Tip #1146 - Refresh Rate
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Refresh Rate
Note: Please be advised that this tip will vary quite a bit depending on the
computer and video adapter. In some cases, you can not even adjust your refresh
rate. Now on to the tip...
Is your computer screen is giving you sore eyes? Is there anything you can
do besides adjusting the brightness and looking away from it like you're supposed
to?
Well, you might try speeding up your �refresh rate.�
Some people experience eyestrain, headaches, and fuzzy vision when looking
at their computer screens, especially if the screens are CRT's (Cathode Ray
Tubes - the chunky, TV-like screens). A CRT has ray guns that make the pixels
(or dots) of the screen glow by hitting them with an electron beam. The pixels
then begin to fade, but are �refreshed� by the beam 60 times or more per second.
The refresh rate is represented by hertz (for example: 60 Hz).
60 Hz is considered low these days and 72 Hz is the minimum recommended to
reduce flickering. But did you know that even the kind of flickering you can't �see� is
processed by your brain and can fatigue your eyes?
Some people say that making your refresh rate too high will wear out your
screen over time. Make sure that your brand and type of screen are represented
correctly in your software and you probably won't be allowed to make a Hz choice
too fast for your screen to handle. I'll show you how to check for that now.
1. Checking to see that your screen brand and model number are represented
correctly: First, go to any unused part of your desktop and right-click . Click
the left button of your mouse on Properties. Click on the tab that says Monitor
, or perhaps the tab actually has the brand name of a screen instead.
Make sure the brand and model stated there match those of the screen you're
using.
If your screen is not represented correctly, you can choose Change and follow
the directions of the Installation Wizard.
You want your computer to recognize what screen you own so that your software
won't let you set your refresh rate too high. Older computers may not have
the ability to automatically restrict the settings, so if you can dig up the
owner's manual that came with your screen, take a look at it. The manual will
tell you what refresh rates your screen can handle at different resolutions.
(See an example of such a guide in the Notes section below.)
2. Write down your current resolution settings: Again, go to any unused part
of your desktop and right-click . When you get the menu, click on Video Modes
or Display Modes . A selection of resolutions/video modes will appear, with
a check mark by the one you're currently using. Write down that resolution
number on a piece of paper in case you decide later that you liked your original
settings the best.
3. Find your refresh rate: Once again, right click on a blank part of your
desktop and select Properties . Then chose the �Settings� tab.
Now click on the Advanced button. You'll get a whole new set of tabs. Chose
Adapter .
And now you've finally reached the elusive refresh rate settings! Your current
setting will appear in the slim window titled Refresh Rate. (Go ahead and write
this setting down, next to your video modes/resolution number, in case you
need it later.)
Right click on the arrow next to the refresh rate window, and you'll see your
other choices, such as �Adapter,� �60 Hz,� �72 Hz,� and so on.
4. Chose another refresh rate: Move the colored bar to the refresh rate you'd
like to try. Then click on Apply . Now, a warning might pop-up. If you've done
step one, and/or checked the owner's manual for your screen, you'll be fine.
Just choose OK.
The screen will go blank for a moment, but it will come back a bit different
(though perhaps not noticeably so, at first).
If you don't choose Apply in a moment or two, the screen Hz/Refresh rate setting
will revert to what it was before. So if the picture looks terrible, just wait
and it will automatically go back to the old setting.
Once you've changed your refresh rate, you can try out the new settings for
a while, and see if your eyes feel any better.
Notes:
1. Perhaps choosing a faster refresh rate has caused the display area on your
screen to shrink, and now you see a thick black border around your picture.
On the bottom of your monitor (perhaps behind a panel) are real-life buttons
you can press. A menu will come onto the screen, and you should choose the
option that has up, down, right, and left arrows.
After stretching the display, if you don't like what you see, you can repeat
steps three and four above, and choose the refresh rate that you had to begin
with (remember, you wrote it down!)
2. If you've chosen a sharp, high Video Mode/Resolution (such as 1600 x 1200),
refreshing it at a fast pace (85 Hz, for example) will take more effort from
those cathode ray guns than a lower, less demanding resolution (800x600). Some
combinations officially �work,� but you won't like the look of them (your desktop
items will be too small, or things will look fuzzy). For instructions on how
to change your Video Mode/Resolution, see your Monitor's manual.
The size of your screen will limit how fast you can set your refresh rate
and/or how high you can set your resolution. Here's a table from a screen manual
that shows the best combinations of refresh rates/Hz with Video Mode/Resolution:
3. Florescent lights flicker - even the ones that claim to be �flicker free�!
Sometimes, I switch on my lights and their flicker matches the refresh rate
of my computer. The screen then seems to vibrate which is terribly annoying.
If this happens to you, turn your office lights off and on to get the two flicker
systems off the same pattern.
~ Leslie Richardson, Dallas, Texas
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