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Difference between revisions of "Glossary:Variable refresh rate (VRR)"

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m (- two words to better match the HDMI bullet)
m (added PC Perspective's dissection of G-Sync and FreeSync as well as -/+ key points regarding the screen tearing in VRR range (FreeSync) vs full refresh rate range (G-Sync))
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* [https://www.hdmi.org/press/press_release.aspx?prid=152 HDMI 2.1 Variable Refresh Rate] - A mandatory specification of the HDMI 2.1 standard.
 
* [https://www.hdmi.org/press/press_release.aspx?prid=152 HDMI 2.1 Variable Refresh Rate] - A mandatory specification of the HDMI 2.1 standard.
 
* [[Wikipedia:DisplayPort#1.2a|VESA DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync]] - An optional specification of the DisplayPort 1.2a and [[Wikipedia:DisplayPort#eDP|Embedded DisplayPort]] standards.
 
* [[Wikipedia:DisplayPort#1.2a|VESA DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync]] - An optional specification of the DisplayPort 1.2a and [[Wikipedia:DisplayPort#eDP|Embedded DisplayPort]] standards.
 +
 +
'''General information'''
 +
{{mm}} [https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Dissecting-G-Sync-and-FreeSync-How-Technologies-Differ Dissecting G-Sync and FreeSync - How the Technologies Differ] on PC Perspective
  
 
==AMD FreeSync==
 
==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.
 
{{++}} 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.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://www.sweclockers.com/artikel/18798-intervju-amd-om-dynamiska-frekvenser-med-project-freesync/2|title=SweClockers - Interview: AMD on dynamic frequencies with Project Freesync (English)|date=2018-09-01}}</ref>
 
{{++}} 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.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://www.sweclockers.com/artikel/18798-intervju-amd-om-dynamiska-frekvenser-med-project-freesync/2|title=SweClockers - Interview: AMD on dynamic frequencies with Project Freesync (English)|date=2018-09-01}}</ref>
 +
{{--}} Screen tearing is only eliminated in the specific VRR range of the monitor.
 
{{mm}} [https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/free-sync-faq Freesync Monitor FAQ] on AMD
 
{{mm}} [https://www.amd.com/en/technologies/free-sync-faq Freesync Monitor FAQ] on AMD
  
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==Nvidia G-Sync==
 
==Nvidia G-Sync==
 +
{{++}} Screen tearing is eliminated throughout the full refresh rate range of the monitor.
 
{{++}} Includes the alternative '''Ultra Low Motion Blur''' (ULMB) blur reduction mode.<ref>{{Refurl|url=http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/variable_refresh.htm|title=TFT Central -  Variable Refresh Rates, G-sync and FreeSync|date=2018-09-02}}</ref><ref>{{Refurl|url=https://www.blurbusters.com/faq/motion-blur-reduction/|title=Blur Busters - Motion Blur Reduction (ULMB, LightBoost, etc)|date=2018-09-02}}</ref>
 
{{++}} Includes the alternative '''Ultra Low Motion Blur''' (ULMB) blur reduction mode.<ref>{{Refurl|url=http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/variable_refresh.htm|title=TFT Central -  Variable Refresh Rates, G-sync and FreeSync|date=2018-09-02}}</ref><ref>{{Refurl|url=https://www.blurbusters.com/faq/motion-blur-reduction/|title=Blur Busters - Motion Blur Reduction (ULMB, LightBoost, etc)|date=2018-09-02}}</ref>
 
{{--}} Requires proprietary hardware and licensing fees, increasing the cost of monitors implementing the technology.
 
{{--}} Requires proprietary hardware and licensing fees, increasing the cost of monitors implementing the technology.

Revision as of 13:31, 4 September 2018

Graphics and video

Resolutions

Video settings

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

General information

Dissecting G-Sync and FreeSync - How the Technologies Differ on PC Perspective

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]
Screen tearing is only eliminated in the specific VRR range of the monitor.
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

Screen tearing is eliminated throughout the full refresh rate range of the monitor.
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]

Nvidia Control Panel settings:

  1. Launch the Nvidia Control Panel.
  2. Navigate to Set up G-SYNC and select Enable G-SYNC for full screen mode.
  3. Navigate to Manage 3D settings and select the Global Settings tab.
  4. Change Vertical sync to On as this will allow the G-Sync module to compensate for frame time variances and allow G-Sync to fall back on V-Sync behavior when the frame rate exceeds the maximum refresh rate range of G-Sync. Through the use of the G-Sync module, the graphics card syncronizes the

In-game settings:

  1. Configure the game to run in Exclusive Fullscreen or Fullscreen mode if available.
  2. Disable all options available related to Vertical sync (Vsync).
  3. Limit the frame rate of the game to 3 FPS below the maximum refresh rate of the monitor (so 141 FPS on a 144 Hz monitor), either through an in-game FPS limiter (if available) or a third-party alternative.

Notes

Check out G-Sync 101: Optimal G-SYNC Settings & Conclusion on Blur Busters for more tips and tricks.


References