For example, some people might have an old monitor lying around, and now they’re wondering if they can match that monitor with their new and shiny one. Can dual monitors have different resolutions?

Yes, you can run a dual monitor setup using two screens with different resolutions. Simply go into the Display settings and set your preferred resolutions for both screens 1 and 2, and you’re good to go. It’s not optimal to use two screens of different resolutions, however, because your mouse pointer will appear at a different point when crossing over screens with it.

If you have any questions or are curious about further details on this matter, keep reading. I will go over everything you need to know when it comes to using two monitors with different resolutions.

Also read: Should Dual Monitors Be of the Same Brand? & Should Dual Monitors Be the Same Size?

Can Dual Monitors Have Different Resolutions?

As I mentioned earlier, you can certainly use two monitors of different resolutions with each other. However, there are some things that you should consider before doing this.

The biggest annoyance when using two monitors with different resolutions occurs when moving your mouse pointer from the screen with a higher resolution to the screen with a lower resolution.

For example, if you have one monitor with 4K resolution and one with 1080p, you will have to move your mouse pointer to the top corner of the screen to move the pointer to the lower resolution monitor.

This is because Windows thinks that the screens are different sizes. Check out the picture below and you’ll see what I mean:

Here, you’re going to have to move up and to the left to move your mouse pointer from 1 to 2. When moving to 2 to 1, however, the mouse pointer is always going to appear in the top left corner of your 4K screen.

Unfortunately, there is no way to fix this unless you use an external program. More specifically, you need to use something called LittleBigMouse which is a free open-source project.

The application lets you transition more effortlessly from screen to screen and it’s the only program that I know of which lets you do this.

Oftentimes, monitors with different resolutions also have different refresh rates. This can be an issue depending on the monitors. For example, if you have one 144hz screen, that screen might cap its refresh rate to 60Hz while doing some things on your computer.

A lot of people have dual monitor setups because they want to play something on one screen while watching something on the other. In cases like these with two monitors with different refresh rates, your higher refresh rate monitor might play your games at 60Hz if you’re watching media on the other monitor at the same time.

There is a simple solution to this, however: simply disable hardware acceleration in your web browser. Since the majority of people have Chrome, I’ll take you through how to do it there.

• Click the three dots in the top-right corner of Chrome and select Settings

• From here, click System on the left-hand side

• Finally, uncheck the hardware acceleration option in the System menu

You’re done! Now you should be able to maintain the proper refresh rate on your primary monitor without any issues.

How Do I Set Two Different Resolutions on Dual Monitors?

Some people wonder how to access the resolution settings on their computers when using a dual monitor setup. Quite frankly, it’s very easy. Just follow the simple steps below.

• Right-click your desktop and select Display settings

• After this, you should see a preview of both your monitors (marked 1 and 2)

• To change the resolution for one of them, click on either the screen marked 1 or the screen marked two

• Scroll down until you find the Scale and then click the drop-down menu under Display resolution

• Set your preferred resolution

You can also choose to do this from either the Nvidia control panel or AMD’s Catalyst Control Center. I’ll go through how to do this in the Nvidia control panel since that’s what most people use.

• Right-click your desktop and click on NVIDIA Control Panel

• In the menu on the left-hand side, click on Adjust desktop size and position

• Click on the display you want to change at the top of the new window, then scroll down and select your preferred resolution in the drop-down menu

Should You Use the Same Resolution for Both Screens?

While it’s completely possible to use resolutions with different resolutions, is it recommended to use two monitors of the same resolutions? Well, it depends.

If you want to avoid issues pertaining to scaling, colors, and such things, then using screens with the same resolution is advisable.

It can be annoying moving windows from one screen to the other, especially if you’re on Windows 10 (or some Linux environments). This isn’t an issue for all screens with different resolutions, since many people have reported that they’ve had no issues.

Some people find that having monitors with the same image (color sharpness, etc), refresh rate, and resolutions is a lot easier on the eyes than using monitors with different colors, scaling, sharpness, and so forth.

In short: worst-case scenario, you’ll have some minor problems with the scaling and UI using two screens with different resolutions, but you’ll most likely be fine. Most people use an old monitor as their secondary monitor, and it usually works just fine.

This can be because of image retention, where static images being on the screen too long leaves artifacts or ghosting in-game, where images leave artifact trails which can ruin both performance and experience.

The first thing you should do is check if your monitor is plugged in correctly. If your monitor cable is loose in its video port, make sure to plug it in all the way. The second thing you should do is exclude any type of interference from other devices by disconnecting peripherals such as the mouse and keyboard to see if the issue is solved.

There are an array of possible solutions to this issue, and as such, these solutions are hard to sum up in one paragraph. That’s why I’ve written this resource. Keep reading to find out all of the possible solutions to this issue.

1. Make Sure That Your Monitor is Plugged In

As I mentioned before, make sure that your monitor cable is connected properly on both ends. A loose-fitting cable can cause all sorts of image issues with monitors.

While you’re at it, check if the monitor cable is in any way damaged. If it is, you will want to switch it out for another cable. Most monitors use HDMI, and so do a lot of other devices, so chances are that there’s another HDMI in your household you can use.

Now, cables can be damaged without you being able to see it, so feel the cables with your hands to check if there are any dents or things like that in them.

If the video cable is connected properly both to your computer and monitor and the cable is completely intact, we can safely exclude these things as culprits and move on.

2. Exclude Other Devices As Culprits

I also mentioned that you should exclude other devices as possible causes of the ghost images on your monitor. First, disconnect your keyboard or mouse, then keep doing that with your peripherals one by one.

It’s important that you don’t disconnect them all at once, since we want to pinpoint the device that’s causing your issue. Mind you, this also goes for wireless devices.

For example, if you have a printer, speakers, or router in very close proximity to your computer, you should try to find a way to move them further away. Of course, if moving them further away from your monitor doesn’t affect your situation, then you can just move them back.

4. Update Your GPU Drivers

Make sure that your GPU drivers are all up-to-date. If you haven’t updated your GPU drivers in a long time, errors and bugs can occur. Most likely, your monitor is at fault here and not your GPU, but it’s important to exclude as many factors as we can.

Of course, updating your GPU drivers if you haven’t done so in a long time, can increase your performance in games and in general, so it’s advisable to do so.

I wouldn’t recommend updating the drivers through Windows, however. Instead, download drivers directly through your GPU manufacturer’s website. Most people either have Nvidia or AMD graphics cards, so those are the ones I’ll be going through below.

If you’re unsure of what GPU you have, go to the device manager in Windows and double-click Display adapters to check. If you have an Nvidia GPU, go here. If you have an AMD GPU, go here.

To update Nvidia GPU drivers, follow the steps below.

