Gsync does not work for me

[Lanarchy]

Hello all, first time posting here. I've been reading some of the other posts and I thought I would create a topic so maybe you guys can help me.

Before we begin, I would just like to first say I have done dozens and dozens of hours of tests and this is not a matter of "Are you sure Gsync is on in the Nvidia Control Panel and the light is red ?" I have verified those, numerous times. Thank you for bypassing those first steps.

I own a PG278Q and contrary to most people, I feel I was "scammed" with Gsync. It hasn't made any difference in my gameplay. At all. Like previously mentioned, I have run tests with each and every one of my game, and when using Vsync instead of Gsync, I get the exact same gameplay experience, with fps fluctuating between 30 and 60 freely, not dropping from 60 to 30. I have also verified that on 60hz, 120hz, and 144hz.

I am using the latest drivers, but this "issue" has been going on since day one of the monitor purchase, on September 2014.

Yesterday night I tested with some games, to see if I would get that "60 to 30" drop, while using Vsync instead of Gsync (Fixed Refresh in Nvidia panel). For some of those, I pushed AA to higher levels to make sure I'd go under 60. Guild Wars 2 ? Nope, fps was in the 40s without a problem. FFXIV ? Nope, fps was in the 40s without a problem. Battlefield 4 ? Nope, fps was in the 40s without a problem. Metro Last Light ? Nope, fps was in the 40s without a problem. I think you can see a pattern forming here....

At first, the hype leading into this monitor's release led me to believe that 30 to 59 fps would look as smooth as 60 fps AND would completely eliminate stuttering. Boy was I disappointed. sub-60 fps still looks like sub-60 and there is stuttering in every game still, as seen in some of the threads here, specially the one asking for Gsync experiences from other people. So ok then, so much for that. People said "no no, it just keeps your games from dropping 60 to 30 one shot". Well, nope, it's not even doing that. I can record videos and show you that none of my games drop from 60 to 30 with Vsync.

So, I don't know how to see Gsync actually doing a damn thing. The only time I could see something, was forcing 50fps in Nvidia Inspector, running Bioshock Infinite and strafing in front of objects. I could see some skips using Vsync, where Gsync was smooth. But I didn't think you'd need to force 50fps in a 3rd party program and do specific tests to see Gsync doing anything.

Btw, sorry for the tone in my post, I'm just a little angry with Gsync, having spent so much money for it.

[Hitt0r]

Hello,

If you are getting tearing and you have tried all of the above id send ROG Swift back to the manufacturer.

I have a 4k 60hz gsync monitor and the gsync is a clear visual benefit when you first see it. Your monitor can do 144hz/fps therefore you should see the benefits of gsync from 35 - 144hz i'm led to believe.

[Lanarchy]

I have never mentioned tearing bein an issue in my post. It's Gsync not being different than Vsync that I am talking about.

[Glide]

I have run tests with each and every one of my game, and when using Vsync instead of Gsync, I get the exact same gameplay experience, with fps fluctuating between 30 and 60 freely, not dropping from 60 to 30.

You must be using Adaptive V-Sync or Triple-Buffering.
Standard V-Sync will lock your framerate to factors of the refresh rate. 60/1 = 60, 60/2 = 30, 60/3 = 20 etc.

When Adaptive V-Sync is in use, you will have screen tearing and judder below 60 FPS.
When Triple-Buffering is in use, you will have an additional frame of latency instead of tearing, and judder from the framerate not being synchronized to the refresh rate.

G-Sync eliminates tearing, latency, and judder from non-synced framerates.

At first, the hype leading into this monitor's release led me to believe that 30 to 59 fps would look as smooth as 60 fps AND would completely eliminate stuttering.

It allows 31-59 FPS to look as fluid as they possibly can.
A low framerate still has a limited speed of motion that it can portray without judder.

Something like 55 FPS should look about as smooth at 60 FPS on a G-Sync monitor.
55 FPS on a regular monitor with triple-buffering will judder horribly.

30 FPS still sucks as much on G-Sync as it does on any other display.
G-Sync is more beneficial to high refresh rate monitors, where standard V-Sync would lock you into:
144/1 = 144, 144/2 = 72, 144/3 = 48, 144/4 = 36 etc.

So it would enable you to play a game at 136 FPS instead of that immediately dropping to 72 FPS with V-Sync.

