How to Reduce Flicker
The hertz, or Hz, count of monitors, also known as "refresh rate," is the amount of times per second that the picture is redrawn on the screen. A low refresh rate like the one in cathode-ray tube monitors, which typically is either 50 or 60, gives the screen a flickering sensation to the human eye. Long-term exposure to refresh rates under 75 can give you both eye-strain issues and headaches, which is why it's a good idea to know how to set your screen to its optimal Hz setting.
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Instructions
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In Windows Vista
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1
Right-click anywhere on the wallpaper on your desktop and choose "Personalize" at the bottom of the list.
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2
Click on "Display Settings" at the bottom of the window.
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3
Click on the "Advanced Settings" button at the lower right of the window.
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4
Click on the "Monitor" tab.
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Set the "Screen refresh rate" setting to the highest possible, and click "Apply." If the screen stays dark, wait 15 seconds for the setting to reset back to the previous one automatically and try a lower setting.
In Windows XP
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6
Right-click anywhere on the wallpaper on the desktop, and select "Properties" at the bottom.
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Click on the "Settings" tab and then on the "Advanced" button on the lower right.
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Click on the "Monitor" tab.
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Set the "Screen Refresh Rate" setting to the highest possible, and click "Apply." If the screen stays dark, wait 15 seconds for the setting to reset back to the previous one automatically and try a lower setting.
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Tips & Warnings
If the highest setting already is selected and that setting is 60 hertz, or if the recommended 75 hertz can't be achieved, try and deselect the check mark that hides the modes that the monitor can't display and test each hertz setting out from the lowest to highest. If the screen stays dark, wait 15 seconds for the setting to reset back to the previous one automatically and try a lower setting. If the slider is set to the maximum resolution in the "Display Settings" window, it's a good idea to try and lower it a few notches, apply the setting and then go back to the "Monitor" tab in the "Advanced Settings" to see whether you then can increase the refresh rate to at least 75. Lowering the resolution often presents more refresh rate settings. If 75 hertz can't be achieved in any resolution, the monitor, video card or device drivers for either or both of them probably are very be old. Updating drivers or upgrading hardware can present more refresh rate options, fix other problems and increase performance. Refresh rate issues are nonexistent to humans in liquid-crystal display, flat-screen monitors.
If your monitor at any point while testing settings stays dark, do NOT click the mouse or type on the keyboard until the screen comes back to life again. Whenever untested display settings are applied, Windows asks you to approve that the new settings are functional by presenting a window in which the user is supposed to interact with. Since this window obviously isn't visible if the screen is black, Windows automatically reverts the setting back to the previous one after 15 seconds if no interaction from you is performed. Practice patience while testing.