• Head to the link provided above for Nvidia drivers

• In the dropdown menu, select Product series then Product, and after that, click Search

• In the new window, click Download

• Run the downloaded file and follow the instructions

To update AMD GPU drivers, follow the steps below.

• Head to the link provided above for AMD drivers

• Search for your specific GPU in the search bar and then select Submit

• Select the operating system of your computer and then download the file

• Run the downloaded file and follow the instructions

5. Change the Monitor’s Settings

There are certain settings, that for some monitors, are less than perfect. As such, a lot of annoying errors can occur when having them enabled. Of course, this depends on what monitor you have.

However, I would still recommend that you turn some settings off and some settings on, independent of what monitor you have (if they are available).

For example, turn settings such as Dynamic Contrast, Noise Reduction, Perfect Clear, and Motion Smoothing off if they’re enabled. Chances are that they’re causing your ghosting images issue.

Response times and refresh rates can also be causes for ghosting, particularly when gaming. That’s why you should experiment with different response times and refresh rates.

In Windows, right-click the desktop and select Display settings. After this, scroll down a bit and select Advanced display settings. In the refresh rate dropdown menu, change your refresh rate if possible.

As I mentioned earlier, you can also change your monitor’s response time. Oftentimes, you can do this manually through a button on your monitor. What the response time settings are called depends on your monitor brand, but it should be called something along the lines of Overdrive, Motion Acceleration, or simply Response Time.

6. RMA Or Purchase Another Monitor

If there is something inherently wrong with your monitor, there’s not a lot you can do to fix it. However, I would recommend RMA’ing it (return merchandise authorization) or simply buying a new monitor.

If image retention is your issue, then you can return it if it’s severe enough. If you can’t RMA your monitor, you may have to buy a new one.

7. Don’t Leave Static Images Out For too Long

Some monitors have what is called image retention, commonly referred to as ghost images. This is when static images leave remnants after you’ve closed them down.

You can either RMA your monitor to get a better unit, as I mentioned earlier, or you can keep in mind not to have static images open too long on your computer. The longer the images are on the screen, the more image retention you’ll see.

If possible, try having animated screen savers with a bunch of colors to offset the image retention. Image retention usually occurs when there are static images on the screen for too long.

8. Check the HDMI/DP Port On Your Computer

Faulty video ports can cause a bunch of issues for a monitor depending on what type of port you have. For example, HDMI ports wear out with time. Check the HDMI/DP ports behind the computer and check if you can find anything that seems out of place.

If you have two HDMI ports, try using the other one instead of the port you’re currently using. It’s not unreasonable or particularly unlikely that there could be two faulty HDMI ports on a computer.

If your computer has one or more damaged HDMI ports, you should take it to a repair shop and get it fixed for you, as it can be difficult to repair yourself.

While that’s an unfortunate situation, there exists a lot of solutions that aren’t particularly hard to apply. So, how can you fix the mouse lag on a second monitor?

First of all, make sure that both of your monitors have the same refresh rate. If one monitor is 140Hz and the other one is 60Hz, your mouse cursor on the second screen might lag. Secondly, make sure that you have updated GPU drivers. There are a lot of different things you can do to stop the mouse from lagging on your second monitor, but these two steps are the most important.

These two solutions work for a lot of people, but there are other things you can do as well. Keep reading to find out what you need to do to stop your mouse from lagging.

1. Have the Same Refresh Rate Across Monitors

A lot of people have an old screen as their second monitor, a screen that might not be capable of refresh rates higher than 60Hz. If your second monitor is set at 60Hz, but your primary monitor is set at something like 120 or 144Hz, your mouse cursor might feel laggy on your second monitor.

Windows isn’t great at handling dual monitor setups, and when you move your mouse from the primary monitor to the second one, Windows might not be able to identify the different refresh rates, resulting in what feels like lag.

Some people use a TV as a second monitor for their computers. A lot of TVs run at something like 59Hz and not 60Hz. If you have a computer monitor that runs at 60Hz, you might as well set it to 59Hz instead.

To set your refresh rate in Windows, follow the steps below.

• Right-click your desktop background and click on Display settings

• Scroll down and click on Advanced display settings

• Select the screen that you want to change the refresh rate for in the dropdown menu

• Under Display information, click Display properties for Display X

• Click the Monitor tab, then select a refresh rate in the dropdown menu

2. Make Sure that Your Discrete GPU is Active

It might sound a bit ridiculous, but if your integrated graphics card is the only active GPU, you might see problems regarding mouse lag. Just to be sure, check that your discrete GPU is actually enabled.

A discrete GPU is a GPU that’s separate from the CPU. To check if this primary GPU is enabled, type task manager in the Windows search bar, then click it. After this, find a device called Display adapter and double-click it. After this, right-click the listed device and click enable.

If it is enabled, good. We have ruled out one of the possible culprits for your issue. If it wasn’t enabled, you should try moving around your mouse on the second monitor and see if you’re still experiencing lag.

3. Update Your GPU Drivers

I mentioned earlier that you should have updated GPU drivers. This is integral to a computer in general because drivers that are too outdated or faulty can cause a bunch of issues to your computer.

Make sure that you have new drivers installed. I wouldn’t recommend updating your drivers from Windows. Instead, download them directly from the manufacturer’s website. For AMD GPUs, go here. For Nvidia GPUs, go here.

To download and install drivers for Nvidia GPUs, follow the steps below.

• From the Product Series list, select the GPU series of your GPU

• After this, select your specific GPU from the Product list

• Click Search

• Download and install the file

To download and install drivers for AMD GPUs, follow the steps below.

• Search for your GPU in the dropdown list

• Click Submit

• Select a driver for your operative system, then select Download

• Run the downloaded file and follow the steps

4. Update Windows

It’s always a good idea to have Windows updated to its latest version. Outdated Windows versions can, similarly to outdated GPU drivers, cause issues to your computer, and you should therefore update them.

Furthermore, certain Windows updates have faults and errors, and you don’t really want to be stuck with one of them. Updating Windows is thankfully very easy to do.

If you want to update Windows, follow the simple steps below.

• Press the Windows key + I at the same time

• Select Update & Security

• At the top of the new menu, see if your Windows is up to date

• If it is, click on Check for updates

You’re done! Restart your computer, then try moving your mouse around on the second monitor.

5. Try a Different USB Port

USB ports in your computer have various different power outputs, hardware configurations, and more. Furthermore, USB ports stop working properly fairly often.

That’s why you should try switching up the USB port you’re using for your mouse. If you’re using a wireless mouse, put the wireless receiver in another USB port.

6. Try Using Only the Second Monitor

When your computer is using two screens it puts a heavier load on your computer, especially if you play games on the primary monitor while playing media on the second screen.

If you have an old GPU, your computer might not be able to render to screens at once in a steady fashion, and that might in turn cause lag on your second monitor.

