Screen tearing and stutter
Screen tearing happens when the GPU hands over a new frame in the middle of the monitor's refresh, so one half of the screen shows the old frame and the other half shows the new one. VSync and variable refresh rate exist specifically to stop this, but only if they're actually enabled — and only if the monitor is running at the rate it should be.
Step-by-step fix
- First confirm the monitor is really running at its advertised Hz — a panel sold as 144Hz but stuck at 60Hz tears and stutters far more, because the GPU is producing frames faster than a 60Hz screen can display cleanly. Measure the real number with the CheckMyMic refresh rate test before changing any other settings.
- Turn on VSync in the game or the GPU control panel (NVIDIA Control Panel → Manage 3D Settings; AMD Software → Graphics; both also offer a global default). VSync locks the frame rate to the monitor's refresh, eliminating tearing — at the cost of extra input lag and possible stutter if your GPU can't sustain that frame rate.
- Prefer variable refresh rate over VSync where it's available: enable G-Sync, FreeSync or Adaptive-Sync in two places — the monitor's own on-screen menu (usually under a "Gaming" section) and the GPU driver panel. Missing either one leaves VRR off even though the other side reports it as enabled.
- Check fullscreen vs windowed: exclusive fullscreen lets VSync and VRR work directly with the display, while borderless windowed mode routes through the desktop compositor and can reintroduce tearing even with everything enabled. Switch the game to true fullscreen if tearing appears only in windowed or borderless mode.
- Cap your frame rate a few frames below the monitor's max (for example 138 fps on a 144Hz panel) using an in-game limiter or the GPU driver's frame rate cap. This keeps you inside the VRR range and avoids the frame-rate-exceeds-refresh-rate tearing that VRR alone can't fully prevent.
- If tearing appears only during video or scrolling, not gaming, check that hardware acceleration is enabled in your browser and video player — software-rendered playback is more prone to tearing than GPU-accelerated decode.
- Still tearing with VSync and VRR both on? Update the GPU driver — timing bugs around VRR ranges are common enough that vendors patch them regularly — and double-check the cable supports the bandwidth your resolution and refresh rate need.
Frequently asked questions
What actually causes screen tearing?
The GPU updates the frame buffer mid-refresh, so the monitor draws part of the old frame and part of the new one in a single pass, producing a visible horizontal split. It happens when the GPU's frame rate and the monitor's refresh rate aren't synchronized, which is exactly what VSync and variable refresh rate are designed to prevent.
Should I turn VSync on or off?
Turn it on if tearing bothers you and you don't mind a small amount of extra input lag; turn it off for competitive games where responsiveness matters more than a clean image. If your monitor and GPU support G-Sync, FreeSync or Adaptive-Sync, enable that instead — it gives a tear-free image without VSync's added lag.
I enabled FreeSync but I still see tearing — why?
Variable refresh rate has to be turned on in two separate places: the monitor's own on-screen menu and the GPU driver panel. Enabling only one leaves it off even if the other side claims it's active. Also confirm your frame rate is staying inside the panel's advertised VRR range — frames above or below that range can still tear.
I've tried everything and it still tears — what now?
Confirm the monitor is actually hitting its rated refresh rate with the CheckMyMic refresh rate test — a panel silently stuck at 60Hz will tear no matter how VSync and VRR are configured. If the rate checks out, update the GPU driver and see our monitor stuck at 60Hz guide for the cable and setting checks that restore the full rate.