In this guide, I will show you how to enable or disable dynamic refresh rate (DRR) for Windows 11 users. Dynamic refresh rate switching allows the display refresh rate to automatically switch to lower refresh rates, saving power and prolonging the battery life.
The new laptops that are coming out in the year 2025 have displays that have a high refresh rate and preinstalled Windows 11 OS. A higher refresh rate means that motion on the screen feels smoother and nicer to your eyes.
The problem with using a high refresh rate is it will drain more battery power for common tasks, reducing battery life. If you’re using a laptop and want to save battery power, you can lower the refresh rate, but it might reduce the quality of your overall experience.
Microsoft addressed these concerns by introducing DRR, which balances power consumption and performance. Let’s understand what exactly DRR is and the benefits of using it.
What is Dynamic refresh rate?
Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) is a feature of Windows 11 that dynamically adjusts the refresh rate based on tasks you’re doing. Your Windows 11 PC switches between a lower refresh rate and a higher refresh rate dynamically based on what you’re doing on your PC. Windows 10 does not support DRR.
With Dynamic refresh rate (60 Hz or 120 Hz) mode, your display will refresh at 60 Hz when you are using them for routine productivity tasks like emailing, writing documents, and so on. For activities like gaming, scrolling, and watching videos, it will then smoothly transition to 120 Hz to deliver a more responsive and fluid experience.
Gamers using Windows 11 should know that DRR does not apply to games. All the existing games will continue to run and perform like they always have, and there is no performance impact on your gaming. If you encounter FPS drop or gaming issues after turning on the DRR, you can safely turn it off.
Dynamic Refresh Rate Requirements
To enable and use the dynamic refresh rate on Windows 11, the following are the requirements:
- To use DRR, you’ll need a laptop with a display that supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and a refresh rate of at least 120 Hz.
- DRR requires a graphics driver (WDDM 3.0) that supports it. These updates are available through Windows Update.
- To determine if your current display driver supports WDDM 3.0, you can use the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
Under Advanced display options in Windows 11, if you see dynamic refresh rate isn’t supported, it means the above DRR hardware requirements are not met.
You can enable DRR either from Windows 11 Settings or via the Intel Graphics Command Center. Currently, both these methods are manual methods. Configuring dynamic refresh rate on Windows 11 via Intune or GPO is not supported yet.
Enable or Disable Dynamic Refresh Rate via Settings
The easiest and recommended way to turn on or off the dynamic refresh rate in Windows 11 is through the Settings app.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your Windows 11 device by pressing the Windows key + I or by searching for “Settings” in the Start menu.
Step 2: In the Settings menu, navigate to the System section and select the Display option on the right side.
Step 3: Scroll down and, under Related settings, select Advanced display.
Step 4: On the Advanced display settings, click the drop-down next to Choose a refresh rate and here select a refresh rate that has Dynamic in the name. In the below screenshot, the refresh rate chosen is Dynamic (60 Hz or 120 Hz).
If you wish to disable DRR in Windows 11, open Settings, then select System > Display > Advanced display. Click the drop-down next to Choose a refresh rate setting and change it from Dynamic to a Static refresh rates like 60 Hz, 120 HZ, etc.
Enable or Disable DRR in Intel Graphics Command Center
Laptops equipped with Intel processors are capable of activating the DRR through the Intel Graphics Command center. However, an important thing to note here is that Dynamic Refresh Rate Switching is available only on 10th Generation Intel® Processors and newer using embedded DisplayPort.
Follow these steps to enable Dynamic Refresh Rate Switching in the Intel Graphics Command Center.
- On Windows 11, click Start and search for the Intel Graphics Command Center. Select the Intel® Graphics Command Center icon to launch the application.
- In the left pane, select System.
- In the Power tab, look for Dynamic Refresh Rate Switching and slide the toggle to the right to enable the setting.
After enabling the Dynamic Refresh Rate Switching in Intel Graphics Command Center, if you encounter any performance issues, you can safely turn it off.
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