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So if I have a game that is running at a different fps than my monitor, it will cause screen tearing and besides that it will also make it not smooth because the frame timings don't fit with the monitor's frame timings right? Because a lot of people on the internet just say that higher fps just causes screen tearing, but for me the unsmoothness (kind of like microstuttering) bothers me a lot.

Is this normal?

Without vsync, g-sync or freesync, you get tearing regardless of FPS. However, with very high FPS (300 or more), tearing becomes less noticeable.

Higher fps than monitor refresh can cause a part of the screen to update earlier than expected with each refresh (causing some stuttering). Lower fps than monitor refresh can cause part of the screen to update slower than expected (causing some stuttering). If you can lock your fps to your monitors refresh then even with vsync off the screen should be roughly updated by one frame on each refresh causing the reduced perception of stuttering.

That said. Many pro gamers simply use vsync off with uncapped framerate and lowered graphics settings. There is some stuttering but this provides the lowest average input lag. Mileage may vary and its best to experiment and find what you like and what helps you perform the best. But as far as the people saying that higher fps than monitor refresh hz is pointless or bad; they are not entirely correct. There are benefits to higher fps than monitor refresh and many pro gamers use this sytle to play.

open wrote:Higher fps than monitor refresh can cause a part of the screen to update earlier than expected with each refresh (causing some stuttering). Lower fps than monitor refresh can cause part of the screen to update slower than expected (causing some stuttering). If you can lock your fps to your monitors refresh then even with vsync off the screen should be roughly updated by one frame on each refresh causing the reduced perception of stuttering.

That said. Many pro gamers simply use vsync off with uncapped framerate and lowered graphics settings. There is some stuttering but this provides the lowest average input lag. Mileage may vary and its best to experiment and find what you like and what helps you perform the best. But as far as the people saying that higher fps than monitor refresh hz is pointless or bad; they are not entirely correct. There are benefits to higher fps than monitor refresh and many pro gamers use this sytle to play.

uncapped i can get like 300-400 fps in csgo but the tiny stuttering makes it feel really unsatisfying to play and sorta makes it feel laggier than just all my frames going into my hz

Sorgair wrote:So if I have a game that is running at a different fps than my monitor, it will cause screen tearing and besides that it will also make it not smooth because the frame timings don't fit with the monitor's frame timings right? Because a lot of people on the internet just say that higher fps just causes screen tearing, but for me the unsmoothness (kind of like microstuttering) bothers me a lot.

Yes, see Advantages of Frame Rates Above Refresh Rate.

If you hate stutter, and actually use VSYNC ON for your competitive gaming, check out HOWTO: Low-Lag VSYNC ON. Alternative is to use 240 Hz GSYNC/FreeSync which is just simply bliss for stutter-free competitive gaming.

Sorgair wrote:uncapped i can get like 300-400 fps in csgo but the tiny stuttering makes it feel really unsatisfying to play and sorta makes it feel laggier than just all my frames going into my hz

It's an acquired taste/ability -- the ability to "aim through the stutter".

While nothing looks as smooth as VRR or perfect-framerate VSYNC ON -- the tactic of increasing the amount of frame rate overkill can help reduce VSYNC OFF microstuttering. 500fps@144Hz will have less visible microstuttering than 300fps@144Hz which will have less visible microstuttering than 200fps@144Hz. But CS:GO is often CPU limited, so you often need well-overclocked recent CPUs to push the numbers ever higher to reduce microstutter.

eSports players in FPS games manage to win with "more stutter + less lag" because they stare constantly at their crosshairs, using only peripheral vision to pay attention to enemies, and simply turn to them to score, without moving eyes away from the crosshairs. Stationary gaze situations can make you more immune to stutter and motion blur. But not everyone sticks to this particular gaming tactic, and not all games in eSports has a crosshairs (e.g. Rocket League).

But some of us just aim better with a frame rate cap or simply enabling VRR. e.g. 240Hz GSYNC with a 238fps cap is often low-lag enough to reach professional leagues nowadays (unlike lower-Hz VRR).