Screen Tearing Test
A hard vertical edge moving at speed makes screen tearing obvious. If the display refreshes partway through a frame you will see the bar break into offset horizontal sections.
How to read this
- No tearing: the moving edge stays a single straight vertical line from top to bottom.
- Tearing: the edge breaks into two or more horizontal sections that are offset sideways from each other.
- A tear that sits in roughly the same place each time usually means a fixed frame rate mismatch; tears that wander mean the frame rate is drifting against the refresh rate.
- Raise the speed until tearing becomes obvious, then enable VSync or adaptive sync and run it again to confirm the fix.
Testing guide
How to test for screen tearing
Tearing happens when the display starts a refresh partway through the graphics card writing a new frame, so the top and bottom of the screen show two different moments in time. A hard vertical edge travelling sideways makes that split immediately visible.
Best for
- Confirming whether tearing is actually present before changing settings.
- Verifying that VSync, G-Sync or FreeSync is genuinely active rather than just enabled in a menu.
- Comparing tearing behavior across different refresh rates and frame rates.
How to run the test
- 1Run the test fullscreen, since browser compositing can mask or add tearing on its own.
- 2Raise the speed until the moving edge is fast enough for tearing to become obvious.
- 3Look for horizontal breaks where the edge is offset sideways from the section above it.
- 4Turn on VSync or adaptive sync, then run the same test again and compare.
How to read the result
A single unbroken vertical edge from top to bottom means no tearing is occurring.
One or more horizontal offsets in that edge is tearing, and the number of breaks roughly tracks how far frame rate has drifted from refresh rate.
Tears that stay in one place point to a fixed mismatch; tears that wander up and down mean the frame rate is drifting.
Related tools and guides
Frequently asked questions
What causes screen tearing?
The graphics card and the monitor run on independent clocks. When the card delivers a new frame while the monitor is halfway through drawing the previous one, the screen shows the top half of one frame and the bottom half of the next, with a visible seam between them.
How do I fix screen tearing?
Adaptive sync, meaning G-Sync or FreeSync, is the best fix because the monitor waits for the frame instead of the frame waiting for the monitor, with no added latency. VSync also removes tearing but adds input lag. Capping your frame rate just below your refresh rate helps as well.
Does VSync cause input lag?
Yes. VSync holds finished frames back until the next refresh begins, which typically adds one to two frames of delay. At 60Hz that is up to 33ms, which is noticeable in fast games. Adaptive sync avoids this penalty.
Why do I still see tearing with G-Sync enabled?
Usually because the frame rate has gone above the top of the adaptive sync range, at which point the monitor returns to a fixed refresh rate and tearing comes back. Cap your frame rate a few frames below your maximum refresh rate to stay inside the range.
Can screen tearing damage my monitor?
No. It is purely a timing artifact in how frames are presented, not an electrical or physical stress. It is annoying to look at but completely harmless to the hardware.