Refresh Rate Test Online
Is your monitor really running at 60Hz, 144Hz, or 240Hz? This tool measures your screen's actual refresh rate in real time using requestAnimationFrame, with a multi-speed motion test and a live frame-time chart.
Detected refresh rate
Measuring…
—Hz
—Hz
—Hz
—Hz
Frame time (last 64 frames)
Green ≤ 20ms · Amber 20–35ms · Red > 35ms
Collecting frame data…
The browser locks animation frames to your display refresh (V-Sync), so the steady reading equals your real refresh rate. Background tabs and power-saving mode can lower it — keep this tab focused and active.
Motion Smoothness Test
Three blocks slide across at different speeds. On a high-refresh screen the fast blocks keep crisp edges; on 60Hz they blur and smear. Watch the trailing edges.
1× — slow (office scrolling)
2× — medium (video)
4× — fast (gaming)
Open a fullscreen motion test
A bright block cycles across a black screen — check for trailing edges
What Is Refresh Rate? Hz, FPS, and Frame Time
Three related numbers decide how smooth motion looks — knowing how they differ prevents a common trap: buying a 144Hz screen that quietly runs at 60Hz.
Refresh rate (Hz)
How many times per second the display redraws — set by hardware. 60Hz = 60 redraws (16.67ms each); 144Hz = 144 (6.94ms). Higher means smoother motion and lower input lag.
Frame rate (FPS)
How many frames per second the GPU renders. In browsers, V-Sync locks rendering to the refresh rate, so this tool effectively measures your display refresh.
Frame time
The gap between frames. Consistency matters more than the average — even at 60 FPS, frequent 30ms spikes cause visible stutter (the red bars above).
Refresh Rate Tiers Explained
60 Hz — Standard
The baseline. Fine for office work, browsing, and video. Frame interval ~16.67ms.
120 / 144 Hz — High refresh
Mainstream for gaming and premium displays; a huge, visible jump from 60Hz when scrolling or gaming. ~6.9–8.3ms per frame.
240 Hz — Competitive
For esports. The gain over 144Hz is smaller than 60→144, but every millisecond of input lag counts. ~4.17ms.
VRR (G-Sync / FreeSync)
Dynamically matches refresh to GPU frame rate, eliminating tearing and stutter without V-Sync input lag.
Stuck Below Your Max Refresh Rate?
A 144Hz monitor reading 60Hz almost always means a setting, cable, or dock is the bottleneck — not a broken screen. Check the system refresh-rate setting, use a DisplayPort 1.4 / HDMI 2.1 cable, plug into the GPU directly, and make sure hardware acceleration is on.
Refresh Rate Test FAQ
Why does it show 60Hz when my screen is 144Hz?
Usually one of four things: the system refresh rate is still on the 60Hz default; you're using an HDMI 1.4 cable (max ~1080p@120Hz); browser hardware acceleration is off; or a laptop is in power-saving mode. Set the refresh rate in display settings and use a DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1 cable.
Is the browser measurement accurate?
Under normal conditions, yes — within ±1–2Hz. It counts requestAnimationFrame callbacks, which the browser locks to the display refresh. Background tabs, heavy system load, or browser power-saving can lower the reading, so keep this tab focused.
What do the red bars in the frame-time chart mean?
A red bar is a frame that took over 35ms to render — a dropped or stuttering frame, often caused by background tasks, garbage collection, or other tabs competing for resources. Occasional spikes are normal; frequent ones make motion feel jerky.
Is the 60Hz vs 144Hz difference really noticeable?
Very. Scroll a webpage or drag a window quickly: at 144Hz edges stay crisp, at 60Hz they visibly blur. The jump from 60→144 is large; gains above 144Hz follow diminishing returns.
Can a bad cable limit the refresh rate?
Yes — it's one of the most common causes. A cable not rated for the bandwidth silently caps you at 60Hz, especially at high resolution. Use DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1 and plug directly into the graphics card.