G-Sync Problems 2x ASUS 165Hz Monitors

[daRider]

Hello!

I have this problem for a while now and I just can't find a solution to it...

My Setup is 2x ASUS RoG Swift PB278QR w/ 165Hz, 8700k 5GHz, 32GB 3200MHz RAM, RTX 2080 Ti for main monitor and rtx 2060 for second monitor and streaming.

I capped my FPS at 155 with RTSS and have Gsync enabled for Fullscreen and Window Mode. Also V-Sync is on in NVCP so I think that I have the best/correct settings here. I reinstalled Windows 10 (1909 Version) , disabled Game Mode and Xbox Bar and always have my Nvidia driver up to date (clean uninstall with DDU in safe mode).

Sadly I often get FPS drops and micro stutters when I play on borderless window (what I want to do, so I can switch faster out of the game) and I just don't know why...

I mean I tried everything. Even bought a second Gsync Monitor which is the exact same like my main monitor because every Forum said "you need to have same Refresh Rate". But still I often get such a weird stutter and lag. It's even worse when I watch something on my second monitor or when there is any movement on it.

Do you have any idea how I can finally fix it? One thing that maybe could couse trouble is the fact that I have 2 Gsync monitors and both are hooked to a RTX card (Main monitor to 2080 Ti and 2nd to 2060)? Maybe thats causing the stutter and I should connect my second monitor to my iGPU instead of the RTX 2060 so gsync does not try to sync both monitors?

Also I would like to know your opinion about NULL. Should I turn it on/off/Ultra? Or keep the FPS Limit at 155 with RTSS?

Thanks for your help ( :
Regards
Michael

[jorimt]

My Setup is 2x ASUS RoG Swift PB278QR w/ 165Hz

Before we go any further here, are you sure they're the "PB278QR" and not the "PG278QR"? Because from what I can find, the "PB278QR" model is only 60Hz, and the "PB278Q" is only up to 75Hz.

Once that's cleared up, I'll address your remaining questions.

[daRider]

My Setup is 2x ASUS RoG Swift PB278QR w/ 165Hz

Before we go any further here, are you sure they're the "PB278QR" and not the "PG278QR"? Because from what I can find, the "PB278QR" model is only 60Hz, and the "PB278Q" is only up to 75Hz.

Once that's cleared up, I'll address your remaining questions.

Sorry my Bad! PG278QR it is. 2 of them.

What I can add is, that I tried a few things yesterday:

- Connected the 2nd Monitor to iGPU (here both Monitors went Black every few seconds totally unplayable of course)
- Used NULL Ultra and On. Both without improvement
- Used Full Screen - here it worked good (what was clear I think)

What I found out is that these Stutters/Lags/Drops (mostly while many effects are on the screen) only occure when I use a frame limiter like RTSS, Ingame or NVIDIA Limiter. Then sometimes the Frames even go ABOVE the 150 where I set the limiter to...When I don't use a limiter the Picture is smooth but I guess that's because Vsync is working because I notice the input lag then...

[jorimt]

Sorry my Bad! PG278QR it is. 2 of them.

Okay, thanks for the clarification.

- Used NULL Ultra and On. Both without improvement

Yeah, this setting typically won't have a direct effect on this.

- Used Full Screen - here it worked good (what was clear I think)

Yes, expected.

What I found out is that these Stutters/Lags/Drops (mostly while many effects are on the screen) only occure when I use a frame limiter like RTSS, Ingame or NVIDIA Limiter. Then sometimes the Frames even go ABOVE the 150 where I set the limiter to...When I don't use a limiter the Picture is smooth but I guess that's because Vsync is working because I notice the input lag then...

This happens for borderless mode only, correct? Because even then, that doesn't sound quite right. What games is this occurring in?

Now to your original post...

I capped my FPS at 155 with RTSS and have Gsync enabled for Fullscreen and Window Mode. Also V-Sync is on in NVCP so I think that I have the best/correct settings here.

For G-SYNC, 165Hz, the general recommendation is G-SYNC on + V-SYNC on (NVCP) + minimum -3 FPS limit (e.g. 162 FPS), so you're within recommendations, yes.

I reinstalled Windows 10 (1909 Version).

Just for future reference, unless there is something seriously wrong with your system, reinstalling Windows will rarely correct anything in the context of your specific issue.

