Choose a Windows Refresh Rate Without Accidentally Changing Resolution
A display setting should suit the work you do on that screen. Before selecting a larger refresh-rate number, record the current resolution and rate together. Otherwise, a change that makes motion smoother may also leave you wondering why text or the workspace looks different.
On a desk with several monitors, identify the screen you are adjusting. Keep a document and a moving or scrolling example available on that display so you can judge the outcome in context.
Read both parts of the display setting
In Windows 11, open Settings, System, Display, Advanced display. Inspect Display information for the selected monitor’s resolution, refresh rate and variable refresh-rate support. Choose only among the rates Windows offers for that display.
Microsoft marks rates that do not support the current resolution with an asterisk. Selecting one of those rates changes the resolution to achieve that refresh rate. If preserving the current workspace is your priority, pay attention to that marker before selecting a value.
Record the original setting and change one item at a time. After applying a choice, revisit the displayed resolution and rate rather than relying only on how the desktop looks.
Compare the actual task
Scroll the same document, move the same window and inspect small text. For an application with motion, repeat the same short scene or operation. Avoid changing application quality settings during this comparison, because that makes the cause of any difference unclear.
Windows 11 may also offer Dynamic Refresh Rate on supported hardware. Microsoft requires VRR support and at least a 120 Hz refresh rate for that feature. DRR is a separate choice; test it separately if available, and turn it off again if it limits the rate of the application you are using.
Keep the setting that gives an acceptable combination of readable detail, usable workspace and motion. A maximum number is not a complete acceptance test. Record the accepted resolution and rate as a pair for later reference.
Sources: Microsoft display refresh-rate settings.