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Bought A 165Hz Monitor But The Refresh Rate Test Says 60, What Am I Doing Wrong?

Asked by Santiago M.0 views

Hola, I buy a new 165Hz gaming monitor and your test (probar hz pantalla) shows only 60 Hz. Also the FPS test ball moves smooth but not like in the videos. I connect with the HDMI cable that was in the box of my old monitor. My graphics card is an RTX 3060. What is wrong? Is the monitor broken?

Brand
Not stated
Model
165Hz 1080p gaming monitor
Connection
HDMI
System
Windows 11
Browser
Chrome 145
Screen And Display TestsMonitor
Short Answer

The monitor is almost certainly fine. Windows often stays at 60 Hz until you change it, and an old HDMI cable or the motherboard's video port can cap it there. Plug into the graphics card, use DisplayPort or the new monitor's own cable, and pick 165 Hz in Windows display settings.

Verified By Gamepad TesterVerified By Gamepad Tester
Devon Miller
Devon MillerVerified Gamepad Tester team memberGamepad Tester Team
Low Latency And Input Timing Engineer · 9+ years experience · Answered Mar 1, 2026

Your monitor is very likely fine. This is the most common thing we see after someone buys a high refresh monitor, and it usually comes down to three things.

First, Windows. Plugging in a new monitor does not always switch it to its highest refresh rate; many setups stay at 60 Hz until you change it in display settings.

Second, the cable and port type. An older HDMI cable, or an older HDMI version on the monitor's port, may not carry 165 Hz at your resolution, so Windows only offers lower rates. Many 165 Hz monitors reach their top rate only over DisplayPort, or over HDMI 2.0 and newer. The cable from your old monitor is the first thing to replace; use the one that came with the new monitor, ideally DisplayPort.

Third, where the cable goes. On a desktop with a graphics card, the cable must go into the card's ports, not the motherboard's ports higher up on the back. The motherboard ports run from the processor's graphics and commonly top out at 60 Hz.

The refresh rate test measures how often your browser draws frames, which follows the rate Windows runs the display at. Once Windows shows 165 Hz, the test should settle within a hertz or so of 165 after a few seconds.

The ball looking smooth but not like the videos fits too: 60 Hz is smooth, just not 165 Hz smooth.

Step By Step Fix
  1. Check the cable goes into the graphics card's ports, not the motherboard's video outputs.
  2. Swap to a DisplayPort cable, or the HDMI cable supplied with the new monitor.
  3. Open Settings, System, Display, Advanced display, and choose 165 Hz under Choose a refresh rate.
  4. If 165 Hz is missing, check the monitor's own menu for an option that limits HDMI or DisplayPort to an older version, and set it to the newest.
  5. Close other tabs, open the refresh rate test and wait 10 seconds for the reading to settle.
  6. With two monitors at different refresh rates, run the test with the browser window fully on the 165 Hz monitor.

Tested on: Applies to high refresh monitors on Windows 11 with NVIDIA, AMD or Intel graphics and Chrome, Edge or Firefox. Windows steps per Microsoft's refresh rate support article.

Sources
  1. Change the refresh rate on your monitor in Windows

Checked by Isabela Costa on . How we verify answers

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Community Replies 4

  • Accepted Solution
    Valentina OspinaCommunity Member

    Me pasó igual! Changed it to 165 in Windows advanced display and the test shows 164.9 now.

  • Santiago MoralesCommunity Member

    The cable was in the motherboard port, not the graphics card. Changed it and I use DisplayPort now. 165 in Windows and the test says 165. Gracias!

  • Ryan MitchellCommunity Member

    Also check the monitor's menu. Mine had an HDMI compatibility mode switched on by default and it took me a day to find.

  • Isabela CostaCommunity Member

    Glad it is sorted, Santiago. If the reading ever drops back to 60 after a driver update, check the Windows setting first; it occasionally resets.

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Low Latency And Input Timing Engineer at Gamepad Tester

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