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Screen Tearing, V-Sync, G-Sync, and FreeSync Explained

Tearing is a horizontal split where the top and bottom of the image are from different frames.

Why it happens

Your GPU and monitor run on independent clocks. When the GPU swaps frames mid-refresh, the display shows two frames at once — a visible tear. It's worst when frame rate and refresh rate are mismatched.

The fixes

  • V-Sync — caps frames to the refresh rate. Stops tearing but adds input lag and can stutter when frame rate dips.
  • Adaptive sync (G-Sync / FreeSync / VESA Adaptive-Sync) — the monitor varies its refresh rate to match the GPU's frame rate in real time. Smooth, tear-free, and low lag. This is the modern answer.

Getting adaptive sync working

  1. Confirm the monitor supports it and enable it in the OSD.
  2. Enable G-Sync/FreeSync in your GPU control panel.
  3. Stay within the monitor's variable-refresh range (e.g. 48–144Hz). Below the range, behavior falls back — many people enable V-Sync too, only to catch frames above the range.

Verify motion

Confirm your true refresh with the Refresh Rate Test and check trailing with the Ghosting Test once sync is on.