Screen Tearing: What Causes It and How to Fix It

Published 2026-10-16 · LuxuriousComputers Repair

Screen tearing appears as horizontal lines or splits across your monitor where the top and bottom portions of the image do not align. It looks like the image has been cut horizontally and the pieces shifted sideways relative to each other. Tearing happens when the graphics card sends frames to the monitor at a rate that does not match the monitor refresh rate — the monitor starts drawing a new frame before finishing the previous one, so you see parts of two different frames simultaneously. It is most noticeable during fast horizontal camera movement in games, panning shots in videos, and scrolling on websites. The fix depends on your hardware and what you are willing to trade off, because the solutions that eliminate tearing can introduce input lag or reduce frame rates.

Why tearing happens

Understanding the mechanism helps you choose the right fix:

• Your monitor refreshes at a fixed rate — typically 60 times per second (60Hz), 144 times per second (144Hz), or another fixed interval. Each refresh, the monitor draws the image from top to bottom using whatever frame data is in its buffer
• Your graphics card renders frames as fast as it can and pushes them to the monitor buffer. If the GPU finishes a new frame while the monitor is partway through drawing the current frame, the buffer updates mid-draw. The monitor shows the old frame at the top and the new frame from wherever it was when the buffer switched — creating the visible tear line
• When the GPU frame rate is higher than the monitor refresh rate, tearing is most frequent. At 200 FPS on a 60Hz monitor, the GPU delivers a new frame every 5 milliseconds, but the monitor only reads the buffer every 16.7 milliseconds — multiple tears per refresh are possible. When the GPU frame rate is lower than the refresh rate, tearing still happens but less frequently

VSync

Vertical Sync is the oldest and simplest solution. It forces the GPU to wait until the monitor finishes drawing the current frame before sending the next one:

• Enable in game settings: Most games have a VSync toggle in their graphics or display settings. Turn it on. The GPU will cap its output to match the monitor refresh rate — 60 FPS on a 60Hz monitor, 144 FPS on a 144Hz monitor
• Enable in GPU driver: If the game does not have a VSync option, force it through the GPU driver. NVIDIA: open NVIDIA Control Panel, Manage 3D Settings, set Vertical Sync to On (or Adaptive). AMD: open AMD Software, Gaming tab, select the game profile, enable Wait for Vertical Refresh
• The tradeoff — input lag: VSync adds input lag because the GPU must wait for the monitor to finish drawing before sending the next frame. This delay is typically 16 to 33 milliseconds depending on frame rate and refresh rate. For casual gaming and video watching, this lag is imperceptible. For competitive shooters or fast-paced games where every millisecond matters, VSync lag can feel sluggish
• The stutter problem: Traditional VSync has a harsh penalty when the GPU cannot maintain the full refresh rate. If your GPU drops below 60 FPS on a 60Hz monitor, VSync drops to 30 FPS instead of 59 — halving the frame rate until the GPU catches back up. This causes jarring stutters. Adaptive VSync (NVIDIA) or Enhanced Sync (AMD) solve this by disabling VSync when the frame rate drops below the refresh rate, allowing tearing only during dips rather than stutter

Adaptive sync — FreeSync and G-Sync

Adaptive sync is the best solution for tearing because it eliminates tearing without the input lag and stutter penalties of VSync:

• How it works: Instead of the monitor refreshing at a fixed rate and the GPU trying to match it, adaptive sync lets the GPU tell the monitor when each frame is ready. The monitor waits for the GPU and refreshes only when a complete frame arrives. This means the monitor refresh rate dynamically adjusts to match the GPU frame rate — if the GPU renders at 73 FPS, the monitor refreshes 73 times per second
• FreeSync (AMD): Most modern monitors support FreeSync (also called Adaptive-Sync based on VESA standard). Check your monitor specifications or OSD menu. Enable FreeSync in the monitor OSD settings, then enable it in AMD Software under Gaming, Display. FreeSync works over DisplayPort and HDMI on most monitors
• G-Sync Compatible (NVIDIA): NVIDIA GPUs work with FreeSync monitors through G-Sync Compatible mode. Enable it in NVIDIA Control Panel, Display, Set Up G-SYNC. Select Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible and choose your monitor. Most FreeSync monitors work well in this mode
• G-Sync (dedicated module): Some monitors have a dedicated NVIDIA G-Sync hardware module. These monitors work exclusively with NVIDIA GPUs and provide the best adaptive sync experience with the widest supported frame rate range, variable overdrive, and zero flickering at low frame rates
• Check your cable: Adaptive sync requires the correct cable. DisplayPort is preferred — it supports FreeSync and G-Sync across all versions. HDMI support varies: FreeSync works over HDMI 1.4 and later on AMD, but G-Sync Compatible over HDMI requires HDMI 2.1 and an NVIDIA 30-series or newer GPU. If adaptive sync is not working, try switching to a DisplayPort cable

