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I need help [Buying 120Hz FreeSync to get lower XBOX lag]

Posted: 18 Jun 2018, 11:48
by ITALIAN
Okay so I heard about freesync and 120hz being added to xbox so I started looking around for a new monitor to take advantage of it and I actually found one I wanted really bad and it has a good deal right now too but after reading a post here I ran and canceled it last moment (ugh) I'm very confused and lost.

My priority in terms of monitor is performance (lowest delay/lag and blur possible for xbox one x) now the monitor I had purchased was the aw2518hf which has freesync, upto 240hz, and the lowest input lag I've seen measured. It's also a very nice looking monitor and apparently has decent contrast and brightness for a TN panel.

So, I'm thinking I got the perfect monitor... Until I find myself here reading about how 240hz monitors perform poorly at 60hz/120hz. Is this true? Has it been tested on xbox? Will someone else with a 60hz or 120hz TN panel achieve less input lag than me?

This whole process has been so confusing and now disappointing. And apparently can't even use 120hz snd freesync at the same time? If have to choose one which one would even be better in terms of latency?

Please help me

Re: I need help

Posted: 19 Jun 2018, 00:19
by ITALIAN
Help me baby jesus :?

Re: I need help

Posted: 19 Jun 2018, 07:20
by RealNC
For XBox, I would focus on finding a solid 120Hz/144Hz gaming monitor with good image quality. I advice against focusing on 240Hz, which is completely useless for your use case.

Re: I need help

Posted: 19 Jun 2018, 20:50
by Chief Blur Buster
For the lowest lag with XBox One, I agree -- you want a 144Hz monitor at this time. Currently, 240Hz monitors perform best only at 240Hz at the moment.

For great colors with XBox One, I've been recommending the Samsung CHG70. FreeSync, 1440p, blur reduction, and VA panel (a bit laggier than TN), user-upgradeable firmware, all in one monitor. The main disadvantage is that it has the typical VA latency. But it's still fairly good for a VA panel -- much less input lag than an average television set.

For ultra-low-lag, I would certainly recommend a TN monitor. If FreeSync is not important, but Blur Reduction is, and you want ultralow lag at all refresh rates (60Hz and 120Hz), the BenQ ZOWIE XL2720 is my current favourite. Low lag and low blur, even though you lose FreeSync.

One factor is to decide what your priorities are.
-- Lowest input lag
-- Good colors
-- Motion blur reduction mode (CRT clarity strobe mode) more info
-- FreeSync support
-- 1440p support
-- 120Hz support

No monitor is perfect for all six of the above simultaneously, so it helps to understand your priorities.

Re: I need help

Posted: 19 Jun 2018, 23:12
by ITALIAN
Chief Blur Buster wrote:For the lowest lag with XBox One, I agree -- you want a 144Hz monitor at this time. Currently, 240Hz monitors perform best only at 240Hz at the moment.

For great colors with XBox One, I've been recommending the Samsung CHG70. FreeSync, 1440p, blur reduction, and VA panel (a bit laggier than TN), user-upgradeable firmware, all in one monitor. The main disadvantage is that it has the typical VA latency. But it's still fairly good for a VA panel -- much less input lag than an average television set.

For ultra-low-lag, I would certainly recommend a TN monitor. If FreeSync is not important, but Blur Reduction is, and you want ultralow lag at all refresh rates (60Hz and 120Hz), the BenQ ZOWIE XL2720 is my current favourite. Low lag and low blur, even though you lose FreeSync.

One factor is to decide what your priorities are.
-- Lowest input lag
-- Good colors
-- Motion blur reduction mode (CRT clarity strobe mode) more info
-- FreeSync support
-- 1440p support
-- 120Hz support

No monitor is perfect for all six of the above simultaneously, so it helps to understand your priorities.
Yay a post from the man himself. :) I've read many of your posts lol. I have a few questions.

1) Would 144hz monitor handle 120hz just as good as a 120hz native monitor? There's nothing lost there?

2) If/when microsoft enables 120hz and freesync to be used together would a monitor with both perform best? (I thought this would be the case but someone posted they had MORE input lag with freesync enabled on a freesync monitor) which is confusing

3) If I am playing an old game (especially with 30 fps) would playing with xbox set to 120hz even benefit?