To test this theory, try using only your second monitor. By doing this, you can also see if there’s anything wrong with your second monitor itself.

If your mouse is still lagging, and the cursor is still resisting, you should consider trying a different monitor entirely, because the fault might lie with the monitor itself.

7. Use a Mousemat

As a last resort, make sure that you’re using a mouse mat that’s compatible with the mouse you’re using. If not, the mouse cursor on your screen can stutter and behave laggy.

Make sure of this even if the lag only occurs on your second monitor, because if the monitor is running at a low refresh rate, the problem just might be more noticeable than on your main monitor.

I hope that one of these tips has solved your issues, and if you found a different solution, shoot me a message so that I can add it to the list.

Having a high-pitched noise coming from your computer is obviously very annoying, and furthermore makes the user experience horrible. So, why do PC monitors sometimes make high-pitched noises for no apparent reason?

The most common issue that causes noise coming from your PC monitor is that your LCD monitor has a problem regarding the circuits in the monitor that controls brightness. The solution is to raise the brightness to the max in your monitor settings. After this, you can lower the brightness in your GPU control panel to compensate for the high brightness of the monitor.

Now that you’re aware of the most common problem and solution regarding high-pitched noises coming from PC monitors, let’s go over it in detail. I’ll provide detailed information on how you do the above fix and further information on what to do if this solution doesn’t help you.

1. Adjust Brightness Settings

As I mentioned previously, LCD monitors sometimes have problems with the circuits in the monitor that controls the lighting. Without getting into specifics of the components, you can fix this by enhancing the brightness settings on your monitor.

Monitors have buttons, usually located at the bottom of the screen, that can control different settings for you. Exactly what these settings depend on what monitor you have, but brightness is a universal setting.

Find the brightness setting, and put it up as far as it can go. If your screen makes less noise by this point, then you’re on the right track to fixing your problem.

After you’ve turned up the brightness on your monitor, you can turn it down again using the GPU control panel. After you have entered your GPU control panel, go into the desktop color settings.

How to do this depends on what graphics card manufacturer you have, but it should be fairly straightforward. For Nvidia, just right-click your desktop and click the green icon that says Nvidia control panel.

Here you can turn down the brightness again. This shouldn’t have any effect on the noise coming from your monitor, as it simply reduces the brightness input from your GPU, making it a good workaround.

2. Adjust Monitor Audio Settings

Another quick fix you can try is turning your monitor audio setting down to 0. For some monitors, this can be achieved in the monitor setting on the monitor itself. The button is usually found at the bottom of the screen, close to the power button.

Here, look for any type of volume control and turn it down to zero. You can also try to turn your monitor volume down to zero in Windows. To do this, head to the sound settings by right-clicking the sound icon at the bottom-right corner of Windows, and selecting Open sound settings.

From here, click on Manage sound devices. When you have entered the new window with all your devices listed, look for the name of your monitor. Click on it and select Disable. This doesn’t disable the monitor itself, only the sound from it.

Most users have headsets or external speakers connected to their computer, and turning the monitor audio off shouldn’t affect this in any way.

3. Control Video Cables 3

All devices that are connected to your computer should have functional cables. This also goes for the cables that go from your monitor to your PC. In some cases, this is an HDMI cable, and in other cases, it can be a DP cable or a DVI.

Either way, check that they haven’t sustained any type of damage and that they aren’t bent in any meaningful ways.

You can also try to switch cables to rule this out. Take a different cable and connect it to your computer and monitor. This way, you can quickly see if your video cable was the faulty party.

4. Remove Unnecessary Peripherals 3

Try to remove as many peripherals as possible, and see if your monitor still whines. Also, remove things such as TVs, radios, etc from the close proximity of your PC setup, as these things can cause interferences and make your PC monitor whine.

Remove dongles, game controllers, and other stuff from your USB ports, too. This way, we can quickly rule out any peripherals/other devices such as radios from being the reason for the high-pitched noises.

If your monitor doesn’t stop quite quickly, you can connect your peripherals and put back your other electronics again, as the effect should be fairly immediate.

5. Manufacturing Error, Return Your Monitor

If you bought your monitor recently, chances are that you can still return it and get your money back. Manufacturing errors with monitors and similar products aren’t the rarest of occurrences, which means that your monitor can have some sort of manufacturing issue.

Some models have this issue more than others, and this is usually reflected in online scores and reviews. I strongly recommend that you take the time to look these things up before buying a monitor.

There are endless amounts of brands and models nowadays, which also means that there is a big variance in quality as well.

6. Connect Your Computer Elsewhere

Your setup could be experiencing what’s called a ground loop, which is basically an electrical interference loop between devices. In short, this can cause your monitor to start making noise. You can try to move your PC and monitor to a different room to see if that helps.

If you’re unlucky, the issue lies within your building’s bad electrical wiring, but I would still recommend that you try this out. Move it as far from its original position as you can within your household and see if the monitor still produces the high-pitched noise.

Also, another thing you can try to avoid ground loops is to everything to the same power outlet.

7. Try using another power outlet

As I mentioned previously, if you have a bunch of different power outlets for your PC components, try using only one. I realize that this can mess with your aesthetics a bit, but for the purpose of solving your issue, I would recommend it.

You can still use a multi-way extension cable for your outlet, providing you with a lot more outlets. It doesn’t have to be an outlet directly connected to your wall.

8. Lower The Refresh Rate Of Your Screen

Users have reported that the noise scales with their refresh rate. This is to say, the higher the refresh rate, the louder the noise. This is therefore a bit of a desperate solution, but you can lower your refresh rate to see if the noise lowers in intensity.

I realize that it isn’t optimal to sacrifice the refresh rate in order to lower the annoying noise coming from your screen, but you can try at least. If this is the case, there is a high likelihood of your monitor having some sort of faulty component.

If this is the case, you could try and replace it. At 60Hz, users have reported that the noise is no longer there. But 60Hz is a big step down in quality from, say 144Hz, which makes it a bitter pill to swallow.

That’s why I’ve listed the 10 most common solutions to this issue. Hopefully, after reading this, you can use your two screens without having to deal with this issue anymore. So, what’s the reason why your second monitor is blurry?

The most common reason why your second computer monitor seems blurry is that the scaling settings are wrong, as the Windows operating system sometimes has a hard time configuring this automatically. To fix the issue, go into your display settings on your computer and set the scaling to 100% for each screen individually.

Now that you are aware of the most common reason for your screen to be blurry, remember that there are many potential reasons why your screen can become blurry. Keep reading to find out more solutions.

10 Ways To Fix A Blurry Second Screen

Below I have listed common fixes for a blurry second screen. The fixes aren’t listed in any particular order, and some are more straightforward than others. Hopefully, after this, you will be able to use your dual monitor setup with crisp screen quality on both monitors.

