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To reduce input lag, first make sure Windows is actually driving your monitor at its highest supported refresh rate for the resolution you want. Then tune the monitor’s response-time setting, use a game’s low-latency option if available, and choose fullscreen, borderless, VRR, and V-Sync settings based on how that particular game behaves. A monitor setting can reduce display-side delay, but it cannot fix slow game simulation or a queue of unfinished frames on the PC.
Check the active refresh rate first
A monitor may support a high refresh rate without Windows currently using it. On Windows 10 or 11, open Settings → System → Display → Advanced display. If more than one screen is connected, select the gaming monitor and check its active resolution and refresh rate. Choose the highest rate offered that keeps your intended resolution.
Microsoft notes that a refresh-rate option marked with an asterisk does not support the current resolution and may change it if selected. If the expected rate is missing, check the monitor’s supported modes, the GPU output and cable/connection capability, and the monitor documentation before assuming the display is faulty. The available choices depend on the display and connection.
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Check Dynamic Refresh Rate if a game seems capped
Windows 11 Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) requires VRR-capable hardware and at least a 120 Hz display. Microsoft says DRR can limit the maximum refresh rate in some games. If a game appears to run at a lower rate with DRR enabled, Microsoft’s suggested mitigation is to turn DRR off; this is a conditional Windows setting, not a universal recommendation for every gaming monitor.
Tune the monitor’s response setting without maxing it out
In the monitor’s on-screen display (OSD), look for a control called Overdrive, Response Time, or Pixel Response. Start with a normal or moderate setting, then inspect moving objects and edges in the game you play. If bright or dark halos trail objects, or motion looks unnaturally harsh, reduce the setting: that can be overshoot, sometimes called inverse ghosting.
NVIDIA advises that excessive overdrive can create distracting effects that outweigh its response-time benefits. The available names and behavior differ among monitors, so there is no universal best setting. If your display has an esports or low-processing mode, compare it with the ordinary mode; it may disable image-processing features, but its effect depends on the specific monitor.
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Reduce queued rendering delay in the game
Input lag is not only a monitor issue. NVIDIA divides display latency into scanout, display processing, and pixel response, while its broader system-latency guidance notes that operating-system, game, and rendering latency can be major contributors to total delay. Monitor OSD changes cannot remove a render queue or slow game simulation.
Use NVIDIA Reflex when a game supports it
If the game offers NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency, NVIDIA recommends enabling it. Reflex synchronizes CPU and GPU pipeline work so frames are rendered just in time. Its availability and effect depend on the game and platform; do not expect the same option or behavior in every title. NVIDIA’s developer documentation describes Reflex as a way for developers to optimize the rendering pipeline for click-to-photon latency.
Consider the driver low-latency option only if Reflex is unavailable
NVIDIA’s guide identifies its driver Ultra Low Latency mode as an alternative when Reflex is not available. The guide says Reflex is more effective and overrides the driver functionality if both are enabled. Avoid stacking settings automatically: change one option at a time and compare responsiveness and frame pacing in the game you actually play.
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Compare fullscreen and borderless in the game you play
NVIDIA’s 2020 system-latency guide recommends exclusive fullscreen where possible, since it can bypass the Windows compositor. That recommendation is not universal across current Windows versions and games. Microsoft says Windows 11’s Optimizations for windowed games can improve compatible DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running windowed or borderless by using a newer flip-model presentation path, reducing frame latency and enabling features such as VRR on supported displays.
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To manage this Windows 11 feature, open Settings → System → Display → Graphics. You can enable the windowed-game optimization there, or adjust it per app; restart the game for the change to take effect. It applies only to compatible game and presentation paths, so test the modes your game actually offers rather than assuming fullscreen or borderless always wins.
Choose between tearing and a little more latency
V-Sync off can reduce latency, but may produce visible tearing. If you prefer tear-free output and have a G-SYNC-compatible setup, NVIDIA describes using G-SYNC with V-Sync and Reflex (or its driver low-latency mode) to keep latency low under the conditions in its guide. In that described configuration, frame rate may be capped below the display refresh rate when the GPU is bound below refresh. NVIDIA says this approach has slightly higher latency than uncapped frame rates with Reflex.
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NVIDIA also recommends in-game V-Sync for windowed mode or certain hybrid-laptop configurations in that scenario. These are vendor- and setup-specific recommendations, not a guarantee for every VRR implementation or game. Judge tearing, smoothness, and responsiveness together, and consult the documentation for your game and GPU.
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If the settings above do not help, work out whether the display or the PC is limiting responsiveness. NVIDIA’s latency guidance distinguishes game latency from render latency: high game latency can point toward CPU or game-simulation limits, while high render latency can point toward the GPU. A high-refresh-rate gaming monitor is a reasonable upgrade only if the current display or its measured behavior is the constraint, and the PC can drive the target resolution and refresh rate.
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When comparing a monitor with low input lag, look for evidence that matches your intended resolution and refresh rate. Useful comparison points include:
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- Measured input lag at the mode you will actually use, with the measurement method described.
- Pixel response and overshoot at that refresh rate, including which overdrive setting was tested.
- Supported refresh rate at native resolution and the GPU output and connection needed to reach it.
- VRR compatibility and behavior with your GPU and games.
Do not treat a marketing “1 ms” response-time label as proof of low input lag. Input lag and pixel response are different parts of display behavior, and comparisons are useful only when the conditions are clear.
What refresh-rate research does—and does not—show
A 2019 NVIDIA Research study published in the Journal of Vision tested moving-target tasks at 60, 120, and 240 Hz. In its first experiment, performance improved monotonically as refresh rate rose. In a second experiment at 240 Hz, adding 0, 4, or 8 ms of artificial latency had a less pronounced performance effect than the refresh-rate change in the first experiment. The study also described 15 ms latency and 240 Hz as an example configuration esports players could achieve.
The experiments used controlled moving-target clicking tasks: single-click hitscan and accumulated-aim tracking. They do not establish a precise improvement for every competitive game, monitor, or player, and the example is not a universal requirement. Treat the study as evidence that refresh rate and latency can matter in those tasks, not as a personal performance guarantee.
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