To change VSync with an NVIDIA graphics card, open NVIDIA Control Panel, select Manage 3D settings, choose Global Settings or Program Settings, set Vertical sync to On, Off, Use the 3D application setting, or Adaptive, then click Apply. For most players, use Program Settings when testing one game, and choose based on whether the monitor uses fixed refresh or G-SYNC/variable refresh.
Quick answer
In Windows 10 or Windows 11:
- Right-click the desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Select Manage 3D settings.
- Open Global Settings to affect supported applications broadly, or Program Settings to change one game.
- Find Vertical sync.
- Choose On, Off, Use the 3D application setting, or Adaptive.
- Click Apply, then restart the game if it was already running.
NVIDIA defines Vertical sync as synchronizing an application’s frame rate with the display refresh cycle to reduce or eliminate tearing. The control applies when the display is connected to the NVIDIA GPU. NVIDIA’s Vertical Sync reference documents the setting and its available modes.
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What VSync does
A monitor refreshes its image at a set rate, such as 60Hz, 144Hz, or 165Hz. A GPU can finish frames at different times and may render faster than the monitor can display them. If the monitor shows parts of two frames during one refresh, you see a horizontal discontinuity known as screen tearing.
VSync coordinates frame presentation with the display’s refresh timing. Its goal is a tear-free image, but it does not increase the monitor’s physical refresh rate or create additional rendering performance.
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Traditional VSync can also make frame delivery less even when the game cannot sustain the display’s refresh rate. Depending on the game, graphics API, display mode, and frame-pacing system, this may feel like stutter, added waiting, or abrupt changes in frame rate. The exact behavior is not identical in every game.
How to enable VSync
Enable VSync globally
- Open NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Click Manage 3D settings.
- Stay on the Global Settings tab.
- Scroll to Vertical sync.
- Select On.
- Click Apply.
- Launch or restart the game.
A global setting can affect games, emulators, benchmarks, and other supported 3D applications. It is convenient, but it can conflict with software that already manages synchronization itself.
Enable VSync for one game
Per-game settings are the safer choice when experimenting:
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- Open Program Settings.
- Choose the game from the list.
- If it is not listed, click Add and browse to the game’s executable.
- Find Vertical sync and select On.
- Click Apply.
- Restart the game.
Make sure you select the executable that actually renders the game. Some launchers start a separate game executable, and the launcher itself may not be the correct profile target. NVIDIA explains the distinction between global and application-specific settings in its 3D settings guide.
Enable VSync inside the game
- Open the game’s Settings, Video, Graphics, or Display menu.
- Find VSync, Vertical Sync, or Wait for Vertical Refresh.
- Set it to On.
- Apply the change and restart the game if prompted.
The in-game option is often a good first choice because the game engine can manage its own frame pacing. If NVIDIA Control Panel is set to Use the 3D application setting, the driver delegates the decision to the game; it does not automatically enable VSync in every title.
How to disable VSync
Disable it in NVIDIA Control Panel
Use the same path:
NVIDIA Control Panel → Manage 3D settings → Global Settings or Program Settings → Vertical sync → Off → Apply
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Restart the game before judging the result. If you are troubleshooting, change one synchronization control at a time rather than forcing one mode in the driver and another in the game.
Disable it in the game
Open the game’s graphics or display settings, set VSync or Vertical Sync to Off, apply the setting, and restart if necessary.
For a clean test, set the NVIDIA profile to Use the 3D application setting or Off, set the game’s VSync to Off, then compare the result with VSync enabled. A driver-forced On setting may prevent a game-level Off option from behaving as expected.
What the NVIDIA VSync options mean
| Option | What it does | When to start with it |
|---|---|---|
| On | Synchronizes presentation with the display refresh cycle to remove tearing under supported conditions. | Fixed-refresh monitor where tearing is unacceptable and the game can stay near the monitor’s refresh rate. |
| Off | Does not impose conventional VSync synchronization. | Lowest synchronization overhead is more important than eliminating tearing. |
| Use the 3D application setting | Lets the game choose whether and how to use VSync. | A sensible baseline when the game has a reliable VSync control. |
| Adaptive | NVIDIA describes it as enabling VSync above the display’s refresh rate and disabling it below that point. | A supported fixed-refresh configuration where you want a compromise between high-FPS tearing and low-FPS behavior. |
On
VSync On is the straightforward choice when visible tearing is the main problem. It can add latency or waiting compared with an uncapped, unsynchronized configuration, and it may produce uneven frame pacing when the game cannot maintain the target refresh rate. Its interaction with an in-game frame limiter also varies.
