How to use this Refresh Rate Test?
Our refresh rate test is a powerful tool that accurately measures your monitor's refresh rate in real-time using the browser's requestAnimationFrame API. To begin testing, simply click the "Start Test" button. The tool will count the number of frames rendered per second and display the result as a large, easy-to-read number in Hertz (Hz). The measurement updates every second, providing you with an accurate reading of your display's refresh rate.
The test includes a smooth UFO animation that moves across the screen, helping you visually assess the smoothness of motion at your current refresh rate. Higher refresh rates result in smoother, more fluid animations, while lower refresh rates may appear choppy or stuttering. This visual feedback makes it easy to understand the difference between various refresh rate settings and helps you verify that your display is operating at its advertised specifications.
The refresh rate measurement is displayed prominently in the center of the test interface, making it easy to read at a glance. You can start and stop the test as needed, and the reset button allows you to clear the measurement and start fresh. The tool works in all modern web browsers and doesn't require any installation or additional software.
What is Refresh Rate and Why Does It Matter?
Refresh rate, measured in Hertz (Hz), represents how many times per second your monitor updates the image on screen. A 60 Hz monitor refreshes 60 times per second, a 144 Hz monitor refreshes 144 times per second, and so on. Higher refresh rates provide several significant benefits, particularly for gaming, video editing, and any application where smooth motion is important.
For gamers, higher refresh rates mean reduced input lag and smoother gameplay. When your monitor refreshes more frequently, the time between your input (like moving the mouse or pressing a key) and seeing the result on screen decreases. This is crucial for competitive gaming where every millisecond counts. Many gaming monitors now support 144 Hz, 165 Hz, 240 Hz, or even 360 Hz refresh rates, providing incredibly smooth and responsive experiences.
Beyond gaming, higher refresh rates improve the overall user experience by making scrolling, window movement, and cursor motion feel more fluid and natural. Even for everyday tasks like web browsing or document editing, a higher refresh rate display can reduce eye strain and provide a more pleasant viewing experience. However, it's important to note that to take advantage of higher refresh rates, your graphics card must be capable of outputting frames at that rate, and you need to configure your display settings correctly.
Understanding Refresh Rate vs Frame Rate
It's important to distinguish between refresh rate (Hz) and frame rate (FPS). Refresh rate is a hardware specification of your monitor—it's fixed and determined by the display itself. Frame rate, on the other hand, is how many frames per second your graphics card is rendering. These two values work together but are independent of each other.
If your graphics card is rendering at 120 FPS but your monitor only supports 60 Hz, you'll only see 60 of those frames per second—the monitor can't display more than its refresh rate allows. Conversely, if your monitor is 144 Hz but your graphics card can only render at 60 FPS, you'll see smooth motion but you're not taking full advantage of your monitor's capabilities. Ideally, you want your frame rate to match or slightly exceed your refresh rate for optimal performance. For complete display testing, also check our dead pixel test. Explore all ValidDeck tools for comprehensive hardware diagnostics.
Technologies like NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync help synchronize the refresh rate with the frame rate, eliminating screen tearing and stuttering. These adaptive sync technologies dynamically adjust the monitor's refresh rate to match the graphics card's frame rate, providing a smoother experience even when frame rates fluctuate. Our refresh rate test can help you verify that these technologies are working correctly and that your display is operating at its maximum refresh rate.
How to Verify and Optimize Your Refresh Rate
Many users purchase high-refresh-rate monitors but never configure them properly, leaving them running at the default 60 Hz. To ensure you're getting the full benefit of your display, you need to verify the refresh rate in both your operating system settings and your graphics card control panel. Our refresh rate test provides a quick and easy way to verify that your settings are correct.
In Windows, you can check and change your refresh rate by going to Display Settings, then Advanced Display Settings, and selecting your monitor's properties. Make sure you've selected the highest available refresh rate. In your graphics card control panel (NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Settings), you can also configure the refresh rate and enable features like G-SYNC or FreeSync if your monitor supports them.
After configuring your settings, use our refresh rate test to verify that your monitor is actually running at the expected rate. The test uses the browser's requestAnimationFrame API, which synchronizes with your display's refresh rate, providing an accurate measurement. If the displayed refresh rate doesn't match your monitor's specifications, you may need to check your cable (some older cables don't support high refresh rates), update your graphics drivers, or verify your display settings again.