If your 144Hz monitor only shows 60Hz, first select the correct display in Windows 11 under Settings > System > Display > Advanced display. If 144Hz is available, select it. If it is missing, check whether your exact monitor input, computer output and cable support 144Hz at the resolution you are using. Temporarily bypass any dock, adapter or KVM to narrow down the cause.
A monitor’s advertised maximum does not guarantee that every connection supports it. The useful question is: which part of this particular setup is preventing the intended display mode? Work through the checks below before buying replacement hardware.
First, identify which 60Hz problem you have
| What you see | What to investigate first |
|---|---|
| Windows offers 144Hz, but 60Hz is selected | Select 144Hz and confirm the change. |
| Windows only offers 60Hz | Check the monitor’s supported timing table, connection path and graphics driver. |
| Windows shows 144Hz, but a game reports 60 FPS | Check the game’s frame cap, display settings and performance. |
| 144Hz works directly, but disappears through a dock | Check the dock’s display-mode limits and host connection. |
| A higher rate works at a lower resolution | Investigate the supported resolution/refresh combination and bandwidth. |
| The screen goes black or flickers at 144Hz | Return to a stable mode, then test the cable, ports and documented monitor settings. |
Refresh rate and frame rate are different measurements: the monitor refreshes in hertz, while the game renders frames per second. Our 75Hz vs 144Hz vs 240Hz guide explains the difference and includes a frame-time calculator.
1. Select the right monitor in Windows
- Open Settings > System > Display.
- Use Identify if you are unsure which numbered display is the gaming monitor.
- Open Advanced display and select that monitor.
- Under Choose a refresh rate, choose 144Hz if it appears.
- Confirm the setting, then reopen the page to check that it stayed selected.
Microsoft’s refresh-rate instructions explain that the available choices depend on the display. An asterisk beside a rate means choosing it will also change the resolution. Check both values rather than assuming you still have the same resolution.
2. Check the manual for your exact model and input
Find the monitor’s model number on its rear label or information menu. Download its official manual and look for supported timings, preset display modes or signal frequency. Find your intended resolution and refresh rate, then check which input supports that combination.
ASUS specifically recommends checking the supported timing list when a desired mode is unavailable. Do not substitute a manual for a similarly named monitor: an extra letter in the model number can matter.
For example, if a manual lists your target mode under DisplayPort but excludes it under HDMI, a more expensive HDMI cable will not add that mode to the monitor’s HDMI input. If you own the VG278Q, our ASUS VG278Q settings guide covers that model’s setup separately.
3. Test one direct cable before blaming the monitor
For diagnosis, simplify the path to computer → cable → monitor. Remove the dock, hub, adapter, KVM switch or capture device temporarily. Use a cable and port combination documented to support the intended mode.
On a desktop with a dedicated graphics card, test a display output on that card. On a laptop, check the laptop’s external-display specifications rather than assuming its built-in screen’s refresh rate describes its HDMI output.
Then change one thing at a time:
- Try another appropriate output on the computer.
- Try another documented high-refresh input on the monitor.
- Swap in a known-good cable suitable for the same display mode.
- After each change, reopen Advanced display and record the available rates.
ASUS’s display troubleshooting guidance also recommends isolating monitors and testing alternative ports and cables. This process identifies the failing link more clearly than replacing several components together.
4. Treat a dock as a separate compatibility check
If 144Hz appears with a direct connection but disappears through a dock, you have useful evidence: the monitor and computer can achieve that mode through at least one connection. Next, check the dock manufacturer’s display support table for your host computer, resolution and number of connected screens.
Dell documents refresh-rate limitations through its WD19 dock. That is a model-specific example, not a limit shared by all docks.
As a diagnostic test, disconnect the second external screen and reconnect just the gaming monitor through the dock. If the available modes change, compare the single-display and multiple-display configurations in the dock’s documentation. A working USB connection or charging indicator does not prove that the desired video mode is supported.
5. Test resolution and colour settings separately
Record your current resolution, refresh rate, HDR setting and output colour depth. Temporarily try a lower resolution at the desired rate. If necessary, test with HDR off and a standard 8-bit output option where the graphics driver offers it.
NVIDIA’s resolution documentation notes that bandwidth can constrain available colour-depth combinations. A mode that works with fewer pixels or a different colour configuration is a clue about the connection’s limits, not proof that the panel is defective.
These are isolation tests. Restore your preferred image settings afterwards and choose a combination supported by the whole setup. If you are comparing replacement hardware, our HDMI 2.1 monitor guide explains why actual supported modes matter more than a port label.
6. Check the monitor menu and graphics driver
Some monitors require a documented input setting or an optional overclock mode to expose their highest advertised rate. Follow your model’s manual. Do not assume that every 144Hz display needs overclocking, or copy another model’s menu settings.
ASUS’s monitor overclocking instructions make support dependent on the monitor, GPU and signal port. If an optional mode produces no picture, return to a lower supported setting. There is no need to start with custom timings or an EDID override.
Update the graphics driver from your laptop manufacturer or GPU vendor, restart, and check the modes again. If the problem began immediately after a driver change, record that detail for support rather than repeatedly installing unrelated driver packages.
7. If Windows shows 144Hz but the game shows 60 FPS
A 60 FPS counter does not mean Windows has reverted to a 60Hz output. Check for an in-game 60 FPS limit, a per-game driver frame cap and a separate refresh-rate option in the game’s display menu. Check whether the limit applies only to menus or background operation.
V-Sync and frame caps also affect frame delivery; NVIDIA documents these controls separately. If the game cannot render more than 60 FPS in the current scene, changing a monitor setting will not create the missing frames.
When Windows Dynamic Refresh Rate is available, Microsoft recommends disabling it if an affected game runs at a lower refresh rate. Treat that as a targeted test, rather than automatically disabling all variable-refresh features.
What to record if 144Hz still will not work
Send support a short, reproducible description: monitor model, computer or GPU model, graphics-driver version, exact ports, cable type, any dock or adapter model, target resolution and the modes Windows actually offers.
Include the result of a direct single-monitor connection. “144Hz works directly but only 60Hz is available through this dock” gives support a much clearer starting point than “my monitor is slow.”
Featured photo: Jack B on Unsplash. Illustrative setup photograph, not a screenshot or evidence of hardware testing. Technical sources checked 20 October 2026.
