Microsoft is working on improving high-refresh-rate display support in Windows 11. The latest Canary build from the Dev Channel includes two important graphics changes: multi-monitor and energy optimizations. These features are rolling out as part of Windows 11 Preview Build 25915.
“We have improved refresh rate logic to allow different refresh rates on different monitors, depending on the refresh rate for each monitor and content shown on the screen,” explains Microsoft
The first improvement is for those using two or more high-refresh-rate displays. Windows 11 will now be able to adjust the refresh rate for the specific content on each monitor. For example, you can have a higher value on a monitor with your game and a lower value on the other display with a video or static picture.
The second improvement is focused on energy efficiency. Windows 11 will now be able to dynamically adjust the refresh rate of a display based on the content that is being displayed. This will help to save battery life on laptops and other portable devices.
Windows 11 Becoming More Graphics Friendly
These are just two of the graphics improvements that are being worked on for Windows 11. Microsoft is also planning to add support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) in the future. VRR allows the display to sync its refresh rate with the frame rate of the graphics card, which can help to reduce screen tearing and stuttering.
Using high refresh rates on multiple monitors can make your GPU work harder and use more power. Some Nvidia RTX 30– and 40-series Founders Edition cards have a cool feature that lets the fans stay silent when you're just watching videos on one monitor. But this feature can get disabled if you have another monitor with a high refresh rate.
Microsoft's update should fix this problem and let the fans stay quiet, while also adjusting the refresh rates on different monitors based on what you're doing or seeing. If you want to keep the fans quiet on multiple monitors right now, you have to lower the refresh rate of the second monitor yourself.
If you are using a high-refresh-rate display with Windows 11, you can expect to see some improvements in the near future. The new graphics features are currently being tested in the Canary Channel, but they should be released to the general public in the coming months.
