What Causes Screen Tearing?

Screen tearing happens when your GPU outputs frames at a rate not synchronised with your monitor's refresh rate. The monitor starts drawing a new frame before finishing the previous one, creating a visible horizontal split. If your GPU is outputting 120fps but your monitor refreshes at 60Hz, tearing is almost inevitable without sync technology.

Fix 1: Enable VSync (Works on Any Setup)

  1. 1

    Enable VSync in-game

    Most games have a VSync option in Graphics or Display settings. Turn it on. VSync caps your framerate to your monitor's refresh rate so they stay synchronised. The trade-off is slight input lag — noticeable in competitive gaming but fine for most players.

  2. 2

    Enable VSync in GPU control panel

    Nvidia: right-click desktop → Nvidia Control Panel → Manage 3D Settings → Vertical Sync → On. AMD: right-click desktop → AMD Software → Gaming → Global Graphics → Wait for Vertical Refresh → Always On.

Fix 2: Enable G-Sync (Nvidia) or FreeSync (AMD)

If your monitor supports G-Sync or FreeSync, these are superior to VSync — they dynamically match the monitor refresh rate to the GPU output, eliminating tearing without the input lag penalty.

  1. 3

    Enable G-Sync (Nvidia)

    Nvidia Control Panel → Display → Set up G-Sync → tick Enable G-Sync. Make sure your monitor is connected via DisplayPort (G-Sync requires DisplayPort on most monitors).

  2. 4

    Enable FreeSync (AMD)

    AMD Software (Adrenalin) → Display → turn on AMD FreeSync. Your monitor must also have FreeSync enabled in its own settings menu.

Fix 3: Cap Your Framerate

If VSync causes too much input lag, cap your in-game framerate to just below your monitor's refresh rate (e.g. 58fps for a 60Hz monitor). This reduces tearing significantly without full VSync lag. Use RTSS (RivaTuner Statistics Server) for precise framerate capping.

Desktop tearing (not in games)If you see tearing on the Windows desktop or when scrolling, go to Display Settings → Advanced display settings → ensure the refresh rate is set to your monitor's maximum (e.g. 144Hz not 60Hz). Many monitors default to 60Hz even if they support higher.

Frequently Asked Questions

VSync caps your framerate which can actually improve performance consistency on weaker systems. The main downside is input lag — frames are held until the monitor is ready, adding 1-2 frames of delay. In competitive games this can feel sluggish. G-Sync and FreeSync solve this problem.
VSync only works when your GPU is consistently above your monitor's refresh rate. If framerate drops below (e.g. below 60fps on a 60Hz monitor), VSync halves the framerate to 30fps which can look worse than tearing. Using a framerate cap slightly above your target helps maintain consistent VSync.