Turn it on in the monitor menu first, then enable it in your graphics driver. AMD calls it FreeSync and NVIDIA calls it G-SYNC Compatible, but both ride the same Adaptive-Sync standard over DisplayPort 1.4. Confirm 120Hz is selected in Windows before testing.
A monitor listing Adaptive-Sync on its box does not mean the feature is doing anything the moment you plug it in. Turning on Adaptive-Sync properly is a two-part job spanning both the screen and the graphics card, and skipping either half leaves tearing exactly as it was before.
Switch it on in the monitor menu first, then enable it in your graphics driver. AMD's version of the same feature is called FreeSync, NVIDIA's is called G-SYNC Compatible, and both run over the same DisplayPort 1.4 connection. Confirm 120Hz is actually selected in Windows before testing, since the R5,999 CU34B3E stuck at a lower refresh rate can make Adaptive-Sync appear ineffective when the real issue is elsewhere.
This half lives entirely inside the panel itself and has nothing to do with software on your PC yet.
Open the monitor's on-screen display, generally reached from a small control cluster tucked along the bottom edge or rear of the panel, and look for a setting named Adaptive-Sync, FreeSync, or occasionally grouped under a general Gaming or Extra menu section. Confirm it is switched on rather than off, since some panels ship with it disabled by default even though the hardware fully supports it. This step alone does nothing without the second half also being enabled.
This half depends on which brand of graphics card is installed, since AMD and NVIDIA each expose the same underlying feature under different names.
On an AMD card, open the AMD Software application and look for FreeSync under display settings, confirming it is enabled for the connected monitor specifically. On an NVIDIA card, open the NVIDIA Control Panel and look for G-SYNC Compatible under display settings, again confirming it is enabled and that your specific monitor is selected as the target display. Both companies' software generally detects Adaptive-Sync-capable monitors automatically once connected, but the setting still needs to be actively confirmed rather than assumed to be on.
Once both settings are enabled, a couple of quick checks confirm the feature is genuinely active rather than just switched on in theory.
First, confirm your monitor is actually running at 120Hz in Windows display settings, since Windows sometimes defaults a new connection to 60Hz, which can make Adaptive-Sync seem ineffective when the real issue is a lower refresh rate entirely. Second, most graphics card driver software includes a small on-screen indicator or test pattern that confirms Adaptive-Sync is actively engaging during use, which is a more reliable check than judging purely by eye whether tearing has stopped.
For the DisplayPort 1.4 connection this whole setup depends on, check cable solutions if your current cable is uncertain. If you are comparing options with this feature included, dedicated gaming monitors, every gaming monitor and the office monitor range are all worth a look.
No. The monitor's own menu setting has to be switched on too; skip either half and the tearing this feature is meant to fix carries on regardless.
Not different at all, just a brand name. FreeSync is what AMD calls its own implementation of the exact same variable-refresh standard already built into the panel.
Check that your monitor is actually running at 120Hz rather than a lower default refresh rate, since Windows sometimes selects a conservative default on first connection.
It can, depending on the specific monitor and HDMI version, though DisplayPort 1.4 is the more reliable and commonly supported connection for this feature at higher refresh rates.
No. All it touches is exactly when each frame gets drawn, syncing that moment to your graphics card's output; how many frames the card produces in the first place is untouched.
Ready to eliminate tearing properly? Enable Adaptive-Sync in the monitor menu and the driver together, then confirm 120Hz is actually selected in Windows.
No. The monitor's own menu setting has to be switched on too; skip either half and the tearing this feature is meant to fix carries on regardless.
Not different at all, just a brand name. FreeSync is what AMD calls its own implementation of the exact same variable-refresh standard already built into the panel.
Check that your monitor is actually running at 120Hz rather than a lower default refresh rate, since Windows sometimes selects a conservative default on first connection.
It can, depending on the specific monitor and HDMI version, though DisplayPort 1.4 is the more reliable and commonly supported connection for this feature at higher refresh rates.
No. All it touches is exactly when each frame gets drawn, syncing that moment to your graphics card's output; how many frames the card produces in the first place is untouched.
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