Is there any use for Fullscreen Exclusive mode after 461.09 drivers?

Talk about NVIDIA G-SYNC, a variable refresh rate (VRR) technology. G-SYNC eliminates stutters, tearing, and reduces input lag. List of G-SYNC Monitors.
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MonarchX
Posts: 60
Joined: 23 Feb 2014, 20:07

Is there any use for Fullscreen Exclusive mode after 461.09 drivers?

Post by MonarchX » 16 Feb 2021, 15:46

Beginning with the NVIDIA Driver version 461.09, setting V-Sync OFF as a global setting from the NVIDIA Control Panel will likely result in tearing even when viewing content in windowed mode.

When V-Sync is enabled, the application's frame rate is synchronized with the display refresh rate in order to eliminate tearing. Typically, tearing would occur when viewing applications in full-screen mode, so V-Sync is useful in eliminating tearing in this case.

Prior to driver version 461.09, only a single plane was available to the OS. The Desktop Windows Manager (DWM) would composite the contents from all the windows and then present everything at the refresh rate cadence. This means that tearing was avoided by DWM design even without V-Sync.

However, driver version 461.09 and later supports multiplane overlay (MPO). (MPO provides benefits, such as reduced latencies, for gaming in windowed mode.) With multiplane overlay, the application is allowed to present its contents independently and with its own V-Sync setting. The OS, outside of driver control, decides which apps get promoted to their own MPO plane. If V-Sync is OFF, then there will be tearing (even in windowed mode) because, as in full-screen mode, there is now no desktop compositor controlling the presentation. Setting V-Sync OFF now has the same effect in windowed apps as it does for full-screen apps.

To avoid unexpected tearing in windowed mode, NVIDIA recommends leaving the V-Sync global setting at the default "Use the 3D application setting".
Given the quote above, is there any point to use Fullscreen Exclusive mode for those with G-Sync monitors and the latest version of Windows 10? Has BlurBusters done any testing in regards to NVidia's Multiplane Overlay after 461.09 drivers?

TTT
Posts: 253
Joined: 28 Jul 2018, 14:17

Re: Is there any use for Fullscreen Exclusive mode after 461.09 drivers?

Post by TTT » 28 Feb 2021, 09:33

I'm sure I've read somewhere on here in the past that using Gsync in windowed has no lag differences than fullscreen.

Exclusive fullscreen doesn't really exist anymore either, Windows uses fullscreen optimisation and it basically makes your ingame selection of fullscreen into a forced borderless windows mode. You can tick a box to disable it in the .exe but only some old games actually turn it off, most new games it doesn't turn off and you can't do anything about it.

That article is interesting though, its saying before this update, even if you forced Vsync off it still had a background Vsync forced on that you have no control over?!

teG
Posts: 31
Joined: 06 Mar 2021, 05:23

Re: Is there any use for Fullscreen Exclusive mode after 461.09 drivers?

Post by teG » 06 Mar 2021, 13:09

TTT wrote:
28 Feb 2021, 09:33
Windows uses fullscreen optimisation and it basically makes your ingame selection of fullscreen into a forced borderless windows mode. You can tick a box to disable it in the .exe but only some old games actually turn it off, most new games it doesn't turn off and you can't do anything about it.
I recently noticed since having a whole new computer built that my gsync has had flucuating brightness which I found on my old pc that disabling fullscreen optimizations fixed this and I had 0 brightness fluctuation. For some reason now only one of my games doesn't have the brightness fluctuation.

When did new games begin not disabling the fullscreen optimizations? I beleive that this is what is caausing gsync brightness fluctuation.

empleat
Posts: 149
Joined: 28 Feb 2020, 21:06

Re: Is there any use for Fullscreen Exclusive mode after 461.09 drivers?

Post by empleat » 14 Mar 2021, 22:45

FSE exists until DX12/Vulkan. On DX12/Vulkan devs can chose to not implement FSE into their games sadly! There is definitely difference between Windowed and Fullscreen mode, if you can't tell difference you are probably running with FSO on in hybrid fullscreen mode (windowed borderless). Also MPO works for me only on DX12/Vulkan. So on <=DX11 FSE is still important!!!

You need to check disable Fullscreen Optimizations in compatibility tab of a shortcut. Also paste this to notepad and save as all files as .reg file (always backup registry first, click on particular key where you are chagning things and right-click export):

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore]
"GameDVR_DXGIHonorFSEWindowsCompatible"=dword:00000001
"GameDVR_FSEBehavior"=dword:00000002
"GameDVR_FSEBehaviorMode"=dword:00000002
"GameDVR_HonorUserFSEBehaviorMode"=dword:00000001
Then double click it to add into registry. Without this disabling FSO doesn't work!!!

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