[SOLVED] Why can't I set my new 144hz monitor to 144hz on the pc?

[dyslexic and stressed]

I purchased a new gaming monitor named MSI Optix MAG421C which offers 144hz. My issue is I'm only getting 60hz max from it.
I'm connecting it to my PC with the HDMI cable that came with the product, it came with only HDMI and USB cables, no Display Port cable.

When I press the joystick at the back of the monitor to change settings, it displays the monitor as 60HZ, not 144HZ and there's no option to change it. When I rightclick the desktop and click 'Screen resulotion', then 'Advanced settings' and click the monitor tab, the max screen refresh rate I can set to is 60Hertz. I only have the MAG241C monitor connected and it's picked up.

For information on what PC I'm using to connect the monitor to, it's a very old PC that's never had parts upgraded, named imedia s3800.
I have a new PC being built for me that will arrive within 3 weeks which is more up to date for gaming. It uses ryzen 7 CPU, RTX 2070 SUPER GPU, so on and I'm assured by them that it supports 144hz monitors.
on my currect PC I'm using Windows 7, not Windows 10.

I understand that my currect old PC couldn't match the in game frames per second needed to show 144hz the monitor is capable of in action, But my issue is more to the fact I can't even selected anything more than 60hz and it makes me doubt the monitor is truely 144hz as advertised.
Also I know my currect PC is capable of 70odd FPS in game when I mess around with in game settings, which is more than what 60hz can show
Why is 60hz the highest option?

Thank you to anyone here that gives my question any attention.

 

[kaehligj]

Try set the graphics adapter first to the desired fps.
Then see if the monitor follows suit.
Try on a lower resolution settings, if that makes the fps move as you want.

As I understand it the monitor will automatically detect the settings from your graphics adapter?
Maybe you can learn me more on this ?

 

[bignastyid]

Likely the system has an old version of HDMI that does not support 144hz.

 

[dyslexic and stressed]

Likely the system has an old version of HDMI that does not support 144hz.

Thank you for the reply, I think this is very likely the answer, I guessed it was my pc that was too old to support it, I just didn't have the understanding of hardward to know what about it being old makes it not support it, but your answer makes a lot of sense.
Just to be clear though, when you say 'old version of HDMI' do you mean the HDMI slot at the back of the PC, or the HDMI cable it's self?
Thank you anyway, It makes more sense to me now why I can't select anything higher than 60hz.

 

[dyslexic and stressed]

Try set the graphics adapter first to the desired fps.
Then see if the monitor follows suit.
Try on a lower resolution settings, if that makes the fps move as you want.

As I understand it the monitor will automatically detect the settings from your graphics adapter?
Maybe you can learn me more on this ?

There is no setting that allows me to set a desired FPS, but there is and option to set a refresh rate and again it only goes up to 60 Hz.
I'm not too concerned with my FPS since my PC is old and shot anyway, but yes, in game changing the resolution settings can lower, or raise FPS count. my concern is about the refresh rate of my new monitor.

Thank you for the reply, also there's a good chance I simply don't understand what you meant for me to do, so for clarity what I did following your reply was rightclicked the desktop and clicked 'Graphics properties' and selected Advanced mode which brought me into the Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel.

 

[bmockeg]

Bignastyid has it right. You need to use a DisplayPort cable to get 144hz.

 

[dyslexic and stressed]

Bignastyid has it right. You need to use a DisplayPort cable to get 144hz.

Apparently the newer HDMI cables do support 144hz now, or at least more than 60hz.

The way I understand Bignastyid's reply is that even if I have the newer HDMI cable that supports 144hz, the slot or port (whatever the correct term/name is) in my current PC is an old version of HDMI and for reasons I don't understand, if I connect my new 144hz monitor using the newer model HDMI cable, into my old PC and old version of HDMI slot... the monitor still works as normal but acts as if the HDMI cable used is an old 60hz HDMI cable.
clearly I have no knowledge of how this works and maybe it's as simple as, the cable makes no difference as long as it fits, and it's the slot that the cable plugs into that makes the difference, meaning I'd need a system with newer ports that support the likes of Display ports, newer HDMI, DVI. I don't know how it works though.

I plan ultimately to buy a Display Port cable to connect the monitor when my new PC arrives. My currect PC doesn't support Display Port.
It's just 3 weeks is a long time to find out if the monitor I just bought is working as intended for gaming at 120-144fps and could make sending it back for the correct monitor difficult.

Thank you for the reply.

 

[bignastyid]

You need to use a DisplayPort cable to get 144hz.

Not entirely true, it depends on the monitor and the MAG241C supports 1080p@144Hz with DP and HDMI. HDMI 1.4 and higher version can support 1080p@144hz. The current factor limiting it to 60hz seems to be the older system has an early version of HDMI that only supports 1080p@60hz.

 

[dyslexic and stressed]

Not entirely true, it depends on the monitor and the MAG241C supports 1080p@144Hz with DP and HDMI. HDMI 1.4 and higher version can support 1080p@144hz. The current factor limiting it to 60hz seems to be the older system has an early version of HDMI that only supports 1080p@60hz.

I'm pretty confident with this answer, thank you.
Should I come back 3 weeks from now and update whether or not the new gaming system, that supports DisplayPort and HDMI 1.4, solves my issue?

 

[bignastyid]

Sure, updates are always welcome.