Screen Tearing in Games
What is this error?
Horizontal lines or tears visible on screen where the top and bottom halves show different frames. Caused by GPU and monitor being out of sync.
Common causes
- V-Sync disabled without G-Sync/FreeSync
- framerate exceeding monitor refresh rate
- wrong display mode (Borderless vs Fullscreen)
- GPU driver V-Sync setting overriding game
- G-Sync/FreeSync not properly configured
How to fix it
- Enable V-Sync or G-Sync/FreeSync
- cap framerate to monitor refresh rate
- use Fullscreen mode
Too many steps? Crashless can diagnose this automatically — checks your drivers, temps, VRAM, and 400+ known error patterns.
Get free AI diagnosis Detailed analysis
Screen tearing — horizontal lines where the image 'tears' — happens when the GPU sends frames faster than the monitor can display them, causing partial frames to overlap.
How to fix it (choose ONE approach):
Approach 1 — V-Sync (free, adds some input lag):
- Enable V-Sync in the game's graphics settings
- V-Sync caps your FPS to the monitor's refresh rate and syncs frame delivery
- Downside: adds 1-3 frames of input lag
Approach 2 — G-Sync/FreeSync (best, requires compatible monitor):
- Enable G-Sync (NVIDIA) or FreeSync (AMD) in your GPU control panel
- Cap framerate 3fps below your monitor's max refresh rate (e.g., 141 for 144Hz) using NVIDIA Control Panel frame limiter or RTSS
- Enable V-Sync in NVIDIA Control Panel (NOT in-game) as a backup for when FPS exceeds the sync range
- Use Fullscreen or Borderless Windowed mode
Approach 3 — Frame cap only (minimal input lag, slight tearing possible):
- Cap framerate to exactly your refresh rate using RTSS
- Disable V-Sync
- Use Exclusive Fullscreen mode
- Some slight tearing may still occur at the top/bottom of screen
When to seek help
If this error keeps happening after trying the fixes above, it may point to a deeper hardware or system issue. Consider professional help if:
- The crash occurs across multiple games or applications
- You see the same error after a clean Windows install
- Your PC is less than a year old (could be a warranty issue)
- You smell burning or hear unusual sounds from your PC
Or let Crashless do the deep analysis for you -- our AI checks drivers, temps, event logs, and 400+ known patterns automatically.
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