How to Disable Enhanced Sync on a Windows 11 Laptop

Enhanced Sync sounds like a feature you'd want enabled — the name implies smoother, better-synchronized performance. But for many Windows 11 laptop users, it's actually the source of screen flickering, stuttering, or unexpected frame drops. Knowing what it does, why you might turn it off, and how to find the right setting for your setup can make a real difference in your daily experience.

What Is Enhanced Sync?

Enhanced Sync is AMD's proprietary frame synchronization technology, built into AMD Radeon graphics drivers. It's designed to reduce screen tearing — the visual artifact where two different frames appear on screen simultaneously — without the input lag penalty that traditional V-Sync introduces.

Here's how it fits into the picture:

• V-Sync caps frame output to match your display's refresh rate. It eliminates tearing but adds latency.
• FreeSync / Adaptive Sync dynamically adjusts the refresh rate to match GPU output — but requires a compatible display.
• Enhanced Sync works differently: it allows the GPU to render frames faster than the display refresh rate and only engages sync when needed, reducing tearing while keeping latency low.

On paper, it's a smart middle ground. In practice, it can introduce frame pacing issues, black screen flashes, or stuttering — especially on laptops where GPU and display interactions are more complex due to power management, hybrid graphics setups, and thermal throttling.

Why Laptop Users Often Need to Disable It

Laptops add variables that desktop systems don't face. Most modern Windows 11 laptops use a hybrid GPU configuration — an integrated GPU (iGPU, typically Intel or AMD) handles everyday tasks, while a dedicated GPU (dGPU, typically AMD or NVIDIA) kicks in for demanding work or games.

Enhanced Sync applies specifically to the AMD Radeon dGPU. On a hybrid system, the signal path between the dGPU and the screen often passes through the iGPU, which can cause:

• Black screen flashes during gameplay or GPU-intensive tasks
• Stuttering when the GPU switches between integrated and dedicated modes
• Frame pacing irregularities that feel worse than tearing itself

Additionally, laptop power profiles, battery saver modes, and display panel limitations (especially on 60Hz or non-FreeSync panels) can all make Enhanced Sync behave unpredictably.

How to Disable Enhanced Sync in AMD Radeon Software 🖥️

Enhanced Sync is controlled through AMD Radeon Software (also called AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition), not through Windows 11 system settings directly.

Step-by-step:

1. Right-click the desktop and select AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, or find it in the Start menu.
2. Navigate to the Gaming tab at the top.
3. Select Graphics from the sub-menu.
4. Scroll down to the Frame Rate Control section.
5. Find the Enhanced Sync toggle and switch it Off.

This applies the change globally — meaning it affects all games and applications using the AMD GPU.

To disable it for a specific game only:

1. In the Gaming tab, select Games (not Graphics).
2. Find the game in your library or add it manually.
3. Open its settings and locate Enhanced Sync.
4. Toggle it off for that title alone.

💡 If you don't see Enhanced Sync as an option, your driver version may be outdated, or your GPU model may not support the feature. Check for driver updates through AMD Software or AMD's website.

Other Settings That Interact With Enhanced Sync

Disabling Enhanced Sync alone may not resolve all sync-related issues. Several related settings can affect behavior:

If you're troubleshooting display issues, it's worth reviewing all of these — not just Enhanced Sync in isolation.

The Variables That Determine Your Outcome 🔧

Disabling Enhanced Sync has different effects depending on several factors specific to your laptop:

• Panel type and refresh rate — A 144Hz FreeSync panel behaves differently than a standard 60Hz non-adaptive display.
• Driver version — AMD frequently updates Radeon Software. Older drivers may have bugs that newer ones fix, or vice versa.
• Hybrid vs. dedicated GPU mode — Some laptops allow you to lock the system to dGPU-only mode (via BIOS or Radeon Software's GPU workload settings), which can resolve hybrid-related sync issues entirely.
• Game engine behavior — Some engines handle frame pacing independently of driver-level sync settings.
• Power mode — Running on battery vs. plugged in can change GPU behavior and how sync settings apply.
• AMD driver profile for your specific laptop — OEM laptops sometimes use customized Radeon Software versions that differ from AMD's generic driver releases.

What Happens After You Disable It

Most users who disable Enhanced Sync on laptops report one of three outcomes: the issue they were experiencing disappears, screen tearing becomes visible (which was being masked before), or there's no noticeable change either way.

Whether screen tearing becomes a problem without Enhanced Sync depends on your frame rates relative to your display's refresh rate. If your GPU consistently renders well above your panel's refresh rate, tearing may be frequent. If frame rates are close to or below the refresh rate, tearing is typically minimal.

Some users find that enabling in-game V-Sync after disabling Enhanced Sync gives a cleaner result than Enhanced Sync alone. Others find FreeSync (if their panel supports it) works better as a standalone solution.

What works cleanly on one laptop may behave completely differently on another — and the gap between those outcomes often comes down to the specific combination of hardware, driver version, and how the display signal path is configured on your machine.