Screen tearing looks bad. VSync fixes it, but adds 1–2 frames of input lag by forcing the GPU to wait for the display’s refresh cycle. Scanline Sync is a little-known MSI Afterburner feature that solves tearing with virtually zero additional input lag — and it works on any GPU, even without G-Sync or FreeSync hardware. Here’s how to set it up and dial it in.

How Screen Tearing and VSync Work

Your monitor refreshes at a fixed rate — 60 Hz, 144 Hz, 240 Hz. Your GPU renders frames as fast as it can, independently of the display. When the GPU finishes a frame mid-scanout (while the monitor is actively drawing), the display shows part of the old frame and part of the new frame at the same time. That horizontal split is screen tearing.

VSync synchronizes the GPU’s frame output to the monitor’s refresh cycle. No more tearing — but the GPU must sometimes wait, buffering completed frames instead of sending them immediately. This buffer introduces latency: you move the mouse, the frame isn’t delivered until the next refresh boundary. At 60 Hz, that’s up to 16.67ms of added input lag.

Scanline Sync takes a different approach. Instead of syncing to the vertical refresh boundary (the top of the frame), it lets you specify a scanline position — a horizontal line on the display — where the GPU delivers the frame. If the tear is forced to occur below the visible area (or in a position where it’s imperceptible), it effectively eliminates visible tearing without the full-frame buffer delay of VSync.

Requirements

MSI Afterburner (free — download at msi.com/page/afterburner)
RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) — ships with Afterburner, required for Scanline Sync
Any Nvidia or AMD GPU (Scanline Sync is driver-agnostic)
Works with any standard monitor — no G-Sync or FreeSync required

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1 — Install MSI Afterburner and RTSS

Download and install MSI Afterburner. During installation, ensure RivaTuner Statistics Server is checked. RTSS is what actually implements Scanline Sync at the driver level.

After installation, both MSI Afterburner and RTSS will be in your system tray.

Step 2 — Disable In-Game VSync

Before configuring Scanline Sync, disable VSync in your game. Scanline Sync and VSync are mutually exclusive — running both causes problems.

Also disable VSync in your GPU control panel:

Nvidia Control Panel:

Open Nvidia Control Panel → Manage 3D settings.
Under Global Settings, set Vertical sync to Off.

AMD Software:

Open AMD Software → Gaming → Global Graphics.
Set Wait for Vertical Refresh to Off.

Step 3 — Open RivaTuner Statistics Server

Click the RTSS icon in the system tray (the small tachometer). In the main window:

Click Add and browse to your game’s executable, or use the global default profile.
In the profile settings, find the Scanline Sync option.

Step 4 — Configure Scanline Sync Value

The Scanline Sync value is a number that represents a scanline position on your display:

Positive values — Frame delivery happens at scanline N (measured from the top)
Negative values — Frame delivery happens at N scanlines from the bottom
Value of 0 — Disabled

Recommended starting point: Set Scanline Sync to -2 (negative two). This forces the tear line two scanlines above the bottom of the screen, making it completely invisible in normal gameplay.

If you see tearing near the bottom of the screen at -2, try -8 to push it further into the bottom edge.

For 1080p (1920×1080):

-2 to -8 — Tear occurs in the bottom ~8 pixels, effectively invisible
540 — Tear occurs in the middle of the screen (not recommended)
1 to 20 — Tear occurs near the top, visible during bright scenes

For 1440p (2560×1440): the principle is the same but the range is 1440 scanlines total.

Step 5 — Combine with Frame Rate Cap

Scanline Sync works best when combined with a framerate cap just below your monitor’s refresh rate. This prevents the GPU from running excessively far ahead of the display, which can cause the tear line to drift.

In RTSS, set Framerate limit to:

For a 60 Hz monitor: 58–59 FPS
For a 144 Hz monitor: 141–142 FPS
For a 165 Hz monitor: 162–163 FPS
For a 240 Hz monitor: 236–238 FPS

Capping 2–4 FPS below the refresh rate gives the GPU enough slack to finish frames before the sync point without overshooting.

Afterburner → RTSS → Profile for your game:
  Framerate limit: 141
  Scanline sync: -2

Fine-Tuning for Your Game

Every game’s rendering behavior is slightly different. Here’s how to fine-tune:

Still seeing a tear line? The tear line has drifted above your Scanline Sync position. Increase the negative value (e.g., from -2 to -15).

Input feels laggy? Your framerate cap might be too low, causing the GPU to idle. Raise the cap closer to your refresh rate, or check whether Scanline Sync is inadvertently synchronizing like traditional VSync. Try a positive scanline value like 5 — this forces the tear above the visible area if your game runs well above refresh rate.

Micro-stutters? Often caused by frame time variance. Combine Scanline Sync with a frame pacing tool. RTSS itself helps with this through its frame time limiter.

Scanline Sync vs. G-Sync / FreeSync

Technology	Requires Special Monitor	Input Lag vs. No Sync	Tearing Eliminated
No sync (VSync off)	No	None	No
VSync on	No	+1–2 frames	Yes
Scanline Sync	No	~Negligible	Mostly (below screen)
G-Sync / FreeSync	Yes (variable refresh)	None	Yes, completely

Scanline Sync occupies a valuable middle ground: it’s nearly as good as adaptive sync for competitive gameplay, works on any monitor, and requires no additional hardware. If you have G-Sync or FreeSync, use those instead — they’re better. If you don’t, Scanline Sync is the best alternative.

Verifying It’s Working

With Afterburner’s OSD (on-screen display) enabled, you can see your frame time graph. With Scanline Sync active and a proper frame cap:

Frame times should be consistent (e.g., 7ms ± 0.5ms at 144 FPS)
No large frame time spikes unless the GPU can’t hold the target rate
Visible tearing should be eliminated or pushed below the visible area

You can enable the OSD via MSI Afterburner → Settings → Monitoring → select the metrics you want displayed → check “Show in On-Screen Display.”

Troubleshooting

Scanline Sync option is grayed out or missing in RTSS — Ensure RTSS is running as Administrator. Right-click the RTSS tray icon, close it, and relaunch as Admin.

Tearing is still visible in the upper half of the screen — Your GPU is rendering well above your refresh rate and the tear is drifting. Add a stricter frame cap or switch to a positive scanline value like 10 to push the tear above the screen.

Game crashes when Scanline Sync is enabled — Some anti-cheat software (Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye) blocks RTSS injection. Add an exception or use RTSS in stealth mode (RTSS settings → Stealth mode).

Scanline Sync is one of the most underutilized features in PC gaming. Five minutes of setup gives you tear-free visuals with almost no input lag penalty — no monitor upgrade required.