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V-Sync changes when a game presents frames so they line up with your monitor’s refresh cycle. It can reduce screen tearing, but it commonly limits displayed frame delivery to the monitor’s refresh rate. It does not make your GPU render faster; with V-Sync off, an FPS counter may rise while tearing becomes more likely.
How V-Sync affects FPS
FPS (frames per second) describes how quickly a game produces frames. Refresh rate, measured in hertz (Hz), describes how often the display refreshes. V-Sync coordinates frame presentation with those refreshes; it does not increase the PC’s underlying rendering capability. Intel explains the synchronization and tearing trade-off in its V-Sync support guide, last reviewed September 15, 2025.
For example, a 60 Hz monitor refreshes 60 times per second, with about 16.67 milliseconds between refreshes (1/60 of a second). With V-Sync enabled, synchronized frame delivery commonly runs at roughly 60 FPS on that display. A 120 Hz display has a different refresh cadence, so 60 FPS is not a universal V-Sync cap. Exact behavior depends on the game, graphics API, driver, buffering, and display setup. NVIDIA describes V-Sync as forcing a game’s frame rate to synchronize with the monitor’s refresh rate in its FrameView 1.7 User Guide.
Why FPS can look higher with V-Sync off
With V-Sync off, the game can render frames without waiting for the monitor’s refresh cadence. That can raise the FPS counter above the display’s refresh rate—for example, NVIDIA uses 120 FPS on a 60 Hz display to illustrate tearing. But the monitor cannot show every rendered frame as a separate, complete refresh. If a new frame arrives partway through a refresh, different parts of the screen can show different frames, creating a horizontal tear. Intel notes that disabling V-Sync allows virtually unlimited FPS, while making tearing, jerkiness, or stuttering more likely depending on configuration.
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Why V-Sync may cause drops, stutter, or input delay
When a game cannot keep up with the display’s refresh cadence, traditional V-Sync can produce uneven motion or stutter, and synchronization may add input delay. These effects depend on the implementation and system; there is no single input-lag figure that applies to every PC.
NVIDIA’s Adaptive V-Sync description gives one example for a 60 FPS cap: performance may drop to 45 or 30 FPS when the system cannot sustain the target. Those are illustrative lower steps, not guaranteed behavior across games or hardware.
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V-Sync on, off, and other synchronization options
| Option | What it does | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| V-Sync on | Coordinates frame presentation with display refresh to reduce tearing. | Can constrain frame delivery and may add input delay or stutter, depending on the system. |
| V-Sync off | Lets the game render without waiting for the refresh cadence. | May raise the FPS counter, but can cause tearing when frames arrive during a refresh. |
| Adaptive V-Sync | NVIDIA says its driver feature unlocks frame rate below the V-Sync cap and locks synchronization again as performance recovers. | Behavior is vendor- and system-specific; it is intended to reduce some traditional V-Sync stutter, not guarantee the same result everywhere. |
| Enhanced Sync | AMD describes Enhanced Sync as designed to reduce latency and stutter compared with traditional V-Sync. | Availability and results depend on vendor support and the system configuration. |
| FreeSync or G-SYNC (variable refresh rate) | On compatible hardware, adjusts display refresh to match the GPU’s varying frame rate within a supported range. | Requires compatible GPU, display, connection, and configuration; the usable range varies. |
AMD’s FreeSync overview and NVIDIA’s G-SYNC overview describe their respective technologies. Check your GPU and display specifications for compatibility and the supported refresh range. Variable refresh is a separate capability from traditional V-Sync; whether to use it alongside a V-Sync setting depends on the hardware and configuration.
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Which setting should you use?
- Try V-Sync on if tearing is distracting and synchronized motion matters more to you than the highest possible FPS counter.
- Try V-Sync off if you want the game to render freely and can tolerate possible tearing. A higher counter does not mean the display is showing each frame as a complete refresh.
- Check for FreeSync or G-SYNC if both your GPU and display support variable refresh. Confirm the supported range and configuration in their specifications rather than assuming every combination behaves alike.
- Compare in the game you play if you notice stutter or delayed controls. Results vary with the game, driver, display, and buffering, so a single setting cannot be prescribed for every setup.
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