Frame rate caps

Capping your frame rate just below your monitor refresh rate reduces tearing without VSync overhead:

• In-game frame limiter: Many games have a frame rate cap in their settings. Set it to 2 to 3 FPS below your refresh rate — on a 60Hz monitor, cap at 57 FPS. On a 144Hz monitor, cap at 141 FPS. This keeps the GPU from pushing frames faster than the monitor can display them while avoiding the frame pacing issues of VSync
• NVIDIA Control Panel: Under Manage 3D Settings, set Max Frame Rate to your desired cap. This applies a driver-level limiter that works in every application
• AMD Anti-Lag and RTSS: AMD Software includes a frame limiter in its Radeon Anti-Lag feature. Alternatively, RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS, included with MSI Afterburner) provides one of the most consistent frame limiters available — set the framerate limit in RTSS for the smoothest frame pacing
• Combined with adaptive sync: The ideal setup for most gamers is adaptive sync enabled plus a frame rate cap set 3 FPS below the monitor maximum refresh rate. This keeps the GPU within the monitor adaptive sync range while preventing it from exceeding the refresh rate, eliminating both tearing and VSync-related lag

Triple buffering

• Triple buffering adds a third frame buffer, allowing the GPU to continue rendering even when VSync is waiting for the monitor. This reduces the stutter penalty of traditional VSync — instead of dropping to half frame rate when a frame is late, the GPU uses the extra buffer to keep working
• In OpenGL games, triple buffering works correctly and reduces VSync stutter with minimal additional input lag. Enable it in the GPU driver settings
• In DirectX games (most PC games), the option labeled Triple Buffering in driver settings does not work the same way — it becomes a render queue that adds more lag. For DirectX games, use Flip Queue Size or Low Latency Mode instead

Low latency modes

• NVIDIA Reflex: Games that support NVIDIA Reflex have a built-in low latency toggle that minimizes the render queue. Enable it in the game settings. Reflex reduces input lag significantly and works alongside VSync and adaptive sync
• NVIDIA Ultra Low Latency Mode: In NVIDIA Control Panel, set Low Latency Mode to Ultra. This limits the GPU pre-render queue to one frame, reducing lag at the cost of slightly less consistent frame times
• AMD Anti-Lag: AMD Anti-Lag reduces the render queue similarly to NVIDIA low latency mode. Enable it in AMD Software for the specific game. Anti-Lag works with and without FreeSync enabled

Desktop and video tearing

• If tearing occurs on the Windows desktop (dragging windows, scrolling web pages) rather than in games, the issue is usually the desktop compositor. Windows 10 and 11 use Desktop Window Manager (DWM) which applies its own VSync to desktop rendering. If desktop tearing persists, check that hardware acceleration is enabled in your browser settings and that your GPU drivers are current
• Video playback tearing in media players like VLC can be fixed by changing the video output module. In VLC: Tools, Preferences, Video, Output — try OpenGL video output or Direct3D11 video output. Also enable Deinterlace if the source video is interlaced

Monitor and cable troubleshooting

• Ensure your monitor is running at its maximum rated refresh rate. Right-click the desktop, Display Settings, Advanced Display, and verify the refresh rate matches the monitor specification. A 144Hz monitor accidentally set to 60Hz wastes the higher refresh rate and causes more tearing at high frame rates
• Use the cable type recommended by your monitor manufacturer. Some monitors only support their full refresh rate and adaptive sync over specific ports — check the manual. A 144Hz monitor might only run at 144Hz over DisplayPort, falling to 60Hz over HDMI

Screen tearing diagnosis in Columbus and Delaware

If screen tearing persists after trying software fixes, the issue may be a failing graphics card, incompatible monitor connection, or driver conflict. Luxurious Computers can test your GPU output, monitor compatibility, and cable connections to identify and resolve the cause of persistent screen tearing.