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If your high-refresh-rate monitor seems stuck at 60 Hz, select a supported faster mode in Windows first, then check the game’s own display and frame-rate settings. These are separate controls: setting Windows does not guarantee every game will use the same refresh rate or frame rate.
What refresh rate means
Refresh rate is how many times per second a display updates: 60 Hz means 60 updates per second. A monitor’s advertised maximum is not necessarily available at every resolution or through every connection. Windows only offers modes the display reports as supported. Microsoft explains refresh-rate selection and supported modes.
Check that Windows detects the right monitor
For an external monitor, make sure it is connected to the PC or dock and appears in Windows. With multiple displays, open Settings > System > Display and select Identify to see the number assigned to each screen. If the monitor is missing, use Detect. See Microsoft’s multi-monitor instructions.
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Choose a refresh rate in Windows
Windows 11
- Open Start > Settings > System > Display > Advanced display.
- If more than one display is connected, select the monitor you want to configure.
- Under Choose a refresh rate, select the desired supported rate.
- Check the displayed resolution after applying the choice, especially if the selected rate had an asterisk.
Windows 10
- Open Start > Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings.
- Select the intended display from the dropdown.
- Choose the desired refresh rate.
Available rates depend on the display. In Windows 11, Advanced display also reports the current resolution and refresh rate and whether variable refresh rate (VRR) is supported. Microsoft marks rates that do not support the current resolution with an asterisk; choosing one changes the resolution. Confirm that Windows still shows your preferred resolution afterward. Microsoft’s support page notes that Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025; its documented display controls remain relevant to people still using that OS.
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Check the game’s display and frame-rate controls
A Windows refresh-rate choice sets the desktop display mode, but a game may have separate options for resolution, display mode, refresh rate, V-Sync, or a frame-rate limit. Open that game’s display, video, or graphics menu and check what it actually offers; menu names and available controls vary by game. There is no single game-menu path or universal frame cap that applies to every title.
If a game appears to run below the expected rate, check its display mode and frame-rate limit as well as the Windows setting. A game’s rendered frame rate and the monitor’s refresh rate are related but distinct: selecting a higher refresh rate does not itself make the game render more frames per second.
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Configure adaptive refresh when your setup supports it
AMD FreeSync
FreeSync requires compatible equipment, including a supported display, GPU, driver, and connection. AMD’s general setup is to install AMD Software: Adrenalin, enable FreeSync in the monitor’s on-screen settings, then check or enable it in AMD Software under Gaming/Display. AMD documents FreeSync over DisplayPort or HDMI on supported equipment; that does not mean every monitor, port, or combination supports it. See AMD’s FreeSync guidance.
AMD recommends enabling V-Sync or capping the frame rate if a game’s FPS regularly exceeds the display’s refresh rate and you want tear-free presentation. The best choice can depend on the game and your preferences.
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Windows 11 Dynamic Refresh Rate
Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) is an adaptive Windows feature, not the same as choosing a fixed maximum refresh rate. Microsoft says DRR requires a VRR-capable display with a refresh rate of at least 120 Hz. It can limit the maximum refresh rate of some games; if a game seems slower than expected, try turning DRR off.
Windows 11 windowed-game optimizations
For compatible DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running windowed or borderless, Windows 11’s Optimizations for windowed games can enable features including VRR on supported displays. Find it at Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Restart the game after changing the setting. Per-app options can turn the optimization off; on a PC with multiple GPUs, Microsoft also provides a per-app performance preference. Details are in Microsoft’s windowed-game optimization instructions.
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Troubleshoot a missing or unexpectedly low refresh rate
- The desired rate is missing: Confirm the intended monitor is selected, then check the resolution and connection. Available modes depend on the display. Consult the monitor’s specifications and the PC, GPU, or dock maker’s port capabilities; there is no universal cable-bandwidth rule that determines every setup.
- A rate has an asterisk or the resolution changed: That rate does not support the current resolution. Choose a supported resolution-and-refresh-rate combination, then verify both settings.
- One screen remains at a lower rate: Select that display explicitly in Advanced display and set its rate separately.
- A game seems capped below the desktop mode: Check the game’s own display and frame-rate controls. If DRR is on in Windows 11, test with it off. For a compatible windowed or borderless DirectX 10/11 game, check windowed-game optimizations and restart the game after changing them.
- FreeSync or VRR is unavailable: Check that the monitor, GPU, driver, and connection are compatible, enable the monitor’s on-screen FreeSync setting where applicable, and check the graphics software’s status.
- Game FPS regularly exceeds the display’s refresh rate: AMD recommends V-Sync or a frame-rate cap for tear-free presentation; choose based on the game and your preferences.
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