Refresh Rate Tester
Hz Test|Motion Test|System Info|Troubleshooting|FAQ|Dead Pixel Test|Stuck Pixel Fixer

Refresh Rate Test

Instant real-time monitor refresh rate test and exact Hz checker powered by hardware frame-pipeline synchronization.

---Hz
Exact:--.--HzFrame Interval:--.--msStability:--%Detecting Panel...
Comparative Motion Analysis

Visual Framerate Comparison

Follow the moving markers with your eyes across the lanes. Higher refresh rates minimize judder and motion blur.

Speed:
Hardware-Accelerated Frame Chamber
Press Space to freeze
Lane 1
30 Hz (33.33ms)
Stutter & Judder
Lane 2
60 Hz (16.67ms)
Standard Base
Lane 3
120 Hz (8.33ms)
High Fluidity
Lane 4 (Native)
Current: -- Hz
1:1 Native VSYNC
Real-Time Frame Pacing

Frame Pacing & Jitter Oscilloscope

Visualizes every consecutive frame interval in milliseconds. A flat, tight horizontal line indicates flawless VSYNC cadence.

Target:--.-- msLive Waveform
History: Last 180 Render CyclesSynchronized · Zero frame varianceFrequency: -- Hz
Hardware & Viewport Diagnostics

System & Display Information

Real-time metrics of your physical monitor canvas, window geometry, color rendering capabilities, and frame-pacing telemetry.

Jitter (Std Dev)
±0.00ms
Frame-pacing variance
Frame Drops
0stutters
Out-of-cycle frames
Total Sampled
0frames
Continuously evaluated
Min / Max Peak
--/--Hz
Dynamic range window
Native Physical PixelsHardware
---- × ----
Aspect Ratio:--:--
CSS Scaled ResolutionLogical
---- × ----
Available Space:---- × ----
Browser ViewportWindow
---- × ----
Orientation:Landscape
Device Pixel Ratio (DPR)Scaling
-.--×
Scaling Factor:---%
Color Depth & GamutSpectrum
-- bitdepth
Color Space:sRGB / P3
Dynamic Range (HDR)Pipeline
Standard (SDR)
Browser Sync Engine:requestAnimationFrame
Comprehensive Monitor Guide & Documentation

Everything You Need to Know About Refresh Rate Tests

Whether you are calibrating a new 144Hz esports gaming monitor, verifying ProMotion on a MacBook or iPhone, or diagnosing why your display is locked at 60Hz, this online hz tool provides real-time, hardware-synced telemetry without software installations or dropped frames.

How to Check Monitor Refresh Rate Online

Checking your screen's actual refresh rate does not require downloading bloated benchmarking utilities or configuring command-line software. Modern web browsers provide direct access to the operating system's vertical synchronization (VSYNC) interrupt pipeline through the high-resolution window.requestAnimationFrame() API.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Run a Refresh Rate Test:

  1. Open the Refresh Rate Tester in Your Primary Browser: Launch this page in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari. Our screen refresh rate checker initiates detection automatically the microsecond the page renders.
  2. Observe the Real-Time Hz Display: The massive headline number in Feature 1 displays your display frequency in real-time. Click "Show Exact Decimal" to switch between rounded nominal rates (e.g., 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz) and exact decimal frequencies (e.g., 59.94Hz, 143.98Hz, 239.96Hz).
  3. Examine the Frame Pacing Oscilloscope: Below the main readout, watch the live oscilloscope graph. A steady, flat line centered on the target interval demonstrates zero frame jitter and locked VSYNC pacing.
  4. Track the Visual Framerate Comparison: Scroll to the motion chamber to visually witness moving markers rendered across 30Hz, 60Hz, 120Hz, and your monitor's native refresh rate simultaneously.
  5. Verify Secondary Displays in Multi-Monitor Setups: If you use multiple monitors (e.g., a 144Hz primary gaming screen alongside a 60Hz secondary display), simply drag your browser window onto the second screen. The hz checker will instantly adapt and detect the secondary panel's refresh rate on the fly.

What is a Display Refresh Rate and How Does It Work?

The refresh rate of a display, measured in Hertz (Hz), defines the exact number of times per second the physical monitor hardware redraws or refreshes the image on the screen. For example, a standard 60Hz monitor refreshes its pixels 60 times every second (once every 16.67 milliseconds), whereas a fast 144Hz gaming panel updates 144 times every second (once every 6.94 milliseconds).

