General Discussions

[black_zion]

Not exactly what AMD needed to hear given Navi is still months away...

From nVidia's CES announcements. Driver supporting it will be released on January 15th according to TheTechReport. As of the initial release only monitors with a maximum refresh rate 2.4x the minimum refresh rate (60-144hz, for example) will be supported and enabled by default, though all other displays can manually be toggled on, so if you have a quality 10 bit IPS display with a narrow range of 40-60, it can still be enabled.

[ajlueke]

What is really interesting in this blurb, is that monitors will only be listed as G-sync compatible is they do not show "Blanking, pulsing, flickering, ghosting".  A level of testing a lot of Free sync users wish AMD did based on the length of the "Freesync flicker" thread.

[qwixt]

Thanks for the info. This is very good news. Maybe this will force some monitor manufacturers to meet a new standard of G Sync-compatible.

[ajlueke]

One would assume that any monitor that is rated "G-sync Compatible" will also avoid flickering and other issues when using Freesync as both will be based on adaptive sync.

[black_zion]

Doubtful, since G-Sync requires proprietary hardware. Most likely what will happen is it will coax monitor manufacturers to implement the VESA Adaptive Sync standard. The biggest effect will be seen in the monitors using the lower end TN and VA panels due to their high refresh rates. IPS panels often have refresh rates of under 100hz, with exceptions like the LG 34UC79G-B (LG is a champion of IPS, and I agree they're both superior and worth the extra money), so they'll never be G-Sync Certified.

Laptops should reap the greatest benefit of this, though we will have to wait and see.

[ajlueke]

"Gsync Compatible" that qwixt  mentioned does not require proprietary hardware.  That is just the NVidia term for Adaptive sync monitors that pass their battery of tests.

Of 400 monitors tested, only 12 adaptive sync monitors have been deemed Gsync-compatible so far.  So if monitor manufacturers want that badge, they will have to up their game.

[ajlueke]

It is interesting that the TN based XG270hu is "G-sync compatible" while the IPS based XF270hu is not.  IPS panels do exhibit more ghosting at high refresh rates than TN panels, or perhaps NVidia didn't test it yet.

It is a good thing though.  As adaptive sync panels that are gsync compatible will likely be free of ghosting, and flickering when used with Freesync as well.

[black_zion]

Because the IPS variant has a 50-76hz range, not 144hz.

[ajlueke]

And yet, two lines down under Video it is listed with a refresh rate of 144 Hz.

[pokester]

Of course the IPS montiors are the ones that typically people are not complaining their FreeSync on. I have 2 and it works great. It flickers like crazy on the VA panel.

I read another article on this today that stated a large number of monitors were tested. I don't remember the amount but on 12 worked and would be listed as compatible. I would be curious to know how many of the ones that didn't work for them are also ones that AMD customer have issue with on their cards. I have long believed that a big part of the issue is not just driver but nobody certifying that the monitors do what they are supposed to on the AMD side to begin with.

[pokester]

Oh my 2 IPS have 48, and 45 mins not 50 and both max at 76.

[ajlueke]

As I was pointing out above, the XG270HU by Acer is one of the 12 monitors that was deemed G-sync compatible (a TN panel).  The XF270HU, an IPS version did not make the cut.

[pokester]

Okay I get that, I was pointing out my curiosity on the ones that didn't. It is well known there is a ton of issues with people getting freesync working. I was also pointing out that other like mine have a little bit lower min. Close but with that tight of a range every little bit helps.