1. Restart Your Computer

The first thing to do when presented with issues such as this one is to restart your computer. Restarting your computer will terminate any temporary bugs and errors that may have led to your second monitor seeming blurry.

Of course, there is a good chance that you’ve already tried this, but let’s be thorough and go through all the possible solutions. If you tried restarting your computer and it didn’t work, keep reading to find out more solutions.

2. Fix The Scaling Settings

If your scaling settings are different for each monitor, then one can seem blurred. Let’s make sure that you have the correct scaling settings in Windows. Follow the steps below to apply the correct settings.

• Right-click on your desktop

• Click “Display Settings”

• Under “Scale and layout”, set the percentage to 100%

• Make sure to do this for both monitors

Now that you have matched the scaling settings for both monitors, the operating system will try to make everything equally sized across both screens. This can also help correct blurriness on your second monitor.

3. Check Color Settings

Try to match all of the color settings for each monitor. This might fix the issue for you. To do this, follow the steps below.

• Go into the Control Panel by typing “Control Panel” in the Windows search bar and clicking the icon

• Go into Appearance and Personalization

• Click on Display

• Click on Change display settings

• Click on Advanced settings

• Select the Adapter tab

• Click List All Modes

• Pick a mode that matches your screens resolution

When on the topic of color settings, make sure to configure your monitor from its own settings as well. There’s usually a button under the monitor that gives you access to a menu where you can adjust various settings.

4. Adjust Resolution For Both Screens

Make sure that the resolution for both monitors is the same. A lower resolution will seem blurry if compared to a higher one. To check your screen resolutions, follow the steps below.

• Right-click on your desktop

• Select Display settings, then click on Screen resolution

• Click on Personalize (or “Properties”)

• Pick a higher resolution setting if possible

Check the resolution for both of your screens and make sure that they match. In an optimal situation, you have something like 1920 x 1080 pixels on both of your screens.

5. Configure The Monitor

As I mentioned in short above, make sure you configure your monitor to its fullest potential. This not only goes for the color settings. Most monitors have buttons under the screen. Locate your configuration button and configure the monitor.

A lot of monitors have ways for you to let it try to auto-configure. If there is such an option on your monitor, let it auto-configure and wait.

If you need to configure monitor settings manually, look for things such as sharpness, if you have a gaming monitor you can look for things such as pixel overdrive. There are usually a lot of settings here to choose from. Experiment with them and see what works for you!

6. Change DPI Settings For a Program

Some people have issues regarding certain apps looking blurry. If this is the case for you, try to adjust some settings with the app in question to fix this.

First, you need to find the executable of the app. Do this by right-clicking the shortcut that you usually open the app with, then click properties, and finally, select “Open file location”. After this, follow the steps below.

• Now that you are inside the installation folder of the app, right-click the program that you want to configure. Look to the right side of the list of files and select the one that says “Program”

• Right-click the executable file, then select “Troubleshoot compatibility”

• Select “Troubleshoot program”

• In the menu after this, select “The program opens but doesn’t display correctly” and click next

• Select “Program doesn’t display properly when large-scale font settings are selected”

• Click next, then save the settings

This can also help you if you experience blurry text on your second monitor.

7. Let Windows Try To Fix It Automatically

There’s a setting that should be on for all computer users, generally. It lets Windows try to fix apps so they aren’t blurry. If your computer for some reason doesn’t have this setting enabled, then you should turn it on. To do this, follow the steps below.

• Type “Advanced scaling settings” in the Windows search bar

• Click “Fix scaling for apps”

• Turn on “Let Windows try to fix apps so they aren’t blurry”

If this setting was on for you, you can try to turn it off to see if that fixes the issue. I know I said that people generally should have it turned on, but Windows settings are really buggy sometimes and as a result, they sometimes work the other way around.

8. Update Graphics Drivers

Outdated graphics card drivers can cause all sorts of problems for your computer, a blurry second screen being one of them. If you haven’t updated your graphics card drivers in a while, I recommend you do this.

This can fix your pixelated screen issue. I would not recommend doing this using Windows device manager. Instead, you should use the drivers provided by your manufacturer. Most people have Nvidia graphics cards, and you can download them here.

9. Control Cables

Video transmission cables are the cables that transmit the image so you can see what’s happening on your screen. It’s important that these cables aren’t damaged. Check for marks, creases, and things like this on your cable.

If any of these things are present, consider switching them out for new cables. Alternatively, try using your video transmission cable in another monitor and see if that also becomes blurry.

Luckily, video transmission cables are usually very cheap to replace. If you do replace yours, buy an HDMI 2 cable or newer.

10. Try A Different Kind Of Video Transmission Cable

Trying another video transmission cable is also a good idea. For example, if you’re using an HDMI cable, try instead using a DP cable and vice versa. If your video transmission cable has two different types on either end, for example, DVI and HDMI, use a cable with HDMI on both ends instead.

If you have multiple HDMI ports that go to your graphics card, switch them around to see if any of the ports are at fault. Similarly, if your monitor has multiple HDMI or DVI outputs, switch them around.

Many computer users report that their computer won’t wake up out of sleep mode. So, what should you do about this? I’m here to list the 10 most common fixes for this issue.

1. Disconnect Peripherals

Peripherals are the external devices connected to your computer that aren’t core components such as the GPU, CPU, etc. This is typically a keyboard, headset, or mouse. If your monitor won’t wake up from its sleep mode, you can try to disconnect these devices.

Start with everything except your mouse and keyboard and then try to wake the monitor up with your mouse. If this doesn’t work, disconnect your keyboard as well then try again to wake the monitor up with your mouse.

2. Check Device Manager Settings

You also need to make sure that your mouse and keyboard have the ability to wake your monitor up. Don’t worry if you previously have had this ability, updates and other bugs can make different settings unchecked.

To check if your mouse and keyboard can wake your monitor up, follow the steps below.

• Simultaneously press the Windows key + R and then paste the following in the box: “devmgmt.msc”

• Double-click Keyboards, then right-click HID Keyboard Device

• Select Properties

• Go to Power Management on the far right of the menu

• Make sure that Allow this device to wake the computer is checked

Then, repeat these steps for your mouse. If they were unchecked before, then this should fix your issue.

3. Reinstall Video Card Drivers

You can try to reinstall your graphics drivers to see if that fixes your issue. Having outdated or faulty graphics drivers can cause all sorts of problems. Follow the steps below to do this in the correct manner.

• Simultaneously press the Windows key + R and then paste the following in the box: “devmgmt.msc”

• Double-click Display adapters

• Right-click on your graphics card and select uninstall

• Download new drivers from your GPU manufacturer’s website

It’s important that you download the graphics drivers from your manufacturer’s website to ensure that you get the best drivers.

