What is VSync? When Should You Turn It On/ Off

If you are a gamer or a user of a 3D application, you may have encountered an option called VSync and have questions about it like –

• What is VSync?
• Should you enable it? If yes, why and similar questions.

Before answering your questions, let’s understand that, as a gamer or designer, graphics are important for the gameplay to run smoothly. Any glitch in them can hamper your experience. However, one glitch that often irritates users is screen tearing. It’s when the screen splits into parts, and the whole scene looks broken. 

VSync helps in avoiding these issues, but how? Let’s dive deeper and see how to turn on the VSync feature and use it wisely to prevent such problems. Of course! There are many other ways to deal with graphics-related issues. You can visit Systweak blogs for more information on how to deal with them. For now, let’s explore the possibility called VSync.

What is VSync In Games

VSync, or Vertical Synchronization, is a feature available in most games today. It syncs the vertical refresh rate of your monitor with the frame rate of your computer, helping prevent screen tearing. 

Before we understand how VSync functions, let’s consider a real-life scenario –  

Let’s say you have a monitor that refreshes 60 times per second (60Hz). And you have a very powerful graphic card that dishes out 150 FPS when playing a game. When this happens, this disparity will lead to screen tearing. You will start noticing cuts or artifacts on your screen. 

Here’s how VSync works in such cases – 

It imposes a frame rate cap, limiting the game’s maximum FPS to match your monitor’s refresh rate. With VSync enabled, since your GPU doesn’t render frames more than your monitor can handle, there is no screen tearing or stuttering. 

It looks like VSync is all good—mostly yes! But just like any technology, VSync has its share of pros and cons. 

Read Also : Fix Low Game FPS in Windows – Working Ways

Pros and Cons of VSync

Pros of VSync

• It brings your graphics processor down to the same levels as your monitor’s.
• It can be useful when playing old games where your graphics processor exceeds the graphical demand. In such scenarios, when processors go a lot faster and render old scenes, the very high frame rates may overheat the graphics processor. VSync prevents overheating and excessive pressure on the graphics processor.
• It helps reduce the delay between input and screen response.
• You get a stable frame rate.

Cons of VSync

As we mentioned before, when you enable VSync, you may have to face certain downsides – 

• Input lag increases when using VSync. This means there might be a noticeable delay between your actions in the game and when they appear on-screen. For instance, if you press a button, you might see the effect on the screen a moment later.
• VSync may cause delays in keyboard and mouse commands. This can be detrimental if you play games that require fast reflexes when using mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts.
• VSync can cause noticeable stuttering, as it may force the game to wait for the next refresh cycle to display a new frame.

What Are The Different Kinds of VSync

VSync has been around for years. To enhance its capabilities, two prominent GPU companies, NVIDIA and AMD, have come with G-Sync and FreeSync, respectively. Both work to sync data and refresh rates with your GPU’s frame rate, so there is no stuttering and high image precision. 

The only downside is that, unlike VSync, which is available for most PCs, your monitor needs to be compatible with either technology (G-Sync or Freesync). 

How To Enable or Disable VSync?

Enabling VSync depends on your PC’s operating system and graphics card. More importantly, you can find this option in your graphics card’s settings. You can also enable VSync in a particular game’s settings. Let’s take examples of each – 

In NVIDIA 

Step 1 – Open NVIDIA Control Panel.
Step 2 – Click Manage 3D Settings.
Step 3 – Click on the Global Settings tab on the right-hand side.

Step 4 – Click on the dropdown next to Vertical sync, and change it to On/ Off.

Step 5 – Click on Apply from the bottom. 

On A Game – CS:GO 2

Step 1 – Click on Settings Menu.
Step 2 – Click on the Video tab and the Advanced Video option beneath.
Step 3 – Next to Wait for vertical sync choose the Enabled/ Disabled dropdown. 

Should I Enable VSync or Not

Now that you understand VSync let’s understand when to enable or disable it. 

When To Enable It?

If you have a monitor with a lower refresh rate or even one that is equal to the game’s frame rate, you can enable the Vsync feature.

When To Disable It?

You can disable the option if your monitor has a high refresh rate and you don’t notice frequent screen tearing. However, if you see a drop in frame rates, you may want to disable the VSync option. 

That said, whether or not to enable it depends on the game you are playing and also on your GPU. For example, as a competitive player who can’t withstand lags, enabling VSync can be more harmful than beneficial.  

VSync – Use It Wisely

In the end, I would like to conclude by saying that VSync is a great setting to enable as it helps prevent screen tearing issues. It also prevents your GPU from getting overworked in most instances. But if you already have a PC with a high refresh rate, don’t notice screen tearing very often, or have started to notice lags after enabling it, it is advisable to turn VSync off. 

If you use VSync in your games, share your experience in the comments below. For more such content, keep reading Systweak Blogs.