Refresh Rate Test
This page measures the refresh rate your browser is actually rendering. The number is computed on your device. Nothing is uploaded, and nothing is installed.
Rate — fps
Rate — Hz
Per Frame —
Per Sec 960
Each lane moves on its own clock. A lane above your refresh rate will not look smoother, because the browser paints once per refresh. Open the frame rate comparison
How accurate is this number?
The number is the rate of requestAnimationFrame, which follows the browser rendering pipeline and can sit below the panel rating. A 144Hz monitor can read 60Hz when hardware acceleration is off. Keep this tab in front, measure again in fullscreen for 1 to 2 seconds, and confirm the output rate in the system display settings. In Chrome, turn on graphics acceleration under Settings, System. In Edge, use System and performance. In Firefox, turn off the recommended performance settings and enable hardware acceleration. Restart the browser after the change. On a laptop, plug in power and leave battery saver off.
Ghosting
A white block travels on black. A soft trail usually means slow pixel response. A bright or dark edge of the opposite color usually means overdrive is too high. Raise the speed and the difference is easier to see.
Dead pixels
Full-screen solid colors for bright, dark, and dead pixels live on the existing screen test, so this page does not duplicate that tool.
Resolution
The lines below are one CSS pixel apart. Soft or stuck lines usually mean scaling is not 100 percent, or the output resolution is below the panel.
Black level
The steps run from 0 to 16. If the first steps collapse into one black, shadow detail is crushed. Raise brightness slightly or turn off dynamic contrast and look again.
HDR
This only reads whether the browser reports high dynamic range and a P3 gamut. A positive report does not mean the video, cable, and system are all on an HDR path.
Mouse report rate
Move the pointer in the area. The page counts pointer events in the last second. Browsers coalesce events, so the number is often below the mouse firmware rate. It shows what the browser actually received.
Move the mouse inside this area
What refresh rate means
Refresh rate is how many times a display updates per second, in hertz. 60Hz is 60 redraws a second, about 16.7 milliseconds apart. 144Hz is about 6.9 milliseconds apart. The panel, the GPU output, and the operating system all have to agree, and the browser still has to paint through its own pipeline. Refresh rate is how fast the screen can show a new frame. It is not how many new frames a game or a video actually produced.
How to read your refresh rate
Use the readout under the animation. It starts on its own. When it settles, compare it with the system display setting. On Windows that is Settings, System, Display, Advanced display. On macOS it is System Settings, Displays. A gap of about 1Hz means the browser is keeping up with the current output. A larger gap should be checked with the list below before you assume the panel is mislabeled. Phones and tablets work the same way. If the system high-refresh mode does not include the browser, this page stays at 60Hz. That is a policy limit, not a failed measurement. Allow the browser to use the high rate, then reload.
What refresh rate is enough
For documents and the web, 60Hz is usually enough, with stable text and lower power use. For window dragging and competitive games, 120Hz or 144Hz reduces judder and makes the pointer feel tighter. Most films are 24 or 60 frames, so a higher refresh rate does not make the movie itself sharper, though the desktop feels smoother. TVs, projectors, and long HDMI runs are often capped at 60Hz by the port, the cable, or the player. With a NAS media box or a console, confirm the input and cable rating first, then check that the player outputs the source frame rate. On battery, a laptop may drop the panel to 60Hz on purpose. On a TV or projector, separate the player output from the TV port. Many sets enable 120Hz on only one or two HDMI ports, and the others stay at 60Hz. A NAS media box locked at 60Hz will not make a 24-frame film smoother just because the panel is rated higher. Set the box to the highest rate that port allows, then measure here again.
Why the rating is not reached
When the number is below the panel rating, check in this order. The output path is limited far more often than the panel is broken.
- Advanced display settings are still on 60Hz.
- The laptop is on battery and a power plan has lowered the panel.
- Hardware acceleration is off, so animation callbacks stay near 60Hz.
- The HDMI cable, port version, or dock cannot carry the resolution, so the link falls to 30Hz or 60Hz.
- The GPU control panel and the system setting disagree.
- The tab is in the background, or windowed mode is capped. Measure again in fullscreen.
- Variable refresh drops when the image is still. Keep the picture moving and read it again.
What ghosting is
Ghosting is the trail behind a fast object. It mostly follows how long a pixel takes to change color. A corona, or inverse ghost, is the bright or dark edge left when overdrive pushes the pixel too far. Slow response looks like a smear. Too much overdrive looks like an edge of the opposite color. OLED pixels switch quickly, so the trail is usually lighter. Some VA panels switch slowly between dark shades, so a trail shows even at modest speed. A bad cable more often caps the refresh rate than it paints a long tail. Watch the edge where the block crosses black, not the white center. Fullscreen and a darker room make that edge easier to see.
How to read this page
A stable number near the rating means this output path is working. A much lower number should send you to the system rate, hardware acceleration, power, and the cable before you replace the screen. If fullscreen returns the rating, the limit was windowed mode or the browser compositor. If the number jumps, close other heavy tabs and use the 1.5 second average. If fullscreen and the window disagree by about half, trust the fullscreen reading and check hardware acceleration plus the system rate. One windowed 60Hz reading does not prove the panel is 60Hz.
Questions
Why does the result differ from the monitor rating?
The system or the browser is usually not running at the rated refresh. The panel is less often mislabeled. Measure in fullscreen for a second or two. If it stays at 60Hz, set Advanced display to the highest rate the panel supports and turn on hardware acceleration. HDMI cables, docks, and laptop battery saver can lock the output at 60Hz.
Is a higher refresh rate always better?
No. A higher rate makes motion smoother and the pointer tighter, and it also costs GPU power and battery. 60Hz is enough for office work. Competitive games are where 144Hz and above earn their place. A 240Hz panel fed 80 frames still looks like 80 frames.
The display is 144Hz but this page shows 60Hz. What now?
Check in order: the system display rate is 144Hz, the cable is on the discrete GPU port, the cable and port support 144Hz at this resolution, the laptop is plugged in with battery saver off, hardware acceleration is on, then measure in fullscreen. The GPU control panel can disagree with Windows, so check both.
What is the difference between refresh rate and frame rate?
Refresh rate is how often the display can update. Frame rate is how many new pictures the GPU or player actually produces. Refresh rate is the ceiling. Frame rate is the supply. At 60 frames on a 144Hz display, many refreshes repeat the same picture. Frames above the refresh rate are dropped.
How do I test a phone?
Open this page in the phone browser. The number is the rate that browser is allowed to use. Some phones lock the browser at 60Hz even when the panel supports 120Hz. Turn on the high refresh rate mode and allow the browser to use it. If the number is still low, check the system display setting before blaming the panel.
Is ghosting the panel or a setting?
It can be either. A slow panel trails on fast motion. Overdrive set too high adds a bright or dark edge. Raise the speed here, then drop overdrive from extreme to normal in the monitor menu and compare. A wrong cable usually lowers the frame rate instead of painting a tail.
Why is fullscreen more accurate?
In a window the browser also composites the toolbar and other tabs, so callbacks can fall to 60Hz or jitter. Fullscreen is closer to owning the output. Keep this tab in front and do not drag other windows while measuring.
Is 60Hz a normal result?
Yes for most office monitors, laptops on battery, TVs, and projectors. If the panel is rated higher, 60Hz means the current output is not using that rating. Follow the checklist. If the panel is rated 60Hz, the reading is expected.