Guide
The panel is rated for 144Hz, the box says 144Hz, and the display settings offer 60 and nothing else. Four things have to agree before a high refresh rate appears, and the weakest of them wins silently.
| Link | How it caps you | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| The source port | A USB-C port without DisplayPort Alt Mode carries no video at all; one with it still has a bandwidth budget shared with data. | Check the laptop's spec for DisplayPort Alt Mode (or Thunderbolt). A port that only says “USB 3.2 data” will never drive the panel, and no adapter adds the capability. |
| The cable | A charging-only USB-C cable has no video wires. A cheap HDMI cable may be HDMI 1.4, which is enough for 1080p60 and not for 1440p144. | Use the cable that came with the monitor first. If you must replace it, match the standard to what you need: full-featured USB-C, or HDMI 2.0+ for high refresh above 1080p. |
| The monitor's input | Many portable monitors run their highest refresh only over one specific port — often USB-C, sometimes only full-size HDMI. | The listing usually says “144Hz via USB-C” or similar. Mini HDMI on these panels is frequently the lower-bandwidth path. |
| The operating system | Windows and macOS default new displays to 60Hz and leave them there. | Windows: Settings → System → Display → Advanced display → choose the refresh rate. macOS: System Settings → Displays, hold Option and click Scaled to see the full list. |
Bandwidth is finite, so the same connection that manages 2.5K at 60Hz may only offer 144Hz after you drop to 1080p. If the high refresh rate appears once you lower the resolution, nothing is faulty — you have found the ceiling of that port or cable.
The same budget is shared with anything else on a USB-C connection. Running the display through a hub that is also feeding an SSD and charging the laptop can push the display down a notch.