A handy feature of the 16-inch MacBook Pro is that you can set the refresh rate of the screen yourself. This is ideal for professional users such as video editors. We show you how it works.
Set refresh rate 16 inch MacBook Pro
The brand new 16-inch MacBook Pro is the first Apple laptop where you can change the refresh rate of the screen yourself. This is useful for video editors, for example, because the frame rate matches the movie you are currently editing.
To change the refresh rate of 16-inch MacBook Pro:
- Open the Apple menu on your 16-inch MacBook Pro;
- Select ‘System Preferences’ and click on ‘Displays’;
- Hold down the Option key and press ‘Scaled’;
- The refresh rate menu will now be displayed;
- Click on the pop-up menu and choose a speed.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro has a refresh rate of 60Hz by default. Apple therefore advises to switch back to this frequency as soon as you have finished your work. In total you can choose from five refresh rates:
- 47.95Hz
- 48Hz
- 50Hz
- 59.94Hz
- 60Hz (default)
It is useful to choose a refresh rate in advance that can be divided precisely into the frame rate of your material. For example, if your material has 24 frames per second, select the refresh rate of 48Hz. You can also divide the other frequencies in the same way.
What is refresh rate?
The refresh rate stands for the number of times a screen refreshes with new images per second. A frequency of 60Hz therefore means that the screen is provided with new images 60 times per second. A higher refresh rate therefore results in a ‘smoother’ display.
However, there is also a downside to it. The most important is a less good battery life. In general, the higher the refresh rate, the faster your battery will drain. Keep this in mind if you don’t have a charger nearby.
About the 16-inch MacBook Pro
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is made for the professional. The powerful laptop puts an end to keyboard problems of previous generations, has impressive specifications and keeps a cool head thanks to the improved cooling system. Find out more about the powerhouse in our 16-inch MacBook Pro purchase advice.