Gamers all over the world are seeking a 144Hz refresh rate for their gaming monitors. And nothing could be more disappointing than buying an expensive monitor only to find that it isn’t running at 144Hz. So, that is when you might want to know how to set your monitor to 144Hz. Don’t worry and don’t be frustrated, we have got you covered here.
If you are experiencing issues like glitches on your monitor display or a drop in the refresh rate, then you need to know how to set the monitor to 144Hz. This article will help you do the same and also provide some useful troubleshooting tips. So, without any further ado, let’s learn how to set the monitor to 144Hz.
What is the Significance of a Higher Refresh Rate?
The refresh rate is the number of frames a monitor displays per second and generally, all monitors come with a 60Hz refresh rate. This essentially means that the monitor will show 60 frames in a second.
But, you can also get monitors with higher refresh rates like 120Hz, 144Hz, 165Hz, and 240Hz. These can show more frames every second and as a result, you get a better gaming experience. But, a monitor with a higher refresh rate is generally more expensive.
This becomes even more important if you are playing a sniper game where you need to keep an eye on every movement of the enemy. And the high refresh rates give you more frames per second so you don’t miss any movement.
How to Set Monitor to 144Hz: Steps to Guide You
1. Go to your Monitor Settings
Ensure that your system is set at its advertised refresh rate and not lower than that. If your monitor does not support a refresh rate higher than 60Hz, then you obviously cannot update it to 144Hz. Look on the internet for your monitor’s specifications.
Now, if the monitor is compatible with a refresh rate higher than 60Hz, then the next steps are for you. Otherwise, you first need to buy a monitor that supports high refresh rates.
2. Take a look at the Cables
If you need a high refresh rate, then you need to check out the ports your monitor has. Because the monitor can’t display higher refresh rates until it is connected to the PC through a display port. Some might make use of both HDMI and DisplayPort but that could still deliver a lower refresh rate.
This is because old VGA and HDMI cables don’t support higher refresh rates. So, getting a DisplayPort cable is a must!
Now that you have a DisplayPort cable, you need to check if it is properly certified or not. This would ensure that the cable is of good quality and suitable to do the work. Otherwise, a cheap and low-quality display cable could cause the refresh rate to drop or give rise to other issues like flickering.
3. Enable 144Hz from the Windows Settings
We’re almost there because this is the most important step in this guide on how to set 144Hz on your gaming monitor. Given below are two ways to enable 144Hz on your monitor. The first one is aimed towards Windows 10 users and the latter is meant for Windows 7 or 8 users.
This method will work to enable 120Hz, 165Hz, etc. as well. So, let’s get into it:
Enabling 144Hz on Your Windows 10 Monitor
Step 1. Go to Settings
Step 2. Click on Windows. The Windows Settings will be displayed on the screen.
Step 3. Now click on System
Step 4. Select Display and then Display adapter properties
Step 5. Click on the Monitor tab
Step 6. Now, a drop-down menu will come up and you just need to select 144Hz.
Step 7. Click on Apply. Then, click on OK to set your Windows 10 monitor to 144Hz.
Enable 144Hz on Your Windows 7 or Windows 8 Monitor
Step 1. Right-click on your desktop’s blank space
Step 2. Click on screen resolution
Step 3. Click the advanced settings option
Step 4. Select 144Hz and then hit OK to enable 144Hz on your system
Step 5. Now, if you don’t find the advanced settings option or your monitor doesn’t show the higher refresh rates, then there’s more you need to do.
4. Enabling 144Hz through Graphics Card
Check out your graphics card to find if it supports high refresh rates or not. The most common graphics cards in use these days are NVIDIA and AMD. We’ll walk you through the procedure of setting 144Hz for both of them.
NVIDIA
Step 1. Go to the driver menu of NVIDIA
Step 2. Click on the Change Resolution tab underneath the Display option
Step 3. You will find a refresh rate drop-down menu beside the Resolution window.
Step 4. Click on it and you’ll find 144Hz there. Select it.
Step 5. Now, if you use more than one monitor, then you need to choose the correct monitor too.
AMD
Step 1. Right-click on the blank space on the Desktop.
Step 2. Select the Display Settings
Step 3. Keep scrolling to click on Display adapter properties
Step 4. Now click on List All Modes beneath the Adapter Information window.
Step 5. Keep scrolling until you see 144Hz and click on it to select it
Step 6. Also, if you have more than one monitor and choose the correct one.
5. Update your System’s Drivers
Monitor Drivers
If you still can’t enable 144Hz on your monitor, then you need to check if the graphics drivers are updated. Usually, monitor issues arise from outdated drivers.
Drivers can go out of date due to several reasons and so, driver updates are released regularly to fix issues and bugs. Make sure to check regularly for driver updates and install them. Also, doing this manually could be very tedious, so set it on auto-update.
Graphics Drivers
You also need to keep your graphics drivers updated. So, check for the latest versions of NVIDIA or AMD (whichever you have) and install them.
6. Check the GPU
Older graphics like discrete or integrated graphics don’t usually support a high refresh rate. So, you need to check if your graphics card supports the refresh rate and resolution of your monitor.
7. Check Out the In-Game Settings
Some games might be set to run on their own default graphics setting. So, you need to manually go to the graphics option of that game and set your monitor’s refresh rate to 144Hz. This is for all the games with lower default refresh rates.
Bottom line
We have reached the end of this guide on how to set your monitor to 144Hz. All these very detailed steps must have helped you figure out the reason behind the refresh rate drop in your monitor. And hopefully, you might also have been able to fix the problem. So, go and enjoy a seamless gaming experience with the smooth 144Hz refresh rate.
