Help! With using two monitors, my refresh rate keeps changing

masterchither · Sep 21, 2022

I need help with a problem I have with two monitors connected at the same time to my system. One problem is with my refresh rate changing to 60hz from 144hz, when my two monitors come back from either a screen time out, or from being locked and coming back on. Additionally, sometimes content/apps or a browser that was on monitor 2, the browser will be halfway across monitor one. Monitor two is a Dell S2721QS 4k 3840x2160 connected via HDMI Monitor one is ASUS VG27AQL1A 27 1440P connected DP. GPU Asus Rog Strix 3080 12gb. I have the latest drivers, etc.

Any additional thoughts or trouble shoot steps I could make. Also, why the Dell is connected via HDMI and not DP, is there is only one DP on the monitor, and it's attached to my work desktop when I am not using it for my personal time.

Edit On that system it's the ASUS monitor not the ACER 27" XB273U GX. The ACER 27" XB273U GX is downstairs

Count von Schwalbe · Sep 21, 2022

masterchither said:
60hz from 144hz

masterchither said:
Monitor two is a Dell S2721QS 4k 3840x2160 connected via HDMI Monitor one is ACER 27" XB273U GX 1440P connected DP.

Is the Acer not 165Hz? And the Dell is 60Hz.

Could you try moving the HDMI to the work desktop and DP to the gaming computer?

masterchither · Sep 21, 2022

Count von Schwalbe said:
Is the Acer not 165Hz? And the Dell is 60Hz.

Could you try moving the HDMI to the work desktop and DP to the gaming computer?

The work PC is a HP deskpro 600, and does not have a HDMI port. So, I can't switch them. Also my mistake on the monitor, it's not the ACER, it's an ASUS TUF 27" 144hz
thank you

Ruru · Sep 21, 2022

Try to OC the 60Hz one to 72Hz or put the 144 one to 120Hz.

tabascosauz · Sep 21, 2022

I had this same issue a couple weeks ago on one of my monitors (S2721DGF + M32Q) after hurriedly buying a cheap no name DP cable from Best Buy. Sometimes the Dell would just randomly switch to 60Hz (and sometimes even lacked the option for 165Hz in Windows). I switched back to my two better DP cables (one 1.2 Dell from the S2721DGF, and one 1.4 cable from Cable Matters), and no longer have the problem.

As for the window placement when disconnecting/reconnecting monitors, Win 11 should be having less problems but it's not perfect, especially if you run different scaling, or have older games that don't alt-tab very well, or force Fullscreen option in NVCP. Win 11 should have an option to remember window positions under multiple monitors settings.

Mussels · Sep 21, 2022

If you use duplicate, the refresh rates are forced to match
Only extend works with different resolutions and refresh rates

DP is a lot better than HDMI when it comes to sleep/wake since it's a hotpluggable connector, you may actually be able to fix the problem with a cheap DP to HDMI dongle

In win11, i've been able to just hit F5 and refresh the desktop to get icons where they belong - but windows will move to an active monitor to prevent them getting lost if one has failed to wake up from sleep

masterchither · Sep 21, 2022

Lenne said:
Try to OC the 60Hz one to 72Hz or put the 144 one to 120Hz.

Thank you

tabascosauz said:
I had this same issue a couple weeks ago on one of my monitors (S2721DGF + M32Q) after hurriedly buying a cheap no name DP cable from Best Buy. Sometimes the Dell would just randomly switch to 60Hz (and sometimes even lacked the option for 165Hz in Windows). I switched back to my two better DP cables (one 1.2 Dell from the S2721DGF, and one 1.4 cable from Cable Matters), and no longer have the problem.

As for the window placement when disconnecting/reconnecting monitors, Win 11 should be having less problems but it's not perfect, especially if you run different scaling, or have older games that don't alt-tab very well, or force Fullscreen option in NVCP. Win 11 should have an option to remember window positions under multiple monitors settings.

