Someone explain G-Sync to me

[orangecat]

So I bought a PG258Q the other day and I love it. G-Sync and 240Hz are amazing but there are a few things i don't quite understand. So G-Sync is supposed to work in both fullscreen and windowed mode but it seems to only work sometimes. I was playing Fallout 4 yesterday and I had to restart the game a bunch of times for G-Sync to properly enable and Minecraft only works in fullscreen. Does the API the game use matter? Also why is it that games in windowed mode were G-Sync is syncing to my desktop refresh rate feel smoother than in fullscreen (fps is the same)?

 

Also are there any known compatibility issues with G-Sync? So far I haven't really found any that I know of and I don't see why there should be but I'm curious.

 

PS: I have G-sync enabled and set up correctly with windowed mode enabled.

[Funtoink63]

I don't remember exactly but I think Windows is forcing Vsync on desktop. That could be why G-sync doesn't work in windowed mode.

[ProjectBox153]

This should be a TechQuickie video. 

[linustouchtips]

it means you pay a lot more money than a standard monitor.

[WereCat]

18 minutes ago, L.Lawliet said:

G-sync will kick in if your fps is below the max refresh rate of your monitor.

So limit  the game fps below max refresh rate of your monitor using in game limiter if available.

Also make sure to change the refresh rate in windows settings and dont use v-sync.

Windowed mode also not recommended

 

No.

Enable Fast-Sync in NVIDIA Control Panel and whenever your FPS go above your maximum monitor refresh rate and G-Sync will turn OFF then the Fast-Sync will kick in to remove the tearing.

[Funtoink63]

There is a great video about this:

 

[orangecat]

6 minutes ago, linustouchtips said:

it means you pay a lot more money than a standard monitor.

Its also nicer than a standard monitor.

[WereCat]

13 minutes ago, L.Lawliet said:

and thus how micro stuttering kicks in..

There's no need to do that.. just limit the in game fps to lets say 240hz max limit to 238hz and u are all set.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn't micro stutter at all.

I tried Fast-Sync when it was new and it did stutter and was annoying, now I use it with my G-Sync and it does stutter no more.

 

EDIT:

To be precise. I can't even perceive or see any difference when G-Sync switches to Fast-Sync.. everything is completely smooth without any stutter and tearing.

 

EDIT2:
Although I would still advise setting Fast-Sync for every game separately trough the NVIDIA Control Panel and not as a Global setting. I had some weird glitches with it when watching online video if I set it as a Global thing.

 

EDIT3:

Fast-sync may not work properly with SLI.. or at all.

[WereCat]

Just now, L.Lawliet said:

It will if in high fps say above 120fps..

Maybe because its only kicks in for a short period of time thats why u didnt feel it.

I recommend using just 1 method though..but that could also work.

But the simplest effective method is to limit the in game fps..

 

I 3 times edited the post you quoted but I will still add 4th thing:

 

I have 165Hz G-Sync monitor. If I play Rocket League my FPS are anywhere between 140-260 FPS, I have no stutter, no tearing at any of those FPS ever. I have been playing with G-Sync + Fast-sync for about half a month now since I just found recently that they do work together so well. I haven't noticed any stutter or tearing in any game in the 2 weeks I have been using it. There is absolutely no reason to not use it imo.

[Aphala]

29 minutes ago, Kilobytez95 said:

Its also nicer than a standard monitor.

Well that's entirely subjective...I mean £200+...that's a lot of cigars I could buy 

[Darkseth]

G-Sync syncs the Refresh rate to your fps. If you have 150 fps, your Monitor runs at 150 Hz.

If you have 80 fps, your Monitor runs at 80 fps.

This works between 30 and 240 (in your case) Hz / fps. Eliminates Tearing (which you have without V-Sync) and stuttering (V-Sync on, but <240 fps).

 

Too bad, certain APIs can make problems.

I tried Doom Demo a few times, it's impossible for G-Sync to work in OpenGL, at least for me. No matter what i do, fullscreen, borderless, anything. Tearing of doom all the time, even with high fps (100+ fps on 165 Hz).

In vulkan, it didn't want to start the last time i tried, got error messages.

But should work on Vulkan.

 

The real question is: Do you see any Tearing, when you play with G-Sync OFF? (V-Sync OFF too!!!).

If you dont see ANY tearing or stuttering or anything, you won't benefit from G-Sync.

[Glenwing]

2 hours ago, Darkseth said:

This works between 30 and 240 (in your case) Hz / fps. Eliminates Tearing (which you have without V-Sync) and stuttering (V-Sync on, but <240 fps).

G-Sync operates down to 0 Hz, if you fall below the panel's physical minimum limit then it will show frames multiple times, but it keeps in sync with the GPU output still.

[Darkseth]

Oh interesting.

So even 10 fps will be synced even frametimes, even if it won't be smooth anymore?

[Glenwing]

7 minutes ago, Darkseth said:

Oh interesting.

So even 10 fps will be synced even frametimes, even if it won't be smooth anymore?

Yes

[Glenwing]

37 minutes ago, Darkseth said:

Oh interesting.

So even 10 fps will be synced even frametimes, even if it won't be smooth anymore?

Also FreeSync can do the same thing if the maximum is at least 2 times the minimum.