Limit FPS without v-sync or screen tearing

[Yayap7]

Hey there, does anyone have a good solution that is always on, to limiting the fps in every game to the refresh rate of your monitor?  I recently got a Asus PG279Q G-sync monitor and built a new PC. I carried over my old GTX 780 because I'm waiting on the 1080Ti. Everything else is new, i7 6700K, 16GB DDR4, etc. 

 

I'm able to get pretty high frame rates now and in cases like Bioshock, etc. I'm getting well over 144fps, which is the monitor's main refresh rate. (I know I can overclock it to 165Hz but the 780 doesn't support it it seems.)   So G-sync is amazing, high fps, but I'll still get screen tearing. I've heard that MSI Afterburner or the RivaTuner might have a fps lock you can set? Nvidia Inspector also maybe?  I haven't been able to find an up to date version of Inspector..

 

What do you do? If do you usually let the screen tearing happen or are you able to cap G-Sync'd fps?

I cannot stand screen tearing.

[ARikozuM]

You can check the config.ini files and see if there's a frame limit line. Just type 75 and save.

 

Might want to look into EVGA Precision.

[Yayap7]

No all games have config.ini's though.. So that's hit or miss.

I'll look into if Precision has a setting.

[ARikozuM]

Just now, Yayap7 said:

No all games have config.ini's though.. So that's hit or miss.

I'll look into if Precision has a setting.

It does. You'll have to set it to 120hz most likely.

[Yayap7]

Just now, ARikozuM said:

It does. You'll have to set it to 120hz most likely.

Is that the highest it can go?

[ARikozuM]

Just now, Yayap7 said:

Is that the highest it can go?

No. If you're experiencing tearing it may be better to lower it to something below your minimum so that the tearing doesn't occur.

[Yayap7]

Just now, ARikozuM said:

No. If you're experiencing tearing it may be better to lower it to something below your minimum so that the tearing doesn't occur.

Even if it's G-sync it can tear below 144Hz?

[ARikozuM]

Just now, Yayap7 said:

Even if it's G-sync it can tear below 144Hz?

G-Sync should be stabilizing the panel for zero tearing. Is it enabled in the monitor settings?

[Yayap7]

Just now, ARikozuM said:

G-Sync should be stabilizing the panel for zero tearing. Is it enabled in the monitor settings?

Yep, G-Sync is enabled in the Nvidia driver and using DisplayPort with 144Hz enabled on the display.  I don't think it tears below 144 at all but when it goes higher, like in Bioshock and whatnot, there is a lot of screen tearing.

[ARikozuM]

1 minute ago, Yayap7 said:

Yep, G-Sync is enabled in the Nvidia driver and using DisplayPort with 144Hz enabled on the display.  I don't think it tears below 144 at all but when it goes higher, like in Bioshock and whatnot, there is a lot of screen tearing.

OH! You're looking to limit the max. Precision has the Frame Rate Target feature. Just put 165 or whatever and that's the max you can hit.

[Yayap7]

Just now, ARikozuM said:

OH! You're looking to limit the max. Precision has the Frame Rate Target feature. Just put 165 or whatever and that's the max you can hit.

Ahhh ok, cool. Thanks! 

[mathijs727]

Limiting your framerate like this has the same effect as vsync.

I believe Nvidia allows you to select whetter you want vsync if the fps is higher then your monitors max refresh rate (same with AMD and Freesync).

For me Bioshock Infinite was the worst tearing game I've ever played (and that was on my old 60Hz monitor, oh the horrors)

 

EDIT:

Enable vsync in game.

It will still use gsync but switch to vsync when the fps is too high.

Same works for Freesync users on AMD

[Yayap7]

4 hours ago, mathijs727 said:

Limiting your framerate like this has the same effect as vsync.

I believe Nvidia allows you to select whetter you want vsync if the fps is higher then your monitors max refresh rate (same with AMD and Freesync).

For me Bioshock Infinite was the worst tearing game I've ever played (and that was on my old 60Hz monitor, oh the horrors)

 

EDIT:

Enable vsync in game.

