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Alienware AW2518 240Hz , G Sync or Freesync ??? Please help

Posted: 06 Dec 2018, 05:42
by versus4582
I am in a major dilemma and i really would like your help.



I currently own a 8700K with an EVGA SC GTX1080ti and i mostly play Fortnite and FPS games. My PC has the specs to drive Fortnite to a constant 240fps and other AAA shooters at around 190 - 220 FPS on 1080p.



The problem now is that the G Sync version of the Alienware AW2518 24.5 Inch 240hz monitor is almost double the price of the Freeesync one on Amazon uk. 480 GBP vs 250 GBP. We are talking a 230 GBP difference or almost 300 USD more expensive just to get the G Sync feature. That's a bit hard to accept and i would really like your opinion or even better from users that have experienced 240hz with and without G Sync. Is there really that much of a difference to justify that absurd extra cost ? Will i really notice that much of screen tearing at that high of a refresh rate if i get the freesync one ? Please share your thoughts and experiences on the matter.

Some users say that once you go G Sync you can't go back and others say that at that high refresh rates G Sync is almost pointless due to the frames being drawn so quick that any signs of tearing are very hard to notice.

So, if i could go for the FreeSync version of that monitor and use a software limiter cap at 240 FPS either through the games themselves or externally, you think i will be fine in those cases my PC can get for instance 210 FPS on average ??


Right now i am on 4k@60hz ( yes, i fell for the 4K Gaming Hype Train 2 years ago) and i play fortnite at 240hz to minimize input lag but screen tearing is awful. That is why i want to invest in a high refresh rate monitor but am afraid to go for the freesync one ...

What would you guys do if you were in my shoes???


I am reading and reading and reading and always ending to a dead end with no definitve answer. If the price difference was like 50 -100 dollars then i would probably wouldn't care and would have gone for the G Sync. But 300 dollars more just gets me thinking ....



Thank you all in advance.

Re: Alienware AW2518 240Hz , G Sync or Freesync ??? Please h

Posted: 06 Dec 2018, 23:07
by Khysarth
G-sync for sure, I'd try getting a good deal locally, its super hard to come across 240hz g sync monitors in my area but I have seen a Acer Predator XB252Q going for $500 CAD

Re: Alienware AW2518 240Hz , G Sync or Freesync ??? Please h

Posted: 07 Dec 2018, 01:20
by versus4582
Khysarth wrote:G-sync for sure, I'd try getting a good deal locally, its super hard to come across 240hz g sync monitors in my area but I have seen a Acer Predator XB252Q going for $500 CAD
Can you please elaborate a bit on that?

So for you, it's justified to pay the extra premium for G Sync, but what are the reasons behind that ?

That's what bothers me the most.

Things got even worse now. There is an offer in Amazon UK for the freesync version for 250 GB which makes the difference now 350 dollars between that and the G sync one. 350 dollars more fo r the G SYnc Feature ( see atttached )

Guys come on, can someone please chime in and tell me if that Huuuuuge difference is justified ????

Re: Alienware AW2518 240Hz , G Sync or Freesync ??? Please h

Posted: 07 Dec 2018, 12:57
by kandor1978
I have a Acer 165hz 1440p Gsynch monitor and yes as the other person wrote I would not go with anything bside Gsynch.
It just is so much smoother play even at high refreshrates at least to my eyes
And tearing of course non existent, doing a 360 turn on gsynch in Battlefield 5 is butter smooth for me while with fixed framerate and vsynch disabled its far more jumpy even if framerate is near 140 fps.
Running everything in Low always because I prefer higher FPS over all fancy stuff

Freesynch would give you tearfree as well and probably as smooth but from my understanding Freesynch can only be used by AMD graphiccards (as far as I know at least) so based on that you have Gsynch or regular old fixed refreshrate as you have a Nvidia card

So yes I would pay the premium

Best,
Kandor

Re: Alienware AW2518 240Hz , G Sync or Freesync ??? Please h

Posted: 09 Dec 2018, 22:41
by RealNC
I love gsync, but if you don't care much about tearing, or if you're using vsync and you're perfectly happy with it, then you don't need gsync.

Basically, g-sync if for people who want to use vsync but they don't like the input lag and the microstutter when FPS is less than refresh rate. If you never felt like this is a big problem to you, then you don't need gsync. At 240Hz, you might be perfectly happy with just vsync.

G-Sync is the kind of technology where you know in advance it solves a problem you always were annoyed about. I've been annoyed with vsync for many, many years. If that's not the case for you, then there's no reason to pay for it :-)

Re: Alienware AW2518 240Hz , G Sync or Freesync ??? Please h

Posted: 10 Dec 2018, 06:06
by versus4582
I went for the Asus PG258Q after all since there was an offer for that one on Amazon UK for 419 GBP making it sit somewhere in the middle of the 2 Alienware models and reviews for that monitor are excellent.

I am not using V Sync as if i would i would be stuck in 60HZ since my monitor is a 4k/60 one.

I want to have the least possible input lag but at the same time avoid tearing and stuttering in titles were my PC can't push 240hz.

Thanks for all the responses.