Your New 240Hz Monitor Still Tears? VRR, G-Sync and FreeSync in 2026
Quick answer: If a high-refresh monitor still tears, your frame rate and refresh rate are out of step and variable refresh (G-Sync, FreeSync or generic VRR) is either off, unsupported on that cable, or disabled in a setting. Enabling it syncs the monitor to your GPU and removes tearing without the input lag of old-style VSync. Confirm your monitor's rate first with the refresh rate test.
Why tearing happens
Tearing appears when the display shows parts of two frames at once, because the GPU delivered a new frame mid-refresh. It is most visible during fast motion. A high refresh rate reduces how often it happens but does not eliminate it — the real fix is making the monitor and GPU agree on timing.
The three fixes, ranked
Adaptive sync (NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync, or the VESA Adaptive-Sync / "VRR" standard) is the best option: the monitor refreshes in step with whatever frame rate the GPU produces, killing tearing with no meaningful lag. VSync is the old fallback that caps FPS to the refresh rate — it works but can add input lag. Doing nothing leaves you with tearing. On most 2026 monitors, adaptive sync is present but has to be switched on both in the monitor's on-screen menu and in the GPU control panel.
Common gotchas
VRR often requires DisplayPort or a capable HDMI connection, so a marginal cable can silently disable it. Some monitors only support it in a certain input mode. And frame generation interacts with it, so if you use DLSS or FSR frame gen, let adaptive sync manage the timing rather than a hard FPS cap. When it is working, motion is smooth and tear-free even as your frame rate fluctuates.
Verify the basics
Start by confirming the monitor is even running at its rated refresh with the refresh rate test — tearing plus a stuck-at-60Hz reading points to a cable problem. Our guide on refresh rate vs FPS explains the timing relationship in depth.