• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

vsync on or off?

randy5554 said:
But with VSync on, if you're at 60 fps and then the frame rate drops, it doesn't just drop a few frames: it goes straight down to 30 fps!!

Turn on triple buffering with vsync. I don't know the exact technical details, and it doesn't seem to work with every game. But when it works, such as Doom 3, the nice tear-free vsync will work without the automatic halfs in FPS. The drops will be minimal again.

So what if it drops to 30fps? It's exactly half of 60fps. Atleast it'll be smooth rather than that choppy 45fps or something.
 
I don' like vsync as it lowers my framerates and it makes very little difference in my eyes, its not about the frames its about the (Still getting like 60Fps though) lag I get when its on.
 
randy5554 said:
But with VSync on, if you're at 60 fps and then the frame rate drops, it doesn't just drop a few frames: it goes straight down to 30 fps!!

Turn on triple buffering with vsync. I don't know the exact technical details, and it doesn't seem to work with every game. But when it works, such as Doom 3, the nice tear-free vsync will work without the automatic halfs in FPS. The drops will be minimal again.

I've wondered why this happens.

I have an 2.6 ghz dual core with a 7900 GTX and 2 gigs of ram. When playing BF2, I run at 60 fps (vsync on) and when things get a little hectic, it drops to EXACTLY 30.

I wondered why that is... exactly 30. I'll have to turn it off and see how it works. I do hate tearing though. And when things are calm, I imagine my setup can crank out some serious FPS...
 
vsync lowers the fps to eliminate tearing.

some people find tearing more destracting than 30fps.
to me 30fps is more distracting.

usually tearing is only noticable at really fps on LCDs with great response times.

if you see bothersome tearing on an LCD (likely you are within 5 fps of 60), i suggest you crank up your aniso and aa, to bring your fps to around 40-50.

on CRTs tearing is much more noticable, use vsync if you find a scan line moving vertically on your screen and you find it annoying.
 
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=928593

For me, I like to use vsync to avoid tearing (which I do notice). Trouble is that I am now playing Oblivion and my FPS is below 60 outdoors and it creeps above indoors. I may play around with it ON again and try forcing triple-buffering, though I need to poke my nose into settings in general again.
vsync lowers the fps to eliminate tearing.
I would say "limit" is a better way to look at it. It limits your FPS to the refresh rate - if your normal FPS stays above your refresh rate (usually 60 on an LCD), then you stay at a constant 60 FPS (which is smooth for me) and no tearing. If I understand things correctly. ;)

Best thing is to try both and see which your prefer.
 
randy5554 said:
But with VSync on, if you're at 60 fps and then the frame rate drops, it doesn't just drop a few frames: it goes straight down to 30 fps!!

Turn on triple buffering with vsync. I don't know the exact technical details, and it doesn't seem to work with every game. But when it works, such as Doom 3, the nice tear-free vsync will work without the automatic halfs in FPS. The drops will be minimal again.

I was going to bring that point up. V-Sync or no v-sync is really a matter of taste and opinion. The tearing is annoying to me and my machine is capable of delivering FPS much higher than the refresh speed of an LCD. As a result, I have to use V-Sync most of the time. Still, few games really drop below 60fps, so I don't generally notice any performance problem of having it on. I always force triple-buffering also. Which seems to help.

When I had a CRT capable of 100+Hz at 1600x1200, I never turned of V-Sync as it wasn't needed. My system didn't usually give me FPS above my refresh rate and therefore, I never saw any tearing.

The tearing occurs when you get FPS higher than your refresh rate. That's one advantage CRT's have over LCD's. Some of the CRT's can do retarded high resolutions and do so at very high refresh rates.
 
Seems some FUD in this thread. CRT's @ 100Hz makes tearing LESS noticable to many for one. Each bothersome tear right in the middle of your FOV is in your face for less time I suppose. No way a CRT is worse at this.

Even though, second, tearing does happen below the refresh rate also. Any time you card is not "synced" to the monitor, tearing can occur. BF2 does not run >100fps, tearing still occurs at 100Hz. There are incomplete new images writing over the preexisting ones in the buffer. This is the biggest point I will spend the least time on. I and others have spent a lot of time in the past. Others have done it better than I. Search for "vsync" and "loathe".

And third, LCD's not "flickering" means little. Consider it the rate the monitor "polls" the graphics card for the image. Not flickering=good, 100 still better than 60. Tearing has nothing to do with "flicker", and as stated previously, there might not be a tear test, but if anything LCDs need vsync the most.
 
My vote for vertical sync. I can understand the debate, and can understand why one might prefer tearing to sudden framerate drops, but it really boils down to an issue of image quality. Fancy angle dependent anisotropic filtering, and its associated image quality goodness, seems a bit worthless when you're not even outputting complete frames. This is, however, solely my own opinion.
 
On my 1905FP I have vsync on for Oblivion and off for BF2. It's a personal preference. I don't notice a lot of tearing in BF2 but I do notice some ghosting when inside buildings and turning quickly. I've turned it on for BF2 but it doesn't respond as smoothly as when vsync is off.
 
I leave it on, CRT and LCD, because your monitor is limited to a certain refresh rate / response time and you wont be able to see anything above that, so why make your video card render more frames than you will see? To me it makes sense to keep them equal and it does clear up a lot of issues usually
 
vsync off helps your FPS alot but somtimes setting vsync on doesn't beat ur performance up that bad.
 
i only turn it on if I notice tearing , thats all there is too it. some games are fine others aren't.
 
