Why Variable Refresh Rate -- i.e. FreeSync and Gsync?

[Sherloc09]

If a display can have a custom resolution specified in the gpu control panel, why is variable refresh rate a make or break feature for some? Couldn't you just benchmark the title you're currently playing, exit, then set the custom refresh rate to the average fps of that title, then turn on vSync in game? Am testing this currently with Wolfenstein the New Colossus -- which allows you to set the max frame rate in the video settings in game -- the workaround seems copacetic.

Thanks.

 

[sharknice]

Framerates in games are not constant, they fluctuate. You could set the refresh rate to the minimum and use vsync, but you would still get stuttering and added input lag from the vsync on top of a much lower framerate.

Eliminating the stuttering and tearing makes things look much, much better.

 

[admiralperpetual]

google 'frame timing'.. but for the record i'm fine with vsync most of the time.. until TV's support variable refresh rates (it's in HDMI 2.1) then it's sorta off my radar.

 

[Sherloc09]

Framerates in games are not constant, they fluctuate. You could set the refresh rate to the minimum and use vsync, but you would still get stuttering and added input lag from the vsync on top of a much lower framerate.

Eliminating the stuttering and tearing makes things look much, much better.

VSync in my experience eliminates the aforementioned stuttering and tearing with nominal affect to input lag. To confirm, are we saying that setting the custom refresh rate and activating vSync is not viable for people who don't have a gsync monitor but do use Nvidia gpus? Believe this workaround is ideal in that scenario -- which may be the majority of users -- since the majority of gpus owned are Nvidia according to Steam [http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/videocard/].

 

[Mokkat]

I can't deal with the input lag and framedrops V-Sync introduces, especially not on 60hz monitors with a little processing lag of its own.

Nvidia's Fast Sync, which is basically universal tripple buffering, takes care of tearing nicely with almost unnoticable processing lag. It even works at framerates under refresh, so you can cap at refresh like with V-Sync.
Unfortunately it also makes gameplay somewhat janky unless you have a framerate of at least 2x refresh rate though, in my experience.
AMD's Enhanced Sync doesn't work below refresh IIRC.

 

[Armenius]

VSync in my experience eliminates the aforementioned stuttering and tearing with nominal affect to input lag. To confirm, are we saying that setting the custom refresh rate and activating vSync is not viable for people who don't have a gsync monitor but do use Nvidia gpus? Believe this workaround is ideal in that scenario -- which may be the majority of users -- since the majority of gpus owned are Nvidia according to Steam [http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/videocard/].

The ideal solution for those on static refresh rate monitors for owners of either AMD or NVIDIA is to set a custom FPS cap that matches the refresh rate of your display and turn V-Sync off. This eliminates the need for backbuffering to smooth out frame times, eliminating the extra input lag at the same time. Besides, for some reason a lot of games either don't support triple buffering or don't play nicely with it these days, meaning you're stuck with double buffering which causes your frame rate to be cut in half whenever the FPS drops even 1 below the maximum.

You really have to see G-Sync and Freesync in action to understand the benefits. I, too, thought V-Sync was fine until I purchased a G-Sync monitor. I will never go back to a static refresh rate monitor again.

 

[Sancus]

vsync adds a full frame of input lag in most scenarios and in addition causes stuttering because partially completed frames can no longer be delivered to the monitor. Imagine Frame A is your current frame, Frame B is your next frame. If you are at 60hz and your framerate drops below 60fps, Frame B might not be ready in time.... this means that Frame A is repeated. This produces stuttering.

The reason variable refresh is so great is because it can tell the monitor to adjust its refresh rate, and that looks much more natural than repeating frames arbitrarily and randomly based on the instantaneous performance of your video card.

 

[sharknice]

Yeah you're getting some stuttering with vsync. You're just used to it. Once you use gsync you can easily tell going back to regular vsync and it doesn't feel nearly as smooth.

If you do run Gsync it is recommended you cap the framerate below the monitor's maximum refresh rate to avoid vsync kicking in or no sync if you set it to do that instead.
When those kick in it's easy to perceive the loss of smoothness.

 

[Archaea]

Yeah you're getting some stuttering with vsync. You're just used to it. Once you use gsync you can easily tell going back to regular vsync and it doesn't feel nearly as smooth.

If you do run Gsync it is recommended you cap the framerate below the monitor's maximum refresh rate to avoid vsync kicking in or no sync if you set it to do that instead.
When those kick in it's easy to perceive the loss of smoothness.

I know how to cap FPS with AMD, using frame rate target in the catalyst control panel, but how do you do it with Nvidia?

 

[sharknice]

I know how to cap FPS with AMD, using frame rate target in the catalyst control panel, but how do you do it with Nvidia?

I do it in the game settings, but if they don't have that option I use RivaTuner. If a game doesn't have it in the GUI options a lot of times you can still set it by editing a settings file. Pretty much every unreal engine game can be done that way and Destiny 2 can too.

 

[Armenius]

I know how to cap FPS with AMD, using frame rate target in the catalyst control panel, but how do you do it with Nvidia?

Riva Tuner Statistics Server, EVGA Precision XOC, and NVIDIA Inspector can all do it. I use RTSS since I use MSi Afterburner to tune my card.

We've all been asking NVIDIA to add the option into the control panel for a long time. Frankly, I don't think there is any excuse to not do it. The option is already there since Inspector can see it, they just need to add it into the GUI.