Using V-Sync with cloned displays defaults to lower refresh rate of the two monitors

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drmcninja
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Using V-Sync with cloned displays defaults to lower refresh rate of the two monitors

Post by drmcninja » 29 Mar 2021, 18:44

So if I have my gaming monitor at 144+Hz and a second monitor at 60Hz, for streaming let's say, is it possible to enable V-Sync only on the gaming monitor? Whenever I enable V-Sync in the game or in NVCP for the game profile, it locks fps to the slower refresh rate (60), not the refresh rate of the gaming monitor.

Using G-Sync+V-Sync together doesn't avoid this problem either.

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Re: Using V-Sync with cloned displays defaults to lower refresh rate of the two monitors

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 29 Mar 2021, 18:47

drmcninja wrote:
29 Mar 2021, 18:44
So if I have my gaming monitor at 144+Hz and a second monitor at 60Hz, for streaming let's say, is it possible to enable V-Sync only on the gaming monitor? Whenever I enable V-Sync in the game or in NVCP for the game profile, it locks fps to the slower refresh rate (60), not the refresh rate of the gaming monitor.

Using G-Sync+V-Sync together doesn't avoid this problem either.
This is a common problem;

Solution: Use Full Screen Exclusive (FSE)

This solves the different-Hz multimonitor problem, since it allows you to use an independent sync technology for your primary monitor (or whatever screen is configured to full screen exclusive mode games).

Windows desktop is VSYNC ON for both desktops by default, which is why www.testufo.com will flake out on at least one of the two monitors during multimonitor operation. You will always have stutters on one of the two monitors when you have windows activity on both monitors, there's no fix -- Microsoft is a single-Hz compositor. So activity on 2nd monitors (even animated banner ads, instead of static windows like Windows Notepad/Word) can intefere with frame rate, stutter, and latency on 1st monitor, unless it's in full screen exclusive.

- For windowed apps, keep low-stutter-important apps on primary, and make sure no window edges overlap other monitors.
- For games, use exclusive (instead of borderless) to allow games to not have any interference from activity going on your 2nd monitor (e.g. walkthrough guide on 2nd monitor). Also, FSE may be more reliable than FSO in this specific situation too.
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drmcninja
Posts: 112
Joined: 09 May 2017, 10:26

Re: Using V-Sync with cloned displays defaults to lower refresh rate of the two monitors

Post by drmcninja » 01 Apr 2021, 22:03

I tried, that doesn't work.

I have Monitor 1 (my primary display) and Monitor 2 (a video capture card which is connected to an HDMI port and shows up as a monitor) in cloned mode with Monitor 1 as the source.

Enabling V-Sync in any way results in the FPS locking to 60, which is due to the 60Hz refresh rate of Monitor 2.

I already had FSO disabled. I tried enabling it and no difference.

If I try borderless windowed mode, it will lock FPS to half the refresh rate for some reason. Very odd.

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