VSync, short for Vertical Synchronization, is a graphics technology that synchronizes the frame rate of a game with the refresh rate of your monitor. This prevents screen tearing, which occurs when the graphics card outputs frames faster than the monitor can display them, resulting in a visual artifact where parts of different frames are visible on the screen at the same time.
Screen tearing is a visual artifact that occurs when your graphics card outputs frames at a rate that doesn't match your monitor's refresh rate. Imagine your monitor is trying to show two different images at once – that's screen tearing!
| Feature | VSync | Screen Tearing |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Synchronizes frame rate with monitor refresh rate. | Visual artifact caused by mismatched frame and refresh rates. |
| Visual Effect | Eliminates screen tearing. | Horizontal lines or breaks in the image. |
| Input Lag | Can introduce input lag. | No input lag. |
| Performance Impact | Can limit frame rate to monitor's refresh rate; may decrease performance if the game can't maintain that rate. | No direct performance impact; can occur even with high frame rates. |
| Ideal Scenario | When frame rate exceeds or fluctuates around the monitor's refresh rate. | When VSync is disabled and frame rate is significantly higher than the monitor's refresh rate. |
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