How to Fix a 144Hz Monitor Stuck at 60Hz in Windows 11

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Ankit Kumar
Windows 11DisplayGamingHardware

The Problem

You bought a 144 Hz, 165 Hz, or 240 Hz monitor, and it feels no smoother than your old one. Settings shows 60 Hz, and the higher options are either missing or will not stay selected.

Windows almost never picks the highest refresh rate on its own. In most cases, you only need to select it. When the option is missing, the cause is nearly always the cable, the port, or a setting in the monitor's own menu.

Symptoms

  • Choose a refresh rate shows only 60 Hz (and perhaps 59.94 Hz or 50 Hz).
  • Higher rates appear but the screen goes black and reverts after 15 seconds.
  • The rate is correct on the desktop, but games still feel like 60 fps.
  • A laptop's built-in screen changes rate on its own when you unplug the charger.

Quick Checks

  1. On a desktop, the cable must plug into the graphics card, not the motherboard's video ports. The motherboard ports use the CPU's integrated graphics, which may not support high refresh rates.
  2. Check the monitor's box or manual for which inputs support the full rate. Many monitors only reach 144 Hz or higher over DisplayPort, and cap HDMI at 60 Hz or 120 Hz.
  3. Visit testufo.com in your browser. It shows the refresh rate your browser is actually getting.

The Fix: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Select the Refresh Rate in Windows

  1. Settings → System → Display.
  2. Select the monitor at the top if you have more than one.
  3. Click Advanced display.
  4. Under Choose a refresh rate, select the highest value.

If you are on a laptop, you may also see Dynamic (for example, Dynamic (60 Hz or 120 Hz)). This lets Windows drop to 60 Hz on static content to save battery — pick the fixed higher value if you want it all the time.

Step 2: Use the Right Cable

Refresh rate is limited by bandwidth, and bandwidth is limited by the cable and port versions.

  • DisplayPort 1.2 handles 1440p at 165 Hz. DisplayPort 1.4 handles 1440p at 240 Hz and 4K at 144 Hz (with DSC). Use the cable that came with the monitor.
  • HDMI 2.0 handles 1080p at 240 Hz and 1440p at 144 Hz. HDMI 2.1 is needed for 4K at 120 Hz or more.
  • A cable marked only "High Speed HDMI" is often an older HDMI 1.4 cable. Look for Premium High Speed (HDMI 2.0) or Ultra High Speed (HDMI 2.1).
  • Adapters (DisplayPort to HDMI, USB-C to HDMI) are a common bottleneck. Most cheap passive adapters are limited to 60 Hz.

Swap to DisplayPort if both the monitor and GPU have it, and test again.

Step 3: Check the Monitor's On-Screen Menu

Several monitors ship with high refresh rates or newer DisplayPort modes turned off.

  1. Press the monitor's Menu button.
  2. Look for DisplayPort version or DP mode and set it to 1.2 or 1.4 (not 1.1).
  3. Look for Overclock, Refresh rate boost, or a Game or Esports mode — some monitors only reach their advertised maximum (for example, 165 Hz on a 144 Hz panel) with this turned on.
  4. Check that FreeSync, Adaptive-Sync, or G-Sync Compatible is on. Some models hide high refresh rates when it is off.

Step 4: Install the Graphics Driver

If Device Manager shows Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, the refresh rate list will be very limited.

  1. Download the latest driver from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.
  2. Install it and restart.
  3. Check Choose a refresh rate again.

After an upgrade from a different GPU brand, clean out the old driver first: clean install GPU drivers with DDU.

Step 5: Set the Rate in the GPU Control Panel

If Windows still does not offer the rate, the GPU software often does.

  • NVIDIA: right-click the desktop → NVIDIA Control Panel → Display → Change resolution. Choose your resolution from the PC list (not Ultra HD, HD, SD) and select the refresh rate.
  • AMD: AMD Software → Gaming → Display → check FreeSync and your refresh rate settings.

Choosing a resolution from the Ultra HD, HD, SD list on NVIDIA locks you to TV rates like 60 Hz — this catches out a lot of people.

Step 6: Make Games Use the Full Rate

Some games override the desktop refresh rate.

  1. In each game's display settings, set the refresh rate to the maximum and turn off frame caps you did not set yourself.
  2. Turn V-Sync off in-game if you use FreeSync or G-Sync.
  3. More settings for smooth gameplay are covered in optimize Windows 11 for gaming and reduce input lag.

What Not to Do

  • Don't use custom resolution tools to force a rate the monitor does not support. It either shows a black screen or skips frames, which feels worse than 60 Hz.
  • Don't assume a new cable is a fast cable. Check the certification on the packaging.
  • Don't forget the second monitor. Each display has its own setting in Advanced display.

Still Not Working?

Test the monitor with a different computer, GPU, or laptop. If it reaches its full refresh rate there, the problem is the original PC's GPU or port. If it is stuck at 60 Hz everywhere, check the monitor's firmware on the manufacturer's site, and confirm the exact model number actually supports the rate — some model numbers differ by a single letter between the 60 Hz and 144 Hz versions.

For blurry text or wrong resolutions on the same monitor, see fix blurry text and wrong resolution.

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