How To Adjust Your Display Refresh Rate in Windows 11

As the name suggests, a refresh rate for displays essentially means how many times the images on your visible screen refreshes every second.

This occurrence is not seeable to the naked eye and is typically measured in Hz (Hertz).

The methodology to read the measurement is very straightforward. So, for example, if you read that a display has a refresh rate of 60Hz, it means the image/screen refreshes 60 times per second.

By the way, if you want to skip the primer below, you can jump straight to the matter at hand of changing the refresh rate in Windows 11.

A Quick Primer on How the Display Refresh Rates Affect Your On-Screen Experience

A higher refresh rate means you will have a better visual experience, all things being equal.

The best use cases for these can be if you’re watching a thrilling action movie with many incredible fighting scenes or playing an exciting game that will yield its on-screen appeal when the motion is smooth and doesn’t lag.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t use higher display refresh rates for routine activities such as browsing the internet or reading online news. One can never leave things to chance (I get it).

The most common downside of choosing higher refresh rates is that it will need more power and, therefore, will cut down on the battery life much faster. For this reason, many Windows 11 users prefer to tune down their refresh rate a little to make their devices last longer.

And honestly, depending on simple activities such as browsing the world wide web, a slightly lower refresh rate than the maximum doesn’t make any noticeable visual difference. Ultimately, it will be contingent on how low you go, but you can try around different options. Some folks may get two to three choices.

As a matter of fact, to not burden its users to always choose the best option, Windows 11 also has a possibility of dynamic refresh rates wherein it will automatically pick the best one depending on the activity being performed. However, not all Windows 11 audiences will have this alternative available because certain thresholds, such as having a 120Hz refresh rate, need to be met. Ultimately, it is tied to the laptop or device you buy.

Instructions on Changing Refresh Rate in Windows 11

Like wanting to do most tweaks in Windows 11, your journey usually begins at the main settings. For this instance, it’s no different. So to get started, go to “Settings.”

Next, with the ‘System’ option selected on the left panel, select the ‘Display’ card from the right. (Check out the visual below for reference).

Consequently, while keeping your attention on the right panel, choose ‘Advanced display’ under the heading of Related Settings. Again, a visual is presented below to get a sense of things.

Lastly, and still keeping your attention on the right panel, select a display for which you want to change the refresh rate from the top, and then switch the actual rate from the dropdown at the bottom.

Summary

With Windows 11 devices, users can now change refresh rates as per their choice. In some cases, a dynamic refresh rate option is also available — conditional on your laptop type.

Irrespective of that fact, to manipulate your default or current refresh rate in Windows 11, you fundamentally have to head over to the ‘Advanced display’ settings and then simply pick out the refresh rate from the available dropdown.