240 hz monitor stuck at 120 hz

Question

240 hz monitor stuck at 120 hz

Gingaflo 0

I had an old monitor for a very long time. To the point where I never checked or changed the settings since I can remember owning the thing. while playing video games, my monitor flashed to a black screen and after it flashed, I noticed a difference in refresh rate. instead of offering "144" "120" "119.98" "75" "50" etc. it only shows "120" "75" "60" etc. I spent four hours troubleshooting. I end up deciding that the monitor was the issue and I figured it was time for an upgrade. I bought a 240 hz oled monitor only for it to do the exact same thing. only 120 hz max available

I have tried new cables, both hdmi and display port

reinstalling graphics drivers both integrated and my gpu.

custom resolution.

reducing resolution.

I have no clue what to do next.

My laptop is the msi cyborg 15 a13ve. it has a i7 and 4050 laptop gpu. i used both the hdmi and the type c display port with the correct cords and nothing seems to fix it. Help!!!

Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-03T02:02:59.94+00:00

Hi,

I'll be waiting for your reply.

Thanks

2 answers

Your answer

Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-03T02:02:59.94+00:00

Hi,

I'll be waiting for your reply.

Thanks

Answer 1

Ivan B 101.8K Independent Advisor

Hi

What resolution are you using?

Did you check in the iGPU panel if you have a mux switch? Change it in the MSI Center. Do this without the cable connected and let me know.

Thanks

Gingaflo 0 Reputation points

2026-03-01T00:29:16.7666667+00:00

1920x1080 is capped at 120hz

1440 is capped at 60 fps

no mux switch says google for my laptop but I will check msi center. when I get home in 5 min
Gingaflo 0 Reputation points

2026-03-01T00:59:34.1266667+00:00

1080 is capped at 120 hz and 1440 is capped at 60. If I go lower it doesn’t matter, still capped at 120hz

no mux switch says google and I can’t find it on msi center
Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-01T01:12:11.17+00:00
Hi,

In this case, you'll do the following to test: we'll use a specific driver.

We'll use DDU to remove all Intel and Nvidia drivers.

You can use DDU: https://www.guru3d.com/download/display-driver-uninstaller-download/

Note: DDU is a third-party application to completely delete and reinstall the GPU driver.

After downloading, extract ddu to a folder.

Run the driver screen uninstaller.exe application, select Model tab, put GPU. After uninstalling the GPU Driver, uninstall it for Intel and Nvidia.

Click on the First option clean and reboot and wait for the process to finish.

After running DDU and install driver :

https://www.msi.com/Laptop/Cyborg-15-A13VX/support?sub_product=Cyborg-15-A13VE#driver

Install both drivers from the MSI link below after removing them with DDU.

Open the command prompt (admin) and run the commands: sfc /scannow and dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth, wait for the process to finish and restart the computer.

Then perform a clean boot and if you want to uninstall applications that you do not use.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-execute-a-simple-boot-start-in-windows-da2f9573-6eec-00ad-2f8a-a97a1807f3dd

Thanks
Gingaflo 0 Reputation points

2026-03-01T01:52:56.2733333+00:00

I followed you down the to T. No change. I’ve got to assume there’s hardware issues.
Gingaflo 0 Reputation points

2026-03-01T02:06:38.1+00:00

When you say instal both from that link, you mean both graphics drivers correct. Not the other ones?
Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-01T02:10:08.2633333+00:00

Hi,

In this case, both graphics drivers were installed after you used DDU; we're just testing them.

Thanks
Gingaflo 0 Reputation points

2026-03-01T02:18:28.74+00:00

Is there anything else to try?
Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-01T02:26:17.64+00:00

Hi,

Regarding the BIOS and firmware update for your laptop model, I can instruct you if you wish.

Since you don't have a mux switch, your video output is connected to the Intel i-GPU, not Nvidia. Use the DP cable for testing.

Thanks
Gingaflo 0 Reputation points

2026-03-01T03:19:19.1133333+00:00

What would you like me to test
Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-01T03:30:07.4833333+00:00

Hi,

In this case, the procedure you need to follow correctly is to update the BIOS. It's recommended, but it has its risks. Initially, you will disable BitLocker in Windows following the procedure below:

https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1047461/

https://www.msi.com/faq/faq-10805

After disabling BitLocker, you will download your latest BIOS from the link below:

https://www.msi.com/Laptop/Cyborg-15-A13VX/support?sub_product=Cyborg-15-A13VE

Inside the file are the instructions to update the BIOS.

