What Refresh Rate Can My Monitor Run at 4K?

The refresh rate your monitor can run at 4K depends mostly on the cable standard, not just the panel. HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2 top out at 4K 60Hz. HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 reach 4K 120Hz, and DisplayPort 1.4 can go higher with compression. Your actual rate is whatever the monitor, graphics card, and cable all support together.

Why this happens

4K has four times the pixels of 1080p, so it needs a lot of bandwidth. Each connection version has a bandwidth ceiling, and the lowest link in the chain sets your real limit.

• HDMI 2.0, about 18 Gbps, supports 4K at 60Hz.
• HDMI 2.1, about 48 Gbps, supports 4K at 120Hz and higher.
• DisplayPort 1.2, about 21 Gbps, supports 4K at 60Hz.
• DisplayPort 1.4, about 32 Gbps, supports 4K at 120Hz, or 144Hz and beyond using Display Stream Compression.
• DisplayPort 2.0 and 2.1 raise the ceiling much further for high refresh 4K and above.

Your graphics card and the cable must both support the version you want, or the rate falls back.

Is this normal?

Yes. It is normal to be limited to 4K 60Hz on older connections, and to need HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4 for 4K at 120Hz.

Does it cause any problems?

No damage. You simply may not reach the high refresh rate the panel supports if the cable or graphics card version is older.

How to fix or check it

1. Find your monitor's rated refresh rate at 4K in its specifications, for example 4K 144Hz.
2. Check the HDMI and DisplayPort versions on both the monitor and the graphics card.
3. Use a cable that matches, such as an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable for HDMI 2.1 or a certified DisplayPort 1.4 cable.
4. On Windows, open Settings, System, Display, Advanced display, and select the highest refresh rate shown at 4K.
5. If only 60Hz appears, the cable, port, or graphics card version is the limit, so upgrade the weakest link.
6. Confirm the graphics card can output 4K high refresh, since older cards cap at 4K 60Hz even with a good cable.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get 4K at 120Hz?

Yes, if the monitor, graphics card, and cable all support HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4. On older HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2, 4K tops out at 60Hz.

Why is my 4K monitor stuck at 60Hz?

The connection is likely HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2, or the cable is not rated high enough. Use HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4 with a matching cable.

Does the graphics card limit 4K refresh rate?

Yes. An older card with only HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 outputs is capped at 4K 60Hz no matter how good the monitor and cable are.