4) Are you sure that the AW5128hF freesync version specifically would not perform as well as a 120-144hz monitor? I only read that "some" 240hz monitors were bad for sub 240hz.


And my top priority is 100% input lag. I already have a benq rl2455hm which has very low input lag, but from what I understand 120hz (and possibly freesync) can best it. The rl2455hm is also pretty old and on the low end in terms of everything else. I'm sure by now there's better performing and looking TN panels.

Ironically I use to have a XL2720Z that sat for too long and got damaged from moisture. I wish I knew how to fix it. I still have it but screen looks like this https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZXuK7yO5lyY/hqdefault.jpg maybe worse it's discolored and hard to see the image on screen

Re: I need help

Posted: 21 Jun 2018, 14:50
by Chief Blur Buster
ITALIAN wrote:1) Would 144hz monitor handle 120hz just as good as a 120hz native monitor? There's nothing lost there?
So far, yes.

Note: More than five years ago, there were a bit of inconsistency in lots of input lag (more than a refresh cycle's lag) in the high-Hz TN monitors, but most TN monitors tend to be sub-refresh-cycle input lag nowadays.

However, remember 60fps at 120Hz doesn't look any different from 60fps at 60Hz.
ITALIAN wrote:2) If/when microsoft enables 120hz and freesync to be used together would a monitor with both perform best? (I thought this would be the case but someone posted they had MORE input lag with freesync enabled on a freesync monitor) which is confusing
That's probably because the FreeSync is hitting the refresh rate cap, which creates input lag. The general prevailing advice, as seen in GSYNC 101 is that you cap a few frame per second below refresh rate. Now, when games cap at 60fps at 60Hz FreeSync, that can be more input lag than 60fps at 120Hz FreeSync or 57fps at 60Hz FreeSync. When a framerate hits the maximum framerate of a VRR display, it essentially behaves as laggy as VSYNC ON. But if you keep framerates below max Hz.

Unfortunately in some of the implementations, XBox is running only with a narrow FreeSync range, e.g. 40Hz-60Hz, and the game runs at 60fps, then it's already capped out (and lagged down) even if the monitor supports 120Hz. The game needs to be running in with a "higher than 60Hz" limit FreeSync mode, to have lower lag with 60fps games.
ITALIAN wrote:3) If I am playing an old game (especially with 30 fps) would playing with xbox set to 120hz even benefit?
-- VIsually it looks no different on a typical LCD (30fps@60Hz and 30fps@120Hz looks the same)
-- Lag-wise, that is when you'll get more lag savings. 30fps@120Hz is less lag than 30fps@60Hz. Assuming display is truly in 120Hz mode.
ITALIAN wrote:4) Are you sure that the AW5128hF freesync version specifically would not perform as well as a 120-144hz monitor? I only read that "some" 240hz monitors were bad for sub 240hz.
There might be some 240Hz panels that realtime scanout at sub 240Hz but we don't know which ones. At the moment, all the 25" 240Hz anels are identical -- they had more lag at 60Hz/120Hz than a native 60Hz or 120Hz/144Hz panel.
ITALIAN wrote:And my top priority is 100% input lag. I already have a benq rl2455hm which has very low input lag, but from what I understand 120hz (and possibly freesync) can best it. The rl2455hm is also pretty old and on the low end in terms of everything else. I'm sure by now there's better performing and looking TN panels.
The RL2455HM will be very hard to beat. Since that's such a good low-lag console monitor already, you might want to wait slightly longer for the 120Hz market to mature more.

You will mainly get benefits with:
- Less lag if playing 30fps at 120Hz, 60fps at 120Hz *and* game supports 120Hz
- Less lag when framerates are below max frame rate during FreeSync (e.g. ~40-57fps on a 40Hz-60Hz FreeSync range)
- Smoother motion if playing FreeSync, *and* game supports FreeSync or VSYNC OFF
- Less motion blur if playing 120fps at 120Hz
ITALIAN wrote:Ironically I use to have a XL2720Z that sat for too long and got damaged from moisture. I wish I knew how to fix it. I still have it but screen looks like this https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZXuK7yO5lyY/hqdefault.jpg maybe worse it's discolored and hard to see the image on screen
Damn, that photo looks bad. But I've seen that before with tablets/phones dropped in water.