4. Switch Off The “Fast Startup” Option

Fast startup is generally a good option to have checked in Windows since it makes your computer boot faster, but it can also cause some problems. Try to toggle this option off to see if it solves your monitor issue. To do this, follow the steps below.

• Simultaneously press the Windows key + R and then paste the following in the box: “powercfg.cpl”

• Select Choose what the power buttons do

• Select Change settings that are currently available

• Uncheck the Turn on fast startup option

Make sure to check this option again if the problem isn’t solved by turning it off. As I mentioned, it’s generally a nice function.

5. Use Ctrl + Shift + Win + B Command

The command shown in the heading above is a function that restarts your graphics card’s drivers. If your graphics card drivers for some reason do not work when the monitor is in sleep mode, this command will restart them and fix the issue for you.

Simply press Ctrl + Shift + Windows key + B at the same time to restart your GPU drivers. You should see your monitor blink a couple of times and then turn on.

6. Enable Hibernation In CMD

Hibernation is yet another power-saving option for Windows. However, the hibernation and sleep mode sometimes interferes with one another and this can cause issues.

What you should do, then, is restart the hibernation setting to see if this solves your issue. To do this, follow the steps below.

• From the search menu, type cmd and right-click the black icon

• Select Run as administrator

• If User Account Control is enabled, make sure to accept

• Copy and paste the following command into the black window

• powercfg.exe /hibernate off && powercfg.exe /hibernate on

Make sure you run the cmd as an administrator, as there can be restrictions for non-administrator accounts.

7. Change Advanced Power Options

Another setting that you can tinker with to resolve this issue is your power options. To do this, follow the steps below.

• Simultaneously press the Windows key + R and then paste the following in the box: “powercfg.cpl”

• Click on Change plan settings on the right side of your current power plan

• Click on Change advanced power settings

• Double-click on Sleep and toggle off Allow hybrid sleep

• Enable Allow wake timers

Make sure to toggle both settings under Sleep. If this doesn’t solve your issue, keep reading.

8. Disable Sleep Mode If Possible

If you’re okay with your screen never going into sleep mode, then this is a surefire solution. Let’s go through how to set your monitor to never go into sleep mode.

• Simultaneously press the Windows key + R and then paste the following in the box: “powercfg.cpl”

• Click on Change plan settings on the right side of your current power plan

• Select Never in Put the computer to sleep and Turn off the display

Of course, your computer will draw more power at all times with this option, but it might be better than not being able to use your computer at all.

9. Update Your BIOS

An outdated BIOS might well be the reason why your monitor doesn’t wake up from sleep mode. The steps to update your BIOS are a bit too extensive for this list, but I would suggest doing careful research on the steps before doing it.

It isn’t terribly complicated but you want to do it correctly to avoid bricking your motherboard.

10. Restore The Function Of Your USB Devices

Some systems will turn off USB functionality when the screen is in sleep mode, which is a decidedly stupid thing to do if you want to turn on your screen again with your USB-connected keyboard or mouse. To restore function to your USB devices while the monitor is in sleep mode, follow the steps below.

• Simultaneously press the Windows key + R and then paste the following in the box: “devmgmt.msc”

• Double-click Serial Bus Controllers, and right-click the USB Root Hub then select Properties

• Select the Power Management tab to the far right of the new menu

• Disable Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power then hit OK

The most common reason why your computer screen seems pixelated is that the computer has changed the screen’s resolution after an update. A lower resolution will make your screen seem pixelated. Right-click on your desktop, select “Display settings”, and change it back to your screen’s native resolution. Your screen should now be back to normal.

Now that you know the most common reason why your screen can seem suddenly pixelated, continue reading to find out more solutions to this problem.

1. Update Graphics Card Drivers

Outdated graphics card drivers can cause all sorts of problems for your computer, a pixelated screen absolutely being one of them. If you haven’t updated your graphics card drivers in a while, I recommend you do this.

This can fix your pixelated screen issue. I would not recommend doing this using Windows device manager, however. Use the drivers provided by your manufacturer. Most people have Nvidia graphics cards, and you can download them here.

2. Reinstall Graphics Card Drivers

Another good idea can be to uninstall and then reinstall your graphics card drivers. I recommend doing this using DDU. This program removes your earlier drivers and performs a clean install of your new driver, which most likely will fix previous issues such as a pixelated screen.

Download your new driver from Nvidia and put it on your desktop. After this, download DDU. Reboot your computer into safe mode and run DDU. Follow the steps and install the drivers on your desktop.

Of course, a pixelated screen issue may be due to other issues than software problems. Keep reading if none of the above tips have worked for you.

3. Reseat the Graphics Card

A suddenly pixelated screen can be due to an incorrectly seated graphics card. The solution to this problem is to reseat it inside your computer. If you have no previous experience in handling computer components, I would strongly recommend watching a guide on how to do it.

Another alternative is to hand your computer into a store or have a tech-savvy friend do it. How can you know if your graphics card is improperly seated? Well, your computer will most likely over time get warm, start crashing randomly, and have other problems.

4. Cool the Computer

If your GPU is overheated it can start to malfunction in some ways, and a suddenly pixelated screen isn’t completely far-fetched. Make sure your computer isn’t in a cramped-up space, and check your GPU temperature using this.

Nvidia GPUs run optimally with temperatures of 160-185 Fahrenheit, and if your GPU is hotter than 200 degrees Fahrenheit then there’s a good chance that your GPU is going to start damaging components inside of your computer.

Clean your computer from dust, make sure it isn’t boxed in, and make sure the fans are working. After this, try to use your computer and see if the GPU temperature is lower.

5. Update the Monitor’s Drivers

Update your monitor’s drivers as well, there’s a fair chance that the drivers are in some way incompatible with Windows after an update to the operating system. To update your monitor’s drivers, simply follow the steps below.

• Go into “Device Manager” by typing it in your Windows search bar and clicking the icon

• Double-click on “Monitors”

• Right-click on the device that shows up and select “Update drivers”

If your monitor has old, incompatible drivers, then this should fix the issue.

6. Update the Operating System

Also, make sure that your Windows operating system is up to snuff! Your version of Windows may have a bug that’s fixed if you update your system. Perform a system update by following the steps below.

• Go to “Settings” in Windows

• Click on “Updates & Security”

• Select “Windows Update”

• Select “Check for updates”

7. Check Your DPI Scaling Settings

Your DPI scaling settings may be incorrect and cause your screen to seem blurry or pixelated. If this is the cause then the issue is easily fixed by following the steps below.

• Press your Windows key + I

• Choose “System”

• Select “Display” on the left-hand side of your screen.

• Select “Advanced scaling settings”.