It will still use gsync but switch to vsync when the fps is too high.

Same works for Freesync users on AMD

Hmm ok, I've always disabled it thinking it would default to 60fps/Hz. But doesn't using/enabling V-sync nullify G-sync? 

[mathijs727]

30 minutes ago, Yayap7 said:

Hmm ok, I've always disabled it thinking it would default to 60fps/Hz. But doesn't using/enabling V-sync nullify G-sync? 

Disablingn/enabling vsync in game doesnt disable gsync, but it tells the Nvidia driver what to do when the framerates is higher then gsync/your monitor supports.

If you enable vsync in game, gsync will still work but if your fps goes >144 it will vsync (block the application untill the monitor is ready).

[typographie]

1 hour ago, Yayap7 said:

Hmm ok, I've always disabled it thinking it would default to 60fps/Hz. But doesn't using/enabling V-sync nullify G-sync? 

No, vsync should limit you to whatever your monitor's refresh rate is. Some games may do things differently, but in theory that's how it's supposed to work.

 

As for Gsync, I don't know because I don't have a Gsync monitor. But given that it's pretty easy to find older games that run faster than 144 FPS I have to assume they're either using vsync or some other third-party framerate capping method fairly often.

[Yayap7]

Ahh I see, I'll have to test it out on a few games.

Thanks all!

[Praesi]

With Nvidia Inspector you can set individuall fps limits to single Games. It shouldnt get in Gsync's way.

[Yayap7]

Alright so I've settled with RivaTuner from MSI to help cap everything to 144Hz. 

 

But now I've got another problem, I'm getting screen tearing with games that are reaching close or at the 144Hz/fps limit. I haven't been able to try many games because my download speed is pretty much 1-5Mb/s but at least with Bioshock and Mass Effect 1, both playing at 1440p, Full screen G-Sync enabled, triple buffering enabled, max rendered frames at 1, and v-sync Off, I'm getting screen tearing.

Any idea why? Does the GTX 780 not support G-sync in higher frame rates well? The G-Sync module in the PG279Q not working well?  Or is it that G-sync as it's advertised as it always pushing the frames in sync even within the refresh rate of the monitor?

[ARikozuM]

Have you contacted Nvidia for G-Sync support?

[Yayap7]

11 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

Have you contacted Nvidia for G-Sync support?

Not yet. Should I just go through the regular GeForce support links?

[ARikozuM]

If you'd like. It sounds like G-Sync may not be picking up every game. I would do the standard support with e-mail first and voice second.

[Yayap7]

Hmm, yeah it seems alright with Mirrors Edge 1, but that's capped at 62fps. Divinity Original Sin seems ok as well. It's not huge or really obvious screen tearing when it happens either, I do have to look for it a bit. It is definitely annoying, especially in first person games. 

Do you think it would be hardware based or software/driver/API implementation?

[ARikozuM]

4 minutes ago, Yayap7 said:

Hmm, yeah it seems alright with Mirrors Edge 1, but that's capped at 62fps. Divinity Original Sin seems ok as well. It's not huge or really obvious screen tearing when it happens either, I do have to look for it a bit. It is definitely annoying, especially in first person games. 

Do you think it would be hardware based or software/driver/API implementation?

Either/or. Any chance you can try installing Windows on another drive and attempting with that?

[Yayap7]

4 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

Either/or. Any chance you can try installing Windows on another drive and attempting with that?

I suppose, I have Windows 10 on a SSD and my games on a WD Black HDD. You think a fresh install could clear something up? I have a spare hybrid drive I could try using.

 

My whole computer is new(i7-6700K, 16GB DDR4, etc.) except for the EVGA GTX 780(nonTi). Waiting on the 1080Ti.

[ARikozuM]

1 minute ago, Yayap7 said:

I suppose, I have Windows 10 on a SSD and my games on a WD Black HDD. You think a fresh install could clear something up? I have a spare hybrid drive I could try using.

 

My whole computer is new(i7-6700K, 16GB DDR4, etc.) except for the EVGA GTX 780(nonTi). Waiting on the 1080Ti.

Try the extra drive. Let me know what happens.