Stuck at 60 FPS on a 144 Hz monitor? 6 things to check
Updated November 2026 · 5 min read
Short answer
Check the refresh rate in Settings → System → Display → Advanced display, then the game's frame cap and V-Sync, your GPU driver's frame limit, battery saver, and your cable or port.
FPS that sits exactly at 60, no matter what you change, almost never means your hardware is too slow. It means something is capping it. Work through these in order.
1. Windows is running your screen at 60 Hz
Go to Settings → System → Display → Advanced display and look at Choose a refresh rate. A new 144 Hz monitor often starts at 60 Hz. Pick the highest option.
2. The game's frame cap
Many games ship with a frame limit of 60, or set one when you first start them. Look for Max Framerate, Frame Rate Limit or Max FPS in video settings, and set it to your refresh rate or Unlimited.
3. V-Sync
V-Sync locks the game to the screen's refresh rate. If Windows thinks the screen is 60 Hz (step 1), V-Sync locks you to 60. Turn it off in the game, or fix the refresh rate first.
4. A frame limit in your GPU driver
NVIDIA Control Panel (Manage 3D settings → Max Frame Rate), the NVIDIA app, AMD Software (Radeon Chill or Frame Rate Target Control) can all cap games globally. Check they're off or set above your refresh rate.
5. Battery saver and power mode
On laptops, battery saver and some vendor "silent" modes cap the frame rate or GPU power. Plug in and set Settings → System → Power & battery → Power mode to Best performance.
6. The cable or port
An old HDMI cable or port can only carry 1080p at 60 Hz. Use DisplayPort, or an HDMI 2.0 or newer cable and port, to get 144 Hz. On laptops, make sure you're plugged into a port wired to the dedicated GPU (more on that).
Framecalm checks game frame caps against your screen's refresh rate automatically and fixes them where it supports the game.