• Under “Fix scaling for apps”, select “Let Windows try to fix apps, so they’re not blurry”

• Reboot the computer

8. Replace Damaged Cables

HDMI or DP cables get worn out over time. If the cables have been damaged then this can cause connectivity and quality issues to your monitor. Make sure that your video transmission cable and your power cord are not damaged.

If they are damaged then I would recommend replacing them, because the damaged cable is probably the reason for your screen being pixelated.

Power cords are largely universal for electric devices, which means that you can try another one to see if that solves your problem. DP cables are a bit rare, but if you’re using an HDMI cable for video transmission, then try another one you have at home to see if it solves your monitor issue.

9. Correct the Advanced Display Settings

You can switch your screen refresh rate using the advanced display settings on your computer. Your screen might be opting in for a refresh rate that it can’t handle and as a result, your screen gets pixelated.

To check and change your refresh rate, follow the steps below

• Right-click the desktop

• Go into “Display settings”

• Scroll down and click on “Advanced display settings”

• Click “Display adapter properties for Display 1”

• In the new windows, select “Monitor” at the top

if you’re unsure of what the refresh rate of your screen is, Google the model of your screen. It should be able to handle its promised refresh rate. Most screens have either 60Hz or 144Hz. If your screen has lowered its refresh rate after an update, the screen can feel laggy.

If the screen is set on a higher refresh rate than it can handle, this can present problems with a pixelated screen. Simply put, make sure your refresh rate is correct for the screen that you’re using!

That’s why I’ve listed 11 fixes for when only one of two monitors is working, with the goal being to help you get back to working with two monitors. Before you start reading this list, make sure you’ve done all the basic stuff first.

Restart your computer using only one of the two monitors, connect the other one when you get into Windows, and ensure all cables are connected properly.

1. Try a different video transmission cable

A potential issue that can make one of your monitors not work is a cable being broken. Whether you have HDMI or DP, try another cable for the monitor that isn’t working. It’s fairly common that video transmission cables get stretched or otherwise worn out to the point where they don’t work anymore.

That way, we can also rule out cables as the faulty party and progress with the issue at hand.

2. Make sure you pick the correct output

On most screens, there is a settings menu button on the monitor where you can choose what input the monitor should use to find the connection to your computer. For example, my monitor has a button at the bottom where I had to turn on the DP option before it started transmitting a signal.

Where this button is located depends on what brand you have, but it can probably be accessed somewhere next to the power button on your screen.

3. Update firmware

Firmware provides basic tasks to devices, and it’s important that it’s updated, especially if you’re running a dual monitor setup. Firmware is usually available from manufacturers’ websites.

How you apply these firmware updates differ somewhat depending on what screen you have but it shouldn’t be all that complicated. Find firmware from your manufacturer’s website.

4. Check the ports on your devices

If possible, try to switch which ports you are using on both your computer and monitor to see if the fault lies with either of them. This way, you can exclude the screen or computer as the faulty party.

A lot of computers have only one DP port, so if you’re using that, use another HDMI instead to see if that fixes the issue.

5. Manually update your graphics drivers

You should make sure that your GPU drivers are up to date as well. I would not recommend you let Windows automatically look for them in the device manager, it’s better to download drivers yourself from your GPU manufacturer.

Most people have Nvidia graphics cards, and their various drivers are available to download here. Make sure you choose the correct graphics cards for your computer in the menu, otherwise your computer won’t be able to install them.

6. Remove other peripheral devices

If you have an abundance of different devices connected to your monitor, it can be a good idea to disconnect a bunch of them to see if your screens begin to work. Sometimes, having a lot of peripherals can cause different errors and interference between your devices.

If possible, don’t use your screen(s) as the main connector for things as USB devices, it’s better to use your computer.

7. Make sure your monitors are connected to GPU

Your computer probably runs on a dedicated graphics card. That means your computer isn’t using the integrated graphics card within your motherboard. Therefore, connecting your transmission cables to your motherboard rather than GPU will cause your screen to not display anything.

Make sure you have both cables connected to the GPU and not the motherboard. If one is working, then that’s the one that’s connected to your GPU. The ports next to it are the ones you should connect the other monitor to as well.

8. Check your display settings

If you haven’t tried experimenting with your display settings in Windows, this is something you should do. Right-click the background of your desktop screen and click on “Display settings”.

Here you can see if your computer has detected both of your screens or not, detect other screens connected to your computer, and more.

If your computer can detect both of your screens and furthermore lets you arrange different settings for the dual screen setup such as mirroring or extending your screens. Try all of these options to see if any one of them works.

9. Set the correct refresh rate for both monitors

If your monitors for some reason are set at the wrong refresh rate, namely a refresh rate that it can’t handle, then it won’t work. Therefore, you should make sure that your monitors are configured to the refresh rate that they can handle. To do this, follow the steps below.

• Right-click on your Windows desktop background and select “Display settings”

• In the menu that pops up, scroll down to “Advanced display settings” and click it

• In the new menu that pops up, click on “Display adapter properties for Display”

• In this final window, click on the “Monitor” tab

• Under “Screen refresh rate”, select the proper refresh rate for your monitor

10. Rollback Any New Changes

Sometimes, new updates to your system can bring bugs and other errors. For example, Windows released an infamously bad patch in 2018 that destroyed users’ data and made keyboard drivers crash Windows.

The point is if you have recently installed new patches or updates to Windows, consider rolling them back to your previous version. This also goes for graphics drivers and new software. To rollback updates in Windows, follow the steps below.

• Press the Windows key + I

• Click on “Update & Security”

• Click on “View update history”

• At the top of the new Window, select “Uninstall updates”

To install a previous version of your GPU drivers, go here and fill in the details of your graphics card, then download older drivers and do a clean install of them.

11. Reinstall Windows

Some users have reported that reinstalling Windows has worked for them. This is hardly a surprise seeing as your computer gets completely reset, deleting any potential issues on your system that was the reason for the monitors not working.

I know that this probably is the most cumbersome option, which is why I’ve put it as the last option on this list. Only do this if you’ve run out of solutions to your problem, and you’re sure that the problem isn’t because of cables or any other external reason.

You definitely can use your TV as a computer monitor for gaming, if your computer and TV share the same port type. All modern devices should have an HDMI port, so if your TV and computer are both fairly modern, using a TV as a computer monitor for gaming is a fine option. Keep in mind, however, that TVs are usually more expensive than regular computer monitors.

Now that you know the barebones information about TV uses in computer gaming, let’s go over it in detail below. Keep reading to find out why you should use a TV as a monitor for gaming, and why you might not want to do so.

Can You Use a TV as a Computer Monitor For Gaming?

As I touched on briefly before, you can definitely use your TV screen as a monitor for gaming on your computer, and in fact, a lot of people do so. Now, there are a few things to keep in mind that differentiate TVs from computer screens. Let’s get into it.

