A 240Hz panel can tear because fast refreshing and synchronised refreshing are different jobs. The display may scan 240 times each second, yet a graphics card can still hand it a new frame halfway through a scan.

Quick Answer

A 240Hz panel can still tear because refresh rate alone does not synchronise the display with the graphics card. Tearing appears when a new frame replaces the old one mid-scan, especially above the adaptive-sync ceiling or with sync disabled. For variable refresh, the R5,099 Lenovo Legion 27Q-10 supports VESA Adaptive Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible, but each still needs a correct port, driver and game setup.

🧩 Identify the line before changing settings

Screen tearing usually looks like a horizontal discontinuity: the top of the screen shows one moment while the bottom has started showing the next. It is easiest to spot during a fast horizontal pan against a fence, corridor edge or horizon. It is not the same as ordinary pixel trailing, compression artefacts in streamed video, or a frame-rate dip that makes motion feel uneven.

Start by testing the game at the monitor's native 2560x1440 resolution with its desktop refresh setting confirmed. Then turn one setting on or off at a time. This matters because changing the frame cap, graphics preset and sync option together can make a result look better without revealing which change solved the problem.

🔄 Use variable refresh inside its useful range

Adaptive sync allows a compatible display to alter refresh timing in response to the GPU's frame delivery. It is designed to reduce tearing and repeated-frame judder while performance varies. On the Legion 27Q-10, enable the monitor option first, then enable the corresponding setting in the graphics driver. Use a direct cable connection that supports the mode you selected.

The important limitation is that variable refresh has a working range. A game that runs far above the monitor ceiling can still create conditions where frames arrive faster than the display can show them. A frame cap slightly below 240fps is a sensible test point for a title that can exceed the ceiling. It gives the sync system room to work instead of asking it to solve an impossible timing mismatch.

🧪 Test the PC rather than a logo

Open a demanding scene and record the frame-rate range for several minutes. If the game alternates between 170fps and 260fps, the upper spikes may be the reason tearing appears. Cap it at a level your PC holds consistently, then repeat the same camera motion. If a cap fixes the line but makes input feel different, compare a few nearby values rather than assuming the lowest number is best.

Driver updates and game patches can also reset profiles. Re-check the graphics control panel after a major update, and make sure a game-specific profile is not overriding the global setting. Review gaming monitor options and graphics card choices as a system: the display, cable, GPU output and game all contribute.

⚙️ Avoid confusing tearing with overdrive halos

An aggressive overdrive mode can create bright or dark outlines behind moving objects. That is inverse ghosting, not tearing. It can be most visible when a game runs at a lower fps than the maximum refresh setting. If the artefact follows an object rather than splitting the whole frame along a line, reduce overdrive by one step and test again.

Do not use a blur-reduction or MPRT mode as the first answer to tearing. Those features affect persistence or backlight behaviour, while tearing is a timing relationship between the GPU and display. Solve synchronisation first, then tune motion clarity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a 240Hz monitor tear at 100fps?

Yes, if synchronisation is disabled or misconfigured. A high refresh ceiling does not automatically align the monitor's scan with each new GPU frame.

Should I cap fps below 240?

It is a useful test when a game often exceeds 240fps. A cap just below the ceiling can keep variable refresh in a more predictable operating range.

Is a better cable guaranteed to stop tearing?

No. Use a suitable direct cable for the resolution and refresh mode, but also check the monitor menu, driver setting and game profile.

Ready to remove the guesswork from a tearing problem? Test one timing setting at a time and let your own frame-rate range guide the final cap.