Motion Reference
Watch the block sweep across the track below. On a higher-Hz display it looks crisp; on a lower one it smears. The measured number is the objective read.
Refresh Rate Test
Refresh Rate Test — Check Your Monitor Hz in the Browser
Measure how many frames per second your display is actually delivering to the browser. We sample real frame timing for five seconds and compare it to the rate your browser reports — a mismatch often points to a cable or a system setting.
How to check your monitor’s refresh rate
Refresh rate is how many times per second your display redraws the image, measured in hertz (Hz). A 60 Hz panel redraws 60 times a second; a gaming panel might do 120, 144, 165 or 240. To check it here, press Measure my refresh rate and keep the tab focused and still for five seconds. We time the gaps between animation frames, take the median, and snap the result to the nearest common rate. Because browsers throttle background tabs, always measure with this tab in the foreground.
Measured vs. reported Hz
Some browsers expose a reported refresh rate, and we show it next to the measured one. When they disagree by more than a few hertz, something is usually capping your display below its potential. The most common causes are:
- A cable or port that can’t carry the bandwidth for high Hz at your resolution — a slower HDMI version, for example, may force 4K down to 60 Hz.
- A system display setting still set to a lower rate — Windows and macOS both let you pick a refresh rate that may not be the panel’s maximum.
- Variable refresh rate (G-Sync/FreeSync) or power-saving modes adjusting the rate dynamically.
If your measured rate is lower than your monitor’s spec, open your operating system’s display settings and confirm the refresh rate is set to the maximum, then check that your cable and the port you’re using both support it.
Why refresh rate matters
Higher refresh rates make motion clearer and cursor movement feel more responsive. The benefit is most obvious in fast games and while scrolling, but even everyday desktop use feels smoother at 120 Hz than at 60. Refresh rate works together with pixel response time: a fast refresh rate with slow pixels still shows smearing, which is what the Ghosting Test checks. Run both to get the full picture of your display’s motion performance.