How To Fix Screen Tearing in Windows – Full Guide

Do you know how to fix screen tearing on Windows 10? In this article, you can get the solutions to solve screen-tearing easily.

Are you irritated by the problem of screen tearing while playing games? And you are looking for a solution to this problem. Then you are on the right article. This guide was made for you.

Screen tearing is a common problem that you may face on your computer. Screen tearing problem is experienced only on computers where you have installed display hardware like a graphics card.

Poor refresh rate or low-quality FPS is not a big issue, but screen tearing is one of the most irritating problems. There are many ways to fix this issue. So let’s start the article and get to know why the screen is tearing, why it happens, and how to fix screen tearing.

What Is Screen Tearing?

Screen tearing is generally a visual artifact in a moving display i.e. video with an improper frame rate. When you are playing a game or watching a video, and it displays multiple frames within the same frame, I call it screen tearing.

Screen tearing generates a horizontal line across the display screen (in videos and games) because the top and bottom parts are not in sync, and the data is not fully loaded. This usually happens in fast-paced games and videos.

What Are the Causes Of Screen Tearing?

The major cause for screen tearing is that the frame rate rendered by the game you are playing is running higher than your monitor’s refresh rate. If your computer is not in sync with the refresh rate of its GPU and display, the display will not be able to render and output images instantly.

Of course, if it is not in sync with the GPU and it is still receiving commands while rendering the image, the tearing and receiving new information will look like a tearing effect. Lag and slow output will cause the screen to tear.

For example:- If your monitor has a refresh rate of 60 Hz, it means that it refreshes 60 times per second. However, your game may render at more than 60 fps. when the game starts rendering a higher frame rate than your monitor can show then The screen tearing happens.

How To Fix Screen Tearing With Simple Solutions

There are several solutions that you can try to fix the screen tearing problem. However, if the frame rates are not in sync due to the hardware specifications of your monitor, you may not be able to resolve the screen tearing issue. So if you are wondering how to fix screen tearing? Here are some ways you can try to solve the problem.

Solution 1: Restart Your System Or Pc

No Doubt, whenever something occurs to your PC, it is highly suggested to close the game/application you are running, and then restart your PC. At times, restarting the PC can solve a lot of issues. At this point, restarting may fetch the video feed and display output back in sync. After restarting, run the game or the application and see if the screen tearing issue remains. If yes, then try the next solution.

Solution 2: Disable Game Mode And Full-Screen Optimization

To help users optimize their system and make any game run more smoothly, Windows 10 offers a feature called Game Mode. It can provide maximum performance for game processing.

In addition, Game Mode allows users to record gameplay and enables them to take screenshots with a single button.

However, it may cause the screen to tear and the game to crash, you can try disabling game mode.

  1. Press Win+i to open Setting.
  2. Go to the gaming option.
  3. Then, go to Game mode and disable it.
How To Fix Screen Tearing

Once these settings are applied, restart your PC and check if the problem is fixed. If you are still facing a screen tearing issue, you can try disabling fullscreen optimization. you can do it this way:

  1. Right-click on the icon on the game in which you are encountering the screen tearing problem and click on the Properties option.
  2. In the Properties, go to the Compatibility tab, then select the Disable fullscreen optimization option. Click on the OK button.
How To Fix Screen Tearing

Now, close the Properties option run the game, and check for the problem.

Solution 3: Try To Change The Game FPS

If you face a screen tearing issue while playing a game, you can try changing the game’s FPS (frames per second). There is a chance that you will be playing the game at a higher FPS than your graphics card support, and this may cause the screen to fudge.

To adjust the game’s FPS, you need to open your in-game settings, and under the ‘Video/Graphics’ settings, you will find the option to change the frame rate or FPS. You can try lowering the FPS setting to check if that solves the issue or not.

Solution 4: Changing Resolution and Refresh Rate

One reason you may experience screen tearing is that your monitor’s resolution or monitor refresh rate may be set to the incorrect setting. The reason this happens is if the resolution rate of the monitor is higher than what is currently being displayed. Here are the steps you should follow:

1. Press Windows + S to launch the search application. Type “resolution” in the dialog box and open the application.

2. In Settings, go down to the end of the page and select “Advanced display settings”.

How To Fix Screen Tearing

3. Another Dialog Box will come up. Select the option Display adapter properties for Display 1.

4. Then your hardware properties will come up. Click on “List All Modes” in the tab “Adapter”.

How To Fix Screen Tearing

5. There You will see a list of other resolutions present on the screen. Adjust them according to your hardware and after that press “OK”.

How To Fix Screen Tearing

After successfully adjusting the settings restart your computer and see if the screen tearing issue still occurs.

Solution 5: Update/Reinstall The Graphics Driver

If all the above methods don’t work. Another cause why you are encountering the issue of display tearing is because of outdated graphics card drivers. Here’s how to fix screen tearing by updating the graphics driver.

  • Press Win + R Key. Then type devmgmt.msc in the box and click OK.
  • Once you go into the device manager double-click Display adapters to expand it.
  • Right-click on your graphics driver and choose Update driver
How To Fix Screen Tearing
  • After that a new option comes up, you need to select the option “Search automatically for updated driver software”.
  • Now your computer will search for new updates. However, if it is already updated, then reinstall your driver.

Solution 6: Enabling / Disabling NVIDIA VSync

VSync could be the reason for screen tearing issues. Screen tearing, as said earlier, happens when the frame rate is higher than that of the system. Vsync fixes this issue by controlling the frame rate automatically without your permission. Now either you can disable the feature or enable it. See what works in your case.

  1. First, Right-click anywhere on your Desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel.
  2. GO to 3D Settings > Manage 3D settings click on the Global Settings option present on the right side of the screen and select Vertical Sync.
  3. Now you can turn it either on or off according to your case.
How To Fix Screen Tearing

Click On Save Changes and exit. Now check if the issue is solved or not.

Solution 7: Change The Power Setting

This problem can also occur if you are not supplying enough power to the game and your game is not properly rendered through your GPU. If so, you can easily fix this issue by changing the power plan to “High Performance” or “Ultimate High Performance”. To do so follow the steps below.

1. Press the Windows and R keys to open the Run program.

2. Type “powercfg.cpl” then press enter.

How To Fix Screen Tearing

3. After that you will see the Power Options pop up on your Windows.

4. Now click on “Show Additional Plans” and select “High Performance”

How To Fix Screen Tearing

5. After that, restart your PC and check if the issue is still there.

Conclusion

If you are wondering how to fix screen tearing, then you can easily solve the problem by following the solutions given above. All of these solutions will surely remove screen tearing during gaming. Yet it is up to you to choose which solution works best for you to have a better gaming experience.

I hope you liked the article about how this article has solved the problem, and if you know of any other methods, do let us know in the comments.

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Altaf Hassan a tech and gaming enthusiast with over 3 years of experience. He likes writing about tech, games, android tips, and how-to's. He loves playing games and learning new things about tech. That's why he created this website to share information.

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