Fix My Setup
If your monitor supports 120Hz, 144Hz, or higher but your USB-C dock is stuck at 60Hz, this guide will help you identify the problem and get the highest refresh rate your setup can actually support.
Before troubleshooting
Your monitor can support 120Hz or 144Hz and still show only 60Hz through a dock. That usually means something in the display path is limiting or preventing the exact display setup you're trying to use. These three ideas will make the troubleshooting steps below easier to follow.
A monitor might support 144Hz at one resolution but not another. For example, a connection that can run 1080p at 144Hz may not be able to run 4K at 144Hz.
Why this matters: Always compare the exact resolution and refresh rate you want to use.
The picture travels from your device to the dock, then through a dock port and cable to the monitor. If any part has a lower limit, the higher refresh option may disappear.
Why this matters: The dock is only one possible place where a 60Hz limit can happen.
A dock may allow a higher refresh rate with one monitor but less with two. Its HDMI and DisplayPort connections can also have different limits, even on the same dock.
Why this matters: Check the limit for the dock port and number of monitors you are using.
A 60Hz limit doesn't always mean the dock is faulty
Sometimes 60Hz is the expected limit for the resolution, dock output, device connection, or number of displays you're using. The steps below will help you tell the difference between a setup limit and a problem that can actually be fixed.
Start here
Pick the symptom that matches your setup. It will point you to the best place to start troubleshooting.
Match the symptom
Pick the pattern that matches what you’re seeing. Each path sends you to the best starting step. If that step doesn’t explain it, keep moving down the sequence until you confirm the weak link or the right workaround.
Have each of these ready
Choose the closest path
01 Always capped at 60Hz
If the display works but you can’t select the higher refresh rate, the dock or its display output may not support the resolution and refresh rate you’re trying to use.
Next move: check the dock’s display limits and best output. If the target mode should be supported, continue to the direct-connection test.
02 Changes when you use the dock
If the higher refresh rate disappears when you use the dock, something in the docked connection may be causing the 60Hz limit.
Next move: compare the dock with a direct connection. If direct reaches the target mode, continue with the dock-specific checks that match your setup.
03 Drops with a second display
If the higher refresh rate works with one monitor but drops to 60Hz when you connect a second, the dock may support a lower refresh rate when it has to run both displays.
Next move: test one display at a time. If the higher refresh rate returns with one display, compare the dock’s single- and multi-display limits.
04 HDMI is capped but another path works
If the higher refresh rate works through another connection but not through HDMI, the dock’s HDMI output, cable, adapter, or monitor HDMI input may be preventing the higher refresh rate from being available.
Next move: simplify the HDMI path and compare the dock outputs. If the supported HDMI path is still capped, continue to the software and firmware check.
Not sure?
If more than one symptom fits, or you’re not sure where the 60Hz limit starts, begin with the monitor and work through the checks in order.
Next move: go to Step 1 and stop when a step explains the limit or shows which part of the setup needs to change.
Step-by-step fix
Confirm the exact display mode first, then check whether the docked setup should support it. Use the direct test to decide whether the dock path needs more troubleshooting.
Decision rule
Don't change the cable, output, second display, and software at the same time. One controlled change gives you evidence. If a step gives you the answer, stop there.
Monitor target
Start by confirming the resolution and refresh rate you want to use. Some monitors only support higher refresh rates through certain inputs or after you turn on the right display setting.
Do this
What this proves: If the monitor is not configured for the target mode on that input, fix that first. If the target mode is available on the monitor, continue to the dock capability check.
Dock capability
Before changing hardware, verify that the dock, its display output, the device’s display capabilities, the connection to the dock, and the number of displays you are using support the resolution and refresh rate you want.
Do this
What this proves: If the docked setup is not rated for your target mode, you’ve found the likely reason for the 60Hz limit. Go to Step 7 to choose the best workaround or hardware change. If the mode should be supported, continue to the direct-connection test.
Direct test
Now remove the dock from the path. This is the fastest way to tell whether the same 60Hz limit exists even when the dock is not involved.
Do this
What this proves: If the direct connection is also limited, stop troubleshooting the dock—the limit exists without it. If the direct connection reaches the target mode, continue with the dock-specific checks below.
Display load
If you use more than one external display, reduce the dock to the high-refresh monitor only. Dock display limits can change between single- and multi-monitor configurations.
Do this
What this proves: If the target mode appears with one display but disappears with two, the multi-display setup is causing the limit. Check the dock’s single- and multi-display limits in Step 2 if you haven’t already, then go to Step 7 to choose the best way to adjust the setup.
Dock connection
Now check the cables and ports on both sides of the dock. If the dock uses a detachable USB-C or Thunderbolt cable to connect to the device, that cable also needs to support the connection the dock requires. Test one change at a time so you can tell what makes the higher refresh rate come back.
Do this
What this proves: If the higher refresh rate comes back after changing the cable, removing an adapter, or switching dock outputs, you’ve narrowed the 60Hz limit to the part of the connection you changed. If the connection is now as simple as possible and you're still stuck at 60Hz, continue to the software and firmware check.
Updates
If the docked setup should support the target mode, direct connection works, and the simplified dock path is still stuck at 60Hz, check the remaining software and firmware layer.
Do this
What this proves: If the target mode appears after the updates, the problem was likely software or firmware. If direct connection reaches the target mode but the supported, simplified dock path still can't, the docked setup is the remaining problem.
Final step
Match what changed during testing to the fix below.
Choose the result that matches your setup
At this point, your testing should have shown what's limiting the higher refresh rate or which setup works reliably. Keep the working monitor setting, cable path, dock output, or display configuration when one of those solved the problem. If the dock still can't provide the mode you want, reduce the display demands or choose a dock that supports your resolution, refresh rate, and number of displays.
FAQ
These answers explain why your dock may be limiting the refresh rate.
The current display path may not support the resolution-and-refresh combination you want. Check the monitor input, cable, dock output, host connection, and whether the dock lists different limits for one display versus multiple displays.
No. USB4 or Thunderbolt can help, but the dock, monitor, cable, and number of displays still determine which refresh rates are available.
Some docks support different resolution-and-refresh combinations when more than one display is attached. Compare the dock’s single-display and multi-display mode tables instead of assuming both configurations have the same limits.
Use the connection that supports the resolution and refresh rate you want. If your dock has both DisplayPort and HDMI, check which one supports the better refresh rate for your setup.
If you’re stuck at 4K30, something in the connection is limiting the display. Check the host connection, dock port, cable, adapters, monitor input, and the dock’s supported display modes before replacing anything.
Compare the dock against a direct display connection that is known to support the target mode. If the direct path reaches the target refresh and the simplified dock path doesn't, you have strong evidence that the dock path deserves the next check.
Next step
If the target mode also fails with a direct connection, keep troubleshooting the device-to-monitor path instead of the dock. If direct works but the dock still does not, adjust the docked setup or replace it with one that supports your resolution, refresh rate, and number of displays.