How to find out the refresh rate of the screen on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: 60 Hz or 90 Hz?

Owners of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro often face confusion about the refresh rate of their model’s screen. Official specs indicate 60 Hz, but rumors about β€œhidden” 90 Hz or even 120 Hz in some firmware are circulating online.

The smartphone screen is not just a β€œpicture”, but a dynamic system where the refresh rate directly affects the smoothness of animation, response when scrolling and even battery life. IPS LCD-display diagonal of 6.53 inches this parameter is fixed at the factory, but you can check it in several ways - from standard settings to engineering menu.

It's important to understand that the screen frequency is not equal to the CPU frequency or the GPU clock frequency. It's about how many times per second the display updates the image. And if you bought the Redmi Note 8 Pro with your hands or after repair, this setting could be changed software (although the hardware remains the same).

1. Verification through standard Android settings

The most obvious, but not always working, way is to look at the settings of the smartphone. In the Redmi Note 8 Pro, the path to information about the display is not always straightforward, but let’s try:

Open Settings β†’ Display. Depending on the version of MIUI (11, 12, 12.5 or later), it may show "Screen Update" or "Adaptive Frequency." However, most firmware for this model does not have it - the manufacturer did not provide manual adjustment.

If you don't have a point, it doesn't mean that the screen is running at 60Hz, but it might just keep the user from changing the setting, so we're going to go to alternative methods.

πŸ“Š Have you ever checked the screen frequency on your smartphone?
Yeah, regularly.
I tried it once.
No, I didn't see the point.
I don't know how to do that.

2. Use of testing applications

Specialized utilities from Google Play can show the real refresh rate of the screen.-3 tested applications:

  • πŸ” Display Tester is a free app that tests the flicker of the screen, shows the current frequency and allows you to compare 60 Hz vs 90 Hz visually.
  • πŸ“Š CPU-Z β€” Device displays basic display information, including refresh rate (if supported by the device).
  • 🎯 Screen Refresh Rate Tester - creates animations on which you can visually assess the smoothness (at 60 Hz, you will notice "twitching").

⚠️ Note: Some applications may show incorrect data if the manufacturer has blocked access to the app. API It's a display, CPU-Z Sometimes it gives 60 Hz even on screens with 90 Hz due to restrictions MIUI.

To minimize errors, use at least two apps and compare results. If both are 60Hz, chances are they are.

Close all background applications|Turn off the power saving mode|Set the brightness on 50-70%|Repeat the test. 2-3 once-->

3. Engineering menu: hidden data about the display

For advanced users, there's a way to look at the Engineering Mode of a smartphone, which stores low-level hardware settings, including display data.

  1. Open the Phone app.
  2. Enter the combination: ##4636### (for some versions, MIUI may not work – see the alternative below).
  3. Select the Testing item β†’ Display.
  4. Look for lines from Refresh Rate or Screen Update.

If the standard code doesn’t work, try an alternative method:

1. Install the MTK Engineering Mode application (for MediaTek processors).


2. Go to the Hardware Testing β†’ Display section.




3.The Screen Refresh Rate or Panel Info must contain the data required.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose! Incorrect settings can lead to unstable display operation or even a "brick" of the device.

What to do if the engineering menu is not available?
On some firmware, Xiaomi blocks access to the engineering menu through standard codes. In this case, it will help: 1 (TWRP) and firmware modified MIUI. 2.Use of ADB-commands to request display data (requires PC and debugging by USB). 3. to contact the service center with a request for technical information (not always free of charge).

4. Visual test: how to distinguish 60 Hz from 90 Hz "by eye"

If the software methods don't give a definitive answer, you can do a visual test, which is not 100% accurate, but it helps you estimate the frequency.

  1. Open any website with animation (e.g. TestUFO).
  2. Run the test with the stripes moving across the screen.
  3. At 60 Hz, the bands will be less smooth, with noticeable "steps" when moving slowly.
  4. At 90 Hz, the animation will become noticeably smoother, without jerks.

For more accuracy, compare your Redmi Note 8 Pro to another device where the frequency is known in advance (for example, the POCO X3 Pro, which has exactly 120 Hz).

