Glossary:Variable refresh rate (VRR)
Graphics and video
Resolutions
Video settings
- Field of view (FOV)
- Windowed / borderless fullscreen
- Anisotropic filtering (AF)
- Anti-aliasing (AA)
- High-fidelity upscaling
- Vertical sync (Vsync)
- Frame rate (FPS)
- High dynamic range (HDR)
- Ray tracing (RT)
- Color blind mode
Hardware
Variable refresh rate (VRR), sometimes also called dynamic refresh rate (DRR), refers to technologies that enables dynamic refresh rates for monitors, where the refresh rate of the monitor is continuously synced to the output rate of the content being displayed. This prevents screen tearing in the supported range, while also lower power consumption as the monitor does not need to refresh at its highest supported rate while displaying content below that rate.
Variable refresh rate range (VRR range) refers to the range supported by a monitor where a dynamic refresh rate synced to the content is possible. This range usually starts at around 30 Hz and typically covers the full range upwards to the maximum refresh rate supported by the monitor.
Key Points
- Allows tearing-free gameplay and low input delay on variable frame rates within the supported VRR range of the monitor without resorting to Vertical sync (Vsync).
- Will result in slightly less power consumption for monitors in scenarios where the refresh rate decreases based on the frame rate of the content being displayed.
Technologies
- AMD FreeSync
- Nvidia G-Sync
- HDMI 2.1 Variable Refresh Rate - A mandatory specification of the HDMI 2.1 standard.
- VESA DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync - An optional specification of the DisplayPort 1.2a and Embedded DisplayPort standards.
AMD FreeSync
- Monitors are generally cheaper compared to Nvidia G-Sync monitors, as manufacturers do not have to pay a licensing fee for adoption nor implement expensive or proprietary hardware modules.
- According to AMD, FreeSync also does not have the communication overhead the competing Nvidia's G-Sync technology have; meaning frame presentation will never be delayed or impaired by time-consuming two-way handshakes.[1]
- Freesync Monitor FAQ on AMD
FreeSync (or Radeon FreeSync as it is sometimes marketed as) is AMD's proprietary variable refresh rate technology and unique hardware/software solution that allows dynamic refresh rates on monitors by utilizing open industry standards. For example, FreeSync utilizes the VESA DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync protocols to allow dynamic refresh rates over a DisplayPort connection, and will also support the Variable Refresh Rate technology adopted in the HDMI 2.1 specification for HDMI connections.[2] To enable the use of variable refresh rate technology over HDMI connections in monitors released 2016, almost two years before VRR became a part of the, at the time, future HDMI 2.1 specification, AMD and technology partners used vendor-specific HDMI extensions to implement AMD FreeSync over HDMI, thereby keeping the technology fully interoperable with HDMI standards.[3]
FreeSync 2 the next version of FreeSync and is mostly focused on HDR monitors and optimizing the HDR tone mapping process by allowing FreeSync to tone map the original HDR content of the game to the appropriate range of the display directly.
Intel Adaptive-Sync
While Intel do not currently have their own solution to allow variable refresh rate while using their graphics cards, in August 2018 they reconfirmed their commitment to support VESA DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync sometime in the future. This would allow their GPUs to take advantage of existing VESA DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync monitors on the market (e.g. FreeSync monitors).[4]
Nvidia G-Sync
- Includes the alternative Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB) blur reduction mode.[5][6]
- Requires proprietary hardware and licensing fees, increasing the cost of monitors implementing the technology.
- Relies partially on the VESA DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync protocols[7], theoretically making it compatible with other compliant monitors on the market (e.g. FreeSync monitors).[8] However the ability to use G-Sync with these unlicensed monitors is prevented by the Nvidia display drivers.[9]
- G-Sync FAQ on GeForce
- G-Sync 101 on Blur Busters
G-Sync is Nvidia's proprietary variable refresh rate solution, only available for use with monitors which includes Nvidia's proprietary G-Sync module. The G-Sync module replaces the typical internal scaler of the display, meaning a G-Sync display does not have any built-in scaling support. Instead the monitor relies on the the scaling support of the graphics card to scale video signals not matching the native resolution of the monitor.
G-Sync HDR is the HDR compatible G-Sync module, currently only available on a few expensive monitors. According to PC Perspective's findings when disassembling the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ monitor, the G-Sync HDR module alone might make up $500 of the final price point of G-Sync HDR compatible monitors.[10]
Recommended optimal settings[11] |
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Nvidia Control Panel settings:
In-game settings:
Notes
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References
- ↑ SweClockers - Interview: AMD on dynamic frequencies with Project Freesync (English) - last accessed on 2018-09-01
- ↑ AMD - FreeSync Monitor FAQ - last accessed on 2018-09-01
- ↑ AMD PowerPoint Presentation - AMD FreeSync™ Technology Over HDMI® - last accessed on 2018-09-01
- ↑ OC3D.net - Intel plans to support VESA Adaptive Sync - Intel FreeSync? - last accessed on 2018-09-02
- ↑ TFT Central - Variable Refresh Rates, G-sync and FreeSync - last accessed on 2018-09-02
- ↑ Blur Busters - Motion Blur Reduction (ULMB, LightBoost, etc) - last accessed on 2018-09-02
- ↑ The Tech Report - Nvidia responds to AMD's free sync demo - last accessed on 2018-09-02
- ↑ GameNab - Nvidia G-sync Hack (working on every monitor ?) DP1.2 and EDP - last accessed on 2018-09-02
- ↑ GameNab - Truth about the G-sync Marketing Module (NVIDIA using VESA Adaptive Sync Technology – Freesync) - last accessed on 2018-09-02
- ↑ PC Perspective - ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ 27" 4K 144Hz G-SYNC Monitor: True HDR Arrives on the Desktop - last accessed on 2018-09-02
- ↑ Blur Busters - G-SYNC 101: Optimal G-SYNC Settings & Conclusion - last accessed on 2018-09-02