What Is the Default Refresh Rate of Htop?

This article provides a quick overview of the default refresh rate of the htop interactive process viewer in Linux, explains how it impacts system resource consumption, and demonstrates how to customize this interval to suit your monitoring needs.

The default refresh rate of htop is 2.0 seconds (expressed as 20 tenths of a second in the configuration file). Every two seconds, the utility queries the /proc filesystem to update CPU usage, memory consumption, swap metrics, and the running process list.

Why the Default Rate Matters

A two-second interval strikes a practical balance between real-time accuracy and system overhead. Because htop itself requires CPU cycles to parse system data and redraw the terminal screen, updating too frequently on a heavily loaded or resource-constrained system could distort the very performance metrics you are trying to monitor.

How to Change the Refresh Rate

If the default two-second delay is too slow for tracking sudden spikes, or too fast for a low-overhead background monitor, you can adjust it using two different methods:

• Command-Line Flag: You can specify a custom delay when launching the tool by using the -d (delay) flag. The argument is passed in tenths of a second. For example, to set the refresh rate to 1 second, run: htop -d 10
• In-App Setup Menu: While htop is actively running, press F2 (or S) to enter the Setup menu. Navigate to Display options, locate the refresh delay setting, and modify it directly within the interface.