Bug - Refresh Rate reverts to Windows default if you alt-tab out of the HoTS client

Started this patch. The HoTS client ignores the defined Refresh Rate setting under Graphics and will revert to the Windows desktop refresh rate if you alt-tab out of the game and alt-tab back. I tested with an Asus RoG Swift monitor with a built-in FPS counter, i7 7700k and a GTX 1080 at 1920.1080 resolution with all setting max.

Easy enough to replicate. Set your Windows desktop refresh rate to 60hz, set your HoTS refresh rate to 144hz. The monitor will correctly shows 144fps.
Alt-tab to desktop then Alt-tab back to HoTS and the monitor fps counter will show 60hz. You need to change the in-game refresh rate to something else and then back to 144hz to restore 60+ fps.

are you talking about the Nvidia control panel refresh rate settings?

Because there is no framerate option in the HotS client (or maybe it appears if you have a Nvidia GPU?) as far as I can tell.

The only way to cap framerate that I know of in HotS (in engine) is to use the command line for -frameratecap=FPS and -frameratecapglue=FPS

On the surface this seems a lot like a IHV driver issue to me (that would be Nvidia).

I said Refresh Rate, not frame rate. There’s an option to cap the game’s refresh rate so it doesn’t matter how many internal fps the engine pushes, it won’t output above the capped refresh limit. The issue has nothing to do with frame rate. It has to do with the game reverting the refresh rate to whatever the desktop is set to if you alt-tab out and back in.

Yes, but there is no way to set the refresh rate in HotS.
So if you’re setting what is supposed to be a refresh rate in the game it must be with an external application.

Some games have resolution options which include a set refresh rate, but HotS does not.
In example: some games let you choose 1080p 59Hz, 1080p 60Hz or 1080p 120Hz.

Vsync, yes? Because that caps to the monitor refresh rate. (Well, there is half rate Vsync also, but that is not possible in client).

Why would it be a different refresh rate in game?
Are you setting a different frame rate with HotS?

Because that sounds like something you would do through your GPU graphics control panel. Have you tried submitting a report to your IHV, which would be Nvidia, AMD or Intel.

Actually, kinda curious why you would do that at all… why wouldn’t the refresh rate be the same in either case—but that’s not really a relevant question. Just curiosity.

I reported some problems with refresh rate where the game would lock FPS down to 40 for no obvious reason (which is weird when my monitor is 60hz) regardless of fps caps and vsync being disabled. After playing with the settings for 15min it fixed itself for no obvious reason.

I think the problem is with settings not applying properly rather than user side error.