Max Resolution & Refresh Rate Finder
Pick the port on your source device and the cable you are using, and this tool works out the highest resolution and refresh rate that link can carry. It is the reverse of the Video Bandwidth Calculator: instead of asking “will this mode fit?”, it tells you what actually fits.
Maximum refresh rate at each resolution
Can this link run the popular modes?
These are link limits, not panel limits — your monitor also has to support the mode. See How accurate is this? below.
If a mode you want is out of reach, the fix is usually a better cable or a newer port. Compare HDMI cable types and DisplayPort cable types, read HDMI 2.0 vs 2.1, or check whether Display Stream Compression can close the gap on the hardware you already own.
How accurate is this?
This is a planning guide, not a specification. The tool computes the active-pixel data rate (width × height × refresh × bits per pixel) plus a typical ~5% blanking allowance, then compares it against the usable bandwidth of your port and cable — whichever is lower. A few things move the real number:
- Your display has its own ceiling. A 4K 60 Hz monitor stays at 60 Hz no matter how much bandwidth the link has.
- Blanking timing varies by mode. CVT reduced blanking (typical on modern PC displays) uses less overhead than older TV timings, so borderline modes can go either way.
- DSC is roughly 3:1 and needs support at both ends. Where the table says “with DSC,” the source, the display, and the link all have to implement it.
- Usable bandwidth is shown after encoding overhead (8b/10b for HDMI 1.4–2.0 and DisplayPort HBR, 16b/18b FRL for HDMI 2.1, 128b/132b for UHBR), which is why the figures sit below the headline “48 Gbit/s”-style signaling rates.
- USB-C splits lanes. Carrying USB 3 data at the same time drops DisplayPort Alt Mode from four lanes to two, halving the video bandwidth.
Max resolution: frequently asked questions
What is the maximum resolution of HDMI 2.0?
HDMI 2.0 carries about 14.4 Gbit/s of usable video bandwidth. At 8-bit 4:4:4 that works out to:
- 4K (3840 × 2160) at 60 Hz
- 1440p at 144 Hz
- 1080p at 240 Hz
HDMI 2.0 reaches 4K at 120 Hz only by dropping to 4:2:0 chroma subsampling, and it has no Display Stream Compression to fall back on. For 4K 120 Hz at full color you need HDMI 2.1.
What is the max refresh rate of DisplayPort 1.4?
DisplayPort 1.4 (HBR3) provides about 25.92 Gbit/s of usable bandwidth. Uncompressed at 8-bit 4:4:4:
- 4K at 120 Hz
- 1440p at 240 Hz
- 1080p at 480 Hz
With DSC enabled at both ends, the same link stretches to roughly 4K at 240 Hz or 8K at 60 Hz. This is why DisplayPort 1.4 remains the standard connection on high-refresh PC monitors.
Does the cable change the maximum resolution?
Yes — but only when the cable is rated below the port. A link runs at the lower of the two ends, so an HDMI 2.1 port paired with an old High Speed cable is capped at about 8.16 Gbit/s and cannot even manage 4K at 60 Hz.
Once the cable meets or exceeds what the port can output, a more expensive cable adds nothing at all. See HDMI cable types and DisplayPort cable types for which rating you need.
Why does my monitor not offer the refresh rate this tool shows?
This tool shows the ceiling imposed by the link — your cable and port. Your display has its own maximum, and the two devices negotiate what they can both do through EDID.
If the mode is missing, check for: a cable rated below the port, a passive adapter or KVM in the chain that caps bandwidth, a display reporting limited capabilities, or DSC that is not enabled on both ends. The troubleshooting guide walks through each.
Does HDR lower the maximum refresh rate?
Yes. HDR uses 10-bit color rather than 8-bit, raising the data rate by roughly 25%. On a link that only just manages 4K at 120 Hz in 8-bit, enabling 10-bit HDR can pull it back to around 100 Hz.
Displays and GPUs usually compensate automatically by switching to 4:2:2 chroma or enabling DSC, which is why the picture keeps working but the reported color format changes. Set the color depth selector above to 10-bit to see the effect on your own link.
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