Skip to main content

Refresh rate test

Measure your monitor's actual refresh rate and compare motion smoothness at 30, 60, 120, and 240fps.

  • Free
  • No account needed
  • Works in your browser

Test 1

Refresh rate detection

Uses requestAnimationFrame to measure frame intervals over 4 seconds. Keep this tab focused for accurate results.

Ready to measure your Hz

Click Start test. The reading stabilizes after a few seconds of sampling.

Frame time graph (ms)

Lower and flatter is better. Spikes mean dropped or delayed frames.

Live Hz

-

Target

16.67 ms

= 60 Hz baseline

Background tabs, battery saver, and V-Sync settings can throttle frame delivery. Run this test with the tab focused and power plugged in for the most accurate reading.

Test 2

UFO motion comparison

Each bar moves at the same speed but updates at a different simulated frame rate. Higher refresh makes motion look smoother with less ghosting between positions.

30 fpsChoppy
60 fpsModerate
120 fpsSmooth
240 fpsSmooth

Was this tool helpful?

How refresh rate affects gaming

What changes between 60 Hz and 144 Hz.

Your monitor's refresh rate determines how many frames per second it can display. A 144Hz monitor refreshes 144 times per second with a frame time of 6.94 milliseconds. More updates mean smoother motion and less blur when things move fast across the screen.

A higher refresh rate reduces the interval between display updates, which can make motion appear clearer. The practical benefit depends on the whole system, the game, and the player; it is not an automatic aim improvement.

The UFO motion test above shows why. At 30 fps, the bar jumps in visible steps. At 240 fps, it glides. Your eyes pick up that difference during gunfights when someone strafes across your screen. Lower refresh rates leave more ghosting between positions.

240 Hz and above can reduce the frame interval further, but the visible and competitive benefit varies. Compare refresh modes under the same game, frame rate, and display conditions instead of treating one refresh rate as the universal threshold.

Checking your actual refresh rate

Why reported Hz does not always match what you get.

Your monitor box says 144 Hz. Windows might say 144 Hz. This test tells you what the browser actually receives frame by frame. Sometimes those numbers disagree.

Cable limits are the most common cause. HDMI 1.4 on a 1440p monitor often locks you to 60 Hz. This happens on new Dell panels with the included HDMI cable until you switch to DisplayPort. DisplayPort 1.2 handles 144 Hz at 1440p without issue.

Driver and OS settings matter too. Windows lets you pick refresh rate per display under Advanced display settings. macOS has a refresh rate dropdown under Displays. If it is set to 60 Hz, no test will show 144 Hz until you change it.

Power saving is another silent cap. Laptops on battery often drop to 60 Hz to save power. Browser tabs in the background get throttled to near-zero fps. Run this test with the tab focused, charger plugged in, and no battery saver active for a reading that matches your panel capability.

Common refresh rates

Frame time is the interval between each screen refresh. Lower frame time means smoother motion.

Refresh rateFrame timeCommon use
60 Hz16.67 msOffice, casual gaming
75 Hz13.33 msBudget gaming monitors
120 Hz8.33 msConsole gaming, laptops
144 Hz6.94 msCompetitive FPS standard
165 Hz6.06 msMid-range gaming monitors
240 Hz4.17 msEsports, high-end gaming
360 Hz2.78 msPro esports panels

Refresh rate test FAQ

Hz testing, gaming benefits, and troubleshooting mismatched readings.

Open this test in fullscreen with the tab focused and read the measured Hz value at the top. You can also check Windows Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings, or macOS System Settings > Displays for the configured rate.
Run this test to see your actual refresh rate in Hz. A 144Hz monitor should read approximately 144 Hz with a frame time near 6.94 ms. If it shows 60 Hz, check your display settings and cable connection.
Open this page, click fullscreen, and keep the tab active for 5 to 10 seconds. The tool measures frame intervals via requestAnimationFrame and displays your effective Hz and average frame time in milliseconds.
A monitor Hz test measures how many times your display refreshes per second by timing each frame delivery. This tool calculates effective Hz from the average interval between frames, typically matching your configured refresh rate within 1 to 2 Hz.
144 Hz is the best balance for most competitive FPS players. 240 Hz reduces frame time to 4.17 ms for high-skill play. 60 Hz (16.67 ms frame time) works for casual single-player games. The biggest jump is 60 to 144 Hz.
Your display is likely capped at 60 Hz in OS settings or by your cable. HDMI 1.4 often limits 1440p to 60 Hz. Switch to DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0+ and set 144 Hz under Windows Advanced display settings or macOS Displays.
Refresh rate is how often your monitor redraws the screen, measured in Hz. Frame rate is how many frames your GPU renders per second, measured in fps. A 144 Hz monitor can display a game running at 90 fps, showing each frame for roughly 11 ms.
Frame time jitter is variation between individual frame intervals. A stable 144 Hz panel should stay within about 1 ms of 6.94 ms per frame. Spikes above 10 ms cause visible micro-stutter even when average Hz looks correct.

Up next

Related guides

More on monitor testing and display settings.