fowteen wrote: ↑18 Mar 2020, 18:41
can you also explain to me as simply as possible when screen tearing can occur with just freesync on, no vsync, with the -3 fps cap.
While this info is fully available in my article, along with the material I quoted/linked in my previous post here, I will reiterate once more...
The "V-SYNC" option is actually
part of FreeSync within the refresh rate, and if you take it away (by disabling it), it removes the element of FreeSync operation that otherwise allows 100% tearing prevention within its working range.
Further, the V-SYNC option only acts like traditional V-SYNC with FreeSync when the framerate is
outside the working FreeSync range (aka typically
above the the max refresh rate of the monitor).
As for when tearing can occur with FreeSync + V-SYNC "Off"...
1. When the average framerate is sustained outside the working FreeSync range (e.g. above the refresh rate).
2. When the average framerate abruptly rises, drops, or oscillates rapidly inside the FreeSync range (aka frametime variances).
3. When the average framerate rapidly oscillates inside/outside the FreeSync range near the max refresh rate.
FreeSync + V-SYNC "On" will prevent tearing caused by the three occurrences above.
FreeSync + V-SYNC "On" + (a minimum) -3 FPS limit, will prevent tearing caused by the three occurrences above AND prevent traditional V-SYNC input lag, by keeping FreeSync in its working range at all times.
fowteen wrote: ↑18 Mar 2020, 18:41
also not sure if you can help with this but I was messing around with vsync in my control panel (amd radeon software) and noticed that when I put vsync to always on for a game in its profile in the control panel, the game isn't capped at my refresh rate which probably means it is not being activated through my control panel.
I'm not an AMD user, so maybe someone else can chime in on this, but I
hear the global V-SYNC option in the AMD control panel isn't always as reliable as the Nvidia control panel equivalent, and may not always work in every game it is enabled for, which in these cases, would mean you would still effectively be running FreeSync + V-SYNC "Off."
Have you tried the in-game V-SYNC option in these instances instead? Because 99% of the time, for the purpose of pairing with FreeSync, it will be identical to enabling control panel V-SYNC.