Mobile GSync.....it's gonna be a thing

[mvitkun]

You just sound like an Nvidia fanboy.   /s

I completely agree

[ItsAFeature]

Between the anti-970 rage and polishing of pitchforks, I think most people have completely missed the best part of the story here. Mobile G-Sync is coming. That is huge. AMD already used a laptop for their first demo so it can only be expected that they would support mobile Freesync as well. Mobile GPUs have less horsepower than their desktop counterparts combined with less powerful processors so the dips that can occur on desktops with V-Sync on are even more common on laptops. When this gets implemented properly (as in none of the issues that PCPer ran into), laptop gaming will be better than ever.

 

What has yet to be seen is if we need more hardware to support mobile adaptive-sync. Obviously there were some issues with the leaked driver and we don't yet know if that is something that can be fixed in the driver or if laptop manufacturers will need to include additional hardware for a good experience. Either way, that is also really exciting because it could mean that Nvidia could either begin supporting more off the shelf adaptive sync capable displays or reduce the hardware necessary for G-Sync to reduce costs of those monitors.

 

I don't think we'll see Nvidia switch gears completely and go for the same open standard as AMD, but this might lead to more G-Sync monitors for the consumers at lower prices. We'll have to wait and see. 

[Sharkyx1]

But this is a technology about increasing gaming quality, up to an image that is perfectly smooth, only to increase immersion. But then a portable computer... Small screen, poor ergonomics, your keyboard is close and strapped to the thing, not even properly angled. Why does it matter then? It's like discussing about the sauce when the pasta is not really that good and you are eating while you are standing, with the plate in your hand.

Yes this tech is about improving gaming, should they not improve gaming on mobile?

Only to increase immersion

really? That's all you think gsync does? I don't get the whole immersion thing people always talk about but this It's more about increasing performance where you can't maintain 60 fps, it makes more sense in mobile,where you don't have the brute force power of a desktop and you might have framerate dips.

For your last point, I have friends with gaming laptops, they usually have A. Extra keyboard controller and monitor, it's abit the ability to have portability when you want it

[Guest Kloaked]

Between the anti-970 rage and polishing of pitchforks, I think most people have completely missed the best part of the story here. Mobile G-Sync is coming. That is huge. AMD already used a laptop for their first demo so it can only be expected that they would support mobile Freesync as well. Mobile GPUs have less horsepower than their desktop counterparts combined with less powerful processors so the dips that can occur on desktops with V-Sync on are even more common on laptops. When this gets implemented properly (as in none of the issues that PCPer ran into), laptop gaming will be better than ever.

What has yet to be seen is if we need more hardware to support mobile adaptive-sync. Obviously there were some issues with the leaked driver and we don't yet know if that is something that can be fixed in the driver or if laptop manufacturers will need to include additional hardware for a good experience. Either way, that is also really exciting because it could mean that Nvidia could either begin supporting more off the shelf adaptive sync capable displays or reduce the hardware necessary for G-Sync to reduce costs of those monitors.

I don't think we'll see Nvidia switch gears completely and go for the same open standard as AMD, but this might lead to more G-Sync monitors for the consumers at lower prices. We'll have to wait and see.

Just wanted to say your name made me giggle

[Sanctuary2808]

Only problem is for people who have a laptop display connected to the Integrated Graphics instead of the Dedicated card, like me

 

Sadly no way to reconnect it...

[Faa]

The G-SYNC module is also more than just DRM, as noted in the PCP video it repeats frames when the framerate drops too low in order to prevent flickering.

Can't that be solved with voltage controlled backlight instead of PWM? PCPER made an article about the Rog Swift suffering from some flickering issues.

 

It's also important to remember G-SYNC and the G-SYNC module came before DisplayPort 1.2a, and Adaptive-Sync was a forgotten feature in a handful of laptops. To enable variable refresh there has to be a standard of communication between the monitor and GPU

PCPER claims there's no ASIC/FPGA between the GPU/monitor, that's the question.

[Glenwing]

 

Can't that be solved with voltage controlled backlight instead of PWM? PCPER made an article about the Rog Swift suffering from some flickering issues.