Off
VSync Off usually allows the GPU to present frames without waiting for the conventional refresh-synchronization rule. This can feel more responsive, especially in competitive games, but tearing may appear. An unrestricted frame rate can also increase GPU utilization, power consumption, heat, and fan noise without improving every visible refresh.
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Adaptive VSync is not a universal replacement for G-SYNC. NVIDIA describes it as reducing the need to force conventional synchronization when frame rate falls below the display refresh rate. The exact availability depends on the GPU, driver, monitor technology, and connection. NVIDIA’s Adaptive VSync overview and Control Panel reference provide the documented behavior.
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Some drivers may also show Adaptive 1/2 refresh rate. This advanced or legacy option enables VSync only above half the monitor’s refresh rate and may not appear on every system.
Choose settings by monitor type
Fixed-refresh monitor
- Tearing is visible: Start with VSync On.
- Lowest latency is the priority: Try VSync Off and accept possible tearing.
- Frame rate often falls below refresh: Test Adaptive if it is available, or compare the game’s own VSync and frame limiter.
Check the monitor’s actual refresh rate in Windows at Settings → System → Display → Advanced display. Windows shows the selected refresh rate and whether variable refresh rate is supported. Microsoft’s refresh-rate guide covers this page.
G-SYNC or G-SYNC Compatible monitor
G-SYNC is a variable-refresh technology, not simply VSync under another name. Instead of making the GPU fit one fixed refresh schedule, the display can vary its refresh rate in response to frame delivery. This can reduce tearing and improve smoothness across the monitor’s supported VRR range.
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To configure it, open NVIDIA Control Panel → Set up G-SYNC, enable G-SYNC or G-SYNC Compatible for the display, and confirm the appropriate Monitor Technology option under Manage 3D settings. The display, cable or connection path, GPU, driver, and monitor settings must all support the desired mode. See NVIDIA’s variable-refresh setup instructions.
NVIDIA recommends enabling VSync in NVIDIA Control Panel and limiting frame rate below the display’s maximum refresh rate for a smooth, tear-free G-SYNC setup. Many users leave in-game VSync Off while enabling the driver setting, but that is a common configuration rather than an unbreakable rule. Game behavior and latency priorities differ.
As starting-point examples, a 60Hz display might use 58–59 FPS, a 144Hz display 141–143 FPS, a 165Hz display 162–164 FPS, and a 240Hz display 237–239 FPS. These are not universal requirements. An in-game limiter may produce better frame pacing than the driver limiter, and the best margin depends on the monitor, game, driver, and latency target. NVIDIA’s Max Frame Rate guidance explains how driver caps can help keep rendering inside a VRR range.
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Laptops and hybrid graphics
On a laptop, the NVIDIA GPU may render the game while the integrated GPU drives the internal panel. Because NVIDIA qualifies its Vertical Sync control as applying when the display is connected to the NVIDIA GPU, the Control Panel setting may not affect every display path. Check which GPU drives the screen, and test the game’s own VSync option. Docking stations, external monitors, remote desktop sessions, and hybrid-graphics modes can also change the presentation path.
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VSync, frame caps, and NVIDIA Reflex are different
- VSync controls whether frame presentation is synchronized with the display refresh cycle.
- G-SYNC/VRR allows a compatible display to vary its refresh rate as frame delivery changes.
- Frame-rate limiting sets an upper rendering limit. It can reduce unnecessary GPU work and help keep a VRR display below its maximum refresh rate.
- NVIDIA Reflex, when supported by the game, targets system latency through game and driver coordination. VSync settings alone do not determine total input latency.
Unlimited FPS is not automatically the lowest-latency or smoothest configuration. CPU and GPU load, the game’s frame queue, display processing, refresh rate, and frame pacing all matter. NVIDIA FrameView also notes that VSync can affect whether frame-rate measurements are synchronized to the display rather than running freely; see the FrameView user guide.
How to verify the change
- Use a repeatable scene, replay, or built-in benchmark.
- Test with VSync Off and note tearing, frame rate, frame pacing, latency, GPU utilization, temperature, and fan noise.
