How to fix Screen Tearing Without Vsync

Screen tearing is an effect seen on your monitor divided into two halves with different FPS caused due to your monitor refresh rate and your graphics cards don’t occur at the same period. It usually happens while playing games on your computer when your frame rate doesn’t match the refresh rate of the display.

While encountering the screen tearing you will see the split of the display divided into two parts where the top portion and bottom portion have completely different frames.

Vsync was originally designed to eliminate screen tearing. This means that it synchronizes the refresh rate and frame rate of a monitor. 

It also maximizes the limit of refresh rates but it can harm your fps. It can also lower your fps to a certain point. It could be solved with the help of triple buffering but it also causes other minor problems.

Stop Screen Tearing Without Vsync

The screen tearing occurs when the graphics card sends frames to the monitor at a rate that doesn’t sync with the monitor’s refresh rate. While enabling Vsync (Vertical Synchronization) is the most common solution for screen tearing, there are a few alternative methods you can try to mitigate or reduce screen tearing without using Vsync:

• Enable Triple Buffering: Triple buffering can help reduce screen tearing by using an additional buffer to store an extra frame ahead of what is being currently displayed. This can be enabled through the graphics driver settings or in some games.
• Limit FPS (Frames per Second): By capping the maximum frame rate to a value slightly below the monitor’s refresh rate, you can minimize screen tearing. Many games and graphics software has the option to limit the FPS within their settings. Alternatively, you can use third-party software like Rivatuner Statistics Server (RTSS) to limit the FPS globally.
• Use Adaptive Sync Technologies: If you have a compatible monitor and graphics card, utilizing technologies like AMD FreeSync or NVIDIA G-Sync can greatly reduce or eliminate screen tearing. These technologies synchronize the refresh rate of the monitor with the output of the graphics card.
• Use Fast Sync (NVIDIA GPUs): A fast Sync is an option available on some NVIDIA GPUs that can reduce screen tearing without enabling traditional Vsync. It buffers frames internally, similar to triple buffering, but discards any frames that exceed the monitor’s refresh rate, reducing tearing.
• Upgrade your Hardware: If your hardware is outdated or underpowered, it may struggle to keep up with demanding applications or games. Upgrading your graphics card or monitor to more capable models with higher refresh rates can help alleviate screen tearing.

Remember that while these methods can reduce screen tearing, they may introduce other issues like input lag or micro-stuttering. It’s advisable to experiment with different settings and configurations to find the balance that works best for your specific setup and preferences.

Step by Step Tutorial for Fixing Screen Tearing in both Nvidia and AMD GPU

Change resolution on your PC

You can try changing your resolution on your PC to sync with the maximum refresh rate of your monitor.

Steps

1. Type resolution on your search bar and press enter.
2. Open the display setting application. Browse down to the end of the page and select the advanced setting. Another window will pop up showing all the details of your display.
3. Select the option to display adapter properties and your hardware properties will pop up on your screen. 
4. Click on the list of all modes present in the tab adapter you will see a list of different resolutions present on your screen change them according to your hardware specification.
5. After pressing ok each time Check them if it makes any difference and restart your computer.

Turning off game mode  

1. Type the setting in the search box and open the application.
2. In the setting click on the gaming on the gaming and click on the gaming bar present on the right side of the navigation bar.
3. Turn the game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the game bar off, and then restart your computer.

fullscreen optimization

1. If the problem still exists then follow this method 
2. Right-click on the game and select properties and click on compatible.
3. Check the option to disable fullscreen optimization and press apply to save.
4. After that exit and restart your computer 

Reinstalling your graphics driver 

If the above method doesn’t work try reinstalling your graphics driver for that follows the steps given below: 

1. Press the Win + R key to open a Run dialog box.
2. After that type “services.msc” in the input box and hit enter.
3. The Window User Account Control(UAC) will pop up. Click on ok to launch the services window. After that, you can see the services window on your screen.
4. A page will open and you can see the different programs installed on your computer. You need to find the name of the graphics card which you want to reinstall.
5. Uninstall the current version of your graphics card and right-click and restart the computer, after that install the new version of your graphics driver on your computer.

Updating drivers

steps:

If you are using Windows 10, just press the Windows + x key and look for “device manager”.click on “Display Adapters” then click on your graphics cards, and then select “Update Drivers”.

Conclusion

Screen tearing can be a frustrating issue that disrupts our visual experience while using a computer or playing video games. While Vsync is a commonly used solution to mitigate screen tearing, it can introduce input lag, which may not be ideal for fast-paced gaming or real-time applications.

There are alternative methods to fix screen tearing without relying on Vsync. By understanding the underlying causes of screen tearing, we can implement a combination of software and hardware solutions to address this problem effectively.

One effective approach is to enable adaptive sync technologies, such as AMD’s FreeSync or NVIDIA’s G-Sync if your monitor and graphics card support them. These technologies dynamically synchronize the refresh rate of the monitor with the GPU’s frame rate, eliminating screen tearing while minimizing input lag.

For those without adaptive sync capabilities, another option is to cap the frame rate at a value slightly below the maximum refresh rate of the monitor. This can be done through third-party software or in-game settings, ensuring a more consistent frame delivery and reducing the occurrence of screen tearing.

Another technique is to use a dual-monitor setup with a secondary display that has a different refresh rate. By moving resource-intensive applications or games to the secondary monitor, screen tearing can be minimized on the primary display.

Updating graphics drivers and keeping them up to date is crucial as manufacturers often release driver updates that optimize performance and address screen tearing issues.

It is important to note that while these methods can significantly reduce screen tearing, they may not completely eliminate it in every scenario. The effectiveness of each solution may vary depending on the specific hardware and software configurations.

Finding the right balance between screen tearing reduction and minimizing input lag is a matter of personal preference. Experimenting with different techniques and settings can help you achieve a smoother and more visually pleasing experience on your computer or gaming system.

Share your experiences in the comments below and let us know which method worked best for you in fixing screen tearing without Vsync. We would love to hear your insights and suggestions!