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It can look way better.
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By
Pankil Shah
Published Oct 8, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT
Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer from Ahmedabad, India. As a long-time Windows and Android user, he has extensive knowledge of both operating systems and specializes in creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides.
Pankil has been writing about Windows, Android, and iOS since 2021. He has written over 2000 articles across reputable publications like MakeUseOf, Android Authority, GuidingTech, and TechWiser.
Outside of his writing endeavors, Pankil is an avid football fan and loves to plan his international travels with his wife in his free time.
Sign in to your MakeUseOf accountMost of us don't pay nearly as much attention to our monitor's settings as we do to our PC. I got my Samsung monitor three years ago, glanced at its settings on day one, and never touched them again. I didn't realize I was leaving better picture quality, faster response times, and a premium gaming experience on the table the whole time.
It's probably the case for most people, so here we are. I dug through all the important settings that are available on most monitors and decided to list them out. So whatever you do, make sure to check these options at least once.
Start with picture settings and refresh rate
Get the basics right
Credit: Pankil Shah / MakeUseOf
Credit: Pankil Shah / MakeUseOf
The default picture settings on most monitors are usually awful. Manufacturers either crank things so much that everything looks blown-out, or play it too safe that everything looks dull. So the thing you should do without fail is check the picture settings.
Here, you’ll see the usual options — brightness and contrast — which are pretty obvious. Set these based on your room's lighting and your own preference. Sharpness is another one that comes down to taste. Cranking it up can make things look more detailed, but if you push it too far, it can make everything look artificial. Gamma controls how quickly your display transitions from black to white, so it's worth tweaking too if shadows look crushed or colors look flat.
If you've bought a monitor with a high refresh rate, make sure Windows is actually set to use it. Head to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display, pick your monitor from the dropdown, and set the refresh rate to the maximum value. This value determines how many times your display refreshes per second, so the higher, the better.
The right picture mode matters
The best tweak you can make
Credit: Pankil Shah / MakeUseOfIf you don't want to adjust everything manually, most monitors also have picture modes. These are pretty self-explanatory — you simply need to match the mode to whatever you’re actually doing.
Cinema mode is perfect when you're consuming media, Game mode if you're gaming, Dynamic contrast if you like everything saturated, and Standard if you want something that works for everything.
These automatically change the display settings for you. Their names may vary depending on the manufacturer, but you'll find them on most half-decent displays.
FreeSync or G-Sync can fix screen tearing
Make your games look great
Credit: Pankil Shah / MakeUseOfIf you've got a gaming monitor, it's likely to have FreeSync or G-Sync support. These enable a variable refresh rate on your monitor to help avoid screen tearing, which typically happens when your GPU is pushing out frames faster or slower than your monitor can display them. It's one of those things you'll notice right away, or probably never.
Enabling FreeSync or G-Sync syncs your monitor's refresh rate to your GPU's frame output in real time, which eliminates the split-frame glitch. Head to your monitor’s system or display settings and look for this option to turn it on. There aren’t any downsides to this, so you can leave this on.
You need to ensure this option is enabled on your GPU side too. For AMD cards, that's in AMD Software. For Nvidia, it's the G-Sync Compatible toggle in the Nvidia Control Panel.
Eye-saver mode is great for late-night use
Your eyes will thank you for this one
Credit: Pankil Shah / MakeUseOfAs someone who stares at a screen most of the day, I use this mode all the time. Most monitors have an Eye Saver or Low Blue Light mode tucked somewhere in the settings. It basically cuts down the blue light output to make longer sessions easier on your eyes.
The science behind blue light being harmful is still shaky, but there's no denying it can mess with your sleep if you're working late at night. So yes, Eye Saver mode is something you should absolutely enable during late-night sessions.
If your monitor doesn't have it, Windows has a similar setting called Night Light that does pretty much the same thing. Head to Settings > System > Display > Night light to enable it.
Enable auto-off timer to stop wasting power
Don’t skip this
Credit: Pankil Shah / MakeUseOfThis one comes pre-enabled on most monitors, but it's still worth checking anyway. Most monitors have a sleep or auto-off timer buried inside the settings, which does exactly what you think. It turns off the display after a set period of inactivity. This is super handy because you don’t have to turn it off manually every time you put your PC to sleep, shut it down, or simply walk away.
It's also useful if you keep your PC always on or are downloading a large game on your console overnight. The monitor turns off automatically, so you are not burning power unnecessarily while you're not doing anything. You can usually find this setting under system or power settings.