Windows Insiders can now try dynamic refresh rate on the Surface Laptop Stu

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Windows Insiders can now try dynamic refresh rate on the Surface Laptop Studio



Microsoft has finally begun testing the dynamic refresh rate feature on the Surface Laptop Studio, roughly six months after the laptop was launched. This enables the display on the laptop to automatically switch between a 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rate as needed, something Microsoft has promised since it first launched the laptop. The feature is only available to Windows Insiders for now, though.

As reported by Windows Central, the dynamic refresh rate mode is rolling out to Surface Laptop Studio users enrolled in the Windows Insider program, specifically the Dev and Beta channels. If you’re in that group, you should be receiving a pair of updates via Windows Update – one being a firmware update (version 10.0.156) and the other being a new Intel graphics driver (version 30.0.101.1340).

Once you have installed the updates, you should be able to find the new dynamic refresh rate mode by going into the Settings app and heading to Display -> Advanced display. Here, where’d you’d usually be able to choose between 60Hz and 120Hz, you’ll now see a Dynamic (60Hz or 120Hz) option.

Image credit: Windows Central


It looks like these are the only two refresh rates available, so you won’t get 90Hz or go as low as 10Hz when the screen is idle, for example, but it’s still good to have the option. According to Windows Central, the laptop does indeed stick to 60Hz when the screen is idle, and it changes to 120Hz while scrolling through a document. However, some animations don’t trigger the higher refresh rate, so the experience isn’t quite as smooth as it could be. Hopefully, that changes by the time this feature is rolled out to everyone. On that note, it doesn’t look like this feature is available for the Surface Pro 8, which also has a display capable of 120Hz. Presumably, it will get it eventually, too.

If you’re more familiar with the smartphone market, this kind of feature may actually be a bit unimpressive. Smartphones have been touting dynamic refresh rates for years, and some of them have much more granular control over how low that refresh rate can go to save battery. We can only hope that laptops like the Surface Laptop Studio kickstart a new trend and that PCs will make this kind of feature much more common. If you’re interested in Microsoft’s latest laptop, check out our Surface Laptop Studio review to learn more about it.

Source: Windows Central


The post Windows Insiders can now try dynamic refresh rate on the Surface Laptop Studio appeared first on XDA.



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