G-SYNC ON or OFF for Less Input Lag (Competitive - APEX LEGENDS - COD - FORTNITE...)

[Leo]

Hello guys. I have the AW2521HF 240Hz monitor (Freesync Premium) with a VGA GTX1060 6GB and I'm researching some questions about whether or not to activate G-SYNC to get smaller
response time.

I've read a lot, but people always tend to comment on a certain configuration, so I decided to ask my specific question to my doubt.


My FPS is way below my monitor's refresh rate when I play APEX LEGENDS, so I was wondering if it's better:

Lock my FPS to about @140 using the GAME limiter + Enable G-SYNC in Nvidia control panel + V-SYNC OFF in
Nvidia Control Panel and In-Game + ON Mode for Nvidia Reflex In-Game + Nvidia Reflex OFF in Nvidia Control Panel?

Or

Lock my FPS to about @140 using the GAME limiter + Enable G-SYNC in Nvidia control panel + V-SYNC OFF in
Nvidia control panel and in Game + Nvidia Reflex ON only in Nvidia control panel?

Or

Lock my FPS to like @140 using the GAME limiter + Enable G-SYNC in Nvidia control panel + V-SYNC ON only on
Nvidia control panel + Nvidia Reflex ON only in Nvidia control panel?

Or

Lock my FPS to like @140 using the GAME limiter + Enable G-SYNC in Nvidia control panel + V-SYNC ON only on
Nvidia control panel + Nvidia Reflex ON only directly in GAME?


The mentioned games have NVIDIA REFLEX technology implemented in them for lower latency and I also saw in some videos that limiting the FPS so that the VGA doesn't have a load of 99% of use, improves the response time, for I mentioned locking my FPS to @140 because then it will remain constant..


Thanks to whoever can answer.

[jorimt]

Depends on your goals.

G-SYNC is the lowest tear-free method available. In other words, G-SYNC on at 140 FPS 240Hz won't be lower latency than G-SYNC off at 140 FPS 240Hz; the only real difference between the two is G-SYNC won't tear.

Your posed scenarios are not thorough enough to provide an answer though. For instance, can your system sustain 140 FPS 99% or more of the time in your average Apex match?

Your answer (yes/no) will affect the recommendations.

[Leo]

Depends on your goals.

G-SYNC is the lowest tear-free method available. In other words, G-SYNC on at 140 FPS 240Hz won't be lower latency than G-SYNC off at 140 FPS 240Hz; the only real difference between the two is G-SYNC won't tear.

Your posed scenarios are not thorough enough to provide an answer though. For instance, can your system sustain 140 FPS 99% or more of the time in your average Apex match?

Your answer (yes/no) will affect the recommendations.

First, thank you very much for responding.

My VGA is a GTX1060 6GB and it manages to maintain 140FPS and on some occasions during the game it fluctuates a little, but with the game on low graphics, it manages to keep a good part of the game in that range. I follow it with MSI Afterburner and the VGA is there at 95% down, but it depends on where I am on the map. Aa times it reaches 85% usage oscillating to 95%.

My biggest goal is the lowest INPUT LAG possible.

Thanks!

[jorimt]

My biggest goal is the lowest INPUT LAG possible.

Lowest possible latency in any game will always be no sync + highest achievable average framerate that doesn't cause sustained max GPU usage. G-SYNC has the lowest no-tear latency possible, but it will never have lower latency than no sync in like-for-like scenarios.

That said, if it's 240Hz 144 FPS G-SYNC on + V-SYNC on vs. 240Hz 144 FPS G-SYNC off + V-SYNC off, the average latency difference will be 1-2ms max (with visible tearing directly providing the latency reduction), so it depends on whether you can tolerate tearing or no.

As for Reflex, that's separate of sync, and whether you use it depends on if your system can't sustain your set limit most of the time.

If it can't, Reflex will automatically prevent the GPU usage from maxing by setting a dynamic FPS limit just below the average framerate the system can maintain in that moment, preventing additional render queue-level latency (separate of sync latency).

You can achieve the same thing by setting a manual in-game limit that the system can sustain the average framerate at 99% of the time, but unlike Reflex, when/if ever the framerate drops below the set limit, it won't automatically adjust itself, at which point the GPU usage may max and cause render queue-level latency in those instances.

[Leo]

My biggest goal is the lowest INPUT LAG possible.

Lowest possible latency in any game will always be no sync + highest achievable average framerate that doesn't cause sustained max GPU usage. G-SYNC has the lowest no-tear latency possible, but it will never have lower latency than no sync in like-for-like scenarios.

That said, if it's 240Hz 144 FPS G-SYNC on + V-SYNC on vs. 240Hz 144 FPS G-SYNC off + V-SYNC off, the average latency difference will be 1-2ms max (with visible tearing directly providing the latency reduction), so it depends on whether you can tolerate tearing or no.

As for Reflex, that's separate of sync, and whether you use it depends on if your system can't sustain your set limit most of the time.

If it can't, Reflex will automatically prevent the GPU usage from maxing by setting a dynamic FPS limit just below the average framerate the system can maintain in that moment, preventing additional render queue-level latency (separate of sync latency).

You can achieve the same thing by setting a manual in-game limit that the system can sustain the average framerate at 99% of the time, but unlike Reflex, when/if ever the framerate drops below the set limit, it won't automatically adjust itself, at which point the GPU usage may max and cause render queue-level latency in those instances.

I understand. Thank you very much for the clarification and information.

[jorimt]

I understand. Thank you very much for the clarification and information.

You're welcome.

[morrisfranco]

Hello guys. I have the AW2521HF 240Hz monitor (Freesync Premium) with a VGA GTX1060 6GB and I'm researching some questions about whether or not to activate G-SYNC to get smaller
response time.

I've read a lot, but people always tend to comment on a certain configuration, so I decided to ask my specific question to my doubt.


My FPS is way below my monitor's refresh rate when I play APEX LEGENDS, so I was wondering if it's better:

Lock my FPS to about @140 using the GAME limiter + Enable G-SYNC in Nvidia control panel + V-SYNC OFF in
Nvidia Control Panel and In-Game + ON Mode for Nvidia Reflex In-Game + Nvidia Reflex OFF in Nvidia Control Panel?

Or

Lock my FPS to about @140 using the GAME limiter + Enable G-SYNC in Nvidia control panel + V-SYNC OFF in
Nvidia control panel and in Game + Nvidia Reflex ON only in Nvidia control panel?

Or

Lock my FPS to like @140 using the GAME limiter + Enable G-SYNC in Nvidia control panel + V-SYNC ON only on
Nvidia control panel + Nvidia Reflex ON only in Nvidia control panel?

Or

Lock my FPS to like @140 using the GAME limiter + Enable G-SYNC in Nvidia control panel + V-SYNC ON only on
Nvidia control panel + Nvidia Reflex ON only directly in GAME?


The mentioned games have NVIDIA REFLEX technology implemented in them for lower latency and I also saw in some videos that limiting the FPS so that the VGA doesn't have a load of 99% of use, improves the response time, for I mentioned locking my FPS to @140 because then it will remain constant..


Thanks to whoever can answer.

If not, Reflex will automatically establish a dynamic FPS limit slightly below the average framerate the system can sustain at that particular moment, preventing further render queue-level delay (different from sync latency) and limiting the GPU utilization from reaching its maximum.