FreeSync improved Hz range (driver mod)

OC_Burner

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Dec 22, 2012
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Hello,

one week ago i find out how to modify my monitor driver for a custom FreeSync range. It begann with my Samsung U24E850R and i checked whats the different between "FreeSync Standard-Mode" and "FreeSync Ultimate-Mode" available by the OSD-Menue. After a comparison of the EDID-Data i find out, it's yust a single byte whats control the FreeSync refresh rate range. And yes it's possible to change this byte to get a lower FreeSync minimum refresh rate. I running this monitor with a range new range of 32hz - 60hz instead of the official 40hz-60hz.:) I am not alone, some other users have successfully modify his monitors.:

ASUS MG279Q (default 35hz-90hz) down to 31hz, #1
LG 27MU67-B (default 40hz-60hz) down to 33hz, #1, #2
LG 29UM67-P (default 48hz-75hz) down to 32hz, #1
LG 34UM67-P (default 48hz-75hz) down to 40hz?, #1
Samsung U24E850R (default 40hz-60hz) down to 32hz, #1


Beware, if the minimum range to low your got massive flickery screen artifacts. On my Samsung 32hz works perfect, one hz lower (31hz) results instantly in screen artifacts.
Watch this Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txKkDfOzVHE



Now here is a small tutorial for creating a custom monitor driver that change the FreeSync minimum range:

Download Links for
*Phoenix EDID Designer
*EnTech Monitor Asset Manager
*EnTech softMCCS


1. extract EDID
01_extract_EDID.png

2. modify EDID (part1)
02_modify_EDID_part1.png

3. modify EDID (part2)
03_modify_EDID_part2.png

4. create monitor driver
04_create_monitor.inf.png

5. add description to driver
05_add_description_to_monitor.inf.png

6. deactivate Windows 8.1 driver signatur
06_deactivate_driver_signature.jpg

7. install monitor driver
07_install_monitor.inf.png

You can see the pictures are taken on a german windows, nevertheless the step by step order is the same.


Thats not all, its also possilbe to increase your maximum FreeSync, but this way of direction is more complicated. First, you need create a new custom edid resolution with higher refreshrate. Second, if you increase your FreeSync maximum range, you lose the new FreeSync minimum range. A higher maximum range results also in a higher minimum range. Custom EDID resolutions can calculated by CRU (custom resolution utility)

legend_of_Phoenix-EDID-Designer_and_CRU.png


Feel free to share and modify this tutorial, good luck
 
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when they say German are know from being thorough and accurate they are not exaggerating :eek:
 
GOD BLESS YOU. My freesync screen has a range of 42-60hz. Only reason I haven't just bought amd cards is because I can't guarantee 42+ fps at all times. I thought to myself...."if only the freesync range was 30-60hz I wouldn't mind getting some amd cards". Then this.....oh this is gonna be so fun, subbed and thanks again lmao
 
Excellent work. I managed to get 33-60Hz out of my Samsung U32E850R (default 40-60).

p.s. For anyone not wanting to put up with the awful Tucows installer for Phoenix EDID Designer, the actual executable is available here: http://www.komeil.com/download/2924 I checked and it's identical to the one from Tucows (MD5: 22DFC772382C14BDEF5A2278C4559A25).
 
Just wanted to add that I got 30-75hz out of my 34um67. Haven't really tried to go lower. I wonder why the manufacturers went with such a high minimum? I hope there isn't some con to this mod but I can tell you that it works beautifully and makes a big difference in areas that cause frame drops.
 
...I wonder why the manufacturers went with such a high minimum?..
I have seen one or two complaints from FreeSync monitor owners describing symptoms similar to what happens when setting the range too low with this mod. Thus it's possible that the default range is actually right at the limit for some panels, just like some CPUs don't have any overclocking headroom.
 
Just wanted to add that I got 30-75hz out of my 34um67. Haven't really tried to go lower. I wonder why the manufacturers went with such a high minimum? I hope there isn't some con to this mod but I can tell you that it works beautifully and makes a big difference in areas that cause frame drops.

Wow that's awesome
 
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The default range for my monitor is 30-75. I might try this to make it 29-75. Sometimes cut scenes are 30 fps limited but really runs at 29.x fps, which means tearing happens anyways :/
 
I want to add that at times I had trouble with Catalyst and not detecting the monitor as Freesync and not giving me the option to turn it on. I had this issue before the driver mod as well but it became exasperated when I did the driver mod. I installed the Tweakforce modded AMD drivers and they worked perfectly. I also just installed the beta 15.9's and they work perfectly as well so far.

On another note, if you want to verify that Freesync is working, download the AMD Windmill Demo (search Google)!!! It's awesome and you can verify that Freesync is in fact working at lower framerates (it goes down to 35 and definitely works down that low), although there is more of a dramatic difference at 50 frames or more.
 
My freesync screen already displayed noticeable flickering when close to the lower limit of the default freesync range. Not artifacts just something like you'd get with pwm. So I don't think it's wise to go even lower.
 