-- Put that LCD in direct sun in a safe place (balcony, backyard, sunny window, or inside hot parked car in non-public place, etc) -- unplugged in direct summer sun -- about 1 or 2 full hot sunny afternoons. It's okay for the LCD get really, really hot (too hot to touch) -- the surface reaching ~150F is ideal gadget-drying temperature range -- just don't power it while it's heated. Keep it debezelled to help moisture escape.
-- If it's cold/winter in your hemisphere, find a warm dry place for the LCD like a floor vent (blowing air from central heat) , and keep it there for a few days.

Once you bring it inside, cool down the LCD for at least an hour before you plug in and turn it on.

You will still have dried water marks (cloudiness) but the dazzlingly bright water spots should disappear. If the bright spots (wet water droplets) have not disappeared, repeat the above again. Direct summer sun for another day, or heater vent for another few days.

The smears, cloudiness, etc, will still remain (unchanged unfortunately) but the super bright white dots and blobs (the still-wet parts) should disappear.

Personal experience with wet LCDs (phones & tablets dropped in water, spilled drink on MacBook) -- your screen look exactly the same as what I did. Drying a screen gadget requires heating the gadget and I found 1-to-2 full days of very hot summer sun works perfect. (Small waterlogged phones can dry themselves inside a bowl of dry rice sitting on top of a heat radiator for 3 days, battery and power removed, but a monitor will not fit inside a bowl of rice!)

No guarantee on percentage of improvement. It will probably still be ruined (never solid colors again) -- and your monitor might stop working if water is still currently slowly corroding the electronics to near its breaking point -- but at least the brightest-blobs (the water droplets) should ideally be gone.

Re: I need help

Posted: 21 Jun 2018, 21:55
by ITALIAN
Chief Blur Buster wrote:
ITALIAN wrote:1) Would 144hz monitor handle 120hz just as good as a 120hz native monitor? There's nothing lost there?
So far, yes.

Note: More than five years ago, there were a bit of inconsistency in lots of input lag (more than a refresh cycle's lag) in the high-Hz TN monitors, but most TN monitors tend to be sub-refresh-cycle input lag nowadays.

However, remember 60fps at 120Hz doesn't look any different from 60fps at 60Hz.
ITALIAN wrote:2) If/when microsoft enables 120hz and freesync to be used together would a monitor with both perform best? (I thought this would be the case but someone posted they had MORE input lag with freesync enabled on a freesync monitor) which is confusing
That's probably because the FreeSync is hitting the refresh rate cap, which creates input lag. The general prevailing advice, as seen in GSYNC 101 is that you cap a few frame per second below refresh rate. Now, when games cap at 60fps at 60Hz FreeSync, that can be more input lag than 60fps at 120Hz FreeSync or 57fps at 60Hz FreeSync. When a framerate hits the maximum framerate of a VRR display, it essentially behaves as laggy as VSYNC ON. But if you keep framerates below max Hz.

Unfortunately in some of the implementations, XBox is running only with a narrow FreeSync range, e.g. 40Hz-60Hz, and the game runs at 60fps, then it's already capped out (and lagged down) even if the monitor supports 120Hz. The game needs to be running in with a "higher than 60Hz" limit FreeSync mode, to have lower lag with 60fps games.
ITALIAN wrote:3) If I am playing an old game (especially with 30 fps) would playing with xbox set to 120hz even benefit?
-- VIsually it looks no different on a typical LCD (30fps@60Hz and 30fps@120Hz looks the same)
-- Lag-wise, that is when you'll get more lag savings. 30fps@120Hz is less lag than 30fps@60Hz. Assuming display is truly in 120Hz mode.
ITALIAN wrote:4) Are you sure that the AW5128hF freesync version specifically would not perform as well as a 120-144hz monitor? I only read that "some" 240hz monitors were bad for sub 240hz.
There might be some 240Hz panels that realtime scanout at sub 240Hz but we don't know which ones. At the moment, all the 25" 240Hz anels are identical -- they had more lag at 60Hz/120Hz than a native 60Hz or 120Hz/144Hz panel.
ITALIAN wrote:And my top priority is 100% input lag. I already have a benq rl2455hm which has very low input lag, but from what I understand 120hz (and possibly freesync) can best it. The rl2455hm is also pretty old and on the low end in terms of everything else. I'm sure by now there's better performing and looking TN panels.
The RL2455HM will be very hard to beat. Since that's such a good low-lag console monitor already, you might want to wait slightly longer for the 120Hz market to mature more.