 

PCPER claims there's no ASIC/FPGA between the GPU/monitor, that's the question.

 

 

No, in this case the flickering doesn't come from the backlight control. LCDs work by using voltage to "open" each subpixel on the LCD to let a specific amount of backlight through that subpixel. Crystals in an LCD have a "default position" which they return to when there is no voltage being applied to keep them in another position. On most LCDs the default position is "closed" (although simpler electronics like digital watches often default to "open", which is why they have a light background with black digits instead of the other way around), and you can see this when you turn off the display. Rather than the last image "sticking" on the screen, when you cut power the whole thing turns black, because without any voltage to maintain their state the LCs return to the "closed" position. In an active-matrix display like all LCD monitors, the voltage state for each pixel is maintained by capacitors between each refresh, but if the time between refreshes goes too long then the capacitors won't be refilled soon enough, and the pixels will "drift" back to the "closed" position once voltage is no longer being applied. It depends on the design of the panel but there is always some maximum length of time between refreshes (unless you repeat frames) beyond which the pixels will start fading to black before the next refresh, resulting in visible flickering, regardless of whether or not the backlight itself is constant or flickering too.

 

Right, that's because laptops already have a protocol for variable refresh in eDP, so in that case a module isn't needed. On desktop displays, this eDP protocol isn't present, so you do need a module. DP 1.2a ported that protocol over from eDP into the full DP spec, so if you have that then you don't need a module again. And apparently that protocol can also be added to some older monitors via a firmware update if the hardware can already support it.

[Ekinorak]

I have made an account here after watching the WAN show. I have an Asus G751JT-T7036H with the Gtx 970m gpu. I installed the modified driver, and just as the driver was installed, gsynch activated and even the mouse cursor instantly feelt smooth. I ran the pendelum demo, and switched between all the modes from v-sync to no sync and g-synch. Its a huge improvement.

Also this driver see my display as a 75 hertz panel, instead of a 60 hertz one like my old driver did. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rVQm4flnuM&feature=youtu.be

 

Posted a video.

 

Sorry for my english im not a native speaker. 

[PerfectTemplar]

I have made an account here after watching the WAN show. I have an Asus G751JT-T7036H with the Gtx 970m gpu. I installed the modified driver, and just as the driver was installed, gsynch activated and even the mouse cursor instantly feelt smooth. I ran the pendelum demo, and switched between all the modes from v-sync to no sync and g-synch. Its a huge improvement.

Also this driver see my display as a 75 hertz panel, instead of a 60 hertz one like my old driver did. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rVQm4flnuM&feature=youtu.be

 

Posted a video.

 

Sorry for my english im not a native speaker. 

You speak better English than a lot of native English speakers.

[Notional]

I have made an account here after watching the WAN show. I have an Asus G751JT-T7036H with the Gtx 970m gpu. I installed the modified driver, and just as the driver was installed, gsynch activated and even the mouse cursor instantly feelt smooth. I ran the pendelum demo, and switched between all the modes from v-sync to no sync and g-synch. Its a huge improvement.

Also this driver see my display as a 75 hertz panel, instead of a 60 hertz one like my old driver did. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rVQm4flnuM&feature=youtu.be

 

Posted a video.

 

Sorry for my english im not a native speaker. 

 

[Godlygamer23]

This needs more attention for the specific fact that Nvidia confirmed to PCPer that infact G-Sync should work in general without the module it just happens that the driver was meant for laptops. So basically that guy on GameNab or whatever was right, Nvidia has been using the modules as a form of DRM. As a GTX 680 owner, I'm very close to never going Nvidia again after this shit combined with the 970 ,970m and 980m exhibiting vram issues..

 

Directly from: http://videocardz.com/54826/pcperspective-mobile-g-sync-confirmed-g-sync-module-unneeded

As stated in the live stream, it doesn't mean the module wasn't required at a time. Technology advances right? NVIDIA may have advanced G-Sync so the module isn't required. That being said, it's not beneath NVIDIA to lie.

