How to Enable FreeSync in a Game: Monitor, GPU, and Windows Settings

To enable FreeSync in a game you need to turn it on in three places in order: in your monitor’s OSD menu, in your GPU driver (AMD Software or NVIDIA Control Panel), and in Windows display settings, then disable V-Sync in-game and cap your frame rate 3-5 FPS below your monitor’s maximum refresh rate.

If any one of those links is off, FreeSync will not engage and you will still see tearing or stuttering even though the monitor is advertised as FreeSync compatible.

What Has to Be On for FreeSync to Work

FreeSync is not a single toggle. It is a handshake between the monitor’s scaler and the GPU that only works when the whole chain supports adaptive sync:

• Monitor: FreeSync / Adaptive-Sync set to On in the OSD
• Cable: DisplayPort 1.2a or newer, or HDMI 1.4+ on a FreeSync over HDMI monitor (HDMI 2.0/2.1 preferred for 144Hz+)
• GPU driver: FreeSync / G-Sync Compatible enabled
• Windows: Variable refresh rate enabled and game running in true fullscreen or borderless window with optimizations handled correctly
• Game: V-Sync OFF, frame rate capped just below max refresh

Step 1: Enable FreeSync in Your Monitor Menu

Most monitors ship with FreeSync disabled by default.

1. Press the joystick/button under the monitor to open the OSD.
2. Go to Gaming, Game Adjust, or Picture menu. Look for Adaptive-Sync, FreeSync, FreeSync Premium / Premium Pro, or VRR.
3. Set it to On or Extended if you see Standard/Extended options. Use Extended for the widest VRR range (e.g., 48-165Hz instead of 48-120Hz).
4. Disable any conflicting monitor features if FreeSync greys out: some monitors turn off FreeSync when ELMB, Motion Blur Reduction, DyAc, or MBR is enabled. You cannot run backlight strobing and VRR at the same time on most models.
5. Confirm the refresh rate is set to max. On some monitors you must also set Overclock or Max Refresh to On to unlock 165Hz/180Hz/240Hz.

Reasoning: The OSD toggle actually enables the scaler’s VRR mode. If this is off, Windows and the GPU driver will not expose a VRR option at all.

Step 2: Enable It in Your GPU Driver

For AMD Radeon GPUs (RX 5000 series and newer)

1. Right-click desktop > AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
2. Go to Gaming > Display or Display > Display Options.
3. Find AMD FreeSync and set to On or AMD Optimized.
4. Enable Variable Refresh Rate if you see it listed separately.
5. Keep Anti-Lag / Anti-Lag+ enabled if you want lower input lag, but set Wait for Vertical Refresh to Off, unless application specifies. Forcing it On will override FreeSync.

For NVIDIA GeForce GPUs (GTX 10 series and newer)

NVIDIA cards support FreeSync monitors as G-Sync Compatible. The label is different but the function is identical.

1. Right-click desktop > NVIDIA Control Panel.
2. On the left, go to Display > Set up G-SYNC.
3. Check Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible.
4. Select Enable for full screen mode first. If you play borderless, choose Enable for windowed and full screen mode after testing.
5. Under Display > Change resolution, set refresh rate to Highest available and Output color format to RGB, 8bpc or 10bpc.
6. Under Manage 3D settings > Global Settings, set Monitor Technology to G-Sync Compatible and Vertical sync to Off.
7. Click Apply. If your monitor is not validated but still works, you will see a checkbox for Enable settings for the selected display model even though it says not validated.

Reasoning: AMD and NVIDIA both leave VRR off by default to avoid compatibility issues with older displays. Enabling it here authorizes the GPU to vary its output timing.

Step 3: Check Windows Settings

1. In Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
2. Click Change default graphics settings and turn on Variable refresh rate.
3. Go back to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and verify Refresh rate shows the monitor’s maximum (e.g., 165Hz, not 60Hz). If it shows 60Hz, FreeSync will be limited to 60Hz.
4. If you use multiple monitors, select the FreeSync monitor at the top before checking. In Windows, VRR only applies to the display you configure.
5. For borderless or windowed games, leave Optimizations for windowed games enabled in Settings > Graphics. Disabling it can break VRR in borderless mode.

Step 4: Configure the Game Itself

Getting the in-game settings wrong is the most common reason FreeSync appears enabled but does nothing.

• Turn V-Sync OFF in the game. Leave it off in the driver too. V-Sync caps frames to the max refresh and adds input lag; FreeSync already prevents tearing without that cap. If you leave both on, V-Sync will override FreeSync when you hit max refresh and cause stutter.
• Cap your frame rate 3-5 FPS below max refresh. For a 144Hz monitor cap to 139-141 FPS. For 165Hz cap to 160-162 FPS. For 240Hz cap to 235-237 FPS. Use either the in-game limiter, AMD Chill / FRTC, or NVIDIA Max Frame Rate. Capping slightly below prevents the frame rate from constantly bouncing against the VRR ceiling, which is what causes input lag spikes and occasional tearing at the top end.
• Use the right display mode. FreeSync is most reliable in Exclusive Fullscreen. In Borderless Windowed it works on Windows 11 with Optimizations for windowed games, but some games (especially older DirectX 11 titles) will only engage VRR in exclusive fullscreen.
• Disable any in-game frame smoothing that forces triple buffering unless you need it. Keep settings like Reduced Input Lag or Reflex + Boost on if available; they cooperate with VRR.