Has anyone been able to get these utilities to work under Windows 10? It fails trying to install the kernel mode driver, even if I run install as admin or as Win7 compatibility mode.
 
On another note, if you want to verify that Freesync is working, download the AMD Windmill Demo (search Google)!!! It's awesome and you can verify that Freesync is in fact working at lower framerates (it goes down to 35 and definitely works down that low), although there is more of a dramatic difference at 50 frames or more.

I installed Windmill Demo and the lowest it goes is 45. Are there different versions or something?

Also I got all the tools to install under Windows 10, and it looks like I did everything correctly in this guide to customize the driver for 33hz minimum Freesync on my LG 27MU67. However the Windmill demo also did not let me toggle Freesync on/off, but it was on in the Catalyst control panel. Games I was playing were consistently above 40 FPS (WoW, HotS). More testing to come tonight.
 
How exactly do I use the .inf file? All I see in device manager is "Generic PnP Monitor"..
 
Got my Asus MG279Q to 60-144Hz (default 35-90Hz), which is definitely an improvement in fast paced games.
 
Is there a way to both lower the minimum and raise the maximum range at the same time?
And also overclock the panel, so i could OC 60Hz panel with freesync range 40-60Hz to 35-75Hz freesync range?
 
Got my Asus MG279Q to 60-144Hz (default 35-90Hz), which is definitely an improvement in fast paced games.

Hmmm. If this is actually possible with consistency on more than one panel that is quite an accomplishment.
 
Why wouldn't this work 35-144hz if that monitor from factory support 35hz?
 
35-90hz is the default range.

It is explained in the OP that increasing the maximum also increases the minimum.
 
Yeah but its still so wrong when you have 144hz monitor and from factory it only support 35-90hz. That Asus is expensive gaming monitor and must be from factory 35-144hz. AMD is so inferior they dont have gameworks and not well working sync system and no HDMi 2.0. I'm AMD fan but seems like AMD just push away their clients to nVidia hands.
 
So you feigned ignorance for a few posts when you really just wanted to complain for no reason. Got it.

AMD has nothing to do with Asus putting a scalar in this monitor that can't support 144hz through Freesync OFFICIALLY.

Freesync itself supports 9 - 244hz.
 
Have somebody saw that? That's just AMD talk there is no screen that can do something like 9-144/244hz. AMD have lied before that when they talked how good their FX series CPU-s are but, when they released them they were bad. I'm not ignorant, here in this thread isn't talk about increasing the maximum also increases the minimum before you said that.
 
Yeah but its still so wrong when you have 144hz monitor and from factory it only support 35-90hz. That Asus is expensive gaming monitor and must be from factory 35-144hz. AMD is so inferior they dont have gameworks and not well working sync system and no HDMi 2.0. I'm AMD fan but seems like AMD just push away their clients to nVidia hands.

You lost me at hairworks...

But I do agree why can't we get a comparable Freesync monitor with range from 35-144hz.
 
Freesync, as a protocol, supports 9 - 244hz. The monitor's scalar determines what is the actual operational range.

G-Sync uses a MODULE that operates the effective 30 - 144hz range. There is no scalar involved.

The rest of your nonsense is just complaining about AMD for no reason and ruining a perfectly good thread. Keep that garbage in the Video card subsection of the forum where it belongs.
 
Hi. I am on a lg-29um67 and using the default driver it goes from 42 to 75. Using the modded one it goes from 32 to 60 instead of 75. Any idea ?

I got it. I just change on display settings to up to 75. Now AMd's softwares shows correctly.


Besides, I have the two gray lines of pixels on bottom when freesync and DAS on. Any idea about this?
 
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Got to step 3. Modify EDID (Part 2) and could not go further.
  • I could not find an editor for that step in Phoenix EDID designer. It has is a viewer but no editor to change the EDID version or Checksum
    • So I downloaded a hex editor but what it pulls up is not even close to what the viewer shows in Phoenix EDID designer
  • If anyone can help on that step I would appreciate that - thanks
 
duh, figured it out - use notepad to change values - easy

Was successful, I have my LG27UD68-W range changed from 40hz-61hz to 35hz-61hz. I am going to change it to 30hz-61hz to see if it will work. Since the monitor can do 30hz, I figure it should, will see.

Update: Changing driver for 30-61hz FreeSynd does not take, it remains 35hz-61hz even though the driver loaded. Tried numerous times with the same result.
 
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Don't even bother with this method. Just use CRU that takes less than 30 seconds. I noticed that it will actually default to the lowest use able value if the current setting is out of range. At first I tried 30-60hz on my uhd490 which worked pretty well but it defaulted to 33-60Hz (which is the correct value). The stock freesync range of the uhd490 is 40-61hz

[Guru3D] Owners of Freesync Monitors can enlarge Hz range with simple hack - Page 9
 
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Using only CRU I was able to change my freesync range from 35-60hz to 30-60hz. To my eye it appears to be working correctly in game. Is there a freesync utility that goes below 35 frames? The windmill demo only goes down to 35 fps.
 
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