Refresh rate changes from 160 Hz to 60 Hz when changing resolution

Question

Refresh rate changes from 160 Hz to 60 Hz when changing resolution

Francesco Locorriere 0

When I set my monitor to a high refresh rate, such as 160 Hz, everything works correctly. However, whenever I change the screen resolution, the refresh rate automatically resets to 60 Hz.

For example, if I set the monitor to 4K at 160 Hz and then switch to 1080p, Windows changes the refresh rate to 60 Hz. Even if I then switch back to 4K, the refresh rate remains at 60 Hz instead of returning to 160 Hz. I have to manually select 160 Hz again.

This happens when changing between different resolutions, not just with one specific resolution. Changing to any other resolution causes the refresh rate to reset to 60 Hz.

The expected behavior should be that once I select 160 Hz, Windows keeps 160 Hz regardless of the resolution I switch to. For example, if I select 160 Hz, switching between 4K, 1080p, or any other supported resolution should keep the refresh rate at 160 Hz automatically, without resetting it to 60 Hz.

My system:

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060

Monitor: Gigabyte G27U

Operating system: Windows 10

I have also experienced the same issue on Windows 11, so the problem does not appear to be limited to Windows 10.

The monitor and GPU support 160 Hz correctly. The issue is that changing the resolution causes Windows to override the selected refresh rate and switch it to 60 Hz. The selected refresh rate should remain at 160 Hz after every resolution change, as long as that refresh rate is supported at the selected resolution.

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Answer 1

Hi , Thank you for reaching out! My name is Stefano and it’s my pleasure to assist you today.

What you’re seeing is generally normal Windows/display-driver behavior, rather than evidence that the RTX 5060 or Gigabyte G27U cannot operate at 160 Hz.

Windows does not treat refresh rate as one global setting that must remain fixed when resolution changes. A display mode is effectively a combination of resolution + refresh rate + timing/format parameters.

When you switch from 3840×2160 to 1920×1080, Windows/your NVIDIA driver selects a new display mode, and that mode can default to 60 Hz. Returning to 4K does not necessarily restore the previously selected 160-Hz mode.

So, unfortunately, the expectation that selecting 160 Hz once should force every subsequently selected resolution to use 160 Hz isn't how Windows currently guarantees mode switching.

So, what you've to do si re-apply the Refresh Rate in Windows Settings

Right-click your desktop and select Display settings.
Scroll down and click Advanced display (or Advanced display settings).
Under the Refresh rate dropdown menu, select 160 Hz again

Please, see the microsoft support article below:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/display-graphics/change-the-refresh-rate-on-your-monitor-in-windows

Thing worth trying, lock the Refresh Rate in Your GPU Control Panel

Be sure you've installed the most updated NVIDIA drivers.

Acces the NVIDIA Control Panel > Display > Change resolution

For each resolution you actually use, select the resolution and explicitly choose 160 Hz under Refresh rate, then click Apply.

Pay particular attention to the resolution list. NVIDIA Control Panel can show resolutions in separate groups such as Ultra HD, HD, SD and PC. If 1920×1080 is available under PC, try that version and select 160 Hz. Different entries can correspond to different timing modes, and the TV-style entries often favor 60 Hz.

Kind regards,

Stefano