The short answer
Refresh rate is the number of times per second a screen draws a new picture, measured in hertz (Hz). A 60 Hz screen shows a new image every 16.67 milliseconds, a 144 Hz screen every 6.94 milliseconds. Higher rates make scrolling, mouse movement and games look smoother and reduce the delay between your input and what you see.
The test below measures your rate in the browser. Leave the window still for a few seconds; the big number is the refresh rate, and the frame time graph shows whether frames arrive evenly. Run it once on each monitor if you have more than one.
| Refresh rate | Time per frame | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Hz | 16.67 ms | Office monitors, most TVs, many laptops |
| 75 Hz | 13.33 ms | Budget monitors |
| 120 Hz | 8.33 ms | Phones, tablets, newer laptops and TVs |
| 144 Hz | 6.94 ms | Gaming monitors |
| 240 Hz | 4.17 ms | Competitive gaming |
Try it here: Refresh Rate Test
Open the full tool pageChecking it in Windows and macOS
On Windows 11, open Settings, System, Display, then Advanced display. The line Choose a refresh rate shows the current value and offers the others the monitor supports with the current cable. On Windows 10 the same option is under Settings, System, Display, Advanced display settings.
On a Mac, open System Settings, Displays, and look at the Refresh rate menu. MacBook Pro models with ProMotion show ProMotion there, which adjusts the rate up to 120 Hz automatically.
The settings tell you what is selected; the browser test tells you what is actually happening. If the settings say 144 Hz but the test shows 60, something else is limiting the rate, such as a power saving mode or the browser running on a different screen.
Why a fast monitor shows 60 Hz
- The rate was never changed. Many monitors start at 60 Hz after connecting; select the higher value in the display settings.
- The cable or port cannot carry it. DisplayPort carries high refresh rates at most resolutions. HDMI 1.4 is often limited to 60 Hz at 1440p and 30 Hz at 4K, while HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 go much higher. Cheap adapters and docking stations can also limit the rate.
- The wrong port. Some monitors reach their maximum rate only through DisplayPort, and desktop PCs must use the graphics card's ports, not the motherboard's.
- Power saving. Laptops on battery and power saving modes may reduce the rate to save energy. Plug in and pick a balanced or performance mode.
- The monitor's own menu. Some monitors have an overclock or high refresh option that must be enabled in the on screen menu.
- Two monitors. The browser follows the screen the window is on; move it to the fast screen before testing.
Frame rate versus refresh rate
The refresh rate belongs to the screen; the frame rate, in frames per second (FPS), is how many new pictures the computer produces. A browser normally renders one frame per refresh, which is why the test can measure the screen. Games are different: they can produce more or fewer frames than the screen shows, depending on the graphics card and settings, so a game's FPS counter is not a refresh rate test.
Dropped frames are frames that took too long to produce, so the screen showed the previous picture twice. A few dropped frames while you scroll or switch tabs are normal. Regular drops while nothing else is happening point to a busy computer, an extension or a power limit; the graph on this page marks them in red.
Variable refresh rate and motion clarity
G-SYNC, FreeSync and Adaptive Sync let the monitor wait for the next frame instead of refreshing at a fixed rhythm, which removes tearing and stutter in games with uneven frame rates. In a browser animation the computer delivers frames at full speed, so the test usually shows the maximum rate even when variable refresh is on.
The motion test moves objects by a fixed number of pixels per frame. At 960 pixels per second, each step is 16 pixels at 60 Hz but only 4 pixels at 240 Hz, which is why motion looks sharper on fast screens. Some blur behind the objects is normal; it comes from how panels switch pixels and from your eyes following the movement.
Phones, tablets and laptops
Many phones and tablets support 90 or 120 Hz, but lower the rate to save battery, for example in low power mode or when nothing is moving. Open the test, wait a few seconds and keep the screen active; if it shows 60 on a 120 Hz phone, check the display settings for a smooth display or refresh rate option and turn off battery saver. Laptops behave the same way when they run on battery.