How do I check my refresh rate right now?

The fastest way is in your browser: open our Screen tool and read the measured Refresh Rate value, which samples your actual frame timing. On Windows, go to Settings → System → Display → Advanced display. On macOS, System Settings → Displays. On most Linux desktops, run 'xrandr' in a terminal.

Why is my 144Hz monitor stuck at 60Hz?

Almost always one of three things: the OS is still set to 60Hz (change it in display settings), your cable can't carry the bandwidth (use the DisplayPort or HDMI 2.1 cable that came with the monitor), or you're plugged into the motherboard instead of the graphics card. Fix those and the higher rate becomes selectable.

Does a higher refresh rate actually matter?

Yes for motion. 120Hz or 144Hz makes scrolling, cursor movement, and fast games visibly smoother than 60Hz because the screen draws nearly twice as many frames per second. For static reading or video at 24-30fps, the benefit is smaller.

Is the browser refresh-rate reading accurate?

It's a real measurement of how fast your browser is painting frames, snapped to the nearest standard rate. It matches your display in almost all cases, but power-saving modes, background load, or a browser capping frames can pull the number down, so confirm in OS settings if it looks off.

What refresh rate should I use?

Use the highest rate your monitor and cable support at your chosen resolution. There is no downside to more Hz other than slightly higher power draw. Just make sure the resolution you want is still available at that rate — some panels drop to a lower resolution for their top refresh rate.

June 14, 2026 · 9 min read

How to Check Your Monitor's Refresh Rate (Hz) in 2026 — Browser, Windows, macOS & Linux

Check your refresh rate in seconds. The exact steps for your browser, Windows, macOS, and Linux — plus how to fix a monitor stuck at 60Hz when it should run higher.

Your refresh rate is how many times per second your screen redraws the image, measured in hertz (Hz). A 60Hz screen redraws 60 times a second; a 144Hz gaming monitor, 144 times. Here's how to check it in your browser in one second — and on Windows, macOS, and Linux when you need to be certain.

Quick answer

To check your refresh rate instantly, open the Screen tool and read the Refresh Rate value — it measures your browser's actual frame timing live and snaps it to the nearest standard rate (60, 120, 144Hz…). To confirm at the system level: Windows → Settings → System → Display → Advanced display; macOS → System Settings → Displays; Linux → run xrandr in a terminal. If your high-refresh monitor reads 60Hz, it's usually the OS setting, the cable, or the wrong port — fixes are below.

Method	Where	Best for
Browser (measured)	Screen tool	Instant check, any device
Windows	Advanced display settings	Confirming + changing the rate
macOS	System Settings → Displays	Confirming + ProMotion
Linux	`xrandr` terminal command	Exact mode list per output

Check your refresh rate in the browser (fastest)

The quickest check needs no settings at all. Our Screen tool measures how fast your browser paints frames using the same timing signal games use (requestAnimationFrame), samples it, and snaps the result to the nearest standard rate. Open it and the Refresh Rate card fills in within a second, alongside your resolution, device pixel ratio, color depth, and aspect ratio.

It's a genuine measurement, not a guess — but treat it as "what the browser is currently rendering at." Power-saving modes or heavy background load can briefly pull it below your panel's real maximum, so if the number looks low, confirm in OS settings using the steps below.

Check and change it on Windows 11

Right-click the desktop → Display settings (or Settings → System → Display).
Scroll down and click Advanced display.
Read Choose a refresh rate — the dropdown shows your current Hz.
Pick the highest value offered and the screen updates immediately.

If the rate you expect isn't listed, the limit is hardware or cabling, not Windows — see the troubleshooting table below.

Check and change it on macOS

Open System Settings → Displays.
The Refresh Rate menu appears for displays that support multiple rates.
On ProMotion MacBooks and Pro Display XDR, you'll see options up to 120Hz; choose 120 Hz (or a fixed rate) instead of the adaptive default if you want a constant rate.

Built-in MacBook panels without ProMotion are fixed at 60Hz and won't show the menu — that's expected, not a fault.

Check it on Linux

Open a terminal and run:

# X11 and many Wayland sessions: lists every mode and the active refresh rate (marked *)
xrandr

# Wayland / Hyprland
hyprctl monitors

# GNOME on Wayland
gnome-randr query

xrandr prints each connected output with its available modes; the active resolution and refresh rate are marked with an asterisk. To set one: xrandr --output DP-1 --mode 2560x1440 --rate 144.

Why your monitor is stuck at 60Hz

This is the most common refresh-rate problem, and it's almost always fixable in minutes:

Symptom	Cause	Fix
144Hz panel only offers 60Hz	OS still set to 60Hz	Set it manually in display settings (above)
Higher rate greyed out	Cable can't carry the bandwidth	Use the DisplayPort or HDMI 2.1 cable that shipped with the monitor
No high rate on desktop PC	Plugged into the motherboard, not the GPU	Move the cable to the graphics card's ports
Rate drops at 4K	Bandwidth maxed at that resolution	Lower resolution, or use DisplayPort 2.1 / HDMI 2.1
Rate caps on a laptop	Battery / power-saving profile	Switch to a performance power plan, plug in

Bandwidth is the hidden culprit: 1440p at 144Hz needs far more than a basic HDMI cable delivers. The cable in the box is rated for the panel's top mode — generic spares often aren't.

Does higher Hz actually matter?

For anything that moves, yes. At 60Hz the screen draws a new frame every ~16.7ms; at 144Hz, every ~6.9ms. That's why cursors, scrolling, and fast games look noticeably smoother on high-refresh displays. The catch: your GPU has to produce enough frames to fill the rate, which ties back to your graphics hardware — a 144Hz panel fed 50fps won't feel like 144Hz. For static reading or 24-30fps video, the difference is minimal.

Verify your setup end to end

After changing anything, reload the Screen tool and check three things:

The Refresh Rate reads the value you set.
Your resolution is still the one you want (some panels trade resolution for their top rate).
The device pixel ratio matches your scaling — if text looks blurry after a mode change, see our pixel ratio and viewport guide.

Then push the GPU to confirm it can sustain the rate. Refresh rate is the ceiling; frames per second is what you actually get under it.