How to Disable Dynamic Refresh Rate on Laptops Running Windows 11

Quick fix: Open Settings → System → Display → Advanced display, find Choose a refresh rate, and pick a specific Hz value instead of Dynamic. This forces a constant refresh rate and bypasses Windows’ auto-switching between 60Hz and 120Hz.

Your laptop has a 120Hz panel that supports Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) — Windows toggles between 60Hz and 120Hz to save battery during typing and low motion. Sometimes the switching is visible as flicker. Sometimes scrolling at 60Hz feels choppy and the bump to 120Hz takes a beat to kick in. Disable DRR to lock in one rate.

What causes this

Dynamic Refresh Rate lets Windows switch the display between low and high refresh rates based on what’s happening. Static UI (typing, idle) = 60Hz. Scrolling, video, gaming = 120Hz. The intent is battery savings without losing responsiveness when needed. On some panels, the switch produces a brief visual artifact — color shift or flicker — and on some workflows the latency of switching is noticeable. Disabling DRR forces a constant rate.

Method 1: Set a fixed refresh rate via Display settings

The standard approach.

1. Open Settings → System → Display.
2. Click Advanced display.
3. Find Choose a refresh rate.
4. The dropdown lists available rates. Dynamic (60Hz or 120Hz) is the DRR setting.
5. To disable DRR, pick a specific rate: typically 120Hz for maximum smoothness, or 60Hz for maximum battery savings.
6. Click Keep changes within 15 seconds.
7. Test by moving the mouse — the rate is constant.

This is the simplest fix. Battery life drops slightly at 120Hz, but smoothness is consistent.

Method 2: Set different fixed rates for AC and battery

For laptops where you want 120Hz on AC but 60Hz on battery — the manual equivalent of DRR.

1. Plug the laptop into AC power.
2. Set refresh rate to 120Hz via Method 1.
3. Unplug. Windows often remembers a separate per-power-state setting, but if it doesn’t, you may need to manually switch.
4. For automatic AC vs Battery refresh rate switching: install nircmd from nirsoft.net.
5. Create a script (e.g., C:\Scripts\refresh-by-power.ps1):

   $batt = (Get-WmiObject Win32_Battery).BatteryStatus
   if ($batt -eq 2) {
       # On AC
       nircmd.exe setdisplay 1920 1200 32 120
   } else {
       # On battery
       nircmd.exe setdisplay 1920 1200 32 60
   }

   Adjust resolution to match your panel.

6. Schedule via Task Scheduler with trigger: On power source change.

This gives you DRR-like behavior with predictable transitions instead of Windows’ auto-switching.

Method 3: Disable DRR via registry for stubborn cases

Use when the Settings dropdown doesn’t expose a non-Dynamic option (rare).

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, press Enter.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers.
3. Find DRRSupported or EnableDynamicRefreshRate DWORD. If present, set to 0.
4. If the value doesn’t exist, DRR is implemented at the GPU driver level — check Intel Graphics Command Center or AMD Adrenalin Software for similar DRR/VRR/FreeSync settings. Disable in the GPU control panel.
5. Reboot.
6. Recheck Advanced display Settings — the Dynamic option should be gone or non-default.

This is the registry-level fallback when GUI controls don’t expose what you need.

How to verify the fix worked

• Open testufo.com/refreshrate. The page shows the actual refresh rate. With DRR disabled, it should hold steady at your chosen rate.
• Move the mouse cursor in a fast circular motion. The cursor traces a smooth path at 120Hz.
• Watch a quick browser scroll — no perceptible refresh rate switching.

If none of these work

If DRR keeps engaging or refresh rate keeps switching, three causes apply. VRR / G-Sync / FreeSync: variable refresh rate technology may be in play. Disable G-Sync in NVIDIA Control Panel or FreeSync in AMD settings if your laptop supports them. OEM utility: laptop manufacturers (Razer Synapse, Lenovo Vantage, Dell Premier) sometimes have their own “adaptive refresh” settings that override Windows. Check those utilities. Game-specific overrides: full-screen games may engage DRR/VRR regardless of Windows setting. In NVIDIA Control Panel, set per-game “Vertical sync” to On and “Refresh Rate” to your fixed value.

Bottom line: Dynamic Refresh Rate causes visible flicker or feel-degradation for some users — pick a fixed rate in Advanced display Settings. Battery drops slightly but smoothness is consistent.