Editorial Living on the FreeSync Side of G-SYNC: Setup Guide, Testing & Evaluation

[londiste]

Adaptive-sync is a monitor-side feature of DisplayPort (optional in DP 1.2a and newer) that allows GPU to tell monitor to take the new frame now (when GPU finishes rendering it) instead of monitor asking for the frame at regular intervals (for example every 1/60 seconds for 60Hz monitor). Nothing less, nothing more.

FreeSync (the DisplayPort part of it) and now GSync Compatible are implementation of VRR which leverage that feature, adding stuff on top like frame doubling - LFC and the Nvidia counterpart which does not have a name as it is intended to be there for all certified monitors.

There is work in drivers that AMD has done and Nvidia really never has as GSync module (for all its faults and price) has been a known piece of hardware for GSync, doing some of the work in hardware - both frame doubling and adaptive overdrive is claimed to be done by the module. That driver work is something Nvidia will likely do even beyond the monitors they certify.

HDMI does not have a standard VRR feature in HDMI 2.0 but will have it optionally in upcoming HDMI 2.1. Both AMD and Nvidia plus Intel will quite definitely create their VRR solutions to support this.

 

[Robcostyle]

Yeah, same here - MG279Q, no effect of freesync AT ALL - though I rarely noticed any tears so far.
Plus, my screen has this disgusting 35-90Hz cap, which I couldn't hack even with CRU - monitor keeps informing freesync is disabled when I turn refresh rate higher than 90Hz in control panel.
So, I'd rather use 144Hz without freesync - much-much better than 90Hz+freesync.

 

[bug]

Yeah, same here - MG279Q, no effect of freesync AT ALL - though I rarely noticed any tears so far.
Plus, my screen has this disgusting 35-90Hz cap, which I couldn't hack even with CRU - monitor keeps informing freesync is disabled when I turn refresh rate higher than 90Hz in control panel.
So, I'd rather use 144Hz without freesync - much-much better than 90Hz+freesync.

That's pretty much the complaint Nvidia had about adaptive sync since day 1: it doesn't really enforce anything past the existence of the mechanism itself. And even that is optional for getting a VESA certification.

 

[Manu_PT]

I don´t want to sound harsh but this is very incomplete information.

You should not limit your fps to the max refresh rate of your monitor. You should cap 3 fps lower, so 144hz -> 141fps cap. However, as this software Gsync solution is more imprecise, you will still get tearing sometimes if you don´t activate Vsync aswell on Nvidia Control Panel.

If you want full no Tearing + no Input lag + Gsync experience, you need to cap refresh rate to 120fps on 144hz monitors, for example. That way you will never hit the Gsync Ceilling.

You can visist Blur Busters for more information and validation of what I just said.

 

[EarthDog]

Not sure who you are asking? This is a news piece not a review.

Its an Editorial (according to it's own title) that reads as a how to.

You should not limit your fps to the max refresh rate of your monitor. You should cap 3 fps lower, so 144hz -> 141fps cap. However, as this software Gsync solution is more imprecise, you will still get tearing sometimes if you don´t activate Vsync aswell on Nvidia Control Panel.

If you want full no Tearing + no Input lag + Gsync experience, you need to cap refresh rate to 120fps on 144hz monitors, for example. That way you will never hit the Gsync Ceilling.

Why? Never heard of this... DIRECT link(s) plz.

 

[bug]

Its an Editorial (according to it's own title) that reads as a how to.

Why? Never heard of this... DIRECT link(s) plz.

His assertion that G-Sync is a software solution should tell you everything you need to know about his level of expertise.

 

[moproblems99]

His assertion that G-Sync is a software solution should tell you everything you need to know about his level of expertise.

Actually, his assertion is that nVidia supporting the Adaptive Sync standard is a software solution. Which is correct.

 

[Franzen4Real]

Why? Never heard of this... DIRECT link(s) plz.

I believe what he is referencing starts on this page
https://www.blurbusters.com/gsync/gsync101-input-lag-tests-and-settings/4/

I don´t want to sound harsh but this is very incomplete information.

You should not limit your fps to the max refresh rate of your monitor. You should cap 3 fps lower, so 144hz -> 141fps cap. However, as this software Gsync solution is more imprecise, you will still get tearing sometimes if you don´t activate Vsync aswell on Nvidia Control Panel.

