Is your PC unresponsive? Here's how you can adjust the refresh rate

David Adubiina -

You know how discouraging it is when your screen stutters, lags, or feels sluggish, to the point where even the simplest tasks are annoying.

Usually, when a PC lags and refuses to keep up with your controls, the first impression that comes to mind is, Ahh, my graphics card is not able to handle this task.

If you have ever worked with SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or even played graphics-heavy games like Call of Duty on your PC, you might understand how important a smooth and responsive display is. However, what many don’t realize is that beyond just your GPU, your refresh rate plays a major role in how smoothly visuals appear on your screen.

A low refresh rate can cause motion blur, input lag, and a less responsive experience, while a higher refresh rate makes everything feel smoother—whether you’re gaming, designing, or just scrolling through your files.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to adjust your refresh rate on a Windows PC, ensuring that you get the best possible performance from your display.

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Increasing the refresh rate on your PC uses more power, which can lead to higher energy consumption, increased heat generation, and potentially shorter battery life on laptops.

How to Adjust Refresh Rate on Windows PC

Step 2. In the display settings window, scroll down until you find the “Advanced display settings” option and click on it.

Step 3. Locate the "Choose refresh rate" section. Here, you will see your current refresh rate along with other display details.

Step 4. Tap on the drop-down arrow and select your preferred refresh rate. A list of available refresh rates will appear based on your monitor’s capabilities. Depending on your task, you can choose the option that suits your needs best. If you're gaming or working with high-frame-rate videos, a higher refresh rate will provide smoother visuals. For general use, a standard 40Hz refresh rate may be sufficient.

Step 5. Once you select the new refresh rate, Windows will prompt you to "Keep changes" or "Revert." Click on "Keep Changes" to apply your selection. If you do not confirm within a few seconds, Windows will automatically revert to the previous setting.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, it all comes down to what you’re doing on your PC. If you're gaming or working with high-motion visuals, cranking up the refresh rate can make everything feel buttery smooth. But if you're just browsing the web or working on documents, there's really no need to push your hardware—keeping it lower can help save power and extend your battery life.

That said, higher refresh rates do put more strain on your system, which means more power consumption and heat. So, if you're using a laptop, you might want to find a sweet spot that gives you the best of both worlds—great performance without draining your battery too fast.

Image credit: Oluwaseun Bamisile/Techloy.com