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Basic Office Monitor
There is only basic technology available, with no g-sync, freesync, or variable refresh rate (VRR) options. We are stuck at 60Hz refresh rate.
Enabling Vsync is the easiest choice, but it is also not recommended due to the significant input lag it causes, which I find unbearable.
What is Input Lag
If you are unfamiliar with input lag, in the context of gaming, it refers to the time delay between when a user enters a command or action and when it is displayed on the screen.
For gaming, input lag is the delay between:
- Pressing a key on your keyboard
- Moving/clicking a button on your mouse
- Moving your controller
and seeing the corresponding action happen on your monitor.
How to Reduce the Visibility of Screen Tearing without Vsync
1. Using RTSS Scanline Sync
What I would recommend is using RTSS Scanline sync. This tool locks the tear line at a specific position and you can move it away from the middle where it is most noticeable, to the top or bottom of the screen, or can even outside the visible area.
Read: Reduce Screen Tearing with RTSS Scanline Sync
From my experience there's a very small input lag when comparing it to just limiting framerates to 60 with screen tear, but most people wouldn't probably notice.
2. Maximizing FPS
Another way to minimize screen tearing is by maximizing FPS. When FPS is at least twice the refresh rate, tearing becomes much less noticeable. It’s still there, but not as distracting. For example, at 60Hz, maintaining 120 FPS or higher helps.
If you have a powerful PC than can maintain high FPS, you can try using Nvidia's Fast sync.
Fast Sync works best when FPS is at least double (ideally triple) the refresh rate. It stores extra frames in a buffer and picks the most recent complete frame to display. This reduces tearing while keeping input lag lower than traditional V-Sync, though still higher than having no sync at all.
3. Get Used to It
The last thing I would say on how to handle screen tearing is by accepting it (sorry). It is what it is, unless you spend some money buying a better monitor with VRR technology. Train the eyes and brain to eventually get used to the tearing that it becomes bearable.
Read also: Monitor Display: Distorted and Blurry Text