Ancient thread, but still relevant. I've always had it off and never noticed any tearing, I only have a 17'(1280x1024) monitor though. I kinda wondered what it was for, now I know :D
 
sorry for that but calling people retarded just b'cause they turned an option off is a bit retarded...
 
I dont get VSync... people say its to stop tearing if you're running above your monitor's refresh rate.

However, in Crysis even running at 20-40fps I notice massive tearing which VSync helps massively. At that framerate the game doesn't feel remotely smooth unless I turn Vsync on.

I dont understand why people say it only works if you're above 60fps, coz I notice a huge difference even below 60fps.

I have it on in most games I play for the reason I stated above.
 
I can't stand tearing... I leave it on. Take away some of the "pretty" and make is smooth.
 
I'd prefer to play with vsync on but I always get horrible mouse lag whenever I enable it, so I leave it off. I do notice tearing but it doesn't really bother me.
 
vsync seems to make my video cards quieter. If running wow with vsync off, you get that high pitched squeal and 800 fps, with it enabled, a constant 60 fps. I guess card isnt working as hard as it can, so less stress....
 
Here is a simple guide for those of you who don't understand what vsync is.

Your monitor only refreshes so many times a second (most LCD are 60 refreshes a second).
Your videocard will render as many frames per second as it is able to.

So lets say that your videocard renders 100 frames per second, your monitor will still only show 60 frames per second because that is all it can do. What happens is that the frames are not in sync, making the action look jerky and jumpy. As you look from left to right, you will notice that it almost looks like it jumps, even though the movement is smooth.

What vsync does is it tells your videocard to render frames at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio with the monitor. What this does is makes it so the frames you see are in sync with the refreshes on your monitor. If your system is not up to par with the action, it will cut the frames in half (jump down to 30) to make it a 2:1 ratio (videocard renders 2 frames for every 1 refresh).

A 1:1 ratio is as smooth as it gets as far as animation quality. period.
I wouldn't go as far as to call people "retards" because they don't run vsync, but sometimes I wonder why they do. Probably the same reason they benchmark with 3dmark. Bigger number = OMGLEET.
 
i didn't feel like reading this probably horrible thread, but just to let you guys know, if it hasn't been mentioned, if a monitor's refresh rate is 60, your eye will not see more than 60 full frames a second. you will see part of a new frame as the old one is half there, hence the tearing.

i like vsync on, triple buffering on, so i don't get that lame refreshrate/2 business. more vram required though.

edit: well explained above. the 2:1 ratio is dumb though, which is why i do triple buffering. sure it wont be rendered exactly in sync though.
 
i have an LCD, i keep it off, mainly because i cant play counter-strike @ 60fps, and if i do, i feel mouse lag.
 
Running with vsync on is unacceptable for me for the same reason as the above user.
 
I cant play without Vsync on, eyes really notice it a lot. Same thing scares me of doing any SLI stuff because of that microstutter. I won't try an SLI until I can see it in person to see if I notice it.
 
microstutter severe enough to observe is a function of the underlying gpu technology and the setting you like to apply to the game. it isn't a given.
 
Yeah, in most games Vsync on doesn't bother me much, but in for instance good old counter-strike, as mentioned above, you feel a *huge* difference having vsync off instead of on. It's just so much smoother and easier to play.
 
Off in MP games where fast-paced twitch is needed. V-sync usually gives me mouse lag.
 
what is the point of debating this? just take it on a game by game basis and turn it on if the tearing is bothersome.

also for people that say turn triple buffering on that setting doesnt do anything in DirectX games if turned on from the standard Nvidia or ATI control panel. you have to use a third party app like rivatuner or dx teaker to force triple buffering in non openGL games.
 
Holy thread necro batman!

I hope all the people complaining about 60fps being too low have CRT's. Cause if you're on a 60Hz LCD and think leaving vsync off gives you more than 60fps then ummmmm, like the OP said...you're retarded :p
 
Vsync ON is better most of the time, if not always. Also USE triple buffering, those two i always use.
Texuspete is right on the money on this. The only reason turning it off would be if your FPS is verly low, well below 30. But then i would say, lower your fancy settings to make it run faster, and leave Vsync ON !

Now, you FPS meter may show a lot lower number then before, without Vsync ON. That doesn't mean "the feeling" of your smooth gameplay changes, it does not. Excluding 200Hz refresh rate monitors afcource, but i don't see those around alot. So, wether you counter shows 180 or 60; on your screen you only see 60 fps (60hz tv) in both cases. The smoohtness of you mouse action is the same, but with the V-sync mode you don't see tearing an it looks superb while with V-sycn off you see teraing alot, when moving you mouse aroud. Stalker is a good example, played it yesterdan and it tears like hell. Awfull.

Anyway, i am sure ALL monitors show tearing when Vsync is disabled, there are no magical tubes here, people. The difference is YOU don't notice them while i am pretty sure I will see them. So if you don't see them do what you want but don't tell us your systeem doesn't produce tearing with vsync off; it does.

This is tearing:
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestand:Tearing_(simulated).jpg
It looks like a photo cut in pieces and slided toghether, but NOT in line (=sync).
 
Thanks for bumping a 2 1/2 year old thread to let us know you use vsync.
 
Old thread :p

I tried running Quakelive with Vsync and triple buffering enabled and got a very noticeable input lag. It made hitting with weapons nearly impossible.
 
I always have it on period. I do not want ANY tearing in any of my games.

Just use D3Doverider, and you wont have to worry about any Tearing with Vsync on again!
 
Back
Top