240Hz not showing in Nvidia Control Panel: How to fix now

If 240hz not showing in nvidia control panel is preventing you from selecting your gaming monitor’s advertised refresh rate, start by checking the selected display, resolution, and connection. The missing option may result from a cable or port limitation, hybrid graphics on a laptop, an incorrect display mode, or a graphics-driver problem. The right fix also depends on whether NVIDIA Control Panel’s entire Display section is missing or only the 240Hz option is unavailable under Change resolution. Follow the steps below to isolate the cause without forcing unsupported display timings or reinstalling software unnecessarily.

Fix 240Hz not showing in NVIDIA Control Panel first

Start with the simplest checks before modifying advanced NVIDIA settings. The goal is to establish whether the monitor and graphics hardware support 240Hz in the current configuration and whether Windows recognizes that mode.

Work through these checks in order:

1. Verify the monitor’s exact model and maximum refresh rate at the desired resolution.

2. Select the correct monitor in Windows Advanced display settings.

3. Check whether Windows offers 240Hz, even if NVIDIA Control Panel does not.

4. Open NVIDIA Control Panel and inspect Change resolution.

5. Confirm that the monitor is connected through a compatible HDMI or DisplayPort connection.

6. Remove adapters, docking stations, or switches temporarily.

7. Check the graphics driver and laptop GPU-routing settings if the option remains missing.

This sequence helps distinguish a missing NVIDIA menu from a genuine display-mode limitation. If Windows offers 240Hz but NVIDIA Control Panel does not, the issue may concern which GPU drives the display or how the control panel recognizes the connection. If neither offers 240Hz, investigate the monitor’s supported modes, resolution, cable, and input port first.

There is no universal setting that makes every monitor operate at 240Hz. The monitor, graphics output, connection, and selected resolution must support the required signal together.

Check Change resolution and select the correct display

If NVIDIA Control Panel opens normally and its Display category is available, start with Change resolution. NVIDIA’s official instructions use this page to select a display and choose an available refresh rate. 【turn274324view0】

Follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Windows desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel.

2. Expand Display in the navigation pane.

3. Select Change resolution.

4. Choose the monitor you want to configure if multiple displays are connected.

5. Select the monitor’s native resolution from the available PC display modes.

6. Open the Refresh rate list and check whether 240Hz appears.

7. If available, select 240Hz, click Apply, and confirm the change.

Selecting the correct monitor is essential. A desktop with two monitors may have one display that supports 240Hz and another limited to 60Hz or 144Hz. Changing the wrong screen will not resolve the issue.

Choose the native resolution under the PC section

When NVIDIA Control Panel displays separate resolution groups, use the PC section for a standard computer monitor when the appropriate native mode is listed there. Do not automatically choose a similarly named television-style resolution from the Ultra HD, HD, SD section.

BenQ ZOWIE’s instructions for its supported 240Hz gaming monitors specifically recommend choosing the preferred resolution from the PC section in NVIDIA Control Panel, then selecting 240Hz from the refresh-rate list. Its guidance also stresses checking the cable, input, driver, and graphics card capabilities. Those recommendations apply to the cited monitor models; check your own manual for the exact requirements. 【turn274324view5】

If 240Hz appears after selecting the native PC resolution, apply the mode and verify that the monitor remains stable. If the list still stops at a lower rate, continue with the Windows and connection checks instead of creating a custom resolution immediately.

If NVIDIA Control Panel has no Display section

A different issue occurs when NVIDIA Control Panel shows 3D settings but has no Display category at all. This is not the same as a missing 240Hz option.

NVIDIA explains that certain display settings are available only when the screen is connected to and driven by the NVIDIA GPU. On laptops using Optimus or hybrid graphics, the integrated GPU may drive the internal panel while the NVIDIA GPU renders games and other demanding applications. As a result, the NVIDIA Display category may not be available for that screen. 【turn352027search9】【turn352027search16】

Check which GPU drives your display

On a laptop, consult the manufacturer’s specifications to determine whether the internal screen or external video port is wired to the NVIDIA GPU, the integrated GPU, or a selectable display multiplexer.

If the laptop supports a GPU-only or discrete-GPU display mode, its manufacturer may provide a setting in the BIOS, a system utility, or NVIDIA Control Panel’s display-management features. NVIDIA documents a display multiplexer option on supported notebooks for selecting which graphics processor drives the internal or external display. 【turn274324view4】

Do not assume every laptop offers this feature. If yours does, follow its model-specific instructions and consider the battery-life trade-off before switching to discrete-GPU-only operation.

For an external monitor, try a video output documented to connect directly to the NVIDIA GPU. The ports on a laptop may not all use the same graphics path.

Use Windows to check the refresh rate independently

Even when NVIDIA Control Panel lacks its Display category, Windows may still provide access to the display’s refresh-rate settings.