The Physical Scan-Out Cycle

Every screen refreshes line by line from top to bottom through a process known as raster scanout. Higher refresh rates shorten the scanout window, dramatically reducing input lag, motion blur, and display latency during rapid camera pans or fast desktop interactions.

The Browser Synchronization Pipeline

When hardware acceleration is enabled, web browsers coordinate their redraw cycles directly with your GPU driver and operating system compositor (such as Windows DWM or macOS Quartz Compositor). Our exact hz detector calculates the harmonic mean of consecutive render timestamps to isolate true hardware capability from software lag.

60Hz vs 120Hz vs 144Hz vs 240Hz: What Is the Real-World Difference?

The visual difference between display frequencies is governed by the frame interval (time between consecutive updates) and retinal persistence of vision (Blur Busters Law). As frame intervals shrink, human eye tracking experiences fewer discrete stepping jumps (phantom arrays) and significantly reduced eye-tracking motion blur.

Refresh RateFrame Interval (ms)Motion PerceptionBest Suited For
30 Hz33.33 msNoticeable judder, heavy motion blur, jerky mouse motionLegacy video, power-saving states
60 Hz16.67 msStandard baseline smoothness; slight motion trail during fast panningGeneral office productivity, web browsing, 60fps video
120 Hz8.33 msDouble the smoothness of 60Hz; immediate responsivenessApple ProMotion (MacBook / iPad Pro / iPhone), modern smartphones, casual gaming
144 Hz6.94 msEsports gaming benchmark; 58% latency reduction over 60HzCompetitive PC gaming (CS2, Valorant, Apex Legends, Warzone)
240 Hz4.17 msUltra-fluid motion; instantaneous visual feedbackProfessional tournament esports players, high-end OLED displays
360Hz - 540Hz2.78 ms - 1.85 msNear-zero tracking blur; apex physical speedElite FPS professionals, specialized TN / OLED gaming panels

Why the 60Hz vs 144Hz Test is So Striking

In our visual comparison chamber above, track the moving markers with your eyes as they glide horizontally across the screen. At 60Hz, the object appears slightly duplicated or smeared across your retina because the image remains static for 16.67 milliseconds while your eyeball is in continuous motion. At 144Hz, the object is refreshed more than twice as often, locking the image crisply in place on your retina.

Refresh Rate (Hz) vs Frame Rate (FPS): What is the Difference?

One of the most frequent points of confusion in PC hardware is the difference between Hertz (Hz) and Frames Per Second (FPS). While both terms describe temporal frequency, they refer to fundamentally different stages in the computer graphics pipeline:

Refresh Rate (Hz) is a Physical Hardware Limitation:

Hz is the fixed rate at which your monitor hardware can physically draw a new image. A 60Hz monitor will never display more than 60 distinct images in a second, regardless of how fast your computer is.

Frame Rate (FPS) is a Software & GPU Rendering Metric:

FPS is the speed at which your graphics card (GPU) and processor (CPU) can compute and render individual frames of animation in a video game or 3D application.

What Happens When FPS and Hz Don't Match?
  • When FPS exceeds Hz (e.g., 200 FPS on a 60Hz monitor): The GPU delivers frames faster than the monitor can display them. The monitor draws portions of two different frames in the same refresh cycle, resulting in horizontal jagged lines known as screen tearing.
  • When FPS is lower than Hz (e.g., 45 FPS on a 144Hz monitor): The display must repeat previous frames, creating uneven pacing and visible stutter.
  • The VRR Solution (G-Sync & FreeSync): Variable Refresh Rate displays dynamically synchronize the monitor's physical refresh rate to match the exact FPS output of the GPU in real time, completely eliminating tearing and stutter.
Troubleshooting Guide

Why is My 144Hz Monitor Running at 60Hz? (And How to Fix It)

Did you purchase a 144Hz, 165Hz, or 240Hz gaming display, but our refresh rate test shows it is running at 60Hz? You are not alone. By default, both Windows and macOS frequently initialize newly connected monitors at 60Hz for safety and compatibility. Here is how to fix a monitor stuck at 60Hz step-by-step:

1. Configure Windows 10 & Windows 11 Advanced Display Settings

In over 80% of cases, the refresh rate simply needs to be toggled in Windows settings:

  1. Right-click anywhere on your Windows desktop and choose Display settings.
  2. Scroll down and click on Advanced display (or Advanced display settings in Windows 10).
  3. Under Display information, make sure your high-refresh gaming monitor is selected from the top dropdown.
  4. Locate the Choose a refresh rate dropdown menu. If it says 60.00 Hz, click it and select your monitor's maximum rated frequency (e.g. 144.00 Hz, 165.00 Hz, or 240.00 Hz).
  5. Click Keep changes when prompted. Return to this website, and the live Hz display will immediately update!

