Screen tearing facts for kids

An example of screen tearing with three different frames being displayed at once

Screen tearing is a visual problem that can happen on computer screens. It looks like the picture on your screen is split into two or more parts, with each part showing a slightly different image. This often creates a jagged, horizontal line across the screen.

This problem happens when your computer's graphics card sends new pictures (called "frames") to your monitor faster or slower than the monitor can display them. Imagine your monitor is drawing a picture from top to bottom. If the graphics card sends a new frame in the middle of this drawing process, the top part of the screen might show the old frame, while the bottom part shows the new frame. This causes the "tear."

What Causes Screen Tearing?

Screen tearing usually happens because the refresh rate of your monitor and the frame rate of your graphics card are not in sync.

Understanding Refresh Rate

Your monitor's refresh rate is how many times per second it can update the image on the screen. It's measured in Hertz (Hz). For example, a 60 Hz monitor updates the picture 60 times every second.

Understanding Frame Rate

The frame rate is how many new pictures (frames) your graphics card can create and send to the monitor each second. This is measured in frames per second (fps). In video games, a higher frame rate usually means smoother gameplay.

When Rates Don't Match

If your graphics card is producing 100 frames per second, but your monitor can only show 60 frames per second, the monitor will try to display parts of different frames at the same time, leading to tearing. The same can happen if the frame rate is much lower than the refresh rate, though it's less common.

How Can You Stop Screen Tearing?

There are several ways to fix screen tearing and make your display look smooth.

Using VSync (Vertical Synchronization)

One common way to stop tearing is called Vertical Synchronization, or VSync. VSync makes your graphics card wait for your monitor to finish drawing one frame before sending the next one. This ensures that the frames are always perfectly lined up with the monitor's refresh cycles.

• Pros of VSync: It completely stops screen tearing.
• Cons of VSync: It can sometimes cause a slight delay (called "input lag") between when you do something (like click your mouse) and when you see it happen on screen. It can also reduce your frame rate if your graphics card is producing more frames than your monitor can handle.

Using Adaptive Sync Technologies

Newer technologies like FreeSync (from AMD) and G-Sync (from Nvidia) offer a better solution. Instead of the graphics card waiting for the monitor, these technologies allow the monitor's refresh rate to change and match the frame rate of your graphics card.

• How they work: If your graphics card is producing 80 frames per second, a FreeSync or G-Sync monitor will adjust its refresh rate to 80 Hz. If the frame rate drops to 50 fps, the monitor will also drop to 50 Hz. This keeps everything perfectly in sync.
• Pros of Adaptive Sync: They stop tearing without causing much input lag or reducing your frame rate. They make gameplay feel very smooth.
• Cons of Adaptive Sync: You need a special monitor and a compatible graphics card to use them.