Sometimes, you could be on your gadget and it looks like there’s distortion taking place on your screen, and then you wonder what the cause could be. When it gets back to its normal state, you appreciate the times when your screen was steady. For when next it happens and you’re clueless about what to do, we have put together the simple steps to fix screen tearing.
You will also learn about the causes of screen tearing, how you can avoid it, and some remedies to help.
Table of Contents
What is Screen Tearing?
Screen tearing, as the name implies, is a display condition in which a distorted image appears for a split second when there is motion on the image. Screen tearing happens when the game frames do not line up with the refresh rate of your display.
This occurrence reduces an image that appears inappropriate to the user and renders the user unable to interpret the information displayed on the screen. For gaming, screen tearing causes input issues and output issues.
Causes of Screen Tearing
Whether you’re gaming or not, the most common cause of screen tearing is your GU is out of synchronization and generates the frames you see on your screen. If the processing unit generates more frames than you can handle, you’ll see data overlapping in a single frame. That is when screen tearing happens.
Usually, when the GU is under a lot of stress, its RAM can’t keep up with the demand. Hence, screen tearing.
High frame rates are mainly necessary for competitive games because they dramatically reduce input lag. However, depending on the monitor you use, you can notice screen tearing if it set the refresh rate to a specific limit.
Can I Fix Screen Tearing?
Yes. A clear understanding of the screen tearing issue will give you a clear-cut path on how to fix it.
If a hardware malfunction causes the screen tearing, you may have to replace the graphics card or the monitor. In some cases, both.
Or, you can try the options in the latter part of this article.
How To Fix Screen Tearing
Here’s how to fix screen tearing
- Adjust the monitor refresh rate and display resolution
- Select display settings from the context menu of your right-clicked desktop
- You may also use the Windows search bar to look for change resolution and open the first result
- After that, find and en advanced display settings by scrolling down
- You may also examine your display’s advanced settings by selecting ‘display adapter properties from the drop-down menu below the specifications.
- The option list of all modes is available in this windows. Here, you can see all the different refresh rates, resolutions, and color options that your display offers.
- You can alternatively choose a different set from this list and then click ok to use the new settings
It is important that you exhaust the various options on this list until you see that there is little to no screen tearing.
Turn the NVIDIA GSync Feature ON/OFF
If you’re a gamer, you should be familiar with Nvidia’s G-sync technologies. Once your display supports these technologies, they automatically control the refresh rate of the display to keep it in sync with the FPS of the game you’re laying.
If activated, you can try to deactivate it and see if the issue still exists.
Modify your graphics driver settings by right-clicking on your desktop and selecting Nvidia control panel.
- Search for the set up Gsync tin n the right-hand menu, the G-sync will appear
- On the top, you’ll see the enable G-sync option. Check the box
- If you only play games in full-screen mode, click the enable for full-screen mode option below
- If you have many screens, you’ll have to repeat the process for each one
- To save changes, click the apply button at the bottom
- Now, restart your computer and play a game to see if the screen tearing re-occurs.
Sometimes, you may need to enable the option from the monitor’s onboard control panel.
Disabling Xbox Game Bar
Introducing a wide variety of gaming-related services such as recording, broadcasting, and even connecting with other players, the game mode is one of Windows 10 newest features.
However, this feature places additional strain on the processor, resulting in issues such as screen tearing.
Removing this feature can apply to how you can fix screen tearing. See how.
- Press Windows + I to access the Windows setting
- Select gaming from the drop-down menu. The Xbox icon on the list will help you recognize the option.
- Go to the left-hand menu and select Xbox game bar
- Simply disable the Xbox game bar using the toggle button at the top of the page.
- Make sure the checkbox below it is likewise unchecked. When using a controller, this disables the game bar from appearing.
Reset or Downgrade Graphics Drivers
If none of the above options work on how to fix screen tearing, you can try to update your graphics to the most recent build or downgrade them if the problem began after a graphics update.
There are countless instances where not using the most recent drivers poses an issue because the game you’re playing is optimized for the most recent version.
- Open your computer’s management. You may find the device manager by putting it in the Windows 10 search box and clicking the first result.
- Select display adapters from the drop-down menu. You can also find the driver for your graphics card here.
- Select Uninstall from the context menu when you right-click on the driver
- To uninstall the driver, simply follow the on-screen instructions
- Allow a few minutes for the driver to be entirely removed. Several times until the process is complete, your display will turn on and off
- Restart your computer and go to the official website to get the latest drivers
- Install the drivers on your machine as soon as possible
Disable the Frame Limit
The frame limit feature is available in an array of games and applications. The software can use this module to limit the maximum amount of frames it sends to your monitor.
This is a useful function to have if you have low-end hardware, although it causes screen tearing.
Therefore, in this simple step on how to fix screen tearing, navigate to whichever game or application you’re playing and turn off the frame limit. Depending on the game, the sets may vary.
Before checking again, remember to restart your computer after making the modifications.
Disabling Smooth Scrolling
This Windows function allows you to scroll more smoothly; adjusting the graphics output so that the screen does not look rough while scrolling. It is an incredibly useful feature, and it is activated on almost any Windows 10 system.
However, there are multiple cases where this feature has backfired and caused screen tearing. It is a bug that you can fix by disabling smooth scrolling on your device.
Before checking your screen again, restart your computer after making the modifications.
Taking Advantage of a High-performance Power Plan
Screen tearing can also arise if you don’t provide the game with adequate power. If this is it, a better and more performance-oriented power plan can readily address the issue.
It is not advisable that you apply these settings on a laptop because they can affect your thermals and battery life. But, if you want the best FPS and performance out of your game, you can do it on your laptop as well.
Below are steps to follow on fixing screen tearing
- To open the Run program, press and hold the Windows key while pressing the R key
- Enter ‘powercfg.cpl‘ into the command prompt
- When you press enter, a Power Options window should appear on your screen
- Now, select High Performance from the Show Additional Plans menu
- Check to determine whether the problem still exists after restarting your computer
Also Check Out: How to Fix Lag on Xbox One: Here’s 7 Tips on What to do
Use a Different Browser
If you are experiencing screen tearing when using a browser, it is advised that you switch to another browser to evaluate if the issue is with your browser or the system.
There are countless occasions where only one browser causes the screen to tear, either because it is obsolete or because its internal settings do not support your computer’s architecture.
This way, you’ll be able to narrow down the various causes of the issue and address them correctly.
FAQs on How To Fix Screen Tearing
Screen tearing is a display condition in which a distorted image appears for a split second when there is motion on the image. Screen tearing happens when the game frames do not line up with the refresh rate of your display.
The most common cause of screen tearing is your GU is out of synchronization and generates the frames you see on your screen.
No, the GPU or the display are unaffected by the absence of screen tearing.
Yes, you can. The smile steps on how you can fix screen tearing have been outlined above. Follow them and apply where necessary.
Bottom Line
I hope that these simple steps on how to fix screen tearing will be of great help to you. Ensure you find out the root cause of the malware and fix it accordingly.
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