How to Fix 144Hz Not Showing Up on Windows 10

Trying to fix 144Hz not showing up on Windows 10?

The refresh rate of your system determines how many times per second its display can draw an image and is usually expressed in Hz. This determines the resolution, meaning the refresh rate and the display quality are proportional to one another. Many users opt for the higher value of refresh rate for an optimal experience.

In contrast, a lower refresh rate results in issues like screen tearing or flickering. Fortunately, you can change this value in your Windows system whenever you wish. The minimum required value for gamers or designers is 120Hz. But for an even better experience, you should opt for 144Hz.

Unfortunately, there are times when users may have trouble with 144Hz not showing up on Windows 10. Some common reasons for this issue include outdated display drivers, incompatibility of the monitor, hardware issues, etc. To resolve this error, follow this detailed guide and try each fix yourself.

Let’s get started right away!

1. Fix Hardware Issues.

The 144Hz not showing up on Windows is sometimes a hardware issue. To ensure whether that’s the case with you, perform some basic checks, as explained below.

  • Connect the monitor using DisplayPort and not the HDMI port.
  • Ensure that the cables are properly inserted into their appropriate ports, for example, an HDMI cable in an HDMI port.
DisplayPort and HDMI
  • For better visuals, we recommend HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2, or dual-link DVI cable.
  • Check if the connection port is damaged. If so, use another port to connect the cable.
damaged computer ports
  • Check if the connecting cable is damaged. If so, replace it with a new one.

2. Check Device Configuration.

There can also be instances where users experience 144Hz not showing up on Windows 10 because their device doesn’t support the specified refresh rate. You can check your system configuration by going to the official manufacturer’s website or referring to the user manual that initially came with your device.

3. Update Windows OS.

Another way to resolve any bugs that might be preventing 144Hz from showing up is to update the Windows OS. As we all know, outdated softwares carries all types of bugs within, so it’s recommended never to leave an update on hold to avoid such issues in the future.

Here’s how you check for an update on a Windows 10 computer:

  1. Launch Settings by pressing Win + i keys
  2. After that, select Update & Security
Update & Security Windows 10
  1. From the Windows Update tab, click on the Check for updates button. 
Update Windows
  1. If there’s a pending update, select Install now to download and install the latest Windows update.

4. Update Display Drivers.

The refresh rate of your display is directly related to the visuals, which in turn are related to the display drivers. For this reason, you are to ensure that the display drivers are not outdated as well. 

If they need an update, you can either allow your system to automatically search and install their newer version or manually install the latest drivers yourself. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing Win + R keys from your keyboard. 
  2. Next, type in ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the text field and click on OK
  3. This will open the Device Manager window. From there, double-click on the Display adapters option to expand it.
  4. Now, right-click on the adapter you want to update and click Update Driver
update display drivers
  1. From the next window that appears, click on Search automatically for updated driver software.
144Hz Not Showing Up on Windows 10
  1. Windows will find the driver software and update it automatically. However, if it fails to do so, continue with these steps. 
  2. Right-click on the driver again and choose Update Driver
  3. Next, click on Browse my computer for driver software
144Hz Not Showing Up on Windows 10
  1. Then, select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer
  2. Choose the recently available driver and click on Next
  3. Lastly, follow the on-screen instructions to update the driver. 

5. Rollback Driver Updates.

In case you started experiencing 144Hz not showing up on Windows 10 after updating the display drivers, you need to roll back the update to fix the problem. By doing so, the driver will delete the current version and return to its previous version.

Follow the steps below to do so:

  1. From Device Manager, click on Display adapters to expand it. 
  2. Next, right-click on the driver you want to downgrade and choose Properties
144Hz Not Showing Up on Windows 10
  1. Head over to the Driver tab from the top and select Roll Back Driver
roll back display driver update
  1. Finally, reboot your PC to check if this resolves the 144Hz not showing up on Windows 10 issue. 

6. Reinstall Display Drivers.

If updating or rolling back drivers was of no help in resolving the stated issue, the drivers could be potentially damaged or corrupted. One way to go about this situation is to delete and reinstall the problematic driver. 

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Once in the Device Manager, expand the Display adapters by clicking on the downward arrow next to it. 
  2. Now, right-click on the driver and choose Uninstall
uninstall display driver
  1. From the prompt that appears, click on Uninstall again. 
  2. Restart your computer so that Windows will automatically reinstall the driver on your PC. Otherwise, you may also head to the manufacturer’s website and reinstall the driver from there. 

7. Modify Display Settings.

If you can’t change your display settings to 144Hz, ensure you’re looking at the right place. The refresh rate can be changed or customized from the monitor display settings.

Use the instructions below to follow this method:

  1. From the Settings app, click on System
System Settings Windows 11
  1. Select Display from the left pane and click on Advanced display settings
advanced display settings
  1. From the next screen, you can view your display’s refresh rate. To change it, select Display adapter properties for Display 1
144Hz Not Showing Up on Windows 10
  1. The properties window will appear. Go to the Monitor tab from the top. 
  2. Click on the drop-down menu icon and under Screen refresh rate. Now, select a refresh rate. 
144Hz Not Showing Up on Windows 10
  1. Lastly, click on Apply and OK to save these changes. 

You can also refer to the NVIDIA Control Panel if that’s the graphics card embedded in your system. Here’s how:

  1. Right-click on the desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel
  2. Under the Display section from the left pane, choose Change resolution
  3. From the drop-down menu of Refresh rate, click on 144Hz
NVIDIA Control Panel
  1. Select Test to test the refresh rate and click on Yes to confirm making this change.

If you own the AMD graphics card instead, use the AMD Catalyst Control Panel to make these changes. Here’s how:

  1. Right-click on any empty space from your desktop and click on AMD Catalyst Control Center from the options. 
  2. Click on Desktop Management from the left pane and select Desktop Properties
  3. Under the Settings section, change the Refresh rate to 144Hz
AMD Radeon Control Center
  1. Select the Create option. 

This should fix the 144Hz not showing up on Windows 10 problem.

8. Adjust In-Game Settings.

If you’re still unable to resolve 144Hz not showing up on Windows 10, here’s a quick workaround for you. You can change the display settings from the games on your computer. 

This brings us to the end of our guide on how to fix 144Hz not showing up on Windows 10. For more questions, refer to the comment section below. We’ll be happy to provide further assistance on the matter.

If this guide helped you, please share it. 😊

Author

  • Aimen Choudhry

    Aimen Choudhry is an architecture student who has always been fascinated by science. She now finds her therapy researching and writing about the latest technology and the issues that come alongside. Otherwise, you’ll find her playing video games, listening to music, or watching fantasy/sci-fi movies.

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