Before you buy a new TV to use for gaming on your computer, check the specifications of your GPU and what it can handle in terms of HDMI. For example, newer TVs with an advertised refresh rate of 60 and a resolution of 4K demand HDMI 2.0, and if your GPU doesn’t have such a slot, your TV won’t show those qualities when connected to your computer.

Of course, if you want to use a TV as a gaming monitor for your computer, you should just go for it. A lot of times, the situation dictates whether it’s possible or not. If you don’t have space to place a computer desk with a computer monitor, then using a TV is a great idea.

When playing FPS games, for example, it’s important that things happen when you want them to, as results are often based on split-second decisions. Most TVs have some input delay, which isn’t optimal when gaming. Keep this in mind when playing on a TV.

Finally, TVs use different technology than monitors designed for gaming, so if a TV monitor and a computer monitor have the same advertised specifications, they might not perform the same on your computer.

A TV usually uses post-processing technology to accomplish higher refresh rates, which means that if your fps rates are high enough in a game, you won’t get the refresh rates you want. For example, if you’re playing Counter-Strike at 120 fps and expecting 120Hz from your TV, that might not happen.

Of course, if you’re playing single-player games that are capped at 60 fps, for example, a TV will provide you with a much bigger size, and the frame rate problem discussed earlier won’t be an issue.

Is It Better To Use a TV or a Computer Monitor For Gaming?

Let’s go over some positives and negatives regarding TVs and monitors and weigh them together to see which one is best for gaming.

First of all, responsiveness. Computer monitors are more responsive than TVs, which means your split-second decisions present themselves on the screen faster. This can be important for some games. Plus, the relatively slow response time of a TV can cause bugs such as ghosting and artifacts on your screen.

One big plus for TVs is the convenience of playing. You can use a TV that’s already there, and with all the wireless devices nowadays, you can play comfortably from your couch. Again, if this is an option or not depends on what games you’re playing.

Gaming monitors for PCs are built for gaming. This means crisp detail with high pixel density and responsiveness and overall qualities meant to suit gaming. TVs are built for watching things on them, and as such their build quality reflects this fact.

In summary: Don’t buy a TV to get a competitive edge. In general, using a TV for gaming on your PC is a fine idea if you’re looking to game casually but think twice if you’re going to play more fast-paced competitive games.

Sure, there are TVs designed for gaming but they’re very expensive and aren’t necessarily “better” than computer monitors. Of course, this all comes down to personal preference in the end. Plenty of people play PC games on their TVs.

What’s the Downside of Using a TV as a Gaming Monitor?

Let’s list the negatives of using a TV as a gaming monitor, so it’s crystal clear. Keep in mind that there are also positives to using a TV.

• Comparatively slow responsiveness

• With a 50ft+ HDMI cable, quality will get worse

• Big and clunky

• Oftentimes lower refresh rate

• Picture quality not designed for gaming

• More issues with visual artifacts and ghosting

• Worse pixel density (PPI)

• A lot of TVs don’t have DP (display port) ports

Of course, there is more to consider but these things are the obvious downsides in my opinion. As I’ve stated before, TVs are usually fine to play games from your PC on, but for those that really want to min-max their experience, these cons are things to keep in mind.

How To Use a TV as a Computer Monitor

Some people wonder how you use your TV as a monitor for your computer. In truth, it’s just as easy as connecting your regular computer monitor. First, find the port type that is mutual for your computer and TV. This is usually HDMI, so let’s use that connector in this example.

After this, plug an HDMI cable into your TV. It might be hard to spot, but every HDMI port on a TV has a name. Memorize this name if possible. Then, connect the other side of your HDMI cable to an HDMI port in your computer that is connected to your GPU.

It’s quite easy to find out whether or not you’ve connected the HDMI to your GPU or your motherboard, as the monitor won’t display anything if you’ve connected it to your motherboard.

After you’ve connected both ends of the HDMI cable, turn on your TV and select the channel corresponding to the port you’ve plugged the HDMI cable into. For example, if you plugged the cable into the HDMI 1 port, select the channel HDMI 1.

You’re done! You can now begin to use your TV as a computer monitor.

How Do You Optimize a TV For Gaming?

There are quite a few things you can do to make your TV perform to the best of its abilities when it comes to gaming, so let’s go over them. I’ve listed my top tips below.

Toggle On Game Mode

Some TVs have an option to toggle on “game mode”, which you should do if it’s available. It’s a setting used to lower input & display lag, and it works quite well. As for all these tips, how you turn this setting on depends on what TV you have.

Configure Your Settings

Configure your settings in general. This goes for color, light, and “dynamic contrast” settings. For color, turn down contrast as low as you find comfortable. If the contrast is too high, it can cause visual bugs which we don’t want.

For brightness, turn to about 50 percent, and keep in mind that you can use this to adjust visibility depending on what game you’re playing. Some games, such as Dark Souls, are inherently very dark, while games such as Apex Legends are very bright.

What Size TV Is Best For Gaming?

This is largely subjective because optimal TV sizes for you depend on how your gaming space looks. If you have a smaller space to work with, then a smaller TV is preferred. If your TV is far from where you’re sitting then it’s better to have a bigger TV.

Price-wise, bigger, cheap TVs aren’t optimal for gaming. The cheap price usually comes from a lack of display quality instead, which will make your gaming experience suffer.

If I were to buy a TV to use as a computer monitor, I’d buy a 32-inch TV with good gaming capabilities. Sure, you sacrifice a bit in size but gain in screen quality compared to the bigger screen discussed before.

What Type of TV Is Best For Gaming?

As I’ve discussed earlier in this article, TVs usually have input delay and issues with displaying proper quality because of how they’re designed. These are some of the most important things when it comes to gaming, and so I would definitely look for TVs with low input lag that have screen quality designed for gaming.

Listed below are some examples of TVs that are designed to game on.

• 55”, 120Hz, 4K VIZIO TV

• 65”, 120Hz, 4K LG TV

• 65”, 120Hz, 4K Samsung TV

As you can see, TVs designed for gaming are decidedly more expensive than computer monitors with the qualities when it comes to gaming. As such, you should consider buying a PC monitor if possible.

However, it seems like a lot of users experience lag and stuttering when watching YouTube or Twitch while running a game at the same time. Why? What can be done?

Hopefully, you’ll be able to find a solution to the problem in this article. Down below you will find a collection of solutions that we’ve used or that others have reported using with success.

How Do I Stop YouTube Clips From Lagging When Playing Games?

It’s hard to give a universal answer to an issue that could be caused by a plethora of different things. Instead, you have to troubleshoot the problem one step at a time to see if you can find the culprit that’s causing the lag. Sometimes it’s hardware, sometimes it’s software.

