Check your monitor refresh rate online with a live browser-based Hz estimator. The tool measures animation frame timing, estimates your display refresh rate, tracks frame-time stability, and shows a motion comparison demo for common rates like 30Hz, 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, 165Hz, and 240Hz.
Use it to confirm whether your gaming monitor is running at the expected Hz, compare smoothness, spot frame pacing issues, and learn how refresh rate affects gaming, scrolling, video, and cursor movement.
Press Start and keep this tab visible. The test uses browser animation frame timing to estimate how often your screen is refreshing. For a more stable reading, let the test run for at least 30 seconds and close heavy apps or extra browser tabs.
Browser limitation: this is a browser animation timing estimate, not a hardware lab measurement. VRR, power saving, multi-monitor setups, background tabs, browser throttling, low battery mode, and heavy CPU/GPU load can affect the reading.
Monitor refresh rate is how many times per second your display can update the image. It is measured in Hertz, written as Hz. A 60Hz display refreshes about 60 times per second. A 144Hz display refreshes about 144 times per second. A 240Hz display refreshes about 240 times per second. Higher refresh rates can make motion look smoother, reduce the time between visible frames, and make mouse movement feel more responsive.
Refresh rate is not the same as resolution. A 4K monitor can be 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, or higher depending on the panel, cable, GPU, and settings. Refresh rate is also not exactly the same as FPS. FPS is how many frames your computer or game renders per second. Refresh rate is how many times the display can show a new image each second. For smooth gameplay, both matter. A 144Hz monitor feels best when the game can render frames consistently near that rate.
Higher Hz is especially noticeable in fast movement. Cursor motion, scrolling, camera turns, racing games, first-person shooters, rhythm games, and competitive esports can all feel clearer and more responsive at higher refresh rates. The improvement from 60Hz to 120Hz or 144Hz is usually very noticeable. The jump from 144Hz to 240Hz can still help, but the difference is smaller and depends on the player, game, frame rate, and monitor response time.
This online refresh rate test estimates your monitor Hz by measuring the timing between browser animation frames. Because browsers schedule animation callbacks around display repaint timing, a visible tab can often reveal the active refresh behavior of the current display. However, the result is still an estimate. The exact number can fluctuate because of browser scheduling, variable refresh rate, GPU load, operating system compositor behavior, and background tasks.
The widget uses requestAnimationFrame(), a browser API designed to run animation code before the next screen repaint. Each time the browser calls the animation function, the test records a timestamp. The difference between timestamps is the frame time. If the median frame time is around 16.67 milliseconds, the estimate is near 60Hz. If it is around 8.33 milliseconds, the estimate is near 120Hz. If it is around 6.94 milliseconds, the estimate is near 144Hz.
The test does not rely on one frame. Single-frame readings can jump because of garbage collection, CPU scheduling, tab focus, or small browser delays. Instead, the widget collects many frame intervals, filters extreme outliers, calculates median timing, estimates Hz, and compares the result with common monitor rates. It also tracks frame-time jitter, long frames, dropped-frame estimate, and confidence.
The motion demo uses the same animation loop to show moving objects at different simulated frame rates. You can compare 30fps, 60fps, 120fps, and the estimated display-rate row. This helps users understand why higher refresh rates can look smoother: more updates appear in the same amount of time, so each movement step is smaller.
The time between visible animation callbacks. Lower frame time means higher refresh rate.
The test uses median timing to reduce the impact of occasional stutters or long frames.
Variation between frame times. Lower jitter means smoother frame pacing.
Based on sample count, jitter, long frames, and how consistent the estimate is.
Every refresh rate has a matching frame interval. A 60Hz display has about 16.67 milliseconds per refresh. A 144Hz display has about 6.94 milliseconds per refresh. This lower interval is one reason high-refresh displays feel more responsive: there is less time waiting for the next visible update.
