How to check graphics after installing a new monitor

You connected a new monitor, and now games or apps look slower, choppier, or less clear. A new display can change your graphics workload, but the monitor itself is not always the cause.

Use the Graphics Test to compare browser graphics performance, then check that your computer is detecting the monitor at the settings you expect. The test is a useful comparison, not a full diagnosis of your graphics card.

Check graphics and the new monitor

1. Open the Graphics Test on the computer with the new monitor connected. Run the test and note the score out of 100.
2. For a fair comparison, use the same browser and close games, video editors, and other demanding apps. If you have a result from before the monitor was installed, compare it with that. Otherwise, run the test twice under the same conditions and note whether the results are close.
3. Open Screens and check that the new monitor appears with the expected resolution and scale. If you use more than one display, check each one separately.
4. Open Display Test on the new monitor to inspect colors and check its refresh rate. Look for flicker, unusual color patches, or motion that appears less smooth than expected.

Keep the monitor connected during the Graphics Test. If you compare against an earlier score, use the same power mode and browser where possible. A score from a different computer or browser is not a useful direct comparison.

What the result means

The graphics score is close to your earlier result

The monitor connection has not caused a clear change in this browser graphics workload. If games still feel slower, check their resolution, graphics settings, frame rate limit, and whether the game is using the intended graphics processor. A browser test cannot reproduce every game's workload.

The score is much lower than before

First repeat the test after closing demanding apps and restarting the browser. If the lower result continues, check that the browser is using graphics acceleration and that your graphics driver is working. A lower score alone does not prove the monitor or graphics card is defective.

The monitor is missing or shows the wrong resolution or scale

The computer may not have detected the display correctly, or it may be using a setting you did not intend. Check the display settings and the cable or adapter. The Screens tool reports the resolution and scale the browser can see, but it cannot change them for you.

The picture looks wrong, but the score is normal

A normal score does not rule out a display setting or cable problem. Check the refresh rate, color settings, and cable connection. Use Display Test to look for visible color or refresh issues on the monitor itself.

How to fix a graphics or display change

1. Set the monitor's resolution. On Windows 11, open Settings › System › Display, select the new monitor, and choose the recommended resolution under Display resolution. On macOS, open System Settings › Displays, select the monitor, and choose a suitable resolution.
2. Choose the refresh rate you expect. On Windows 11, open Settings › System › Display › Advanced display, select the monitor, and choose a supported rate. On macOS, open System Settings › Displays and select a supported option under Refresh rate, if one is shown. The highest rate may not be available with every cable, adapter, or display mode.
3. Check the cable and adapter. Connect the monitor directly to the computer if you are using a dock or adapter. Try another port or a cable that supports the monitor's resolution and refresh rate. A connector that fits does not guarantee that it supports every display mode.
4. Close other demanding apps and retest. Games, video playback, and editing software can use graphics resources while the browser test runs. Close them, restart the browser, and run the Graphics Test again.
5. Restart the computer and check for driver updates. A restart can make the operating system detect the display again. If the graphics problem began after connecting the monitor, install the graphics driver recommended for your computer or graphics card, then repeat the checks.

When it may be a hardware problem

Look for problems that remain after checking settings and trying a different cable or port. Persistent colored blocks, repeated black screens, or flickering across more than one display can point to a graphics card, port, cable, or monitor fault. If possible, connect the new monitor to another computer, or try a different monitor on this one. This helps separate a monitor problem from a computer problem.

A browser graphics score cannot identify defective video memory or confirm that a graphics card is healthy. For more on that limitation, see what a browser graphics score cannot tell you about VRAM. If the same visible fault follows the monitor to another computer, contact the seller or manufacturer. If it follows the computer across displays, seek computer or graphics-card support.

Why a new monitor can affect performance

A higher-resolution display asks the graphics processor to draw more pixels. A higher refresh rate asks it to update the picture more often. Those changes can affect games and other demanding apps, especially if they are now running at the monitor's full resolution or refresh rate.

The Graphics Test measures browser graphics performance using a 1080p workload. Its score is helpful for checking whether results change under similar conditions, but it does not represent every resolution, game, or monitor feature. A stable score can coexist with slower performance in a game that is rendering at a higher resolution.