Sadly I often get FPS drops and micro stutters when I play on borderless window (what I want to do, so I can switch faster out of the game) and I just don't know why...

G-SYNC borderless has never been very good, and that's mainly because borderless operation has worse overall frametime performance than exclusive fullscreen. And since G-SYNC can only reflect what the system is outputting (it's only job is to match the display rate to the system's render rate to prevent tearing, nothing more), it won't alleviate this.

Might I ask if you've tried alt+tabbing in exclusive fullscreen? Now that Windows 10 defaults to fullscreen optimizations behavior, where exclusive fullscreen acts as a hybrid exclusive/borderless mode, alt+tabbing is now much faster than it used to be.

I mean I tried everything. Even bought a second Gsync Monitor which is the exact same like my main monitor because every Forum said "you need to have same Refresh Rate". But still I often get such a weird stutter and lag. It's even worse when I watch something on my second monitor or when there is any movement on it.

That's less a G-SYNC or Nvidia issue, and more a Windows OS issue; multi-monitor refresh rate issues (G-SYNC or no G-SYNC, matched refresh or no) are well known and really not solvable at this time. Have you tried borderless mode with your secondary monitor entirely unplugged?

Oh, and I don't recommend globally enabling G-SYNC borderless mode, as per an entry in my Closing FAQ:
https://blurbusters.com/gsync/gsync101- ... ttings/15/

Your “Optimal G-SYNC Settings” say I should only “Enable [G-SYNC] for full screen mode” in the NVCP, but what about for games that don’t offer an exclusive fullscreen option?

My Optimal G-SYNC Settings are just that: optimal.

Thus, while G-SYNC (and any game with any syncing solution, for that matter) typically performs best in exclusive fullscreen, it is true that not all games support this mode, so use of G-SYNC’s “Enable for windowed and fullscreen mode” is necessary for games that only offer a borderless or windowed option.

Do note, however, that G-SYNC’s “Enable for windowed and full screen mode” can apply to non-game apps as well, which will result in stutter and slowdown when affected app windows are dragged and/or focused on due to unintended VRR (variable refresh rate) behavior.

As such, it is recommended to keep G-SYNC set to “Enable for full screen mode” globally, and then to use Nvidia Profile Inspector (download here) to set both “G-SYNC – Application Mode” and “G-SYNC – Global Mode” to “Fullscreen and Windowed” per game profile, as needed:

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One thing that maybe could couse trouble is the fact that I have 2 Gsync monitors and both are hooked to a RTX card (Main monitor to 2080 Ti and 2nd to 2060)? Maybe thats causing the stutter and I should connect my second monitor to my iGPU instead of the RTX 2060 so gsync does not try to sync both monitors?

Not likely.

Also, for the record, contrary to popular belief, G-SYNC can't directly cause stutter, and it also can't fix ANY system-side stutter, only sync-induced stutter.

Also I would like to know your opinion about NULL. Should I turn it on/off/Ultra? Or keep the FPS Limit at 155 with RTSS?

I get asked this a lot lately. And my answer? LLM is a highly overrated, overly focused-on setting.

Bottom-line, if your GPU is maxed, either "On" or "Ultra" (with G-SYNC) can reduce your input lag by up to 1 frame. However if your GPU usage isn't maxed, either naturally due to performance overhead, or your current FPS limit is preventing max GPU usage, LLM settings will typically do nothing to reduce input lag.

Further, LLM isn't supported in DX12 or Vulkan at all, it doesn't take affect in every game, and with G-SYNC, the only known difference between "On" and "Ultra," is Ultra sets an auto FPS limit.

So my recommendation for G-SYNC is that it's safe to set LLM to "On." That way, if it is supported by the game, and your GPU is maxed at any point, you get the minor input lag reduction benefit, and where the game doesn't support it and/or the GPU isn't maxed, it isn't doing anything for input lag anyway, so no harm.

If you want the lowest input lag possible at all times where pre-rendered frames are concerned (G-SYNC or no G-SYNC), you simply want to ensure that you aren't GPU bound. An easy way to do that, is to find your 99% FPS average in the given game, and just cap slightly below that as to prevent max GPU usage. This will typically reduce the pre-rendered frames queue more than either LLM setting will (in any situation) anyway.