DisplayPort 1.4 handles 144Hz at 1440p comfortably. With HDMI, look for HDMI 2.0 for 144Hz at 1440p, or HDMI 2.1 for 120Hz at 4K. Check both ends: some monitors only offer their faster rates on one input. The cable supplied in the box is usually the right one, so try that before a lead from a drawer. If the rate you want is missing from settings, swap the cable first — it is a cheap fix and a common cause. Corsair’s guide to checking a monitor’s refresh rate covers the same ground from a manufacturer’s point of view.

3. The cable is plugged into the wrong socket

On a desktop PC with a graphics card, connect the monitor to the graphics card’s sockets, usually lower down and horizontal, not the motherboard’s sockets near the top of the case. The motherboard output uses the processor’s built-in graphics, which may not offer your monitor’s rate and can limit games too. It is an easy mistake on a new machine, and an easy one to put right.

4. The monitor’s own menu is holding it back

Some displays hide their headline rate behind a menu setting described as overclock or game mode. Open the monitor’s on-screen menu, look under picture or gaming settings, and enable the faster mode if there is one. The screen may restart briefly when you change it.

5. Laptop power and dynamic settings

Many laptops reduce the screen to 60Hz on battery, and Windows 11 offers a dynamic refresh rate that idles at 60Hz and rises when you scroll. Either can make a test read 60Hz on a screen sold as 120Hz. Plug the charger in, pick a fixed rate for a clean measurement, and turn off battery saver and browser energy saver modes before testing again.

Tips for a reading you can trust

• Keep the tab in front. Browsers pause animation in hidden tabs, and this test ignores those gaps, but staying on the page gives the cleanest result.
• Test one screen at a time. Move the window fully onto a display, test, then move to the next one.
• Repeat after every change. Change one setting, re-test, and note the result. Changing three things at once leaves you unsure what worked.
• Compare with your settings page. If the test and your operating system agree, the rate is genuinely active.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know what refresh rate my monitor is running at?

Run the test on this page and read the detected rate. For a second opinion, Windows shows the current rate in Settings, under System, Display and Advanced display, and macOS shows it in System Settings under Displays. If both agree, that is the rate your screen is using now, whatever the box said.

Why does my result say 59Hz or 143Hz instead of a round number?

Many displays run a fraction below the advertised figure, such as 59.94Hz or 143.98Hz, because of how display timings relate to video standards. That is normal and makes no visible difference. Our test matches the measured average to the nearest familiar rate, so a reading near 144Hz is reported as 144Hz. Only worry if the result sits near a clearly lower rate.

Can this test measure my TV or my phone?

Yes, if the device has a browser and you open this page on the screen you want to measure. On a TV, use its own browser or connect a computer and set that output correctly; testing a laptop screen does not tell you what the TV receives. On phones, turn off battery saver first, as many handsets hold the screen at 60Hz even when the panel supports 90Hz or 120Hz.

Is a higher refresh rate always worth paying for?

Not always. For office work, email and browsing, 60Hz is perfectly usable, and money may be better spent on screen size, resolution or a comfortable stand. The gains grow when movement fills the screen, which is why gamers notice most. If you mainly play slower-paced games, watch films or work with documents, a modest rate with a good panel is a reasonable balance.

Do I need a new cable to get 144Hz?

Quite possibly. The cable is a common reason a high rate never appears in settings. A DisplayPort cable of version 1.2 or later covers most 144Hz PC setups, and the lead supplied with the monitor is the safest starting point. For HDMI, check that the cable and both ports support the rate at your resolution. Replace the cable before you suspect the monitor.

Will a higher refresh rate improve my online games on its own?

It makes motion clearer and a game feel more responsive to your inputs, but it does nothing for your connection. Online play also depends on latency and stability between you and the game server. Once your display is set up, return to the SpeedTestUK homepage to check your broadband speed and ping, so both halves are covered.

Check your screen, then check the rest of your setup

You now know how to measure your refresh rate, what the common rates are good for, and how to put things right when a screen is stuck at 60Hz. Scroll up, run the test on each display you use, and note the results. If the number matches what you paid for, you are done. If not, work through the fixes above in order, re-testing after each one.

Once the display is sorted, check the connection side too: head back to SpeedTestUK for a broadband check and a ping test, and share this page with anyone who has just bought a monitor.