| Refresh Rate | Frame Time | Common Use | What It Feels Like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30Hz | 33.33 ms | Low-power modes, some video, limited displays. | Choppy for mouse movement and gaming. |
| 60Hz | 16.67 ms | Standard monitors, laptops, TVs. | Normal for office work and casual gaming. |
| 75Hz | 13.33 ms | Budget gaming and office monitors. | Slightly smoother than 60Hz. |
| 120Hz | 8.33 ms | Gaming monitors, phones, tablets, TVs. | Much smoother motion and scrolling. |
| 144Hz | 6.94 ms | Popular PC gaming monitors. | Responsive gaming and clear motion. |
| 165Hz | 6.06 ms | Overclocked or modern gaming monitors. | A small step above 144Hz. |
| 240Hz | 4.17 ms | Competitive esports monitors. | Very smooth when FPS is high and stable. |
| 360Hz+ | 2.78 ms or lower | High-end esports displays. | Extreme smoothness for sensitive competitive players. |
In gaming, refresh rate affects how often you can see updated game information. At 60Hz, the screen can update about every 16.67 ms. At 144Hz, it can update about every 6.94 ms. At 240Hz, it can update about every 4.17 ms. That means a high-refresh display can show more intermediate motion steps during fast movement, making tracking, aiming, and reaction timing feel more natural.
A high refresh rate can also reduce perceived input delay when the game delivers frames quickly enough. When you move the mouse, the updated camera position appears on the next available refresh. Shorter refresh intervals reduce the waiting time before you see the result. This does not replace good network latency, game engine performance, or low input lag, but it is a meaningful part of the responsiveness chain.
Refresh rate is most useful when paired with stable FPS. A 240Hz monitor running a game at 90 FPS will not show 240 unique game frames per second. It may still feel better than a 60Hz display because of lower display latency and smoother desktop behavior, but the full benefit requires high and consistent frame delivery. That is why competitive players often lower graphics settings to keep FPS near or above monitor refresh rate.
More refreshes per second create smaller movement steps during fast mouse movement.
Moving targets can appear in more positions, making tracking feel clearer.
Shorter refresh intervals can reduce the wait before a new frame appears.
Scrolling, cursor motion, dragging windows, and animations can feel smoother.
Refresh rate and FPS work together, but they are not the same. Refresh rate belongs to the display. FPS belongs to the computer or game. A monitor can be 144Hz, but a game might only render 70 FPS if the GPU or CPU is under load. In that case, the display can refresh 144 times per second, but it may repeat frames because the game is not providing enough new ones.
Likewise, a game can render 200 FPS on a 60Hz monitor, but the monitor can still only show around 60 updates per second. Extra rendered frames may reduce input latency in some engines, but the display cannot show all 200 unique frames. For the best visual smoothness, your game FPS should be stable and close to the monitor refresh rate or synchronized with a variable refresh rate technology.
| Scenario | What Happens | Result | Best Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 144Hz monitor, 144 FPS game | Display and game are well matched. | Smooth and responsive. | Keep FPS stable and frame pacing clean. |
| 144Hz monitor, 60 FPS game | Display repeats or spaces frames. | Less smooth than full 144 FPS. | Lower graphics settings or use VRR. |
| 60Hz monitor, 200 FPS game | Game renders more frames than display shows. | Possible lower input latency, but visual updates stay near 60Hz. | Upgrade display for visible high FPS. |
| VRR display, variable FPS | Display can adapt refresh timing within its VRR range. | Smoother variable frame delivery. | Stay within VRR range and avoid huge FPS drops. |
If you bought a 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, or 360Hz monitor but the test reads near 60Hz, the display may not be configured correctly. Many monitors ship with high refresh support, but the operating system might still be set to 60Hz. The wrong cable, adapter, dock, laptop port, GPU driver, browser power mode, or monitor OSD setting can also limit the active refresh rate.
First, verify your operating system setting. On Windows, open Display Settings, choose Advanced display, and check the selected refresh rate. On macOS, open Displays settings and check Refresh Rate if the display exposes options. On Linux, check your desktop display settings or use display tools supported by your environment. Then run this browser test in a visible tab and compare the estimate.
Second, run the test for a sufficient time. A 5-second reading can be useful, but a longer run is more stable. Keep the mouse away, avoid switching tabs, and close heavy apps. A browser test can be interrupted by garbage collection, CPU spikes, GPU load, or background activity. The longer you run it, the easier it is to see whether the result stays stable.
Third, test the exact monitor you care about. If you use multiple displays, drag the browser window fully onto the target monitor and restart the test. If part of the window is on another display, compositor behavior can be confusing. For the cleanest reading, maximize the browser on the monitor being tested.
