Can't set AW2518h to 180hz

[vickyperkin]

Hi I'm trying to set this monitor to 180hz. I use this monitor on netplay for Dolphin at 240hz, yes I know it has GSYNC but I will have to play on a really low buffer. I just want to use the monitor on 180hz to take advantage of the extra headroom, but everytime I set it to 180hz it just goes BLACK, I can set it to 200hz,144hz,120hz,60hz fine but when I try 180hz it goes blank. Any idea why?

[Chief Blur Buster]

Not all 240Hz monitors supports 180Hz fixed-Hz. Easiest way to access low-lag 60Hz or 180Hz is via FreeSync.

Since this is a FreeSync monitor, try enabling FreeSync and setting a 60fps cap. 60fps@240Hz FreeSync/GSYNC is perfect for emulators, and lower-lag than fixed-Hz. It's like a special 60Hz mode with individual frames quickly refreshed in 1/240sec (lower scanout lag). It's lower lag than fixed-Hz 180Hz anyway.

With VRR, the frame rate is the refresh rate. However, the refreshing velocity is still max-Hz, no matter what Hz is -- it's a defacto quick frame transport. The frames are transmitted at max Hz over the cable, and there's no extra buffer layers when VRR is running below refresh rate, the refresh cycle frame is immediately transmitted out of the GPU to the monitor once the emulator finishes the frame -- so there's no buffer-waiting for GSYNC or FreeSync. That extra buffering (VSYNC ON) only happens with GSYNC when "framerate > Hz" But 60fps is far below 240Hz so this is non-applicable to you.

There's no VSYNC ON framebuffering layers when frame rates are far below Hz on GSYNC and FreeSync -- the pixels are appearing on the screen almost immediately -- When a frame finishes rendering in variable-refresh mode -- it tells the GPU to immediately begin transmitting the refresh cycle out of the GPU output and the monitor displays it in realtime. So refresh frequency is controlled by frame rate, as long as the frame rate range is inside the variable refresh rate range.

Sometimes you need to fiddle with the emulator settings (like NVInspector to force the emulator -- sometimes tricking it into VSYNC OFF mode -- will allow GSYNC to "properly" take over without buffering), since some software wants to try to add extra frame buffers, but that should not be necessary when you configure correctly -- the driver and the monitor does not require extra buffering for GSYNC frame rates below max Hz.

Whenever the frame rate range is INSIDE the variable refresh rate range (fps BELOW max Hz), you have nothing to worry about on buffers.

So 60fps means "low-lag 60Hz with a 1/240sec scanout velocity" on a 240Hz variable refresh rate display. Also, a bonus is you support custom Hz such as 50Hz PAL, simply via the 50fps cap. 50fps becomes low-lag 50Hz when running on FreeSync/GSYNC.

The only time 180Hz is really truly useful for emulators is if you use software-based black frame insertion (33%:66% or 66%:33% ON:OFF cadence) to reduce motion blur of 60Hz gaming. But I am assuming you're not using software-based black frame insertion, and also most emulators software BFI currently only works at double-Hz (e.g. 60fps@120Hz) to reduce 60Hz motion blur by about 50%.

There are some ways to trick 180Hz fixed-Hz but I won't go into those instructions as they are counterproductive when there's already a clearly lower-lag superior way for your emulator use...

[crossjeremiah]

Use the 240hz in cru. increase vertical until you hit 180hz