How to Overclock Monitor Refresh Rate

Bhishu AcharyaBy
how-to-overclock-monitor-refresh-rate

If your monitor doesn’t support a high refresh rate, overclocking can help you increase it slightly. However, this totally depends on your display model.

Mostly, gamers are seeking a higher FPS for a better gaming experience. But if your monitor can only handle a 50 or 60 Hz refresh rate, you might be disappointed. In such cases, we can overclock the monitor’s refresh rate to some extent.

So, let’s dive into this article that will help you understand what overclocking is and how you can achieve a higher refresh rate than intended.

Using Custom Resolution Utility

CRU is a tool available for almost all Windows users. However, this utility doesn’t support the versions before Windows Vista.

Moreover, you need to have a graphics card installed on your device. It doesn’t matter which card you use – Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD, CRU should work on your monitor.

Before using the tool, you need to download it on your PC. Furthermore, we suggest you learn about the safe mode as some displays may blackout while attempting this process.

Now, let’s focus on the steps that enable you to overclock monitor refresh rate:

  1. After you install the utility, launch the .exe CRU application from the zip file.
    launch-cru
  2. Now, make sure you select the active monitor from the drop-down.
  3. Under Standard Resolutions, click on the Add button.
    add-standard-resolution
  4. Once the dialogue box opens, choose your display’s current resolution. Here, we have set our monitor’s resolution to 1920✕1080.
  5. Then, input a refresh rate five more than the maximum supported refresh rate. For example, if your monitor supports a maximum of 60 Hz, enter 65 and hit Ok. You can check the maximum refresh rate by navigating to Settings > System > Display > Advanced Display > Display Adapter Properties > Monitor > Screen refresh rate. 
  1. Again, navigate to Standard Resolutions. Make sure to select the slot you just created and click on Ok. 
    select-standard-resolution
  2. Now, restart your computer. 
  3. Next, navigate to the display adapter properties. Under Monitor, expand the Screen refresh rate drop-down.
    display-adapter-properties
  4. Then, you will notice a new refresh rate is added. In our case, it’s 65. Now, choose this and click on Apply.
    screen-refresh-rate-65hz
  5. If the refresh rate supports your monitor, your screen goes black for a few seconds. Then, the system asks if you want to keep the changes. So, choose Keep Changes and tap on Ok.
    keep-changes
  6. Your screen shows an error message if it doesn’t support your monitor. So, wait for several seconds until the GPU returns to the previous refresh rate. 
  7. Then, repeat the process keeping your refresh rate below the one you set earlier. We recommend increasing it by just 1hz. 
  8. Continue the same steps until you reach a point when the monitor stops accepting the refresh rate. That’s the maximum your GPU can overclock your display.

Note: In some rare cases, your monitor may get stuck for a long time. If you face this issue, try rebooting your PC using the power button. Or, you could enter the safe mode as we discussed earlier.

on NVIDIA Control Panel

If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, you can configure all your GPU settings from its control panel. If you’re trying to set your monitor to 144 Hz, we have an article that will help you.

For now, here are the steps you need to follow to increase the monitor refresh rate on NVIDIA Control Panel:

  1. On your desktop screen, right-click and select NVIDIA Control Panel.
  2. Under Display, go to Change Resolution.
    nvidia-display-change-resolution
  3. Then, tap on the Customize button.
    nvidia-click-on-customize
  4. Now, make sure to tick the Enable resolutions not expected by the display option. 
    tick-enable-resolutions
  5. Next, choose Create Custom Resolution and accept the terms and conditions.
    nvidia-custom-resolution-create
  6. Under Display mode, choose the refresh rate you want. Well, we recommend using one hertz higher than the maximum hertz supported by your display.
    increase-refresh-rate
  7. Then, click on the Test button. 
  8. Your monitor will go black for a few seconds. If it supports the resolution, it asks to keep the change. So, click on Yes.
    nvidia-apply-changes
  9. Now, navigate to the Change Resolution section. Then select the refresh rate you just added and click on Apply.
    custom-resolution-select
  10. Keep repeating the process until you find the maximum refresh rate supported by your GUI.
  11. Lastly, you can use any third-party testing tools that help to confirm whether the refresh rate you set is applied and working.

on AMD Control Center

If you have an AMD graphics card, you can try overclocking from its in-built software or settings. Here’s how you can do just that:

  1. Right-click on the desktop and open AMD Catalyst Control Center or Software, whichever is available on your PC.
  2. Under Desktop Management, choose Desktop Properties.
    amd-controller-desktop-properties
  3. Navigate to Refresh Rate on the right pane. Here, input the value one hertz more than the maximum refresh rate supported by your monitor.
    amd-controller-refresh-rate
  4. Click on Save to add this new setting.
  5. Now, navigate to the display adapter properties on Control Panel and select the refresh rate you just added. If it doesn’t show, you may have to restart your device.
  6. Keep repeating the process until your monitor doesn’t support the refresh rate.

Conclusion

Well, some monitors’ refresh rate increases significantly when you try overclocking them. However, the refresh rate of some displays increases by just 1 or 2 Hz.

Clearly, overclocking monitor refresh rate depends on the model you’re using. So, we only advise you to try it at your own risk.

Bhishu Acharya is a technical content writer at TechNewsToday. He specializes in monitors, laptops, storage devices, and other peripherals. Apart from computer hardware, you can also find his how-to and troubleshooting articles on Windows, internet, security, and networking. Ever since getting his hands on a personal computer, Bhishu started exploring its internal components at just 10. His growing curiosity led him to undertake the Computer Science & Information Technology degree and is just a year away from graduation. While balancing his study and work life for over four years, he has harnessed different sets of technical skills. With his expertise, he is now dedicated to helping netizens looking for hardware and software-related fixes. Today, Bhishu’s proficiency extends beyond computer hardware. In his spare time, he enjoys coding and learning new programming languages.

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