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For smoother gameplay, set Windows to your monitor’s highest supported refresh rate, enable Adaptive-Sync, FreeSync, or G-SYNC if your monitor and graphics card support it, then tune response time and motion-blur reduction on the monitor itself. If screen tearing remains and variable refresh rate is unavailable, try in-game V-Sync, keeping in mind it can add input lag.
1. Set the highest supported refresh rate in Windows
Refresh rate is how many times per second a display updates. Microsoft’s example is a 60 Hz display updating 60 times per second. A higher supported refresh rate can improve gaming by reducing motion blur and screen tearing, but the rate you can select depends on the monitor, resolution, connection, and system. Microsoft explains how to change the refresh rate in Windows.
- Open Settings > System > Display > Advanced display.
- Select the display you use for gaming, if more than one is listed.
- Choose the highest refresh rate available for your current resolution.
If the rate you expected is missing, confirm the monitor is connected to the intended graphics output and check its manual for supported resolutions and refresh rates over that port. Windows only lists rates supported at the selected resolution. Windows 10 support ended in October 2025; use a supported Windows version where possible.
2. Turn on variable refresh rate (VRR)
Variable refresh rate synchronizes the monitor’s refresh timing with the frames your GPU produces. When the monitor and graphics hardware support a compatible VRR feature and it is enabled, it can reduce or eliminate tearing and stutter. NVIDIA describes G-SYNC as eliminating tearing while minimizing stutter and input lag in supported games; FreeSync is AMD’s corresponding display ecosystem. Support depends on the monitor, GPU, connection, and settings, so do not assume that every monitor works with every VRR option.
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Enable Adaptive-Sync or FreeSync on the monitor
Open the monitor’s on-screen display (OSD) menu and enable its Adaptive-Sync, FreeSync, or similarly named adaptive-refresh setting, if present. Look up the exact model’s manual for the menu location. Some monitor presets or custom settings can disable FreeSync, so check the manual if the feature disappears or cannot be enabled. AMD’s FreeSync information outlines its display technology and compatibility.
Enable the matching option in your graphics software
- NVIDIA: In NVIDIA Control Panel, select the G-SYNC or G-SYNC Compatible option if the display and GPU support it. Available labels and choices vary by hardware and driver. NVIDIA’s Control Panel Help explains how to use G-SYNC.
- AMD: In AMD Software, enable FreeSync if the connected display supports it. Check AMD’s compatibility information and the monitor manual for applicable connection and feature requirements.
After enabling VRR, test a game where frame rates vary and watch for tearing, stutter, flicker, or other artifacts. Results are panel-specific; a setting that behaves well on one model is not guaranteed to suit another.
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3. Tune response time or overdrive for your panel
Monitor menus often call this setting Response Time, Overdrive, or a similar name. It changes how aggressively pixels transition between colors. There is no universal best value established across monitors, so start with the maker’s default or middle option and compare motion in a game you know.
- Ordinary ghosting: Look for a trailing blur behind moving objects; if it is distracting, try the next faster response-time option.
- Inverse ghosting or overshoot: Look for bright or dark halos that seem to lead or follow moving objects; if they appear, return to a slower setting.
Keep the setting that produces the clearest motion without conspicuous artifacts. Do not assume the most aggressive option is best: the result depends on the monitor and may change with its refresh-rate behavior.
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4. Decide whether to use motion-blur reduction
Backlight strobing and motion-blur-reduction modes are separate from VRR. They can make motion look clearer, but compatibility differs by monitor and may involve tradeoffs. For example, NVIDIA’s ULMB 2 instructions require G-SYNC VRR to be disabled when using ULMB 2. NVIDIA’s ULMB 2 guidance describes that feature.
Use the exact monitor manual to check what can run together. If you enable a blur-reduction mode, compare it with VRR in the same game rather than assuming both can be active simultaneously.
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5. Use V-Sync only as a fallback when tearing is visible
If VRR is unavailable and tearing bothers you, try enabling V-Sync in the game’s graphics settings. It can reduce tearing, but Dell cautions that in-game V-Sync may add input lag. Compare how the game looks and responds with the setting on and off; the better choice depends on how much tearing you see and how sensitive you are to added delay. Dell’s V-Sync guidance discusses the setting and its input-lag tradeoff.
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When a refresh-rate or VRR option is absent, check the factors that govern whether it is available:
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- The monitor’s specifications and manual for the desired refresh rate, resolution, and VRR feature.
- The resolution currently selected in Windows, since available rates can change with resolution.
- The GPU, cable, and port in use, because compatibility depends on the complete display connection.
- The monitor OSD’s adaptive-refresh setting and any preset that may disable it.
- The relevant NVIDIA or AMD software setting and whether that hardware supports the feature.
Change one setting at a time and retest. That makes it easier to identify which option improved motion or caused a new artifact.
Quick Recap
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