2. Configure macOS Display Refresh Settings (Apple Silicon & Intel)

MacBooks with ProMotion displays or external high-refresh monitors connected to Mac mini, Mac Studio, or MacBook Pro:

  1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner and open System Settings.
  2. Click on Displays in the sidebar.
  3. Select your display at the top of the window.
  4. Look for the Refresh Rate dropdown. For internal MacBook Pro screens, choose ProMotion (dynamically scales up to 120Hz). For external monitors, select 144 Hertz or the highest supported frequency.

3. Verify Display Cable Bandwidth (HDMI vs DisplayPort)

Not all display cables can carry 144Hz+ high-refresh signals. Using an improper or outdated cable will cap your display at 60Hz:

  • DisplayPort (Recommended for PC): Use a certified DisplayPort 1.4 or DisplayPort 2.1 cable connected directly from your discrete GPU (not the motherboard port) to your monitor. DisplayPort natively supports high refresh rates without bandwidth bottlenecks.
  • HDMI Port Versions: Older HDMI 1.4 cables and ports are limited to 1080p 120Hz or 1440p 60Hz. To achieve 144Hz+ at 1440p or 4K over HDMI, ensure both your graphics card and monitor port support HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 2.1.
  • Docks and USB-C Hubs: Cheap multi-port USB-C dongles often limit video output to 4K 30Hz or 1080p 60Hz. Use a Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 dock or direct USB-C to DisplayPort cable.

4. Inspect GPU Control Panel (NVIDIA Control Panel & AMD Adrenalin)

In the NVIDIA Control Panel, navigate to Display > Change Resolution. Scroll down past the "Ultra HD, HD, SD" list to the dedicated PC section. Selecting your native resolution under the PC category unlocks 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, and custom overclocked refresh rates.

5. Enable Browser Hardware Acceleration

If Windows is set to 144Hz but this web tool still reports 60Hz, your web browser may have hardware acceleration disabled, forcing CPU rendering capped at 60fps. In Chrome or Edge, go to Settings > System and toggle on "Use graphics acceleration when available", then restart your browser.

Benchmark Comparison

Why Refresh Rate Tester Outperforms Competitors

A technical breakdown of our architecture compared to legacy testing tools like TestUFO, FrameRateTest, and ScreenTester:

Capability / BenchmarkRefresh Rate Tester (Ours)TestUFOFrameRateTestScreenTester
Instant Auto-Detection✓ Instant Zero-Click✓ Yes✗ Requires Manual Click✓ Delayed
Minimalist Vercel Aesthetic✓ Pure Geist System✗ Dated 2012 Layout✗ Generic Template✗ Crowded Portal
Mobile & Tablet ProMotion✓ 100% Fluid Responsive⚠ Clunky On Mobile⚠ Broken Scaling✓ Standard
Frame Pacing Oscilloscope✓ Real-Time Micrograph✗ Separate page⚠ Drops Frames✗ None
Runtime Overhead & Privacy✓ Zero Telemetry & Local ExecutionStandard Web Overhead✗ Heavy Background Scripts✗ High CPU Contention
Hardware Display Diagnostics✓ Physical, DPR, HDR, Gamut⚠ Partial✗ None✓ Basic
Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about display refresh rates, frame pacing, and troubleshooting.

How to check monitor refresh rate?

You can check your monitor's refresh rate instantly by opening our free online refresh rate test in your browser. It automatically detects and displays your current Hz, whether you are on a laptop, desktop, or mobile device.

How to change refresh rate on monitor and iPhone?

On Windows, go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and select a higher refresh rate. On an iPhone with ProMotion, go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion and ensure "Limit Frame Rate" is toggled off to experience the full 120Hz.

Are refresh rate and FPS the same?

No. Refresh rate (Hz) is how many times per second your hardware monitor updates the screen. FPS (Frames Per Second) is how many frames your software or GPU can render per second. For the smoothest experience, your FPS should match your monitor's refresh rate.

How much refresh rate in iPhone 16 and 17?

Standard iPhone models typically feature a 60Hz screen refresh rate. However, the "Pro" and "Pro Max" models utilize ProMotion technology, allowing the display to dynamically ramp up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and gaming.

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