Do this without connecting the video cable to the monitor.

After updating the BIOS, you have to update the firmware using the Intel ME FW Update Tool.

After updating the firmware, you have to install the chipset drivers:

Intel Management Engine Driver

Intel Serial I/O Driver

Intel Chipset Driver

Intel HID Event Filter

Intel Gaussian and Neural Accelerator Driver

Intel® Dynamic Tuning Driver

Intel® IPF Driver

Install all drivers and test afterwards.

Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

Thanks
Gingaflo 0 Reputation points

2026-03-03T01:58:04.35+00:00

Sorry for the late reply, I will try this tomorrow morning! Prematurely… thank you for your help!
Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-03T02:06:51.2333333+00:00

Hi,

It's possible it's a hardware issue as well, let's try checking the driver problem first.

Thanks
Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-04T06:44:52.3966667+00:00

Hi ,

Were you able to follow the procedure?

Thanks
Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-04T06:47:42.37+00:00

Hii,

In this case, I found some users reposting the problem

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/120jui1/i_no_longer_have_my_240hz_refresh_rate_available/

Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

Thanks
Gingaflo 0 Reputation points

2026-03-04T19:44:56.69+00:00

hello! doing it right now... do you know where I get these:

Intel Management Engine Driver

Intel Serial I/O Driver

Intel Chipset Driver

Intel HID Event Filter

Intel Gaussian an neural accelerator driver

intel dynamic tuning

intel IPF driver

I have updated bios but the intel ME FW tool just flashes when I try to open it, unless that’s what it is supposed to do
Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-05T16:51:02.76+00:00

Hi,

That's on the link itself, in the drivers tab (including Chipset, keyboard, mouse, and others): https://www.msi.com/Laptop/Cyborg-15-A13VX/support?sub_product=Cyborg-15-A13VE

The firmware is indeed flashing and closing quickly.

Thanks
Ivan B 101.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-07T03:19:22.7533333+00:00

Hi ,

Were you able to follow the procedure?

Thanks

Answer 2

On Windows 11, the maximum refresh rates that can be selected are determined by a combination of:

What the external monitor reports as supported modes
What the GPU/output port supports at the current resolution and connection type
Windows’ own mode selection logic

If only 120 Hz is available in Settings even on a 240 Hz monitor, Windows is not seeing any valid 240 Hz timing from the chain (laptop → cable → monitor) at the current resolution.

Verify and adjust the refresh rate in Windows 11:

Open Settings > System > Display > Advanced display.
Under Select a display, choose the external monitor.
Under Choose a refresh rate, check all options listed and select the highest available. Only modes the system believes are supported will appear.

If 240 Hz does not appear there, Windows is not being offered a 240 Hz mode by the driver/monitor. In that case, only the following can change behavior:

Different resolution/refresh combinations: some high refresh rates are only available at lower resolutions. Use Advanced display > Display adapter properties > List All Modes and select a mode that explicitly lists the desired resolution and highest Hertz value available.
Different connection: some HDMI paths are bandwidth-limited and will not expose high refresh rates at higher resolutions. Using DisplayPort (or USB‑C alt‑mode that truly supports DisplayPort with enough bandwidth) can expose more modes.
Driver/firmware: updating or rolling back display/GPU drivers or system firmware can restore missing modes if they were available previously. This is done via Device Manager > Display adapters (update/roll back driver) or via the laptop OEM’s update tools.

If the monitor or connection only advertises TV‑style timings (for example, 119.88 Hz instead of 120/144/240), Windows may expose only those compatible modes and internally map them. In such cases, the list of refresh rates is limited by design and cannot be overridden from Windows.

If, after using Advanced display and List All Modes, the highest mode shown for that external monitor remains 120 Hz, then 240 Hz is not available to Windows with the current hardware/cable/firmware combination and cannot be selected from the OS.

References:

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240 hz monitor stuck at 120 hz

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