Is my monitor flickering because of FreeSync or G-Sync?

Brightness flicker in dark scenes and loading screens is often variable refresh reacting to an unsteady frame rate. Here’s how to confirm it and stop it.

By Hardware Detective editorial team · Last updated September 29, 2026 · How we test

The flicker usually shows up in the same places: a loading screen, a game menu, a dark cave or a night scene. The whole screen pulses slightly brighter and darker, sometimes several times a second. On the desktop and in bright scenes everything looks normal.

That pattern points at variable refresh rate, marketed as FreeSync, G-Sync or adaptive sync. It isn’t broken. It’s doing what it was designed to do in a situation where the side effect becomes visible.

Why variable refresh can flicker

A fixed refresh monitor draws a new image at a steady rate, for example 144 times a second. With variable refresh the monitor waits for each new frame from the graphics card instead. When the game runs at 90 frames per second the screen refreshes at 90Hz. When it drops to 50 the screen follows.

On many panels, particularly OLED and VA, the brightness of dark shades changes very slightly with the refresh rate. At a steady frame rate you never notice. When the frame rate swings quickly, say from 140 to 40 and back during a loading screen, the brightness swings with it. Your eyes are very sensitive to brightness changes in dark areas, so that reads as flicker.

A second source is low framerate compensation. Below the bottom of the monitor’s variable refresh range the graphics driver starts showing each frame twice or three times to keep the refresh rate in range. A frame rate that keeps crossing that threshold switches this on and off, which can cause visible pulses.

Confirm it

1. Open the refresh rate test with your usual settings. If it reports that frame intervals vary widely and variable refresh is probably active, VRR is on.
2. Turn variable refresh off in your monitor’s menu or your graphics driver.
3. Go back to the scene or loading screen that flickered.

If the flicker disappears with VRR off, you’ve found the cause. If it stays, skip to the section on other causes below.

Fix it without losing variable refresh

Variable refresh is worth keeping in most games because it prevents screen tearing without adding delay. The goal is to stop the extreme swings rather than the feature.

Cap the frame rate. Set a cap a few frames below your refresh rate in the graphics driver or the game. This stops menus and loading screens from running uncapped and cuts the size of the swings. It’s the single most effective fix.

Keep frame rates above the VRR floor. If flicker happens when the frame rate dips into the forties or below, lower a couple of graphics settings so the game stays above the bottom of the range.

Turn VRR off for specific games. Both major graphics drivers let you set variable refresh per application. Leave it on globally and switch it off for the one game with a flickery menu.

Use the monitor’s own options. Some monitors have a VRR control or an anti-flicker setting that trades a little of the variable range for steadier brightness. Check the on screen menu and any firmware updates from the manufacturer.

Desktop flicker

Flicker on the Windows desktop or in a browser usually comes from variable refresh being applied to windowed apps. The desktop runs at an uneven rate while you scroll or while something animates and the screen tracks it.

Look in your graphics driver for a setting that enables variable refresh for windowed mode as well as full screen. Setting it to full screen only is often enough. Windows also has its own variable refresh option in the graphics settings, which is worth trying off.

Other causes of flicker

If turning variable refresh off didn’t help, the cause is somewhere else.

• PWM dimming. Some backlights and OLED panels pulse rapidly to reduce brightness. It is most visible at low brightness and to people who are sensitive to it. Raising the brightness is the quick test.
• Cable or connection. A marginal DisplayPort or HDMI cable at a high refresh rate can cause brief blackouts or flashes. Try a certified cable or drop the refresh rate one step to see whether it stops. The 144Hz guide covers cable limits.
• HDR switching. Some games and videos switch HDR on and off, which makes the screen blank or change brightness for a moment.
• Overdrive set too high. Aggressive overdrive can cause shimmering at certain refresh rates. Try the middle setting.

If flicker appears on a brand new monitor in everyday desktop use with every option off, treat it as a possible fault and raise it while you’re still inside the return window.