Monday, May 29th 2023
NVIDIA Announces G-SYNC ULMB 2: Over 1000Hz Of Effective Motion Clarity
In 2015, NVIDIA launched Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB) - a novel technique of G-SYNC monitors to deliver extra motion clarity in competitive games. Today, we're launching G-SYNC Ultra Low Motion Blur 2 (ULMB 2), with over 1000 Hz of effective motion clarity for the best motion blur reduction for competitive gamers. Compared to the original, ULMB 2 delivers full refresh rate backlight strobing, nearly 2x higher brightness, and has practically zero crosstalk. ULMB 2 is available now, for free, for capable 1440p 360 Hz G-SYNC monitors through a single-click firmware updater!
When NVIDIA launched the original ULMB technology in 2015, monitor response times (the time it takes for a pixel to transition colors) were relatively slow, causing substantial ghosting and blurry images, resulting in poor motion clarity. Motion clarity is best described as the ability to clearly see and comprehend objects in motion. Sharp edges and non-blurry details are hallmarks of good motion clarity. To improve motion clarity, ULMB enabled a technique called backlight strobing (more on that in a moment).To achieve backlight strobing, ULMB disables the backlight 75% of the time. This 25% duty cycle on a max 300 nit panel meant that the images would be clear, but less bright. With the original ULMB, we would need to wait longer for the pixels to transition to the right place before turning on the backlight due to the slower pixel response times in 2015. To compensate, ULMB would reduce the refresh rate to give the pixels more time to transition. Because of these drawbacks, competitive gamers often chose not to use the feature as the full refresh rate and bright image were more desirable.
Enter G-SYNC Ultra Low Motion Blur 2 (ULMB 2)
ULMB 2 provides full refresh rate backlight strobing and significantly brighter images, all while maintaining pristine image quality. With the panel response time improvements from our partners at AUO, ULMB 2 gives competitive gamers the motion clarity needed to perform at peak levels by keeping them in the game when moments get chaotic.
With ULMB 2, gamers get an effective motion clarity of over 1000 Hz with these improvements, calculated as the refresh rate of the monitor multiplied by one over the duty cycle [Effective Motion Clarity = Refresh rate * (1 / Duty Cycle)].
For a 360 Hz monitor with ULMB 2, the effective motion clarity is actually 1440 Hz. That means in order to obtain the same level of motion clarity without ULMB 2, gamers would need a classic panel capable of 1440 Hz.
To show this in action, we set up a test panel in our lab. Below is an example of a 120 Hz monitor with backlight strobing compared to a 480 Hz monitor without backlight strobing: Effective Motion Clarity = 480 Hz = 120*(1/0.25).
How Does ULMB 2 Work?
First, let's explain how LCD panels work. LCD panels consist of two main layers:
In addition, the image is "held" before and after transition which causes the human visual system to blur the two images together. The combination of the "motion hold" and visible transition is what causes display-based motion blur (not to be confused with an in-game motion blur setting).
With ULMB 2, the backlight is only turned on when each pixel is at its correct color value. The idea is to not show the pixels transitioning, and only show them when their color is accurate.
But this technique creates a challenge: backlights generally light up all pixels at the same time where pixels are changed on a rolling scanout. At any given point in time, a portion of the screen will have double images (as known as crosstalk).
The solution to this problem is what sets G-SYNC's ULMB 2 apart from other backlight strobing techniques: with G-SYNC, we're able to control the response time depending on where the vertical scan is, such that the pixels throughout the panel are at the right level at precisely the right time for the backlight to be flashed. We call this "Vertical Dependent Overdrive".
With Vertical Dependent Overdrive, ULMB 2 delivers great image quality even at high refresh rates where the optimal window for backlight strobing is small.
ULMB 2 Is Available Now
For ULMB 2 capability, monitors must meet the following requirements:
Available Today:
When NVIDIA launched the original ULMB technology in 2015, monitor response times (the time it takes for a pixel to transition colors) were relatively slow, causing substantial ghosting and blurry images, resulting in poor motion clarity. Motion clarity is best described as the ability to clearly see and comprehend objects in motion. Sharp edges and non-blurry details are hallmarks of good motion clarity. To improve motion clarity, ULMB enabled a technique called backlight strobing (more on that in a moment).To achieve backlight strobing, ULMB disables the backlight 75% of the time. This 25% duty cycle on a max 300 nit panel meant that the images would be clear, but less bright. With the original ULMB, we would need to wait longer for the pixels to transition to the right place before turning on the backlight due to the slower pixel response times in 2015. To compensate, ULMB would reduce the refresh rate to give the pixels more time to transition. Because of these drawbacks, competitive gamers often chose not to use the feature as the full refresh rate and bright image were more desirable.
Enter G-SYNC Ultra Low Motion Blur 2 (ULMB 2)
ULMB 2 provides full refresh rate backlight strobing and significantly brighter images, all while maintaining pristine image quality. With the panel response time improvements from our partners at AUO, ULMB 2 gives competitive gamers the motion clarity needed to perform at peak levels by keeping them in the game when moments get chaotic.
