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If a 144Hz, 240Hz, or faster monitor is stuck at 60Hz or 120Hz, check the exact model’s supported modes and the full connection path before changing settings. A monitor’s advertised maximum may require a particular resolution, input, cable, or on-screen setting. Windows only lists modes available to the monitor, computer, graphics driver, and connection as currently configured.
1. Confirm the monitor supports the mode you want
Look up the exact model number on the manufacturer’s support page or in its manual. Check the supported resolution-and-refresh-rate combinations and which monitor input supports them. The largest refresh-rate figure in a product listing does not necessarily apply at every resolution or over every port. LG likewise advises checking the model-specific manual because supported modes vary by model (LG monitor support).
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Compare the target mode with the specifications for the graphics card’s output, the monitor’s input, and the cable. All three parts of the signal path must support that combination. Without the monitor model and target resolution, there is no reliable universal HDMI or DisplayPort version to recommend.
2. Select the refresh rate in Windows
- Open Settings > System > Display > Advanced display.
- If more than one display is connected, choose the gaming monitor from the display selector.
- Choose the highest listed refresh rate that matches the resolution you want.
Microsoft documents refresh-rate selection in Advanced display (Microsoft: Change the refresh rate on your monitor in Windows). If the rate you expect is missing, Windows is not being offered that mode by the current combination of display, computer, driver, and connection. Selecting the same menu again cannot make an unsupported mode appear.
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3. Check the cable and every connection in the signal path
Reseat both ends of the cable, then check the capabilities of the GPU output, monitor input, and cable against the desired resolution and refresh rate. If the monitor came with a cable, use it as a comparison before buying another. LG recommends a suitable DisplayPort or HDMI cable for high-refresh operation and notes that separately purchased cables can cause problems (LG monitor support).
If you use a dock, adapter, or converter, connect the monitor directly to the computer’s graphics output where practical and check whether the missing mode appears. This is a way to isolate the connection path, not proof that every dock or adapter is restrictive. When troubleshooting a possible cable, port, or monitor fault, Microsoft also recommends trying another cable, another available video output, or the monitor with another system (Microsoft: Troubleshoot connecting to an external monitor).
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4. Check the graphics output and display configuration
Available display modes depend on the computer as well as the monitor; Intel notes that the system configuration affects which modes are available (Intel: Display resolution and refresh-rate information). On a desktop with both motherboard video ports and a separate graphics card, make sure the monitor cable is connected to the intended graphics output.
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5. Check the monitor’s on-screen settings when the model calls for it
Consult the exact monitor’s manual for input-version, overclock, or refresh-rate options. Some models require a particular signal port or an on-screen overclock setting to reach their highest listed rate. ASUS, for example, gives model-specific overclocking instructions that identify the required signal port and advise reducing the maximum refresh rate if no image appears (ASUS: How to overclock your monitor). Do not enable an overclock or change an input-version setting unless the model’s instructions call for it.
One narrow compatibility example should not be treated as a general fix: Sony’s 2026 guidance addresses certain DisplayPort 2.1 symptoms on specified hardware and tells affected users to change the monitor’s DP version setting for that case (Sony: DisplayPort 2.1 compatibility guidance). Apply that advice only if your hardware and symptoms match Sony’s stated case.
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6. Revisit drivers or firmware only if the timing points there
If the highest mode disappeared after a graphics-driver or monitor-firmware change, check the current guidance for the exact GPU and monitor before updating, rolling back, or changing firmware. Avoid treating a driver update or firmware change as a default refresh-rate fix: first establish whether the mode is supported by the monitor and the connected hardware.
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7. Verify the display rate separately from game performance
After changing a setting, return to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and confirm the selected monitor and refresh rate. Check the monitor’s information or status screen too, if its OSD provides one. A game may have its own display or frame-rate options, but a monitor set to 144Hz does not mean the game is rendering 144 frames per second. The display’s refresh rate and the game’s frame rate are separate measures.
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