The refresh rate is the number of times your monitor refreshes with new images every second. For example, a refresh rate of 60 Hz means that the display is updated 60 times per second. The higher the refresh rate, the better the image.
Why update rates is important
Changing the refresh rate was more important on older CRT monitors, where a low refresh rate would actually cause the display to noticeably flicker when it was refreshed. A higher refresh rate eliminates visual flicker.
On a modern flat LCD monitor, you won’t see flickering with a lower refresh rate. However, a higher refresh rate results in a much smoother picture. That’s why expensive monitors designed for gaming advertise high refresh rates like 144Hz or 240Hz, which is a big step up from the 60Hz refresh rate for a typical PC display. For us, this difference is noticeable even when moving the mouse around the screen.
The maximum refresh rate you can use depends on your monitor. In general, cheaper monitors support lower refresh rates than more expensive monitors. If you have multiple monitors connected to your PC, each one has its own separate refresh rate setting.
When looking for a monitor, a higher refresh rate is generally better, but it’s not always the most important thing to look for. There are other important factors such as response time, color accuracy and monitor viewing angle. But you always want to use the highest refresh rate your monitor supports.
As a general rule, modern PCs should automatically select the best, maximum refresh rate for each connected monitor. But this does not always happen automatically, so sometimes you may need to change the refresh rate manually.
How to change the refresh rate in Windows 10
To change the display refresh rate in Windows 10, right-click on the desktop and select Display Settings.
Scroll down a bit on the right pane and then click on the «Advanced display settings» link to continue.
Click the Display Adapter Properties link below the display you wish to configure here.
