How To Fix “Second Monitor Lagging” When Playing Games on Windows 11/10 PC

In order to multitask, many gamers love using multiple monitors. However, time and again, they run into several issues. For example, black screen and game stuttering issues are few of them. But if you are facing lagging issues with your second monitor, we have some effective tips up our sleeves that will help you fix the issue in no time at all. Here are some solutions that can help you get back your second gaming monitor on track.

As an avid gamer, you might want to have a look at certain things you should keep in mind when choosing a gaming monitor.

What To Do When Your Second Monitor Is Lagging When Playing Games

Solution No.1 – Install Windows Updates

If it’s been a while since you updated your Windows operating system, maybe now is the time to do that. With every new update, Microsoft fixes bugs and rolls out new features. Maybe a simple update might fix the issue of second monitor lagging for you.                                                  

Step 1 – Press Windows + I to open Settings.

Step 2 – From the left-hand pane, click on Windows Update which is the last option.

Step 3 – Click on Check for updates and fetch if there are any updates available.

Here is how you can check for and update a Windows 10 PC.

Solution No.2 – Close Applications That Are Graphics Intensive

Closing graphics-intensive applications other than the game you are playing can be a great way to combat lags on your second monitor. As the game and the other graphics-intensive applications can strain your GPU and CPU, hence the lag. Here is how you can close them –

Step 1 –  Open the Task Manager by pressing Shift + Ctrl + Esc

Step 2 –  Locate graphic-intensive apps and right-click on them.

Step 3 – Right-click on it and select End task.

Solution No.3 – Change Refresh Rates For Both Monitors

Mismatched refresh rates can lead to synchronization issues between both monitors because of which the second monitor could face performance hiccups. Below mentioned are the steps to adjust refresh rate so that you can remove the lagging issues from the second monitor –

Step 1 – Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.

Step 2 – Select System.

Step 3 – From the right-hand side, click on Display.

Step 4 – Under Related settings, click on Advanced display.

Step 5 – Click on the Choose a refresh rate dropdown and select 60 Hz

We have talked more about changing the refresh rate on a Windows 10 PC. For that, you can check out this post.

Solution No.4 – Update Graphics Driver

Outdated graphics drivers are one of the prime reasons behind a multitude of display issues and if your second monitor is lagging, outdated graphics drivers could be blamed. While you can update drivers manually, using a third-party driver updater tool for Windows can be a swift and safe way to update graphics drivers. For the purpose of this post, we have taken the example of Advanced Driver Updater, which is one of the highest-rated driver updater tools for Windows PCs. Here is how you can updater graphics drivers using Advanced Driver Updater –

Step 1 – Download, install, and run Advanced Driver Updater from the button down below

Step 2 –  To initiate the process of locating outdated drivers, click on the Start Scan Now button.

Step 3 – Locate your graphics driver, and click on the checkbox next to it. Then, click on the Update driver button that you can see on the right as shown in the screenshot below.

Step 4 – Wait for the process to complete and restart the PC.

Solution No.5 – Turn Off Hardware Acceleration on Your Browser

Switching off hardware acceleration on the browser you are using can be a wise move if your second monitor is lagging while you are playing games. That’s because hardware acceleration puts stress on the GPU and affects performance in rendering games. Here is how you can disable hardware acceleration On Chrome –

Step 1 – Click on the three dots from the top right-hand side and select Settings.

Step 2 – In the search bar, type hardware acceleration.

Step 3 – Toggle off the switch that says Use hardware acceleration when available.

Here is how you can switch off hardware acceleration on Firefox.

Wrapping Up

So, these are some of the best ways to fix “Second Monitor Lagging” When Playing Games on a Windows 11/10 PC. Do let us know if these solutions helped you fix the issue and if you are able to play games on your second monitor in a lag-free manner. For more such content, keep reading WeTheGeek.

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