Screen tearing - Monitor vs gpu

[hdmark]

Good morning!

I have a question that im pretty sure i already know the answer to but i wanted to double check. I'm looking at buying a 1440p monitor for my gtx 970 ( i think ill be upgrading next gen with volta - probably an 1170, or get a used 1070 when the new stuff comes out ). Mainly i play warcraft and league so im leaning towards a 60hz (also for budget purposes).

Ive found the acer g257hu which seems to get good reviews. However i see that a lot of people complain about screen tearing with it. Now i thought that a monitor itself wouldnt cause screen tearing and that its caused by an underpowered GPU or vsync of some sort turned off.

Am i wrong and some displays are more prone to tearing due to gtg lag, or certain hardware features? Or are most of these people just thinking their GPU's are stronger than they actually are?

Also, since i have you here... is this a decent choice for a 1440p 60hz? Ive seen great reviews on it and for under 300, it seems the way to go. Are there any better choices for around 300-350 tops? Ideally i would be able to pull a gsync but im pretty sure thats out of my price range. Also, i feel that 25" is a decent size. I sit close enough that a 27" seems a bit large.


(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009728)

Thank you all!

 

[spiketheaardvark]

Screen tearing is what happens when the gpu is generating frames faster than the refresh rate of the monitor. So if your gpu is pushing 70fps and your monitor is 60hz then you get screen tearing. Every monitor will do it. It happens because the gpu starts sending the next frame before the previous on is finished drawing the previous one and with switch images mid draw. Turning vsync on tells the GPU to wait until the first frame is done before sending the next. Solves the problem but introduces more lag/delay. You can get a variable refesh rate monitor (gsync for you), get preferable with a high refresh rate, turn on vsync, if possible push up the graphics settings enough to slow down the frame rate below the refresh rate, live with the tearing, or I think recently they've added a frame rate cap setting in the drivers.

 

[hdmark]

okay perfect. thank you! i knew most of that but its good to hear it reiterated. im assuming then the people were just experience GPU issues and the monitor is fine.

now i just wait till it goes on sale