How To Fix Screen Tearing: 7 Powerful Steps for a Smooth Display
Screen tearing is a visible split in the image when the graphics card delivers a new frame before the monitor finishes displaying the previous one. The correct fix depends on your hardware: use variable refresh rate when available, or use VSync and an FPS cap on fixed-refresh monitors. NVIDIA describes G-Sync as matching monitor refresh rate to GPU frame rate, while AMD FreeSync requires compatible Radeon graphics and a supported monitor.
Fix It In This Order
When deciding how to fix screen tearing, change one setting at a time and test the affected game or video after each step. This avoids creating conflicting display settings and makes it easier to identify what solved the problem.
Confirm the monitor is using its intended refresh rate.
Enable Adaptive Sync, FreeSync, or G-Sync in the monitor’s OSD menu.
Enable G-Sync or FreeSync in the GPU driver if your monitor supports VRR.
Add an FPS cap slightly below the monitor’s maximum refresh rate.
Use VSync as the fallback for fixed-refresh monitors.
Check the cable, driver, and display connection.
Treat browser-only video tearing as a separate issue.
Check The Actual Refresh Rate
Before changing game settings, confirm Windows is using the refresh rate your monitor supports. Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display, select the relevant monitor, and choose the correct option under Choose a refresh rate. Microsoft documents this path and notes that available rates depend on the connected display and hardware.
This step matters because a 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor may fall back to 60 Hz after a cable change, driver reset, docking station connection, or new display configuration. If Windows is using a lower rate than expected, correct it before judging whether synchronization settings work.
Choose The Right Sync Method
The best answer to how to fix screen tearing changes with the monitor type.
| Monitor setup | Best first option | Why |
| G-Sync or G-Sync Compatible display with NVIDIA GPU | G-Sync plus an FPS cap | Lets the monitor follow GPU frame delivery within its VRR range |
| FreeSync display with AMD GPU | FreeSync plus an FPS cap | Uses variable refresh rate to align display timing with output |
| Standard fixed-refresh monitor | VSync, then an FPS cap | Prevents frames being displayed partway through a refresh |
| Browser/video-only issue | Hardware acceleration check | Video rendering may use a different graphics path than games |
G-Sync and FreeSync do not make a graphics card faster. They coordinate frame delivery and display refresh timing, which can remove tearing and reduce stutter within the compatible refresh range.
Enable G-Sync On NVIDIA
For an NVIDIA system, how to fix screen tearing usually begins in both the monitor menu and NVIDIA Control Panel.
Open the monitor’s on-screen display and enable Adaptive Sync, FreeSync, or G-Sync Compatible mode.
Open NVIDIA Control Panel.
Select Display > Set up G-SYNC.
Tick Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible.
Choose Full screen mode or Windowed and full screen mode, depending on how you play.
Select the monitor and enable settings for that display model if the option appears.
Open Manage 3D settings and confirm Monitor Technology is set to G-SYNC or G-SYNC Compatible rather than Fixed Refresh.
NVIDIA’s guidance also notes that the display needs to be connected, enabled, and configured as the primary display for this setup. If G-Sync does not appear, re-check the monitor’s adaptive-sync setting, cable connection, selected Windows refresh rate, and monitor technology setting,
Enable FreeSync On AMD
If you have Radeon graphics and a compatible FreeSync monitor, how to fix screen tearing includes verifying the driver setting rather than assuming the monitor label means it is already active.
Turn on FreeSync or Adaptive Sync in the monitor’s OSD menu.
Open AMD Radeon Settings or AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
Open the display controls.
Confirm that AMD FreeSync is set to On.
Launch the affected game and test it with an FPS cap slightly below the monitor’s maximum refresh rate.
AMD says FreeSync should be enabled by default after the display driver is installed on supported hardware, but it can be checked and disabled from Radeon Settings. Compatibility still depends on the graphics card, monitor, port, and connection used.
Add An FPS Cap
An FPS cap gives the sync system room to operate. For example, on a 144 Hz monitor, start with a cap near 141 FPS; on a 165 Hz monitor, begin near 162 FPS. These are practical starting points, not universal values: individual games, drivers, and monitor VRR ranges can behave differently.