πŸ’‘ Useful tip: Record the screen on video in slow-motion mode and watch the result on another device. 60 Hz will see the "flicker" frames, and 90 Hz - smoother transitions.

5. Hardware Limitations: Why the Redmi Note 8 Pro Doesn't Support 90Hz

Despite rumors, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is not capable of operating at a frequency above 60Hz.

  • πŸ“± Model display β€” IPS LCD from JDI (Japan Display Inc.) with fixed frequency of 60 Hz. This is confirmed by the technical specifications of the panel. JDI LT065390FHD.
  • πŸ”§ MediaTek Helio processor G90T It supports output up to 90 Hz, but only if the display allows it. In this case, the bottleneck is the matrix itself.
  • πŸ”‹ Raising the frequency to 90 Hz would require an increase in energy consumption by 15-20%, Which contradicts the concept of a budget smartphone with a battery 4500 mic.

Table of comparison with other models Xiaomi by screen frequency:

ModelType of displayFrequency (Hz)Adaptive frequency
Redmi Note 8 ProIPS LCD60No.
POCO X3 NFCIPS LCD120Yes (60/120)
Redmi Note 10 ProAMOLED120Yes (30/60/90/120)
Mi 11 LiteAMOLED90Yes (60/90)

πŸ’‘

All attempts to overclock the screen of the Redmi Note 8 Pro to 90 Hz are programmatically doomed to failure - the limitation is laid at the level of the hardware (display panel).

6. Frequent errors in screen frequency check

Users often make mistakes that distort test results.

  • 🚫 Use energy saving modes – they can force the frequency to 30 Hz to save charge.
  • 🚫 Test on a discharged battery (less than 20%) – the system automatically limits performance.
  • 🚫 Compare with devices on AMOLED β€” Display technology affects the perception of smoothness.
  • 🚫 Trust screenshots from apps – they can show the β€œdesired” frequency, not the real one.

⚠️ Note: If you find that the screen is operating at a frequency below 60 Hz (such as 30 Hz), this may indicate that the screen is operating at a frequency below 60 Hz:

- Activated Battery mode in the MIUI settings;

Damage to the display cable after repair;

- Firmware with incorrect graphics drivers.

In such cases, resetting the settings to factory or flashing through Fastboot will help.

7.Can I increase the screen frequency on the Redmi Note 8 Pro?

The short answer is no. The long answer is with caveats:

Technically, it is possible to modify the firmware to simulate 90 Hz, but this will lead to:

- Image artifacts (frame gaps, flickering);

Overheating of the processor due to increased load;

Accelerated battery discharge (25-30% faster);

Loss of warranty (if the device is in service).

The only safe way to improve smoothness is to optimize the system:

Disable animation in Settings β†’ About Phone β†’ MIUI version (click 7 times, then set the developer’s Settings Animation = 0.5x);

Use light launchers (for example, Nova Launcher);

Clean the cache regularly (via Settings β†’ Memory).

πŸ’‘

If you’re critically interested in high screen frequency, consider switching to the POCO X3 Pro (120 Hz) or Redmi Note 11 Pro+ (120 Hz AMOLED) models – they don’t cost much more, but offer a hefty better experience.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions

❓ My Redmi Note 8 Pro shows 90Hz in the app?
The app may not read data correctly due to MIUI limitations or software bugs. Use the Display Tester with a visual test or check through the engineering menu for accuracy.
❓ Does screen frequency affect performance in games?
Indirectly, yes. At 60 Hz, the game will be limited to 60 FPS, even if the iron is capable of delivering more, but the display itself does not impair the performance of the GPU (Mali-G76 MC4 in the Redmi Note 8 Pro).
❓ Can you turn on the adaptive frequency in this model?
No. Adaptive frequency requires support at the display and firmware level. The Redmi Note 8 Pro doesn't have the hardware.
❓ Why some reviews say that the Note 8 Pro has 90 Hz?
This is either a mistake or a different model (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro India, which in 2020 was a limited batch of 90 Hz), officially all devices were released from 60 Hz.
❓ How screen frequency affects autonomy?
All else being equal, 90Hz reduces the running time by 10-15% compared to 60Hz. For the Redmi Note 8 Pro, this would mean losing ~1.5-2 hours of screen time when used actively.