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vsync question

W

WiL11o6

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 20, 2007
Messages
478
Alright, so what I understand is that vsync caps your fps to match that of your monitors screen refresh rate to reduce tearing and increase smoothness of gameplay. I run BF3 with avg 80fps and lows of 60s and my monitor has a refresh rate of 60hz meaning if I turn vsync on, I would get a max fps of 60. But since my monitor is 60hz, that means even if I get 200fps, I would only be able to see 60fps regardless correct?

So my problem is that when I run BF3 with vsync off, I normally sit around 80 avg fps, but ranges from 60-100 pretty frequently and I notice that when I turn on vsync, it feels a lot smoother. I was thought to believe that if my fps is always over 60, no matter how much my fps fluctuates, I wouldn't feel any tearing or lag since I'm already seeing the max 60fps my monitor is able to produce. So why does it feel smoother with vsync on vs off even though my fps is always above 60? Or is it just a placebo effect?
 
Vsync doesn't just cap your FPS to 60, it synchronizes the video card with the monitor refresh, so the video card sends the new frame to the monitor when it is ready to draw the new frame. Vsync off, and the video card will send the frame whenever it is completed, which means the monitor might get a new frame halfway through drawing the old one - which is what causes the tearing as part of the screen is the old frame and the other part is the new one.

Not sure why Vsync would feel smoother though, unless it just has to do with how the monitor is handling getting the new frame early. Although depending on the frame rate, I guess it would be possible for the monitor to be skipping frames completely, which could lead to it feeling jerky.
 
The regularity of display updates is what mostly contributes to the perception of smoothness. There may be other factors at play — things I don't yet have a full understanding of, and things that vary from implementation to implementation — but anything which contributes to a greater regularity of updates is a Good Thing. The absense of screen tearing is probably a contributing factor as well.
 
evilsofa said:
Few people properly understand how vsync works (and I am not one of them).

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1658317

Using an FPS limiter to limit FPS to 1 FPS less than the Hz of your monitor may help smooth out gameplay.

And don't link to the Anandtech explanation of Vsync. It's wrong.
Click to expand...

Would you mind explaining how it's wrong? Just for the future.. I've used that article as my point of reference and would prefer not to do so if the information is inaccurate..
 
I don't understand all the technical details of how vsync works nor do I care to try and understand it but just using common sense here, I imagine it's smoother with vsync on because your frame rate is locked at 60 fps. It never deviates from 60 (assuming your pc/video card is able to render it at a locked 60 fps), thus providing a smooth experience. With vsync off, your fps can fluctuate greatly, which would create a gameplay experience that is less smooth than a locked 60 fps. I'm not sure if this explanation is right or not, but it makes sense to me.
 
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