New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

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phatty
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New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

Post by phatty » 07 Jan 2019, 22:32

https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2019/01/0 ... plays-ces/

Dear blurbusters,

I wanted to ask if you had plans to test any of your freesync monitors with the upcoming Nvidia support.

https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2019/01/0 ... plays-ces/
Display: Acer Predator XB271HU OS: Windows 10 MB: ASUS Prime Z370-P CPU: i7-8700k GPU: MSI Gaming X GTX 1080 Ti RAM: 16GB @DDR4-3000

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k2viper
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Re: New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

Post by k2viper » 09 Jan 2019, 07:28

I suppose every (or almost every) Freesync monitor and Nvidia GPU owner would be able to enable G-sync.
I remember days of Lightboost hack without 3d glasses which required forcing the right EDID version thru CRU to make system (and gpu driver) think that given monitor is the right model.

I think that there is a big chance to make Gsync work on any Freesync monitor in the same way after Jan 15 Nvidia driver update.

phatty
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Re: New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

Post by phatty » 09 Jan 2019, 13:00

I understand that but there are a couple questions I wanted to be cleared up and wasn't sure if the blurbusters staff had plans to tests.

1) is there increased input lag with freesync variants as this appears to be a softcoded vrr as opposed to a chip that the gsync monitors supposedly had.
2) of the 300 monitors tested only 12 made the official cut and what was the issue? Frame skips / input lag/artifact ing?
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jorimt
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Re: New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

Post by jorimt » 09 Jan 2019, 14:27

phatty wrote:1) is there increased input lag with freesync variants as this appears to be a softcoded vrr as opposed to a chip that the gsync monitors supposedly had.

The primary differences between basic FreeSync functionality (software-based) and G-SYNC functionality (module-based on desktop; laptop G-SYNC is software without module, as far as I know), is that G-SYNC has dynamic overdrive control via the module (reduces ghosting during VRR), and refined, hardware-based LFC (aka minimum refresh range) that effectively applies down to 0 FPS (FreeSync is spotty in this regard, and often has a much smaller range, although I hear FreeSync 2 is improved in this regard).

Beyond that, pretty much everything else regarding base VRR functionality is the same, including input lag levels, VRR + V-SYNC (on/off) setting behavior above the refresh rate, FPS limiting rules (-3 FPS limit relative to refresh rate), etc.
phatty wrote:2) of the 300 monitors tested only 12 made the official cut and what was the issue? Frame skips / input lag/artifact ing?
Not quite a direct answer to your question (I think someone has already answered it in another thread here), but an interesting thing to note is that the PCGamer article I recently linked in a thread stated:

"For gamers who have monitors that we have not yet tested, or that have failed validation, we’ll give you an option to manually enable [G-Sync], too," says Nvidia's press release.


https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-brings-g ... -monitors/
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Displays: ASUS PG27AQN, LG 48CX VR: Beyond, Quest 3, Reverb G2, Index OS: Windows 11 Pro Case: Fractal Design Torrent PSU: Seasonic PRIME TX-1000 MB: ASUS Z790 Hero CPU: Intel i9-13900k w/Noctua NH-U12A GPU: GIGABYTE RTX 4090 GAMING OC RAM: 32GB G.SKILL Trident Z5 DDR5 6400MHz CL32 SSDs: 2TB WD_BLACK SN850 (OS), 4TB WD_BLACK SN850X (Games) Keyboards: Wooting 60HE, Logitech G915 TKL Mice: Razer Viper Mini SE, Razer Viper 8kHz Sound: Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 (speakers/amp/DAC), AFUL Performer 8 (IEMs)

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cosmitz
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Re: New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

Post by cosmitz » 09 Jan 2019, 17:40

Let me clarify points.

Firstly, only Pascal/Turing are currently supported. So 10xx and 20xx Nvidia cards. I really hope for a driver hack for the rest since i'm CERTAIN it's an Nvidia cashgrab to push people to upgrade to currently produced cards.

Secondly, all monitors supporting Freesync, on mentioned Nvidia cards can be enabled. Nvidia doesn't guarantee that it'll be fine. You may have issues, flickering, dropped frames, a fair bit of things. If it's all OK, they are crowdsourcing the results, and on 300 positive results, they are upgrading those panels to Gsync compatible. Personally, i think all Freesync 2 monitors are fine. It's the Freesync 1 monitors you may have issues with.

Also, it's entirely possible this will ONLY work via Displayport. AMD hacked HDMI in it but it's almost certain Nvidia will not go down that path.

For the Gsync Ultimate, you need the physical module in the panel. So any advanced features Nvidia wants to gate off, will be able to be gated via that, but for basic async, anything works.

PS: There are monitors which support async but not Freesync, and Nvidia supports that too, it's not linked to Freesync specifically, just that Freesync is the most widely adopted standard and branding for async.

cacs1985
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Re: New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

Post by cacs1985 » 09 Jan 2019, 19:01

We probably going to have for a lot more information to make a decision.
cosmitz wrote:Let me clarify points.

Firstly, only Pascal/Turing are currently supported. So 10xx and 20xx Nvidia cards.
I didn´t know that. Where did you see that?

phatty
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Re: New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

Post by phatty » 09 Jan 2019, 19:10

So a good example would be monitors that have both a gsync version and a freesync version.

