Fixed Monitor Input Lag But I Have Questions (AW2723DF)

[Mach]

powen on pc, dont touch anything, download cru, open restart64.exe, it restart your gpu driver.
tell me result about game.

This actually does have an affect. Restarting my graphics driver "fixes" the broken G-Sync.

Before restarting, G-Sync is on, like so:

My 3D Settings:

In case these images ever break, under Set up G-SYNC in NVCP, Enable G-SYNC Compatible (Enable for full screen mode) and Enable settings for the display model are checked. Under Manage 3D Settings, the Global Setting (which my games are set to follow) for Monitor Technology is set to G-SYNC Compatible.

These settings are supposed to activate G-Sync like they say, but they can "break" and not apply any variable refresh rate despite being activated in the settings. You can tell by turning on the G-SYNC Indicator setting and the OSD Frame Rate setting (both will show if G-Sync is actively working). It seems that with this monitor and multiple other Alienware monitors, G-Sync being on actually reduces input latency, but if you want the fixed, highest refresh rate, that's not good. So you need to "break" G-Sync by changing the setting multiple times until it stops working but will still "apply" the lowest input latency.

But yes, using restart64.exe restores the G-Sync function so that it works like it says it should. Now I have to break it again.

For those who may find this post in the future, yes, G-Sync being on gives you lower input lag on this monitor (AW2723DF), but you need to find a way to have it on in the settings, but not actually working. On top of that, the monitor will change your Nvidia Control Panel setting to "Fixed Refresh" automatically so you'll need to make sure that doesn't happen while you change the G-Sync settings or restart. I suspect that's why the input lag felt so random. Hopefully that's everything but I'll update if I find out more for posterity.

[Kal]

powen on pc, dont touch anything, download cru, open restart64.exe, it restart your gpu driver.
tell me result about game.

This actually does have an affect. Restarting my graphics driver "fixes" the broken G-Sync.

Before restarting, G-Sync is on, like so:

My 3D Settings:

In case these images ever break, under Set up G-SYNC in NVCP, Enable G-SYNC Compatible (Enable for full screen mode) and Enable settings for the display model are checked. Under Manage 3D Settings, the Global Setting (which my games are set to follow) for Monitor Technology is set to G-SYNC Compatible.

These settings are supposed to activate G-Sync like they say, but they can "break" and not apply any variable refresh rate despite being activated in the settings. You can tell by turning on the G-SYNC Indicator setting and the OSD Frame Rate setting (both will show if G-Sync is actively working). It seems that with this monitor and multiple other Alienware monitors, G-Sync being on actually reduces input latency, but if you want the fixed, highest refresh rate, that's not good. So you need to "break" G-Sync by changing the setting multiple times until it stops working but will still "apply" the lowest input latency.

But yes, using restart64.exe restores the G-Sync function so that it works like it says it should. Now I have to break it again.

For those who may find this post in the future, yes, G-Sync being on gives you lower input lag on this monitor (AW2723DF), but you need to find a way to have it on in the settings, but not actually working. On top of that, the monitor will change your Nvidia Control Panel setting to "Fixed Refresh" automatically so you'll need to make sure that doesn't happen while you change the G-Sync settings or restart. I suspect that's why the input lag felt so random. Hopefully that's everything but I'll update if I find out more for posterity.

I did a mix of the steps you mentioned and the refresh64 from CRU and I genuinely don't seem to die while everything from smoothness of the game to the shakiness of my screen and the recoil of the game, everything feels a bit more normal. I have to mention that my network at this time of the day is absolutely horseshit, but it wasn't bad enough to stop me from mvp'g every game on my laptop which was a setup hundred times worse than I'm on right now.

[Mach]

I've been messing around with the settings to find a reliable way to reproduce the low latency so that I can post it here. But I'm not finding something that always works the same way to get the same results. It's a mix of G-Sync fiddling so far until it works again. All I can say for sure is that once the latency has dropped, it stays that way permanently until you have to restart (or your drivers have to be restarted). All that to say, don't use the above as a de facto way to fix the lag every time.

All I know so far is that it is G-Sync related and likely has something to do with how it interacts with the Alienware drivers and/or my Nvidia drivers. Like I said before, it's wildly inconsistent. I've had G-Sync just stop working entirely until I reinstalled my Nvidia drivers using DDU. I'll keep looking but for now, it looks like I have to mess with G-Sync settings until the lag fixes itself, then hold off restarting for as long as possible. Eventually, I am forced to restart for unrelated reasons and I have to repeat the madness. If I find a solution, I'll post that too. Glad you found success with something.

[Kal]

I've been messing around with the settings to find a reliable way to reproduce the low latency so that I can post it here. But I'm not finding something that always works the same way to get the same results. It's a mix of G-Sync fiddling so far until it works again. All I can say for sure is that once the latency has dropped, it stays that way permanently until you have to restart (or your drivers have to be restarted). All that to say, don't use the above as a de facto way to fix the lag every time.

All I know so far is that it is G-Sync related and likely has something to do with how it interacts with the Alienware drivers and/or my Nvidia drivers. Like I said before, it's wildly inconsistent. I've had G-Sync just stop working entirely until I reinstalled my Nvidia drivers using DDU. I'll keep looking but for now, it looks like I have to mess with G-Sync settings until the lag fixes itself, then hold off restarting for as long as possible. Eventually, I am forced to restart for unrelated reasons and I have to repeat the madness. If I find a solution, I'll post that too. Glad you found success with something.

I can't get it to work again lol. I'm not sure if the order I do it is wrong or it was just luck.

[Kal]

Is it possible if my monitor is set on "HDR off" that it is on powersaving mode? There's some kind of power saving icon next to it. I put it on GAME HDR and enabled HDR in windows and it kinda had a positive effect.

[Mach]

Is it possible if my monitor is set on "HDR off" that it is on powersaving mode? There's some kind of power saving icon next to it. I put it on GAME HDR and enabled HDR in windows and it kinda had a positive effect.

I know that turning Smart HDR (it's ready to detect an HDR signal automatically) on in the OSD removes the disclaimer that the monitor is not validated as a G-Sync display, but I don't really use it as I did also read that non-native HDR displays like mine (non-OLED IPS) can add processing delay. The leaf icon next to "Off" in my OSD I assumed to mean it just uses less power when it is not in use.

For now, I just leave G-Sync enabled (everything checked), and have each game specific 3D setting set to Fixed Refresh to varying degrees of success.

[enrimania]

Hey, DELL AW2725DF user here. You guys could try to force windows to use the standard monitor driver. I get way better feeling with this one than the one that comes from dell and/or Windows update.

Screenshot 2025-11-17 135250.jpg (45.08 KiB) Viewed 648 times

Nevertheless I also have the feeling it makes a difference if G-Sync is enabled or disabled.

For now the best feeling I have is when having G-Sync enabled generally, in game disabled as you mentioned,windows standard plug and play driver, and a little change with CRU:

-> adding DisplayID 2.0 wirth Tiled display topology and deleting DisplayID 1.3

Screenshot 2025-11-17 135250.jpg (45.08 KiB) Viewed 648 times

Screenshot 2025-11-17 135954.jpg (79.72 KiB) Viewed 648 times

Maybe this helps someone or we even find a way to optimize it further!

Greetings