Refresh rate is how many times per second your monitor redraws the image on screen

A monitor's refresh rate is measured in hertz (Hz) and tells you how many complete images your screen displays each second. A 60 Hz monitor refreshes 60 times per second. A 144 Hz monitor refreshes 144 times per second. The higher the number, the smoother motion appears on screen — but only if your computer is actually sending that many images for the monitor to display.

Refresh rate matters most when you are watching movement: scrolling through a webpage, moving your mouse cursor, playing a video, or using any process where things move across the screen. A higher refresh rate makes that motion look fluid instead of choppy. It does not change how sharp text looks or how bright colors appear — those are separate from refresh rate.

The refresh rate your monitor can handle is a fixed hardware limit. You cannot make a 60 Hz monitor display 144 times per second, just as you cannot make a car go faster than its engine allows. Your computer can send images faster than your monitor can display them, but the monitor will only show what it is capable of showing.

Key Takeaways

  • Refresh rate is the number of times per second your monitor redraws the image, measured in hertz — 60 Hz means 60 times per second.
  • Higher refresh rates make motion smoother but only if your graphics card is actually producing that many images per second.
  • Most everyday tasks like email, web browsing, and document work look fine at 60 Hz, the standard for most monitors.
  • Gaming, video editing, and fast-paced work benefit from 120 Hz or higher, but you need a graphics card powerful enough to keep up.
  • Refresh rate does not affect text sharpness, color accuracy, or brightness — those depend on resolution, panel type, and other settings.

Why 60 Hz is the standard for most monitors

Most monitors sold today are 60 Hz because it is the minimum refresh rate that looks smooth to human eyes for everyday tasks. Scrolling through email, editing documents, and browsing the web all look fluid at 60 Hz. This standard has been in place for decades and works well for the vast majority of computer use.

A 60 Hz monitor is also cheaper to manufacture than a 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitor, which is why they remain the default. If you are buying a monitor for general office work, schoolwork, or casual use, a 60 Hz monitor will serve you well and cost less than a higher refresh rate option.

When higher refresh rates actually make a difference

You notice the benefit of a higher refresh rate when your eyes are tracking fast motion across the screen. Gaming is the most common example — in a fast-paced game, a 144 Hz monitor shows smoother character movement and aiming than a 60 Hz monitor. Professional video editors, animators, and people who work with motion graphics also benefit because they can see their work more smoothly as they scrub through timelines.

The catch is that your graphics card has to produce images fast enough to fill those refresh cycles. If you have a 144 Hz monitor but your graphics card only produces 60 images per second, the monitor will display each image twice and you will not see the smoothness benefit. You need both the monitor and the graphics card working together.

For everyday tasks — email, web browsing, document editing, video watching — the difference between 60 Hz and 144 Hz is invisible. Your eyes are not tracking fast motion, so the extra refresh cycles do not matter. Paying extra for a 144 Hz monitor when you do not need it is money spent on something you will not use.

How refresh rate connects to your graphics card and cables

Your graphics card is the part of your computer that creates the images. The monitor is the part that displays them. The cable between them (usually HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C) carries the signal. For a monitor to show its full refresh rate, all three have to support it.

An older graphics card might only be able to produce 60 images per second, even if you plug it into a 144 Hz monitor with a modern cable. In that case, you are limited to 60 Hz. Similarly, an older HDMI cable might not have enough bandwidth to carry 144 Hz signals, even if both your graphics card and monitor support it. When you buy a higher refresh rate monitor, check that your graphics card and cables can handle it — or budget for upgrades.

Refresh rate versus resolution and response time

Refresh rate, resolution, and response time are three separate things that often get confused. Resolution is how many pixels wide and tall your screen is (like 1920 × 1080). Response time is how fast individual pixels change color, measured in milliseconds. Refresh rate is how many complete images per second the monitor displays.

You can have a high-resolution monitor with a slow refresh rate, or a low-resolution monitor with a fast refresh rate. A monitor with a fast response time but a slow refresh rate will still look choppy during motion. All three affect how your monitor looks and feels, but they are independent of each other. When shopping, check all three specs rather than focusing on just one.

How to check your monitor's refresh rate

On Windows, right-click on your desktop and select "Display settings." Scroll down and click "Advanced display settings." Look for "Refresh rate" in the list — it will show the current rate in Hz. If you want to change it, click the dropdown menu and select a different rate, then click "explore." Your monitor will briefly go blank and then return to the new setting.

On Mac, click the Apple menu and go to "System Settings" (or "System Preferences" on older versions). Select "Displays." Click "Refresh rate" and choose from the available options. Mac monitors often have fewer refresh rate choices than Windows monitors, and many are limited to 60 Hz.

If your monitor supports a higher refresh rate than what is currently showing, you may need to update your graphics card driver or use a different cable. If the higher rate is not available as an option at all, your graphics card or cable does not support it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a higher refresh rate use more electricity?

Yes, but the difference is small — usually a few watts. A 144 Hz monitor uses slightly more power than a 60 Hz monitor because it is refreshing more often, but the cost difference over a year is typically just a few dollars. It is not a major factor in choosing a monitor.

Can I use a 144 Hz monitor at 60 Hz if I want to?

Yes. You can set any monitor to a lower refresh rate than its maximum in your display settings. Some people do this to reduce power use or heat, though the difference is minimal. The monitor will work fine at any refresh rate it supports.

What refresh rate do I need for watching movies?

Movies are filmed at 24 frames per second, so technically a 24 Hz monitor would be enough. In practice, 60 Hz is standard and works perfectly for video playback. A 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitor will not make movies look smoother because the source material is only 24 frames per second.

Is 60 Hz bad for gaming?

It depends on the game and what you are comfortable with. Casual games and slower-paced games feel fine at 60 Hz. Fast-paced competitive games like first-person shooters feel noticeably smoother at 120 Hz or higher. If you play those games seriously, a higher refresh rate is worth the investment — otherwise, 60 Hz is acceptable.

Why does my monitor say it supports 120 Hz but I can only select 60 Hz?

Your graphics card or cable is not sending the signal fast enough. Check that you are using a modern cable (DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0 or newer) and that your graphics card driver is up to date. If both are current and the option still does not appear, your graphics card may not support that refresh rate.