[Lanarchy]

You must be using Adaptive V-Sync or Triple-Buffering.
Standard V-Sync will lock your framerate to factors of the refresh rate. 60/1 = 60, 60/2 = 30, 60/3 = 20 etc.

No I'm not. I know how to use Adaptive Vsync and how to use regular Vsync. I am so tired of this, everyone is taking me for an imbecile, can you please, just for one time, assume that the guy you're speaking with knows what he's doing ?

With the current Nvidia drivers, you need to select Fixed Refresh, and then on the Vertical Sync option, you have the choice between On, Off and ADAPTIVE. I did NOT SELECT Adaptive. Only normal "ON". I just spent a few hours even today, with FIXED REFRESH and Vsync ON (not Adaptive) and yep, no drop from 60 to 30. NONE. ZERO. AT ALL. All of my games were happily staying in the 40s or 50s.

I am sure you didn't even try. Are you scared I'm right ? Go try. Select FIXED REFRESH and Vsync On and then try your games, if they're always above 60, then add more AA or whatever you can to get the fps to be under 60, and then marvel....when they don't drop to 30. Try it Gsync does NOTHING.

[Luck100]

While it certainly sounds like you have properly enabled v-sync, the fact that you are seeing framerates in the 40's and 50's is proof that V-sync is not active. With v-sync working on a monitor with fixed refresh of 60 Hz, you will only ever see framerates of 60, 30, 20, 15, etc. That's fundamental to how v-sync works, and it's certainly what I've seen on any PC when v-sync is active.

As to why v-sync is not working for you - hard to say without looking at your PC in person.

[Joolsyz]

A lot of games have triple buffering with v-sync anyway, and always if you use borderless. With my experience it just varies from game to game how well they work under G-Sync, some games run flawlessly whilst others not so much.

[Glide]

I am so tired of this, everyone is taking me for an imbecile, can you please, just for one time, assume that the guy you're speaking with knows what he's doing ?

I'm not assuming that you are an imbecile, but if you are getting 40 FPS "V-Synced" on a 60Hz display, it's not standard double-buffered V-Sync.
It's either triple-buffering, adaptive v-sync, or v-sync is off.

A lot of games have triple buffering with v-sync anyway, and always if you use borderless. With my experience it just varies from game to game how well they work under G-Sync, some games run flawlessly whilst others not so much.

This seems a likely culprit.

If the desktop compositor (Aero/DWM) is enabled and the game is run in windowed mode, then triple-buffering is being applied outside of the game since frames are being presented to the compositor and not directly to the display. (as full-screen mode would do)

[Lanarchy]

Guys, guys guys...no. I am not in Windowed Borderless, I never use that. I am always Fullscreen.

You know what ? I am confused here. Seriously, for real. How is it that no one else has noticed this ? Wow....like, really ? Is my monitor, or graphics card, different from everyone else ? That's crazy. I can't believe this. No no no, please, believe me. I guess I'll have to make a video, and show with the mouse, that I'm on Vsync, FULLSCREEN, and wiggle the mouse around my FPS while in-game. I don't know. I just can't believe this. I mean, I've tried all of my games since posting this and i can 100%, TOTALLY confirm that NOT A SINGLE ONE of my games is dropping 60-to-30, while fullscreen, Vsynced, no adaptive.

I just don't understand. You guys all believe Vsync drops your frames to 30, no one even cared to try. Can you try it please ? Go Vsync, no adaptive, fullscreen, get fraps and see if your fps drops to 30. It won't. I GUARANTEE IT.

I guess I'll just make a video. I'm not too good with making videos but goddamnit I will.

Can you guys recommend me a recording video software that will let me record my desktop showing Vsync On, No Adaptive, and then go into Fullscreen in a game ? I don't think Shadowplay has that. I'd need something that records both desktop AND fullscreen gaming.

Please understand that I know what I'm doing. I can 100% certify that I am loading a game with Vsync On, no adaptive, no triple buffering (anyway Nvidia's control panel's triple buffering only works with OpenGL games and no I am not using D3DOverrider or MSI Afterburner or eVGA whatever, none of those), and my games do NOT drop to 30. Please, I am SO eager to show you. Don't think I'm an idiot.

[lexlazootin]

I tested it, and i think the problem is with fraps, not your gpu. fraps averages the frames over a second so you get the correct value of frames per 'second'.

I could find situations were my frame counter would swap between 144 and 72 frames a second every frame but fraps would average it out.