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Refresh Rate Test

Measure your display's real refresh rate in Hz, live in the browser. Leave it running for a few seconds to let the average settle.

...Hz
Measuring) keep this tab in front for a few seconds
Median
0 Hz
Average
0 Hz
Typical range
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Dropped frames
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Reading lower than you expected? How to get the real rate

This test can only measure how fast this page is allowed to draw. There is no web API for a display's true refresh rate, so if something limits the browser's frame scheduling, a faster screen is indistinguishable from a slower one from inside the page - no website can detect the difference or work around it.

In your browser:

  1. Look for a setting that limits animation or frame rate, and make sure hardware acceleration is enabled.

Worth checking whatever the browser:

  1. Keep this tab focused and in front: browsers deliberately slow animation down in background or hidden windows.
  2. Turn off battery saver or low-power mode, and plug the laptop in. Several browsers throttle animation to 30 Hz on battery.
  3. Set the rate in your OS display settings (Windows: Display → Advanced display; macOS: Displays; Linux: Displays).
  4. On a multi-monitor setup, drag this window onto the high-refresh screen. The rate is reported per monitor.

Refresh rate test: measure your monitor's real Hz

Your display's refresh rate is how many times per second it redraws the screen, measured in hertz (Hz). This test measures it live in the browser by timing how often the browser can paint a new frame. A 60 Hz screen refreshes 60 times a second; a 144 Hz gaming monitor, 144 times. It's the quickest way to confirm your monitor and system are actually running at the high refresh rate you paid for.

How the refresh rate test works

The browser's animation timer fires once per display refresh, so the test measures the gap between frames and converts it to a rate. Leave it running for a few seconds to let the average settle. Because it relies on the browser's frame timing, the result is a close estimate; if it reads noticeably below your monitor's rating, the cause is usually a system setting rather than the panel.

Getting the full refresh rate

A high-refresh monitor won't run fast automatically. Set the rate in your OS display settings (Windows: Display > Advanced display; macOS: Displays), and make sure you're using a cable and port that support it: HDMI and DisplayPort versions differ in the bandwidth they carry. Some laptops also drop to 60 Hz on battery to save power. If the measured rate is capped at 60 on a 120/144 Hz display, check these first.

When the browser is the limit, not the screen

There is one cause that's easy to miss: the browser itself. No web API reports a display's true refresh rate, the only signal available is how often the browser lets the page draw. So if a browser limits its own frame scheduling, a 120 Hz screen looks exactly like a 60 Hz one from inside the page, and no website can detect the difference or work around it.

In Firefox, the automatic refresh-rate detection fails on some systems (most often Linux with Wayland) and quietly falls back to 60 Hz. Open about:config, find layout.frame_rate, and change it from -1 to your display's rate, such as 120 or 144. It takes effect immediately, with no restart. In Chrome, Edge and Brave, chrome://gpu shows the refresh rate the browser thinks you have, and battery saver throttles animation to roughly 30 Hz. In Safari, Low Power Mode caps the rate, and ProMotion displays vary it by design. Whatever the browser, keep the tab focused and in front while measuring: animation is deliberately slowed in background windows.

Why refresh rate matters

Higher refresh rates make motion look smoother and reduce input lag, which is why gamers value 120 Hz and above. For it to help, your graphics card also has to render enough frames per second, and for tear-free motion the two are best paired with VRR (G-Sync or FreeSync). This test measures the display side, how often the screen can present a new image.

Everything runs on your device

The test only times the browser's own frames; nothing is uploaded. Close other heavy tabs and apps while testing, since a busy system can cause dropped frames that pull the measured rate down.

Frequently asked questions

The browser's animation timer fires once per display refresh, so the test times the gap between frames and converts it to a rate in hertz. Let it run for a few seconds so the average settles. A 16.7 ms frame gap is 60 Hz; a 6.9 ms gap is about 144 Hz.

The rate is almost certainly capped in software. Set it in your OS display settings, use a cable and port that support the higher rate (HDMI and DisplayPort versions differ), and check that a laptop isn't dropping to 60 Hz on battery. Once the OS is set correctly the test should read the full rate.

If the OS already reports the full rate, suspect the browser next. Browsers schedule their own frames, and when that scheduling is limited the page can only ever see the lower rate. In Firefox this is common: open about:config, set layout.frame_rate from -1 to your display's rate, and reload. In Chromium browsers check chrome://gpu and turn off battery saver; in Safari turn off Low Power Mode.

It can read low, and it will never read high. The web has no API for a display's true refresh rate, so the only thing measurable is how often the browser lets this page paint. That is capped by your display, but it can also be capped by the browser, by battery saver, or by the window not being in front, and from inside the page those are indistinguishable from a slower screen. That's why the test flags a reading that is exactly half of a common rate instead of simply asserting it.

It's a close estimate. Because it relies on the browser's frame timing, background activity or a busy system can cause dropped frames that pull the number down. Close other heavy tabs and apps and let it average for a few seconds for the most reliable reading.

Refresh rate (Hz) is how many times per second the display redraws; frame rate (FPS) is how many frames your graphics card produces. A 144 Hz monitor only shows 144 distinct frames if the game also renders at least 144 FPS. This test measures the display's refresh capability via the browser.

Yes: higher refresh rates make motion smoother and cut input lag, which is noticeable in fast games and even in everyday scrolling. The benefit is largest when your system can render enough frames and when paired with variable refresh rate (G-Sync or FreeSync) for tear-free motion.

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