Open Settings, select System, then Display and Advanced display. Select the correct screen and inspect Choose a refresh rate. Microsoft’s documentation confirms that the available choices depend on the selected display and the modes it supports. 【turn274324view1】

If Windows offers 240Hz, select it and verify the resulting signal. You may not need to change NVIDIA Control Panel at all.

If Windows also lacks 240Hz, return to the monitor specifications, supported connection, and resolution. The missing NVIDIA menu alone does not prove that your monitor or graphics card is defective.

Check your HDMI or DisplayPort connection

If 240Hz is missing from both Windows and NVIDIA Control Panel, confirm that the complete connection supports the required resolution and refresh rate. A compatible GPU is only one part of the system; the monitor input, cable, and any adapter or docking station must also support the intended mode.

Try a direct DisplayPort connection

If both your monitor and graphics card support 240Hz over DisplayPort, connect them directly with a compatible cable. This is a useful diagnostic step because it eliminates a dock, switch, or adapter that might limit the available modes.

DisplayPort is not universally required for 240Hz. Some displays support 240Hz through HDMI, while others have input-specific limitations. Check the exact monitor manual to determine which port supports the target resolution and refresh rate.

After reconnecting, reopen NVIDIA Control Panel and check Change resolution. If 240Hz appears, apply it and confirm the monitor receives the expected signal. If it does not appear, test a known-compatible cable and check whether the selected input has a lower documented limit.

Verify HDMI and cable compatibility

Do not assume that an HDMI connection supporting 120Hz must also support 240Hz. The maximum rate depends on the implementation of the source and display, the resolution, and the available signal bandwidth.

Check these details in the relevant manuals:

• The monitor’s supported refresh rate for its selected HDMI input.

• The graphics card’s output capabilities at the intended resolution.

• The cable’s suitability for that complete display mode.

• Any restrictions introduced by adapters, receivers, KVM switches, or docking stations.

For example, the requirements for 1920 × 1080 at 240Hz differ from those for 2560 × 1440 at 240Hz. A setup capable of 240Hz at one resolution may expose a lower maximum at another.

If the monitor came with a compatible cable, use it for the initial test. Avoid buying a new cable just because the rate is missing; first check the existing connection against the manufacturer’s specifications.

Connect a desktop monitor to the correct graphics output

If you have a desktop PC with a dedicated NVIDIA graphics card, connect the monitor to a compatible port on the graphics card rather than a motherboard video output unless your setup specifically requires integrated graphics.

The motherboard output may be controlled by integrated graphics and can expose a different set of modes. After connecting the screen to the appropriate GPU port, restart the display connection if necessary and check NVIDIA Control Panel again.

For a laptop, do not assume that every HDMI or USB-C port is connected directly to the NVIDIA GPU. Check the computer’s manual for the ports and supported graphics paths.

Set the correct resolution and refresh rate in Windows

Windows can sometimes expose a higher refresh rate that you have not selected yet. It is worth checking the operating system before changing driver settings.

Open Settings, select System, Display, and Advanced display. Choose the monitor you want to configure and inspect the available refresh rates.

If 240Hz is listed, select it and confirm the change. Check the displayed resolution as well to ensure Windows is using the intended mode.

If the list stops at 120Hz, 144Hz, or 165Hz, do not conclude immediately that the NVIDIA driver is broken. Windows can only offer modes available to the current display configuration, and the limitation may come from the monitor, input, cable, or graphics routing.

Check resolution-dependent refresh-rate options

Make sure the selected resolution matches the monitor’s documented native resolution. Some displays offer their maximum refresh rate only at specific resolutions or through particular inputs.

Microsoft notes that Windows may mark refresh rates that do not support the current resolution with an asterisk. Selecting one can change the resolution to achieve that rate. 【turn274324view1】

For a useful diagnostic test, compare the refresh-rate list at the native resolution with any other manufacturer-supported resolution. If 240Hz appears only at a lower resolution, review the monitor’s supported-mode table to determine whether that behavior is expected.

Do not keep a lower resolution permanently unless the trade-off suits your needs. The objective is to establish which resolution and connection combinations are officially supported, not simply to make a larger number appear in a menu.

Update or roll back your NVIDIA graphics driver

A driver problem becomes a stronger possibility if 240Hz worked previously, disappeared after a software update, or is missing despite a confirmed compatible monitor and connection.

Open Device Manager and expand Display adapters to confirm which NVIDIA graphics hardware is installed. Then use NVIDIA’s official driver download page or your computer manufacturer’s support page to identify a suitable driver.

If the problem began immediately after a driver update, consider rolling back to the previously working version if Windows provides that option. If the installed driver is outdated or corrupted, install an appropriate stable release and restart the computer when required.