[PerfectTemplar]

As stated in the live stream, it doesn't mean the module wasn't required at a time. Technology advances right? NVIDIA may have advanced G-Sync so the module isn't required. That being said, it's not beneath NVIDIA to lie.

I agree. It is likely the module WAS required for g-sync to work at the time. Clearly the technology has developed and they may not need a module any more, but as we have seen the alpha drivers with mobile g-sync are very unstable without the module and that should be some evidence in itself right?

 

EDIT: Personally, I am pretty excited for this. If they manage to make this form of G-sync work for desktops as well with DP 1.2a monitors I would be absolutely stoked.

[PerfectTemplar]

Its just that many laptop screens have the vblank feature to save power. It allows the screen to only refresh when a new complete frame is ready.

 

Its been there even before Freesync or Gsync. So while yes I am expecting laptops to get Gsync without the need of additional hardware, Nvidia (and/or the manufacturer to be exact) will probably still charge us $$$ for that Gsync sticker.

 

Because, Nvidia.

Sort of like how AMD are charging for Free sync.

[El_indian]

This great news. I guess we'll be seeing new monitors with both G-Sync & FreeSync support.

[PerfectTemplar]

They are not. Freesync relies on the adaptive sync feature to be present on the monitor. Adaptive sync is a feature that requires hardware changes, thus it is coming through the Displayport 1.2a standard.

 

Yes the hardware changes involves cost, but it is open for anyone's use and nowhere as expensive as the proprietary Gsync module that they have to buy straight off Nvidia, just for Gsync.

 

TLDR; Freesync is free and it relies on adaptive sync. Adaptive sync is not free but the $ goes to the manufacturers for adopting DP1.2a, and once its there anyone can use it. Gsync requires an expensive module that is bought straight from Gsync. Your money goes to go Nvidia, and only Gsync works with it.

Freesync is not free. Freesync is adaptive sync but has AMDs seal of approval on it. To add support for Freesync to a monitor it costs money for AMD to allow you to.

[PerfectTemplar]

 

Explain this

That isn't officially supported Freesync. What Freesync actually is, is AMDs branding that costs manufacturer's money. Obviously ASUS did not see the point in paying AMD for something which is inherently in DP1.2a so they just left it out. But it's the same for G-sync, if G-sync supports DP1.2a then Nvidia can make some money from branding specific monitors but it won't stop unofficial support for it via any standard DP1.2a monitor.

[El_indian]

I don't think it costs money for AMD to add driver support to a DP1.2a monitor just as it didn't cost money for NVIDIA to add G-Sync capabilities to that Laptop.

 

Sure, the monitors may be priced a little higher with FreeSync/G-Sync labels slapped onto them but it's free to the monitor vendors. 

__________

 

edit: would AMD pay ASUS to have a FreeSync label on the monitor/packaging OR do ASUS pay AMD? 

 

edit 2: I think you're right. ASUS would pay AMD a little bit for the right to use the FreeSync logo; it would also allow them to raise the price of their monitors. It's probably not a huge expense though (relatively speaking). If they can avoid it altogether (as in the case above) - great!

[PerfectTemplar]

I'm not going to argue that Freesync ultimately comes at no cost to the consumer.

 

But rather the fact that Gsync (for desktop monitors) at present is a more expensive solution due to the proprietary Gsync module, that manufacturers will pass on the cost to consumers.

 

And as for laptops with inherent ability to use these technologies, manufacturers are sure to charge us a higher amount than it costs them to add a sticker.

Of course. I agree, G-sync is very expensive, much more so than freesync. At the moment. But if G-sync adopts adaptive sync technology through DP1.2a then it will be the same price (and thing) as freesync.

[PerfectTemplar]

I'm all for manufacturers having less reasons to rape our wallets. I you've seen the ludicrous price of a RoG Swift in my country (Singapore) its almost SGD $1300 or about USD $950. Stickers are just one of the many things out to rape us but every small cost reduction helps.

It's about $900 USD in Australia. I am hoping that the acer XB270HU is not so expensive, if it isn't I'll probably get it. If it's the same price that is probs alright since it's a better panel.

[ShadowCaptain]

Who cares? Gaming on a notebook is not proper gaming in the first place.

 

What?