You will mainly get benefits with:
- Less lag if playing 30fps at 120Hz, 60fps at 120Hz *and* game supports 120Hz
- Less lag when framerates are below max frame rate during FreeSync (e.g. ~40-57fps on a 40Hz-60Hz FreeSync range)
- Smoother motion if playing FreeSync, *and* game supports FreeSync or VSYNC OFF
- Less motion blur if playing 120fps at 120Hz
ITALIAN wrote:Ironically I use to have a XL2720Z that sat for too long and got damaged from moisture. I wish I knew how to fix it. I still have it but screen looks like this https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZXuK7yO5lyY/hqdefault.jpg maybe worse it's discolored and hard to see the image on screen
Damn, that photo looks bad. But I've seen that before with tablets/phones dropped in water.

-- Put that LCD in direct sun in a safe place (balcony, backyard, sunny window, or inside hot parked car in non-public place, etc) -- unplugged in direct summer sun -- about 1 or 2 full hot sunny afternoons. It's okay for the LCD get really, really hot (too hot to touch) -- the surface reaching ~150F is ideal gadget-drying temperature range -- just don't power it while it's heated. Keep it debezelled to help moisture escape.
-- If it's cold/winter in your hemisphere, find a warm dry place for the LCD like a floor vent (blowing air from central heat) , and keep it there for a few days.

Once you bring it inside, cool down the LCD for at least an hour before you plug in and turn it on.

You will still have dried water marks (cloudiness) but the dazzlingly bright water spots should disappear. If the bright spots (wet water droplets) have not disappeared, repeat the above again. Direct summer sun for another day, or heater vent for another few days.

The smears, cloudiness, etc, will still remain (unchanged unfortunately) but the super bright white dots and blobs (the still-wet parts) should disappear.

Personal experience with wet LCDs (phones & tablets dropped in water, spilled drink on MacBook) -- your screen look exactly the same as what I did. Drying a screen gadget requires heating the gadget and I found 1-to-2 full days of very hot summer sun works perfect. (Small waterlogged phones can dry themselves inside a bowl of dry rice sitting on top of a heat radiator for 3 days, battery and power removed, but a monitor will not fit inside a bowl of rice!)

No guarantee on percentage of improvement. It will probably still be ruined (never solid colors again) -- and your monitor might stop working if water is still currently slowly corroding the electronics to near its breaking point -- but at least the brightest-blobs (the water droplets) should ideally be gone.
I ended up ordering the AW2518HF again lol. I figured if it wasn't performing good on xbox/120hz then I would make it my new pc monitor. It arrives monday-tuesday and then I will test it out. A guy I talked to on youtube that had both aw2514hf and aw2514h (ironically a member on this website lol) doesn't think it will perform any worse at 120hz on xbox than any other. I believe he said the aw2514hf scaling was different than aw2514h gsync version. Idk. There was other differences too.


I already dried my monitor out near a fireplace but it's still completely fubar. :(

Re: I need help [Buying 120Hz FreeSync to get lower XBOX lag

Posted: 21 Jun 2018, 22:02
by RealNC
I would stick to a monitor that supports freesync on xbox. Are you sure 240Hz monitors are supported for freesync on the xbox?

Re: I need help [Buying 120Hz FreeSync to get lower XBOX lag

Posted: 21 Jun 2018, 22:20
by ITALIAN
RealNC wrote:I would stick to a monitor that supports freesync on xbox. Are you sure 240Hz monitors are supported for freesync on the xbox?
I'm not sure of anything haha. I'm going to be the guinea pig. The AW2514HF is an outstanding monitor for PC though so the worse case scenario is I make it my new pc monitor.

Re: I need help [Buying 120Hz FreeSync to get lower XBOX lag

Posted: 24 Jun 2018, 18:20
by Chief Blur Buster
I am very interested to see how it behaves with XBox FreeSync. Keep us updated!