I will take a look at the cables too. Thank you

Mussels said:
If you use duplicate, the refresh rates are forced to match
Only extend works with different resolutions and refresh rates

DP is a lot better than HDMI when it comes to sleep/wake since it's a hotpluggable connector, you may actually be able to fix the problem with a cheap DP to HDMI dongle

In win11, i've been able to just hit F5 and refresh the desktop to get icons where they belong - but windows will move to an active monitor to prevent them getting lost if one has failed to wake up from sleep

F5 does work, I have been doing that or the Windows key. I forgot to say my taskbar is gone also when its like that. I am going to look for a HDMI to DP connector, now that you mention it. Thank you,

Processor	Ryzen 5800x
Motherboard	MSI X570 Tomahawk WIFI
Cooling	NH-U12A chromax.black
Memory	32 gb 3600 CL14
Video Card(s)	Asus Rog Strix 3080 OC 12
Storage	Samsung 970 pro M.2
Display(s)	Asus Tuf 1440p
Case	Torrent RGB
Audio Device(s)	Soundblaster AE-7
Power Supply	Seasonic GX-1000
Mouse	Corsair Sabre
Keyboard	Corsair
Software	Windows 11

Processor	Ryzen 5800x
Motherboard	MSI X570 Tomahawk WIFI
Cooling	NH-U12A chromax.black
Memory	32 gb 3600 CL14
Video Card(s)	Asus Rog Strix 3080 OC 12
Storage	Samsung 970 pro M.2
Display(s)	Asus Tuf 1440p
Case	Torrent RGB
Audio Device(s)	Soundblaster AE-7
Power Supply	Seasonic GX-1000
Mouse	Corsair Sabre
Keyboard	Corsair
Software	Windows 11

System Name	4K-gaming / console
Processor	5800X @ PBO +200 / i5-8600K @ 4.6GHz
Motherboard	ROG Crosshair VII Hero / ROG Strix Z370-F
Cooling	Eisbaer 360 + EK Vector TUF + Acool XT45 240mm + Swiftech res + EK-XTOP SPC-60 / Eisbaer 240 + DCC
Memory	32GB DDR4-3466 / 16GB DDR4-3600
Video Card(s)	Asus RTX 3080 TUF / Powercolor RX 6700 XT
Storage	3TB of SSDs / several small SSDs
Display(s)	4K120 IPS + 4K60 IPS / 1080p projector @ 90"
Case	Corsair 4000D AF White / DeepCool CC560 WH
Audio Device(s)	Sony WH-CH720N / Hecate G1500
Power Supply	EVGA G2 750W / Seasonic FX-750
Mouse	Razer Basilisk / Ajazz i303 Pro
Keyboard	Roccat Vulcan 121 AIMO / Obinslab Anne 2 Pro
VR HMD	Oculus Rift CV1
Software	Windows 11 Pro / Windows 11 Pro
Benchmark Scores	They run Crysis

System Name	ab┃ob
Processor	7800X3D┃5800X3D
Motherboard	B650E PG-ITX┃X570 Impact
Cooling	NH-U12A + T30┃AXP120-x67
Memory	64GB 6400CL32┃32GB 3600CL14
Video Card(s)	RTX 4070 Ti Eagle┃RTX A2000
Storage	8TB of SSDs┃1TB SN550
Case	Caselabs S3┃Lazer3D HT5

System Name	Rainbow Sparkles (Power efficient, <350W gaming load)
Processor	Ryzen R7 5800x3D (Undervolted, 4.45GHz all core)
Motherboard	Asus x570-F (BIOS Modded)
Cooling	Alphacool Apex UV - Alphacool Eisblock XPX Aurora + EK Quantum ARGB 3090 w/ active backplate
Memory	2x32GB DDR4 3600 Corsair Vengeance RGB @3866 C18-22-22-22-42 TRFC704 (1.4V Hynix MJR - SoC 1.15V)
Video Card(s)	Galax RTX 3090 SG 24GB: Underclocked to 1700Mhz 0.750v (375W down to 250W))
Storage	2TB WD SN850 NVME + 1TB Sasmsung 970 Pro NVME + 1TB Intel 6000P NVME USB 3.2
Display(s)	Phillips 32 32M1N5800A (4k144), LG 32" (4K60) \| Gigabyte G32QC (2k165) \| Phillips 328m6fjrmb (2K144)
Case	Fractal Design R6
Audio Device(s)	Logitech G560 \| Corsair Void pro RGB \|Blue Yeti mic
Power Supply	Fractal Ion+ 2 860W (Platinum) (This thing is God-tier. Silent and TINY)
Mouse	Logitech G Pro wireless + Steelseries Prisma XL
Keyboard	Razer Huntsman TE ( Sexy white keycaps)
VR HMD	Oculus Rift S + Quest 2
Software	Windows 11 pro x64 (Yes, it's genuinely a good OS) OpenRGB - ditch the branded bloatware!
Benchmark Scores	Nyooom.

Help! With using two monitors, my refresh rate keeps changing

masterchither

Count von Schwalbe

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masterchither

Ruru

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tabascosauz

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masterchither