How to Turn On G-Sync on Your Graphics Card and Monitor

G-Sync is a technology that syncs your monitor's refresh rate to your graphics card's output, reducing screen tearing and stuttering during gaming

G-Sync works by having your monitor wait for your graphics card to finish rendering each frame before displaying it, rather than the monitor refreshing on a fixed schedule. This eliminates the visual glitches you see when the card and monitor get out of sync. The feature requires both an Nvidia graphics card (GTX 650 or newer) and a G-Sync compatible monitor — you cannot enable it if either piece of hardware lacks support.

Turning on G-Sync involves three steps: confirming your hardware supports it, enabling it in the Nvidia control panel, and turning it on in your monitor's settings. The whole process takes about five minutes.

Key Takeaways

G-Sync requires an Nvidia graphics card (GTX 650 or newer) and a monitor with G-Sync built in — check your monitor's manual or manufacturer website to confirm.
You enable G-Sync through the Nvidia control panel on Windows, not through Windows settings or your monitor alone.
Most G-Sync monitors have the feature turned on by default, but you should check your monitor's menu to be certain.
G-Sync works only in fullscreen mode for most games; windowed or borderless windowed mode will not use it.

Check that your hardware supports G-Sync

Open the Nvidia control panel by right-clicking on your desktop and selecting "Nvidia Control Panel" from the menu. If you do not see this option, your system may not have an Nvidia graphics card, or the drivers need updating. Go to Nvidia's driver download page, enter your graphics card model, and download the latest driver.

In the control panel, look at the left sidebar and click "System Information." The window will show your graphics card model under "Graphics Card." Cross-reference this model number against Nvidia's list of G-Sync compatible cards — any GTX 650 or newer supports it. If you have a newer RTX card (RTX 2060 or later), G-Sync is definitely supported.

Next, check your monitor. Look in the monitor's manual, on the manufacturer's website, or on the back of the monitor itself for "G-Sync" or "G-Sync Compatible" labeling. If your monitor does not have this label, G-Sync will not work even if your graphics card supports it.

Enable G-Sync in the Nvidia control panel

Right-click your desktop and open the Nvidia control panel again. In the left sidebar, click "Display," then select "Set up G-Sync." A window will open showing your connected displays.

Check the box next to "Enable G-Sync" or "Enable G-Sync, G-Sync Compatible." If you see two options, "Enable G-Sync" applies only to monitors with native G-Sync hardware, while "Enable G-Sync, G-Sync Compatible" also includes monitors certified as G-Sync compatible but using different underlying technology. Choose whichever matches your monitor type.

Below that, you will see two radio buttons: "Fullscreen" and "Fullscreen and Windowed." Select "Fullscreen" unless you specifically play games in windowed mode — G-Sync in windowed mode can cause performance issues on some systems. Click "Apply" and then "OK."

Turn on G-Sync in your monitor's settings

Most G-Sync monitors ship with the feature enabled by default, but you should verify this. Press the menu button on your monitor (usually on the back or bottom edge). Navigate to "G-Sync" or "Nvidia G-Sync" using the arrow buttons, and confirm it is set to "On" or "Enabled." The exact menu path varies by manufacturer — check your monitor's manual if you cannot find it.

If your monitor has both "G-Sync" and "G-Sync Compatible" options, choose the one that matches your monitor type. Again, check the manual or the monitor's spec sheet if you are unsure which applies.

Test G-Sync in a game

Launch a game that supports G-Sync — most modern games do, but older titles may not. Run the game in fullscreen mode, not windowed or borderless windowed. Open the Nvidia overlay by pressing Alt+Z while in-game, then click "Performance" to see a real-time graph of your frame rate and GPU usage.

If G-Sync is working, your frame rate will vary (it might jump between 60 and 144 fps, for example) without visible tearing or stuttering. If you still see horizontal lines tearing across the screen, G-Sync may not be enabled on your monitor, or the game may not be running in fullscreen mode.

Troubleshooting if G-Sync is not working

If you have enabled G-Sync in both the control panel and your monitor but still see tearing, first confirm the game is running in fullscreen mode. Many games default to borderless windowed, which disables G-Sync. Go into the game's graphics settings and change the display mode to "Fullscreen" or "Exclusive Fullscreen."

If the game is in fullscreen and tearing persists, check that your monitor is actually connected to your Nvidia graphics card, not to your motherboard's built-in graphics. On a desktop, this means the monitor cable should plug into the graphics card itself, not the ports on the back of the case. On a laptop, you cannot control which GPU the monitor uses, so this does not apply.

Update your Nvidia drivers to the latest version. Older drivers sometimes have bugs that prevent G-Sync from working correctly. Go to Nvidia's driver page, download the latest driver for your card, and install it. You may need to restart your computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will G-Sync make my games run faster?

No. G-Sync does not increase frame rate — it syncs your monitor to whatever frame rate your graphics card is producing. It reduces visual artifacts like tearing and stuttering, which makes gameplay feel smoother, but your actual fps count stays the same.

Can I use G-Sync with a 60 Hz monitor?

Yes. G-Sync works at any refresh rate, including 60 Hz. The benefit is smaller on lower refresh rate monitors, but you will still see a reduction in tearing if your frame rate dips below 60 fps.

Does G-Sync work with AMD graphics cards?

No. G-Sync is an Nvidia technology. AMD graphics cards use a different standard called FreeSync. If you have an AMD card, look for a FreeSync-compatible monitor instead.

What if my monitor does not have G-Sync?

You can still reduce tearing by enabling V-Sync in your game's graphics settings, though this introduces input lag. Alternatively, you can cap your frame rate to match your monitor's refresh rate using tools like Nvidia's frame rate limiter in the control panel.

Do I need to enable G-Sync for every game?

No. Once you enable G-Sync in the Nvidia control panel, it applies to all games automatically when they run in fullscreen mode. You do not need to change settings per game.

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