How to confirm it works: Enable the monitor’s OSD refresh rate counter if available, or enable AMD FreeSync overlay / NVIDIA G-SYNC indicator (NVIDIA Control Panel > Display > G-SYNC indicator). If FreeSync is active, the displayed Hz will fluctuate second-to-second matching your FPS. If it stays locked at 144 or 165, VRR is not engaged.

DisplayPort vs HDMI for FreeSync: What to Use

Both can carry FreeSync, but bandwidth and support differ by monitor generation.

Worked calculation: Bandwidth = width x height x refresh rate x color depth. For 2560×1440 at 165Hz with 8-bit color (24 bits per pixel): 2560 x 1440 = 3,686,400 pixels x 165 = 608,256,000 pixels/sec x 24 bits = 14,598,144,000 bits/sec = ~14.6 Gbps for video data alone. With blanking interval (~8-10%) the actual signal is ~15.9 Gbps, which exceeds HDMI 2.0 after encoding overhead, so you must use DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1 for 1440p 165Hz at full color. That is why a 1440p 165Hz monitor may include HDMI ports limited to 144Hz while DisplayPort reaches 165Hz.

Practical choice:

• For 1080p and 1440p up to 144Hz: DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0 both work. Use DisplayPort if your monitor limits FreeSync range over HDMI.
• For 1440p 165Hz+ or 4K 120Hz+: Use DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1. Check the monitor spec sheet for Max Refresh per Port – it often differs.
• If using HDMI, use an Ultra High Speed cable for HDMI 2.1 monitors. A High Speed HDMI cable will silently limit you to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth and cap refresh.

Troubleshooting: FreeSync Not Working, Flickering, or Greyed Out

1. FreeSync option is greyed out or missing

Check cable first, then monitor input. Some monitors disable FreeSync on certain HDMI ports only. Try DisplayPort if HDMI shows no option. Reset the monitor to factory defaults from the OSD, then re-enable FreeSync. Update the monitor firmware if the manufacturer provides one – early firmware for some 240Hz models disables VRR above a certain refresh.

2. Game still tears even though FreeSync says On

Usually V-Sync is still on or FPS is not capped. Turn off V-Sync in both game and driver, cap FPS 3-5 below max, and make sure you are not exceeding the FreeSync range. FreeSync only works inside its range (e.g., 48-165Hz). Above that range it disengages and tearing returns. If your FPS is dropping below the minimum (e.g., 30 FPS on a 48Hz minimum monitor), enable Low Framerate Compensation (LFC) if your monitor supports FreeSync Premium. LFC doubles frames to stay in range. All Premium and Premium Pro monitors support it; basic FreeSync may not.

3. Flickering or brightness flicker with FreeSync On

This happens most often when frame rate fluctuates rapidly near the bottom of the VRR range, or when using variable overdrive. Fixes in order:

• Cap frame rate to keep FPS stable and above 60 if possible.
• In the monitor OSD, change Overdrive / Response Time from Extreme to Normal or Medium. Extreme overdrive with VRR causes inverse ghosting and flicker on many VA panels.
• On NVIDIA, try toggling G-SYNC for windowed vs fullscreen only. Windowed mode can flicker on some desktop apps.
• If flicker only appears in menus or loading screens where FPS is very high (400+ FPS), apply the frame rate cap globally in the driver, not just in-game.

4. FreeSync works on desktop but not in a specific game

Set the game to Exclusive Fullscreen, disable any frame generation that creates a second virtual refresh (some FSR/DLSS Frame Generation modes bypass VRR), and check that the game is actually running on the FreeSync monitor. With multiple monitors, Windows sometimes moves borderless games to the secondary 60Hz display. Press Win+Shift+Arrow to move the window or set the FreeSync display as Main Display in Settings > System > Display.

Quick Compatibility Matrix

Best Settings to Leave On After Setup

Once FreeSync is confirmed working, leave these defaults for the lowest lag and smoothest result: FreeSync On in OSD, G-Sync Compatible / FreeSync On in driver, V-Sync Off everywhere, frame rate cap at max refresh minus 3 FPS, HDR off unless the game supports it and you have set 10-bit color in the driver, and overdrive on Normal. These values apply to most IPS and VA gaming monitors in the 144Hz to 240Hz class and do not need per-game adjustment unless a game has its own limiter that conflicts.