Alienware has a 240hz 25 inch monitor that comes in both flavors. There is an argument that the freesync is a generally better monitor than the gsync.

So the test to examine would be input lag
With vrr on or off and vsync.

This answers the big question is the gsync one better than the freesync one, is it worth the premium.
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Re: New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

Post by jorimt » 09 Jan 2019, 22:37

phatty wrote:So the test to examine would be input lag
With vrr on or off and vsync.

This answers the big question is the gsync one better than the freesync one, is it worth the premium.
Again, within their equivalent ranges, both G-SYNC and FreeSync (1 & 2) should have the same level of sync-induced input lag. Base functionality is the same for all adaptive sync tech: adjusting the refresh rate to the framerate. What they will differ in is LFC/minimum refresh range, overall VRR range, and dynamic overdrive implementation.

Whatever input lag difference there would be between the two VRR types would come down to the differences in monitor-based signal processing and the panel types (TN, VA, IPS, etc), which even differs between non-VRR monitors.

For instance, you could have a VA and IPS G-SYNC monitor with identical modules and identical max refresh rates, but one could have more (or less) input lag (and/or motion blur) simply because of differences in signal processing, panel capability, etc.
(jorimt: /jor-uhm-tee/)
Author: Blur Busters "G-SYNC 101" Series

Displays: ASUS PG27AQN, LG 48CX VR: Beyond, Quest 3, Reverb G2, Index OS: Windows 11 Pro Case: Fractal Design Torrent PSU: Seasonic PRIME TX-1000 MB: ASUS Z790 Hero CPU: Intel i9-13900k w/Noctua NH-U12A GPU: GIGABYTE RTX 4090 GAMING OC RAM: 32GB G.SKILL Trident Z5 DDR5 6400MHz CL32 SSDs: 2TB WD_BLACK SN850 (OS), 4TB WD_BLACK SN850X (Games) Keyboards: Wooting 60HE, Logitech G915 TKL Mice: Razer Viper Mini SE, Razer Viper 8kHz Sound: Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 (speakers/amp/DAC), AFUL Performer 8 (IEMs)

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Re: New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 09 Jan 2019, 23:10

Good news, everyone!
AA05A359-61E6-463C-961A-20172C264C62.jpeg
AA05A359-61E6-463C-961A-20172C264C62.jpeg (604.22 KiB) Viewed 5380 times
I have a PG258 and an XG258.
The GSYNC and FreeSync versions of the ASUS monitors!
I was going to write about this for Holidays, but now they will become used for this test.

I will do some quick benchmarking.
They will not be as extensive as GSYNC 101 but they will allow me to compare 240Hz VRR.

Cheers,
Mark Rejhon
Head of Blur Busters - BlurBusters.com | TestUFO.com | Follow @BlurBusters on Twitter

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phatty
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Re: New round of tests coming? Nvidia cards with freesync?

Post by phatty » 09 Jan 2019, 23:37

jorimt wrote:
phatty wrote:So the test to examine would be input lag
With vrr on or off and vsync.

This answers the big question is the gsync one better than the freesync one, is it worth the premium.
Again, within their equivalent ranges, both G-SYNC and FreeSync (1 & 2) should have the same level of sync-induced input lag. Base functionality is the same for all adaptive sync tech: adjusting the refresh rate to the framerate. What they will differ in is LFC/minimum refresh range, overall VRR range, and dynamic overdrive implementation.

Whatever input lag difference there would be between the two VRR types would come down to the differences in monitor-based signal processing and the panel types (TN, VA, IPS, etc), which even differs between non-VRR monitors.

For instance, you could have a VA and IPS G-SYNC monitor with identical modules and identical max refresh rates, but one could have more (or less) input lag (and/or motion blur) simply because of differences in signal processing, panel capability, etc.
That is what I am assuming as well.

I think that there are some intrinsic differences in the OSD for the freesync and gsync versions of the alienware 25 inch @ 240 hz.

However the cost of the Gsync version is anywhere of 80 to 100 dollars more depending on comparing list vs sale pricing.

If we are at a point in time where it "doesn't matter" if it's gsync or free sync, why spend the extra money on the gsync module?
Chief Blur Buster wrote:Good news, everyone!
AA05A359-61E6-463C-961A-20172C264C62.jpeg
I have a PG258 and an XG258.
The GSYNC and FreeSync versions of the ASUS monitors!
I was going to write about this for Holidays, but now they will become used for this test.

I will do some quick benchmarking.
They will not be as extensive as GSYNC 101 but they will allow me to compare 240Hz VRR.

Cheers,
Mark Rejhon
Thanks! This would be very interesting to see.

Current on Amazon, the PG258 is going for 528.99, the XG 439.54.

If there is virtually no difference, we are looking at significant marketplace shake up.

Either the freesync monitors will go up in price or the gsyncs will come down, or a combination of the two.

Supply and demand would denote both would probably occur until normalization of price between the two.
Display: Acer Predator XB271HU OS: Windows 10 MB: ASUS Prime Z370-P CPU: i7-8700k GPU: MSI Gaming X GTX 1080 Ti RAM: 16GB @DDR4-3000

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