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how to fix screen tearing

Screen tearing usually happens when your game or video’s frame rate is out of sync with your monitor’s refresh rate, and you can often fix it with a few settings tweaks rather than new hardware.

What screen tearing is

  • Screen tearing looks like a horizontal “cut” or misalignment where the top and bottom parts of the image don’t line up because your GPU is sending new frames while the monitor is still drawing the previous one.
  • It’s most common in fast games (FPS, racing, rhythm) or during rapid camera movement, but it can also appear when scrolling or watching videos on PCs with mismatched settings.

Quick basic fixes

Try these first, in order:

  1. Match resolution and refresh rate
    • Set your monitor to its native resolution and maximum refresh rate in your OS display settings or GPU control panel.
 * Using non‑native resolutions or a lower-than-supported refresh rate can make tearing and general instability worse.
  1. Cap your FPS near refresh rate
    • If your GPU is pushing wildly higher FPS than your monitor (for example 250 FPS on a 60 Hz display), tearing becomes very obvious.
 * Use an in‑game FPS limiter or a driver‑level frame limiter (NVIDIA Control Panel, AMD Software, or tools like RTSS) to cap FPS at or slightly below your monitor’s refresh (for example 59–60 on 60 Hz, 141–143 on 144 Hz).
  1. Update or roll back GPU drivers
    • Install the latest stable graphics drivers from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel; driver bugs can cause or worsen tearing and stutter.
 * If tearing started right after a driver update, try rolling back to the previous version to see if that specific release is the culprit.

Sync technologies to use (or avoid)

These options directly control how frames are synchronized to your monitor.

  • VSync (Vertical Sync)
    • Fix: Traditional way to stop tearing by forcing the GPU to wait for the monitor’s refresh, which usually eliminates visible tearing.
* Trade‑offs: Can introduce input lag and stutter when FPS drops below refresh rate, so competitive players sometimes dislike it.
  • Adaptive / Fast / Enhanced Sync (driver features)
    • NVIDIA: Adaptive VSync or Fast Sync; AMD: Enhanced Sync; Intel also offers similar modern sync options.
* These aim to reduce tearing while cutting down on classic VSync input lag, making them a strong choice for many gamers in 2025.
  • G‑Sync / FreeSync / VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
    • If your monitor and GPU support G‑Sync (NVIDIA), FreeSync (AMD), or generic VRR, enable it in your monitor’s OSD and GPU control panel.
* VRR dynamically matches the monitor refresh rate to the game’s frame rate, which is currently the smoothest way to eliminate tearing with minimal lag.

Extra PC and monitor checks

  • Use the right cable and port
    • To use high refresh rates and VRR properly, connect via DisplayPort or a recent HDMI version that your monitor and GPU both support, and select that input on the monitor.
* Some monitors only support FreeSync/G‑Sync Compatible on one specific port, so double‑check the manual or product page.
  • Disable duplicate overlays and recording tools
    • Multiple overlays (Discord, game bars, recording software) can conflict and cause uneven frame pacing that looks like tearing or micro‑stutter.
* Turn off non‑essential overlays and background recording and then test your game or video again.
  • Check per‑game settings
    • Many games have their own VSync, FPS limiter, and sometimes proprietary sync settings; mixing in‑game and driver options can create odd behavior.
* Start with either game‑level VSync on and driver set to “Use application setting,” or game VSync off and control everything via the driver, then compare feel and tearing.

Long‑term and hardware options

  • Choose a high‑refresh, VRR monitor
    • Monitors with 120–240 Hz refresh rates and certified G‑Sync or FreeSync support give you far more headroom before tearing becomes noticeable.
* For gaming setups in 2025, a good 144 Hz or higher VRR monitor is considered the baseline “sweet spot” for smooth, tear‑free motion.
  • Balance visuals vs responsiveness
    • Cranking every graphics setting to ultra can make FPS fluctuate wildly, which can reintroduce tearing and stutter even with sync features on.
* Aim for stable FPS that your hardware can hold (for example, lock at 90–120 FPS instead of swinging between 60 and 200) to keep the image consistent and responsive.

TL;DR: To fix screen tearing, match resolution and max refresh, cap FPS close to refresh, then enable either VSync, Adaptive/Fast/Enhanced Sync, or G‑Sync/FreeSync depending on your hardware; if the issue persists, check drivers, cables, and overlays, and consider a high‑refresh VRR monitor for a more permanent solution.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.