Down below is a list of methods you can apply to your computer – starting with the easiest methods first (in the hopes that they will solve the issue).

1. Update the graphic drivers

Something so simple as upgrading the GPU’s drivers can cause the stuttering to stop appearing altogether. Installing the most recent driver version for your components can fix bugs and ensure that the device is optimized.

Finding and updating your device drivers is simple. Just follow the steps below.

• Identify the model name of your graphics card. If you’ve got a custom-built computer you might know the name of your GPU. If you don’t; search for Device Manager in Window’s search bar.

• Open the Device Manager and look for the Display Adapter.

• Expand the menu item to show your display adapters. Your graphics card should be listed here.

• Search for the card’s name on Google or go directly to the manufacturer’s website and find the product there. The product page should contain a “support” or “drivers” section where the most recent drivers should be available.

• Download the drivers, run them and follow the installation guide. Restart the computer when prompted.

2. Update other drivers & BIOS

Now that you’ve updated the graphics card drivers, I hope the issue has been solved. If the issue persists I recommend you continue upgrading the rest of your drivers, including the BIOS. You can find suitable drivers for your other components using the method mentioned above.

Updating BIOS (Basic input output system) can solve all types of issues and is definitely worth a try. To find the proper version of BIOS, find the model and make of your motherboard and go to the manufacturer’s website to find the product.

You should find the most recent version of BIOS together with other drivers.

3. Disable GPU Scheduling

In 2020, Windows released a feature called GPU Scheduling. The feature is designed to aid both the CPU and GPU in handling and executing their tasks. Usually, the GPU is responsible for rendering and the CPU is responsible for sending the information and the tasks to the GPU.

This process of sending information, prioritizing it, and executing it is done in batches. The GPU can’t act until the CPU has sent a new batch of information, and this can cause some input lag.

The GPU Scheduling feature provides the GPU with its own dedicated planner for high-priority tasks to speed up the process.

While this sounds great, it has turned out to cause YouTube and other video streaming services to lag and stutter for some users, and disabling the feature seems to reverse the effects.

GPU Scheduling doesn’t increase performance tenfold, but it makes a slight difference – so let’s hope these issues are fixed permanently.

Disable GPU Scheduling:

1. Right-click on the desktop background
2. Click on Display Settings
3. Go to Graphic Settings
4. Toggle Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling
5. Restart your computer

4. Change to Borderless Window or Windowed Mode

Running games in fullscreen can increase in-game performance as everything else on the computer doesn’t have to be rendered at that moment. This can, in turn, cause background applications to drop in performance because the resources are being allocated elsewhere.

Running a game in windowed or borderless windowed mode could prevent background applications, such as YouTube, from lagging because they’re being prioritized higher as they’re being rendered simultaneously with the game. This can, of course, come at the cost of a slight performance drop in-game.

Changing from fullscreen to any of these two modes is usually done from the game’s video settings. Updating your windows past version 2004 will also aid in this endeavor, as everything prior to 2004 prioritized the main program while lowering the performance of other applications.

5. Disable/enable Hardware Acceleration in your browser

Hardware acceleration is a process that lets the application offload some workload onto the computer’s GPU when possible, making the application run smoother. Hardware acceleration is a feature that you want to have enabled as it improves the overall experience of browsing.

Nevertheless, disabling the feature has actually worked for a small subset of users who experience problems with YouTube lagging. If you find out that the feature was disabled to start with you might see an immediate improvement by turning it on.

While I don’t think you should count on this solution being the one, I truly think it’s worth trying to see if it makes a difference. It’s quite easy to enable/disable hardware acceleration in most browsers.

If you’re using Chrome:

1. Select Settings.
2. Click Advanced and select System.
3. Disable/enable Use hardware acceleration when available.

If you’re using Microsoft Edge:

1. Select Settings.
2. Click System and performance.
3. Disable/enable Use hardware acceleration when available.

6. Reinstall your browser

Reinstalling the browser where the issue appears can solve the issue. While you could try updating the browser, I recommend going to the official site and downloading the most recent installation files, removing the current installation, and running the newly-downloaded .exe file.

You should now have a fresh install on your computer. Before you proceed, make sure you have the most recent version and that there are no updates available. To do this, follow the steps below.

Chrome

1. Click the three dots in the upper-right corner.
2. Go to Help
3. Click About Google Chrome
4. Google will start updating if there’s an update available. Relaunch the browser once it has finished.

Microsoft Edge

• Click the three dots in the upper-right corner.
• Go to Settings.
• Click About Microsoft Edge at the bottom of the list on the left-hand side.
• Edge will tell you if it’s up-to-date or not. It will also start updating if there’s an update available.

7. Try another browser

Using another browser might end up solving the problem. If you’re currently using Chrome, and you’ve tried disabling or enabling hardware acceleration without success, you should consider using Microsoft Edge or downloading Firefox or any other browser available online.

If you end up having the same problems on the new browser, make sure to make the same adjustments to the browser’s settings.

8. Upgrade your computer’s performance

If your computer isn’t capable of streaming a YouTube video while displaying a game it might be because your computer isn’t powerful enough to perform two demanding tasks at once – or at least not with your current in-game and streaming settings.

You can either play the video or the game at a lower resolution to see if it makes a difference. If you know that your computer’s GPU, CPU, RAM, or storage are outdated, you should consider upgrading all of them.

But if your budget is somewhat limited, start by upgrading the oldest or weakest component. The weakest link in the chain should be upgraded first because that’s where you may get the highest return on investment.

9. Match your monitors’ refresh rate

If you have a dual monitor setup the reason for YouTube lagging might be that your monitors dont have matching refresh rates.

If a dual monitor setup has a primary monitor that runs at 140Hz (for instance), the secondary monitor should have the same or half the refresh rate to prevent stuttering.

So, a pair of monitors containing a 120hz and a 60hz monitor should go together very well without stuttering, while a setup containing a 120hz monitor paired with a 75hz monitor can cause some discrepancies. Change one of the monitor’s refresh rate to match the other monitor.

10. Disable Nvidia/AMD in-game overlay

Many modern game platforms, communication applications, or recording software have overlays which enable the user to quickly open up the application’s interface even when they’re in a fullscreen game.

If you’re familiar with Steam and Discord I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. A bunch of users have reported that their problem went away as soon as they disabled either Nvidia or AMD’s overlays. This might be worth trying.

11. Reinstall Windows

If you’ve tried everything on the list to no avail, and you’re sure about your computer having the proper specs to run the games at your current settings, then I think it’s worth reinstalling Windows on your computer.

Giving yourself a fresh start and ensuring that every application on the computer is newly-installed might fix your issue.

If none of these worked and you happen to stumble upon another method that worked, please leave a comment how you did it so we can add the information to the article and help others who face the same problem.