Monitor Refresh Rate Test

What This Test Actually Measures

Your screen does not show a continuous image — it redraws itself many times every second. That redraw rate is the refresh rate, measured in hertz (Hz). A 60 Hz display repaints 60 times per second; a 144 Hz gaming panel repaints 144 times. This Monitor Refresh Rate Test estimates that number right inside your browser, no software or admin access required.

It works by tapping into requestAnimationFrame (rAF), a browser API designed to run a function once per display redraw. The test starts a counter on a button click, increments it on every rAF callback for about five seconds, and then divides the frame count by the elapsed time. The result — frames per second — closely tracks your monitor's true refresh rate because the browser deliberately syncs rAF to the display.

How to Read Your Result

Watch the live Hz figure converge during the run. It may bounce for the first second, then settle near a stable value. When the test finishes, it snaps your number to the nearest common standard:

• 30 Hz — Unusual; often a misconfigured OS setting, a TV in a power-saving mode, or a 4K display fed by an underpowered cable.
• 60 Hz — The classic baseline for office monitors, laptops, and most TVs.
• 75–90 Hz — A modest step up found on budget gaming monitors and some phones.
• 120 Hz — Smooth and increasingly common on premium laptops, tablets, and phones.
• 144–165 Hz — The esports sweet spot, balancing smoothness and cost.
• 240 Hz and above — Competitive gaming territory where every millisecond counts.

A reading a point or two off a round number (say 119 or 143) still means that standard — small timing jitter is normal.

Troubleshooting a Wrong Reading

If the number looks too low, work through these in order:

• Check your OS, not just your hardware. A 144 Hz panel can sit at 60 Hz until you raise it in Windows Display Settings, macOS Displays, or your monitor's on-screen menu.
• Keep this tab focused. Browsers throttle requestAnimationFrame in background tabs, which crushes the count. Don't switch windows while it runs.
• Unplug battery savers. Laptops and phones routinely drop to 60 Hz on battery or in power-saving mode. Plug in and disable any "battery optimization" before retesting.
• Mind browser caps. A few browsers and older GPU drivers limit rAF to 60 fps regardless of the panel. Try a different modern browser if you suspect a software cap.
• Run it a few times. Averaging two or three runs filters out one-off hiccups and gives a steadier figure.

Why Refresh Rate Is Worth Knowing

A higher refresh rate means smoother motion and lower perceived input lag — the difference is obvious when scrolling a long page or tracking a fast-moving target. If you bought a "high refresh" display, this test is a quick way to confirm you are actually getting it rather than a silent 60 Hz fallback.

Refresh rate also shapes how other benchmarks behave. A faster panel can shave a few milliseconds off your score on our reaction time test, because the stimulus appears sooner, and it makes fast-paced tools like the aim trainer feel noticeably more responsive. If your reflex scores seem oddly slow, confirming your refresh rate here is a smart first diagnostic step.