First confirm that your monitor is actually running at its intended resolution and highest supported refresh rate. Then tune its response-time setting and your game’s rendering and sync options. These steps can reduce parts of the delay between an input and the image changing, but monitor settings alone cannot fix a slow game simulation, a render queue, or a PC that cannot deliver enough frames.
Check the active refresh rate first
On Windows 10 or 11, open Settings → System → Display → Advanced display. Select the gaming monitor if more than one display is connected, then check its active resolution and refresh rate. Choose the highest refresh rate offered that keeps the resolution you intend to play at.
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Microsoft notes that refresh-rate options marked with an asterisk do not support the current resolution; selecting one may change the resolution. If the rate you expect is missing, check the monitor’s supported modes, the GPU output and cable/connection capability, and the monitor documentation before assuming there is a fault. Microsoft’s Windows refresh-rate instructions explain where to find the setting.
A higher refresh rate can reduce display scanout latency and improve motion presentation, but there is no fixed number of milliseconds it will save on every setup. The result depends on the active mode and the rest of the system. In NVIDIA Research’s 2019 controlled moving-target task, performance improved across tested refresh rates of 60, 120, and 240 Hz; that result does not quantify the benefit for every game or player. NVIDIA Research’s 2019 publication examined specific clicking and tracking tasks, not all competitive games.
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If Windows 11 Dynamic Refresh Rate is enabled and a game seems limited to a lower rate, Microsoft says DRR can limit the maximum refresh rate in some games. DRR requires VRR-capable hardware and at least 120 Hz; Microsoft’s suggested mitigation for that case is to turn DRR off. This is conditional guidance, not a universal recommendation to disable it.
Tune the monitor’s response setting
In the monitor’s on-screen display (OSD), look for a setting named Overdrive, Response Time, or Pixel Response. Start with the normal or a moderate setting, then test in a game or moving test pattern. Watch high-contrast moving edges for overshoot—often seen as bright or dark inverse ghosting—or other distracting artifacts.
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Maximum overdrive is not automatically best. NVIDIA’s system-latency guide cautions that excessive overdrive can create distracting effects that outweigh its response-time benefit. Setting names and behavior vary by monitor model, so use what looks clean at the refresh rate you actually play at rather than relying on a universal preset. An esports or low-processing picture mode is also worth comparing with the regular mode, but check the image trade-offs: such modes may disable processing features.
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Reduce game and rendering delay separately
Total input-to-display delay includes more than the monitor. NVIDIA separates display latency into scanout, display processing, and pixel response; its broader latency guide also identifies operating-system, game, and rendering latency as major parts of the system. An OSD setting cannot remove delay caused by game simulation or queued CPU/GPU work.
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Use NVIDIA Reflex when the game supports it
If the game offers NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency, enable it and test responsiveness and frame pacing in that game. NVIDIA describes Reflex as synchronizing CPU and GPU pipeline work for just-in-time rendering. It is game- and platform-dependent, so the option is not present or applicable in every title or setup. NVIDIA’s Reflex documentation describes the technology and its developer-facing latency measurements.
Use the driver option only when appropriate
If Reflex is unavailable, NVIDIA identifies its driver Ultra Low Latency mode as an alternative in its ecosystem. NVIDIA says Reflex is more effective and overrides the driver option if both are enabled. Avoid stacking settings by habit: change one option at a time and judge it in the game you play.
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Compare fullscreen and borderless in your game
Do not assume exclusive fullscreen is always faster. NVIDIA’s 2020 system-latency guide recommends exclusive fullscreen where possible because it can bypass the Windows compositor. Microsoft’s newer Windows 11 windowed-game optimization, however, improves compatible DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running windowed or borderless by moving supported presentation from the legacy blt model to the flip model, reducing frame latency and enabling features such as VRR on supported displays.
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Choose between tearing and tear-free output
Turning V-Sync off can reduce latency, but may produce visible tearing. If tearing bothers you and you use G-SYNC, NVIDIA describes a different trade-off: V-Sync on with Reflex (or the driver low-latency option where Reflex is unavailable) can keep output tear-free with low latency in the described conditions, when the GPU is bound below the display refresh rate. NVIDIA notes this is slightly higher latency than uncapped frame rates with Reflex. Its guide also calls for in-game V-Sync in windowed mode or certain hybrid-laptop setups in that configuration.
These are NVIDIA-specific recommendations, not a universal rule for every VRR technology, game, or laptop. Evaluate tearing, smoothness, and responsiveness together, and consult the documentation for your GPU and game when behavior differs. NVIDIA’s system-latency guide sets out the conditions and trade-offs for its approach.
Find the bottleneck before buying a monitor
If the active refresh rate is already correct and the monitor’s response looks clean, the remaining delay may be upstream. NVIDIA’s guide distinguishes game latency from render latency: it suggests a faster CPU when game latency is high and a faster GPU when render latency is high. A monitor upgrade makes sense when the current display or its measured behavior is the limiting factor—not simply because an advertised response-time number sounds impressive.
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When comparing a high-refresh-rate gaming monitor, focus on evidence for the setup you intend to use:
- Measured input lag at your intended resolution and refresh rate.
- Pixel response and overshoot at that refresh rate, including which overdrive settings are usable.
- Refresh rates available at native resolution and the GPU/connection needed to reach them.
- VRR compatibility and behavior with your GPU and games.
- Independent measurements with a stated method, rather than a marketing “1 ms” claim alone.
Your PC must be able to drive the target mode, and a higher-refresh monitor cannot compensate for low frame rates caused by an upstream bottleneck. The sources cited here do not establish a current best model or a universal input-lag reduction for a particular upgrade.
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