Afterward, check both Windows Advanced display and NVIDIA Control Panel’s Change resolution page. Avoid installing multiple driver packages or unofficial driver-updater utilities while troubleshooting, because those can introduce additional variables.

A driver update cannot overcome a physical limitation in the monitor, port, or cable. If the supported-mode list does not change after a suitable driver repair, return to the hardware checks rather than repeatedly reinstalling the same driver.

Fix 240Hz not showing in NVIDIA Control Panel after a driver update

There is a specific NVIDIA-documented problem worth checking when the refresh-rate options disappear only inside games.

NVIDIA’s support article describes a behavior affecting certain monitors after Game Ready Driver 560.70. In that documented scenario, some games no longer showed the full range of refresh rates when NVIDIA Control Panel’s Perform scaling on setting was set to Display. NVIDIA’s prescribed workaround is to switch the scaling option to GPU and restart Windows. 【turn274324view3】

This is not a universal solution for every missing 240Hz mode. Use it when the symptom matches the documented issue: 240Hz is missing in a game’s display menu, particularly following the relevant driver update, rather than being missing everywhere in Windows.

To try the documented workaround:

1. Open NVIDIA Control Panel.

2. Select Adjust desktop size and position.

3. Find Perform scaling on.

4. Select GPU instead of Display, if the option is available.

5. Click Apply.

6. Restart Windows and check the affected game’s display menu.

If 240Hz is missing from NVIDIA Control Panel’s Change resolution page itself, this game-specific workaround is unlikely to address the underlying problem. Focus on the selected display, supported mode, physical connection, and driver detection instead.

Avoid forcing an unsupported custom resolution

NVIDIA Control Panel includes a custom-resolution utility, but it should not be the first response to a missing 240Hz option. A custom mode may be useful for displays with an unusual supported timing or an incorrect display identification report, but entering a mode manually does not guarantee that the monitor can display it correctly.

NVIDIA warns that custom resolutions or refresh-rate timings beyond the monitor manufacturer’s advertised specifications may cause permanent damage and may affect the warranty. NVIDIA also explains that a failed mode test can result in an out-of-range message or a black screen before the previous display returns. 【turn274324view2】

Before considering a custom mode, confirm that:

• The monitor’s manual supports the desired resolution and refresh rate.

• The selected input and cable support that mode.

• The graphics card supports the required output signal.

• Standard Windows and NVIDIA display settings have been checked.

Do not enable unsupported resolutions merely to make them appear in the NVIDIA list. If a custom mode is justified by the monitor manufacturer’s instructions, stay within the documented operating range and follow the prescribed test procedure.

Troubleshoot the remaining symptoms

Use the observed behavior to choose the next step instead of repeating the same settings changes.

If you have confirmed that the monitor supports 240Hz through the current input but the option remains unavailable, test the screen with another compatible computer if practical. If the problem follows the monitor, contact its manufacturer with the model number, resolution, input, and troubleshooting results. If only one PC is affected, investigate its GPU driver and display-routing configuration first.

Frequently asked questions

Why is 240Hz missing from NVIDIA Control Panel but available in Windows?

The NVIDIA display controls may not be managing the screen directly, particularly on laptops with hybrid graphics. Check whether the display is driven by the integrated GPU and use Windows Advanced display to select the supported refresh rate when appropriate.

Why is the entire Display category missing from NVIDIA Control Panel?

On some laptops, the integrated GPU drives the internal display while the NVIDIA GPU renders games. NVIDIA documents that display-specific settings may therefore be unavailable for the internal screen. Check your laptop’s display-routing capabilities and the connection used for an external monitor. 【turn352027search16】

Should I reinstall NVIDIA Control Panel?

Not as the first step. If the panel opens and offers Change resolution, first investigate the selected monitor, resolution, connection, and driver. If the application itself is missing or will not launch, check the official NVIDIA driver package and installation guidance for your system.

Can an HDMI cable prevent 240Hz from showing?

Yes, the cable may be part of the limitation, but the GPU output and monitor input must also support the desired signal. Confirm the complete connection path before buying replacement hardware.

Does the GPU need to produce 240 FPS for the 240Hz option to appear?

No. The monitor’s supported refresh rate is separate from the number of frames a game renders. The GPU must support the display signal, while gaming performance determines how many frames reach the display.

Final verdict

When 240Hz is missing from NVIDIA Control Panel, first determine whether the Display category is absent entirely or whether only the refresh-rate option is missing. Check the monitor’s supported modes, selected resolution, cable, input, and graphics routing before updating drivers. If the problem appears only inside a game after a driver change, NVIDIA’s documented scaling workaround may apply. Avoid forcing unsupported custom timings, and use the monitor manufacturer’s specifications to establish the correct operating mode.