- Test with VSync On under the same conditions.
- Compare the results, including whether frame rate stays around the display’s refresh rate.
- If neither forced mode behaves correctly, return to Use the 3D application setting and test the game’s native controls.
Do not judge only by the FPS counter. A higher number can coexist with tearing or inconsistent frame delivery, while a capped result can feel smoother.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| Vertical sync is missing | Confirm the NVIDIA driver and Control Panel are installed, the game uses the NVIDIA GPU, and the display cable is connected to the intended GPU output. Hybrid graphics, docking, remote desktop, or a changed driver UI may affect availability. Update or reinstall the official NVIDIA display driver if the Control Panel is missing or incomplete. |
| The change has no effect | Verify the correct executable under Program Settings, restart the game, check for a launcher-specific executable, and look for a third-party overlay, mod, limiter, or borderless presentation path. |
| VSync On causes stutter | Confirm the intended refresh rate in Windows, check whether the game can sustain it, test a cap slightly below the refresh rate, compare the game’s limiter, and try fullscreen versus borderless. Shader compilation, CPU/GPU limits, and thermal throttling can also cause stutter. |
| Tearing remains with G-SYNC | Confirm G-SYNC is enabled under Set up G-SYNC, the monitor is in its supported VRR mode, the correct display is selected, and the frame rate is not repeatedly hitting the maximum refresh ceiling. Test driver VSync On with a cap below maximum refresh. |
| FPS remains capped after VSync is Off | Check the game’s own limiter, NVIDIA Control Panel’s Max Frame Rate, laptop power-saving modes, Battery Boost, WhisperMode, vendor utilities, and third-party overlays. |
| The monitor seems stuck at the wrong rate | Open Settings → System → Display → Advanced display and select the intended refresh rate. Check the monitor’s on-screen menu and the cable or adapter if the desired mode is unavailable. |
NVIDIA notes that Max Frame Rate can interact with other limits, including Battery Boost and WhisperMode on laptops. A VSync setting therefore cannot explain every apparent FPS cap.
Do you need new hardware?
Usually, no. VSync is a software setting, and the right choice may simply be a per-game profile, a correct Windows refresh-rate selection, or a frame cap. A faster NVIDIA GPU may help if the game cannot reach the desired refresh rate, while a G-SYNC or G-SYNC Compatible monitor may help if fluctuating performance makes a fixed-refresh display difficult to tune.
Neither upgrade fixes a damaged cable, incorrect display configuration, CPU bottleneck, game-engine cap, or a display path driven by the wrong GPU. Verify the current setup before buying hardware. NVIDIA’s official information is available through its GeForce graphics card and G-SYNC pages.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should VSync be on or off?
Use On when eliminating tearing matters most, Off when minimum synchronization delay matters more and tearing is acceptable, and Use the 3D application setting as a safe starting point for a game with reliable graphics controls.
Does VSync lower FPS?
It can limit displayed frame delivery to the monitor’s refresh timing, but the exact behavior depends on the game, renderer, refresh rate, driver, and frame-pacing implementation.
Does VSync add input lag?
It can add waiting compared with an uncapped, unsynchronized configuration. The amount varies with the game, rendering pipeline, frame queue, refresh rate, and frame pacing.
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Should VSync be enabled in NVIDIA Control Panel or in-game?
Use the game’s own control when it works well, with NVIDIA Control Panel set to Use the 3D application setting. Use Program Settings for a specific driver-level override or troubleshooting test.
Should VSync be on with G-SYNC?
NVIDIA recommends driver-level VSync On with a frame-rate cap below the monitor’s maximum refresh rate for a smooth, tear-free G-SYNC setup. In-game VSync is often left Off, but game behavior and latency priorities can differ.
What should the FPS cap be for a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor?
As starting points, try roughly 141–143 FPS on 144Hz or 162–164 FPS on 165Hz. These are practical examples, not guaranteed optimal values; test the game’s limiter and your monitor.
Does VSync work on laptops?
It can, but the result depends on which GPU drives the display. NVIDIA’s control applies when the display is connected to the NVIDIA GPU, so hybrid graphics and external display paths may require separate testing.
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Not universally. It is a compromise intended to change synchronization behavior when frame rate falls below the display refresh rate, and its availability and results depend on the monitor mode, driver, game, and hardware.
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