If you want full no Tearing + no Input lag + Gsync experience, you need to cap refresh rate to 120fps on 144hz monitors, for example. That way you will never hit the Gsync Ceilling.

You can visist Blur Busters for more information and validation of what I just said.

I looked through the Blur Busters write up and am wondering about the 120FPS cap you are describing as the best solution. In their conclusion it seems for 144hz monitors you would want to cap at 141hz with Gsync + Vsync, as you mentioned previously. How will going down to 120hz benefit? Or are you saying it is because this is a software implementation it is less precise than a hardware one, so you drop it more to give a little more headroom? If that were the case, is there a reason to choose 120 over something higher, like 132hz?

Nvidia Control Panel Settings:
Set up G-SYNC > Enable G-SYNC > Enable G-SYNC for full screen mode.
Manage 3D settings > Vertical sync > On.
In-game Settings:
Use “Fullscreen” or “Exclusive Fullscreen” mode (some games do not offer this option, or label borderless windowed as fullscreen).
Disable all available “Vertical Sync,” “V-SYNC” and “Triple Buffering” options.
If an in-game or config file FPS limiter is available, and framerate exceeds refresh rate:
Set 3 FPS limit below display’s maximum refresh rate (57 FPS @60Hz, 97 FPS @100Hz, 117 FPS @120Hz, 141 FPS @144Hz, etc).

 

[droopyRO]

For Freesync/Gsync to work, you must limit your framerate(fps) to just under the upper limit of your monitor's Freesync range.
For example, 73 fps on a 48-75Hz monitor, 142 for 40-144Hz or 58 for 48-60Hz etc.

Either that or activate FastSync as a complementary measure if you exceede your upper limit like in MOBA games or CSGO, Quake and other easy to run games.
That is why some of you see no difference.

It works great on my MG279Q and AOC 3279VWFD8.

 

[EaGle1337]

Yeah, same here - MG279Q, no effect of freesync AT ALL - though I rarely noticed any tears so far.
Plus, my screen has this disgusting 35-90Hz cap, which I couldn't hack even with CRU - monitor keeps informing freesync is disabled when I turn refresh rate higher than 90Hz in control panel.
So, I'd rather use 144Hz without freesync - much-much better than 90Hz+freesync.

IF you use CRU to modify it, it'll run at the ranges even if the monitor OSD bitches about it. I've got mine working with 50-144hz. If you google it people have mentioned doing it with AMD cards.

 

[Vayra86]

I just installed the driver and G-SYNC was enabled automatically and I did not had to change any settings in nVIDIA Control Panel.

But in all reality I fail to see any difference what so ever in any of my games. They are smooth as they always were.

ummm that is not what my comment was about. my comment was referring to his comment, "But in all reality I fail to see any difference what so ever in any of my games."

OR... its what I'm always saying when it comes to these technologies: if you have or create a situation where the content you play has consistent performance, there is no need whatsoever for variable sync.

Its a nice to have, but we've always played games fine without it. Another option is he already played with (adaptive) Vsync or Fast Sync activated.

 

[Space Lynx]

OR... its what I'm always saying when it comes to these technologies: if you have or create a situation where the content you play has consistent performance, there is no need whatsoever for variable sync.

Its a nice to have, but we've always played games fine without it. Another option is he already played with (adaptive) Vsync or Fast Sync activated.

well i was playing witcher 3 yesterday on my gtc 1070 laptop and i kept getting hitching in game, it would go away after a bit, but that particular laptop actually had gsync on too and everything but i would still get frame stutters and hitching, was super annoying. never again am i buying a laptop for gaming.

hopefully i have better luck when i do my ultimate PC desktop build. :/ as of now witcher 3 is unplayable at 1080p with a gtx 1070 on medium/high settings. pretty depressing. but thats the downside of overheating laptops. i thought gsync would make those hitches smoother to look at, but nope. its all useless really.

 

[moproblems99]

never again am i buying a laptop for gaming

No offense intended, but that should have been a given - unless extreme circumstances drive it. The one exception I could think of involves skool...

 

[Space Lynx]

No offense intended, but that should have been a given - unless extreme circumstances drive it. The one exception I could think of involves skool...

i was traveling europe at the time. didn't want to give up my hobby for 3 years. also, this model of laptop actually runs cool, i was just unfortunate enough to get one of the Eurocom defective heatsink models. :/