Gsync/Freesync - What about microstutter?

[xBlizzDevious]

Something I've wondered about since Gsync and Freesync have been a thing - is what happens with microstutter?

 

Surely, if the monitor won't accept a new frame until it's complete, microstutter is no longer a thing? If so, then isn't this about 10 times more important than a little screen tearing? I guess that last statement depends on the game, but no game I've ever played has been so bad that I can't play it and Vsync is too horrible.

 

That got off-topic...

 

Do these variable refresh rate technologies eliminate (or even at all reduce) the horrible beast known as microstutter?

If not, then do they worsen micro-stutter?

If neither, then how the heck does microstutter and displaying the partial frames work?

[PerfectTemplar]

Stuttering comes from V-sync, Gsync and Freesync creates the advantage of V-sync (no tearing) without the disadvantages (stuttering).

[xBlizzDevious]

Stuttering comes from V-sync, Gsync and Freesync creates the advantage of V-sync (no tearing) without the disadvantages (stuttering).

 

Microstutter - not just stuttering. The whole thing where you get partial frames being drawn and a high framerate but it actually feels a lot worse. For example, in BF4 beta, I could get 120FPs no problem but it felt like 20-25fps due to microstutter (Crossfire didn't work well at all).

[PerfectTemplar]

Microstutter - not just stuttering. The whole thing where you get partial frames being drawn and a high framerate but it actually feels a lot worse. For example, in BF4 beta, I could get 120FPs no problem but it felt like 20-25fps due to microstutter (Crossfire didn't work well at all).

Not really sure, sorry for my ignorance. I think I've only experienced that once and I fixed it by going fullscreen instead of borderless in BF4.

[Glenwing]

Stuttering comes from V-sync, Gsync and Freesync creates the advantage of V-sync (no tearing) without the disadvantages (stuttering).

Stuttering can come from V-SYNC, but there are other causes of stuttering as well, such as the microstutter issues that AMD Crossfire setups used to have, with "runt frames" and things like that.

V-SYNC is probably the biggest cause of stuttering due to the sudden changes between 30fps and 60fps. I'm not sure if variable refresh rate can eliminate stutter entirely, but since stutter is caused by sudden changes in the frame times, syncing the monitor refresh to the GPU output should at least help smooth things out, if nothing else. Microstuttering caused by partial frames shouldn't be a problem, AFAIK the display should only be fed complete frames with (x)-sync active.

[xBlizzDevious]

Stuttering can come from V-SYNC, but there are other causes of stuttering as well, such as the microstutter issues that AMD Crossfire setups used to have, with "runt frames" and things like that.

V-SYNC is probably the biggest cause of stuttering due to the sudden changes between 30fps and 60fps. I'm not sure if variable refresh rate can eliminate stutter entirely, but since stutter is caused by sudden changes in the frame times, syncing the monitor refresh to the GPU output should at least help smooth things out, if nothing else. Microstuttering caused by partial frames shouldn't be a problem, AFAIK the display should only be fed complete frames with (x)-sync active.

 

Good to know - thanks!

 

You said: "AMD Crossfire setups used to have".... Trust me, they still do!