Variable refresh rate technologies allow a display to adapt its refresh timing to the frame rate of the source within a supported range. This can reduce tearing and stutter when game FPS changes. In a browser refresh-rate test, VRR behavior can make readings more complex because the display and browser compositor may not behave exactly like a fullscreen game.
If VRR is enabled, the test may still settle near the maximum desktop refresh rate, or it may show small variations depending on browser, GPU, operating system, and power settings. That does not automatically mean your monitor is broken. It means a browser animation test is not the same as a fullscreen game running through a graphics API.
For diagnosing VRR, compare this test with your monitor OSD refresh overlay, GPU control panel, and in-game performance overlay. Some monitors can show live refresh rate in the OSD. If the browser estimate is stable but your game stutters, the issue may be game FPS, frame pacing, VRR range, V-Sync setting, driver setting, shader compilation, or CPU/GPU bottleneck rather than the monitor’s maximum Hz.
Refresh rate is only one part of motion clarity. Pixel response time also matters. A monitor can refresh at 144Hz, but if pixels transition slowly, fast motion may still smear or ghost. Motion blur can also come from sample-and-hold display behavior, where each frame remains visible until the next refresh. Higher refresh rates reduce the duration of each frame, which can reduce perceived blur, but response time and backlight behavior still affect the final image.
That is why two monitors with the same Hz can look different. One 165Hz monitor may have excellent pixel response and low overshoot. Another may have slow dark transitions or aggressive overdrive artifacts. A refresh rate test confirms how often the display updates, but it does not fully measure pixel response, input lag, overshoot, black smearing, or motion blur. For full monitor testing, use motion pursuit tests, response-time reviews, high-speed cameras, or trusted professional measurements.
How often the screen updates. Higher values can improve smoothness and reduce visible step size.
How quickly pixels change. Slow response can create ghosting even at high Hz.
Delay from input to visible result. Refresh rate is one part of the total latency chain.
Consistency of frame delivery. Uneven pacing can feel stuttery even when average FPS is high.
Check OS display settings, GPU control panel, cable type, monitor OSD, and whether the browser is on the correct monitor.
Close heavy tabs, stop recordings, disable battery saver, keep the tab visible, and run the test longer.
The monitor may be fine while game FPS, frame pacing, shader compilation, or network lag is causing problems.
Check power mode, dynamic refresh settings, external display bandwidth, docking station limits, and GPU mux settings.
Use a cable and port that support your resolution and refresh rate. Some adapters cap high Hz modes.
Check overdrive settings, response time reviews, backlight strobing, and whether FPS is actually high enough.
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A refresh rate test estimates how many times per second your display updates. This page measures browser animation frame timing and converts the frame interval into an estimated Hz value.
The test measures the time between animation frames. Hz is estimated as 1000 divided by frame time in milliseconds. For example, 16.67 ms is about 60Hz, and 6.94 ms is about 144Hz.
Longer tests reduce the impact of temporary stutters, browser scheduling, and background tasks. A 30-second run usually gives a more stable estimate than a very short run.
Your operating system may be set to 60Hz, the cable or adapter may not support high refresh at your resolution, the monitor OSD may need a setting enabled, or the browser may be running on a different display.
No. Refresh rate is how often the display updates. FPS is how many frames your game or computer renders. They work together, but they are different measurements.
Higher refresh rates can reduce the time waiting for the next visible update, which can reduce part of the perceived input delay. Total input lag also depends on mouse, game engine, GPU, settings, and display processing.
It can provide a useful estimate, but it is not a lab instrument. Browser throttling, VRR, power saving, background tabs, multi-monitor setups, and system load can affect results.
Yes, it can estimate mobile display refresh behavior, but phones may use dynamic refresh rate, battery saving, touch state, and browser throttling, so results may change.
Frame time is the time between displayed frames. Lower frame time means more frames can appear each second. 60Hz is about 16.67 ms, while 144Hz is about 6.94 ms.
Motion clarity also depends on pixel response time, overdrive settings, sample-and-hold blur, backlight behavior, FPS stability, and frame pacing. Refresh rate is important, but it is not the only factor.
Start the refresh rate test, keep the tab visible, and let the estimate settle. If the result is lower than expected, check your OS display settings, cable, GPU control panel, monitor menu, and power mode.