For VRR setups, this cap helps keep rendered frames below the refresh-rate ceiling. For fixed-refresh displays, it can reduce sudden frame-rate spikes, but VSync is still the more dependable anti-tearing layer. This is one of the most useful refinements when learning how to fix screen tearing without replacing hardware.
Use VSync When VRR Is Unavailable
VSync is the straightforward option for a monitor without G-Sync or FreeSync. Enable it in the individual game first, then test controller or mouse responsiveness before forcing it globally through the GPU driver.
VSync prevents the GPU from presenting a new frame while the monitor is partway through a refresh, but it may add input lag. If responsiveness is more important than completely eliminating tearing, you may prefer an FPS cap alone or a higher-refresh-rate monitor, accepting that an FPS cap by itself does not guarantee tear-free output under every condition.
Rule Out Connection Problems
A sync setting cannot work if the monitor connection does not expose the needed capability. Work through these checks when G-Sync or FreeSync is missing, inactive, or unreliable:
- Use a connection type and port supported for VRR by both the GPU and monitor.
- Test a known-good DisplayPort cable or the HDMI version specified by the display manufacturer.
- Avoid assuming every HDMI port on a monitor supports the same refresh rate or VRR features.
- Confirm the monitor is connected directly to the discrete GPU, not an unsupported dock, adapter, or motherboard display output.
- Reinstall or update the graphics driver when the issue began after an update, a new monitor, or a configuration change.
For NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible operation over DisplayPort, NVIDIA specifically identifies compatible GeForce hardware, a DisplayPort connection, the display’s own VRR setting, and NVIDIA Control Panel configuration as required element
Fix Browser-Only Tearing
If games look normal but a video in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or another browser tears, approach how to fix screen tearing as a video-rendering issue first. Enable the browser’s hardware acceleration option, restart the browser, and retest the same video.
If the tear remains, update the graphics driver, temporarily disable video-related extensions, and test a second browser. A browser-only problem does not automatically mean G-Sync, FreeSync, or your monitor is broken; the browser can use a different rendering pipeline from a game.
When Nothing Works
If you still need to know how to fix screen tearing after enabling sync options, use this short isolation process:
Test a second game or application to determine whether the issue is app-specific.
Re-check both the monitor OSD and GPU driver setting; VRR commonly needs both enabled.
Set the correct Windows refresh rate again after changing cables or ports.
Test with another suitable cable.
Remove GPU overclocks temporarily.
Reset game display settings and rebuild its graphics profile.
Update the driver, or consider a rollback only if tearing began immediately after a driver update.
An older fixed-refresh monitor can still deliver tear-free output with VSync and sensible FPS limits. Consider replacement only after you have ruled out refresh-rate, settings, cable, driver, and application-specific causes.
Read more: How To Fix Screen Tearing: 5 Smooth Fixes for PC Gaming
Frequently Asked Questions
Enable G-Sync or FreeSync if you have compatible hardware, then cap FPS slightly below the monitor’s maximum refresh rate. On a fixed-refresh monitor, enable VSync in the affected game.
An FPS cap can substantially reduce tearing by keeping frame rate below the display ceiling. For dependable tear-free output, pair it with VRR on compatible hardware or VSync on a fixed-refresh display.
Enable windowed and full-screen mode if you play borderless-windowed games. Use full-screen-only mode if you want G-Sync applied only to exclusive full-screen applications.
Confirm the monitor supports adaptive sync, adaptive sync is enabled in its OSD, the display is connected to the NVIDIA GPU with a supported cable/port, Windows is set to an appropriate refresh rate, and Monitor Technology is not set to Fixed Refresh.
FreeSync can be disabled in the driver, unavailable on an unsupported connection, or unavailable because the monitor-side Adaptive Sync option is off. Verify the monitor setting first, then confirm AMD FreeSync is On in the display controls.
Yes. VSync, an FPS cap, correct Windows refresh-rate settings, driver maintenance, and cable checks solve many cases without new hardware. A VRR-capable monitor is helpful but not mandatory.
Yes. If the operating system is using the wrong refresh rate, the monitor and GPU synchronization settings may not behave as expected. Select the supported intended refresh rate in Windows before troubleshooting further.