How to Fix Screen Tearing on Windows 11 With an RX 9070 XT Build

How to fix screen tearing Windows 11 RX 9070 XT starts with refresh rate, VRR, V-Sync, and driver profiles. For SA gaming PCs, test fullscreen mode, frame caps, overlays, and the monitor cable before changing parts.

Build Lab · 17 Jul 2026 · 3 min read · GPUGuru ·

Screen tearing on a Windows 11 RX 9070 XT build setup is a timing mismatch between the frames your system renders and the moment the monitor refreshes, not a sign of a broken part. South African gamers usually see torn frames right after a hardware change because variable refresh, V-Sync or a frame cap reset at the same time. The fix is to get the GPU, the monitor and the game agreeing on timing again.

Quick Answer

Stop tearing on a Windows 11 RX 9070 XT build setup by enabling AMD FreeSync in the GPU control panel, switching the monitor on with VRR active, and capping the game a few frames below the refresh rate. For a 144Hz panel, cap around 141fps; for 240Hz, cap near 237fps, and leave V-Sync on as a backstop inside the VRR window. That combination removes tearing without adding the input lag that plain V-Sync introduces.

The order that removes tearing for good

Confirm the monitor's VRR feature is switched on in its own menu; many SA panels ship with FreeSync or G-Sync disabled. 2. Enable AMD FreeSync in the GPU control panel and tick it for both full-screen and windowed modes. 3. Set a global frame cap a few frames under the refresh ceiling so frames stay inside the VRR range. 4. Turn V-Sync on in the driver (not the game) as a backstop, which adds almost no lag while VRR is active. Test one game at a time, because a borderless-window title can behave differently from a true full-screen one.

Answer-led FreeSync setup on Windows 11

To stop tearing on a Windows 11 RX 9070 XT build: open AMD Adrenalin, enable FreeSync, set a per-game or global cap a few frames below your refresh, and turn the monitor's FreeSync toggle on. The RX 9070 XT, from around R16,000 at Evetech, exceeds most refresh ceilings, so the cap is what keeps frames inside the FreeSync window. Keep Adrenalin current so VRR survives sleep and resolution changes.

FAQ

Why did tearing start after the Windows 11 RX 9070 XT build change?

A hardware swap commonly resets VRR, the frame cap or the display mode, so frames and refresh fall out of sync. Re-enabling AMD FreeSync and re-capping the frame rate restores the tear-free behaviour you had before.

Should I just turn V-Sync on to fix tearing?

Plain V-Sync removes tearing but adds noticeable input lag, which hurts in fast games. A VRR setup with V-Sync only as a backstop inside the refresh window is smoother and far more responsive.

What is the fastest way to stop tearing on a RX 9070 XT in Windows 11?

Enable FreeSync in Adrenalin and the monitor menu, then cap frames just below your refresh. That single combination removes tearing on the RX 9070 XT without the lag of plain V-Sync.

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