With ULMB 2, gamers get an effective motion clarity of over 1000 Hz with these improvements, calculated as the refresh rate of the monitor multiplied by one over the duty cycle [Effective Motion Clarity = Refresh rate * (1 / Duty Cycle)].
For a 360 Hz monitor with ULMB 2, the effective motion clarity is actually 1440 Hz. That means in order to obtain the same level of motion clarity without ULMB 2, gamers would need a classic panel capable of 1440 Hz.
To show this in action, we set up a test panel in our lab. Below is an example of a 120 Hz monitor with backlight strobing compared to a 480 Hz monitor without backlight strobing: Effective Motion Clarity = 480 Hz = 120*(1/0.25).
How Does ULMB 2 Work?
First, let's explain how LCD panels work. LCD panels consist of two main layers:
- The liquid crystal pixels, which chemically change to adjust the color of light shining through them
- The backlight, which produces the light that shines through the pixels
In addition, the image is "held" before and after transition which causes the human visual system to blur the two images together. The combination of the "motion hold" and visible transition is what causes display-based motion blur (not to be confused with an in-game motion blur setting).
With ULMB 2, the backlight is only turned on when each pixel is at its correct color value. The idea is to not show the pixels transitioning, and only show them when their color is accurate.
But this technique creates a challenge: backlights generally light up all pixels at the same time where pixels are changed on a rolling scanout. At any given point in time, a portion of the screen will have double images (as known as crosstalk).
The solution to this problem is what sets G-SYNC's ULMB 2 apart from other backlight strobing techniques: with G-SYNC, we're able to control the response time depending on where the vertical scan is, such that the pixels throughout the panel are at the right level at precisely the right time for the backlight to be flashed. We call this "Vertical Dependent Overdrive".
With Vertical Dependent Overdrive, ULMB 2 delivers great image quality even at high refresh rates where the optimal window for backlight strobing is small.
ULMB 2 Is Available Now
For ULMB 2 capability, monitors must meet the following requirements:
- Deliver over 1000 Hz of effective motion clarity
- Drive ULMB 2 at the monitor's full refresh rate
- Deliver over 250 nits of brightness with minimal crosstalk or double images
Available Today:
- Acer Predator XB273U F - 27" 1440p 360 Hz
- ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQN - 27" 1440p 360 Hz
- ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP - 25" 1080p 540 Hz
- AOC AGON AG276QSG G-SYNC Monitor - 27" 1440p 360 Hz
30 Comments on NVIDIA Announces G-SYNC ULMB 2: Over 1000Hz Of Effective Motion Clarity
These high refresh rate displays are using math marketing.
1ms? That's 1000Hz!
(Then reality sets in, with 1ms grey to grey at 100% brightness with all other parts of the display at black, etc etc)
They're pushing these OLED's too far, they're fast but they're smearing and ghosting.
marketing is playing around with the "best case" values when reality paints a different picture.
OLED is the future - but right now it's like we're all beta testing displays to see what combinations work.
High refresh rate displays can't be used properly with modern display tech - OLED does the best in SOME situations, but it cant be bright enough or it burns out too fast. Yes it's still a problem.
What's key to note is that they're treating these displays "poorly" by using them 18 hours a day to simulate 5x the average use case - meaning if your OLED display or television is on for more than 3.5 hours a day, you're going past what the manufacturers expected and rated it for. IPS and VA just can't do it, websites like Rtings show it really well.
The 'best gaming OLED', that alienware 34" that already has reports of burn-in has good response times, but it also has overshoot - it's got artifacts and ghosting in high speed movement, because it cant handle the 120Hz properly
It really cant handle dark images well, right before the pixels power off for black. That's the sort of thing that can be fixed by higher brightness... which the OLED's cant do, without risking burning out.
Then their "best gaming" that isn't ultrawide is another OLED the LG 27GR95QE-B
the full image this time because the picture it paints isn't great for the 'best' there is
240Hz is 4.16ms, yet it's as slow as 6.3ms at some brightness levels - right before minimum and maximum brightness, essentially anything that uses white or black.
The % overshoot is not a pretty picture changing from black or white to anything else.
The tech isn't ready.
Gigabyte M32U Review - RTINGS.com - what about a 144Hz IPS display?
I Dunno, but I'd feel pretty sad knowing a far cheaper option had way better image quality and less overshoot and smearing. It's why i've stuck to budget displays for now until companies make displays that don't secretly suck.
Samsungs 240Hz Neo G8 with it's VA panels that are almost approaching OLED speeds, but smear like a biiiiiiiitch - and yet somehow get praised for how fast they are by everyone?
Modern high refresh displays are only useful for using with VRR/Gsync capped to 1/2 or 1/3 of the refresh rate so you can get the response time benefits, because the displays themselves can't keep up with the higher refresh rates for all shades of grey, let alone all colours.
2 months ago is close enough?