Adaptive sync display technologies from Nvidia and AMD have been on the market for a few years now, however it'south just recently that it's become more mainstream with gamers taking the plunge cheers to generous selection, a broad variety of options, and monitor budgets. Initially, Nvidia'southward Yard-Sync and AMD'southward FreeSync significantly differed in their implementation and user experience, merely at present that both technologies and ecosystems have matured, it's a good opportunity to revisit them to run into where the differences lie in mid 2022.

Technology

For those that haven't been keeping up with adaptive sync, here'due south a quick refresher on what it brings to the table. Traditional monitors (without adaptive sync) have a fixed refresh charge per unit, which sees the display update its image at the same interval regardless of what your PC is doing. For 60 Hz monitors, this means the image is always updated every 1/lxth of a second.

The issue with a fixed refresh rate is that when y'all're playing games, your graphics card isn't always outputting frames at the aforementioned interval as your monitor's refresh rate. Occasionally you lot may hit a locked lx FPS, which produces frames every 1/60th of a second to match a 60 Hz monitor'due south refresh, but frame rate fluctuations are far more mutual. For example, if you're playing at 45 FPS, your graphics card is producing frames every 22.2ms when your 60 Hz display wants to update every sixteen.7ms.

This sort of mismatch results in one of two things. With v-sync off, you lot'll get screen tearing, as a new frame may become prepare half way through the display refresh process, leading to both frames being shown at once.

Screen tearing is ugly, jarring and abrasive during gameplay. Switching v-sync on solves screen tearing, as it forces each frame to look until the display is set up to refresh, but information technology often leads to noticeable stuttering if your frame rate is fluctuating beneath the display'due south refresh rate.

The solution to these issues is adaptive sync, which informs the display when to refresh based on the frame charge per unit produced by the GPU. If your game is running at 45 FPS, adaptive sync tells the monitor to refresh at 45 Hz. If the game jumps upwards to 57 FPS, adaptive sync makes the monitor refresh at 57 Hz. This creates a dynamic monitor refresh charge per unit that's synced to the GPU output rate, eliminating screen tearing and stuttering, leading to a smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience.

The comeback is particularly noticeable in the 40 to 60 FPS range, often giving lower frame rates a similar level of smoothness as lx FPS on a non-adaptive-sync 60 Hz monitor. At college refresh rates (greater than 60 Hz), the benefit of adaptive sync is reduced, though the technology notwithstanding helps to remove screen violent and stutters caused past frame rate fluctuations.

This slide references G-Sync, simply it also applies to FreeSync, which works in the same fashion.

The implementation of adaptive sync differs between FreeSync and G-Sync. FreeSync uses the VESA Adaptive-Sync standard, a component of DisplayPort one.2a, along with a diversity of off-the-shelf brandish scalers that support adaptive sync.

G-Sync uses a proprietary module from Nvidia in identify of the usual brandish scaler, though it also communicates over DisplayPort. The proprietary module forth with the closed nature of the G-Sync platform makes it more expensive to implement than FreeSync, which I'll explore in more item later.

Feature Differences

Both G-Sync and FreeSync provide the central features of adaptive sync, but due to differences in implementation, in that location are some features differences every bit well.

As G-Sync monitors utilise a proprietary scaler module, most displays are limited to merely DisplayPort and HDMI for connectivity, with only DisplayPort supporting adaptive sync. FreeSync uses standard brandish scalers, and so FreeSync monitors often accept many more connectivity options than their G-Sync counterparts, including multiple HDMI ports and legacy connectors such equally DVI and even VGA.

FreeSync has another connectivity reward through a feature called FreeSync over HDMI. As the name suggests, AMD has managed to get adaptive sync working over standard HDMI connectors and cables, provided both the GPU and monitor support the characteristic.

There are a few benefits to running adaptive sync over HDMI rather than DisplayPort, amid them that HDMI cables are cheaper than DisplayPort cables, and devices with limited room for ports (such as laptops) can employ the more than widely-adopted HDMI standard for compatibility with other displays without losing support for adaptive sync.

G-Sync's proprietary module does have its advantages, besides. G-Sync continuously tweaks monitor overdrive on the wing to eliminate ghosting wherever possible, which has been shown previously to improve ghosting functioning compared to FreeSync displays. Driver and monitor tweaks over the past few years have improved FreeSync displays in this regard, though.

Nvidia has integrated a feature called Ultra Depression Motion Blur (ULMB) into every M-Sync monitor, which strobes the backlight in sync with the display's refresh rate to reduce motility mistiness and improve clarity in loftier-motion situations. The feature works at loftier fixed refresh rates, typically at or above 85 Hz, though it does come with a small brightness reduction.

The main downside to ULMB is that it can't exist used in conjunction with G-Sync. In other words, you need to choose betwixt variable refresh rates without stuttering and trigger-happy, or high clarity and low motion blur. Most people volition prefer to use Thou-Sync for the smoothness it provides, while esports enthusiasts volition love ULMB for its responsiveness and clarity at the expense of tearing.

Low framerate bounty (LFC) is another bespeak of difference between G-Sync and FreeSync. Every adaptive sync monitor has a refresh charge per unit window, for instance 30 to 144 Hz, within which the refresh rate can dynamically adjust to the GPU's render charge per unit. What happens between 0 Hz and the display's minimum refresh charge per unit – 30 Hz in the instance of my example – is determined by whether the monitor supports LFC.

Monitors that support LFC volition indistinguishable frames and refresh rates when frame rates are below the display'due south minimum to ensure variable refresh continues to function beneath the minimum. For example, when 20 FPS gameplay is played on a thirty to 144 Hz adaptive sync monitor with LFC, every frame is duplicated and the monitor operates at twoscore Hz; within its refresh window. Monitors without LFC would run at thirty Hz with either tearing or stuttering, depending on the 5-sync setting.

LFC is extremely important on monitors with high minimum refresh rates, such as 48 Hz. LFC on these monitors allows the variable refresh window to extend into the crucial 30 to 48 Hz zone and role as if the monitor has no minimum refresh rate. Without LFC on these monitors, there is a jarring event when frame rates fluctuate in the 40 to 55 FPS zone, as variable refresh is continually activating and deactivating at the 48 FPS purlieus. LFC is crucial for the best adaptive sync experience.

Every K-Sync monitor comes with support for LFC, then when buying a G-Sync display it's not something you have to worry nearly. FreeSync is a unlike story, every bit only some monitors – mostly loftier-finish ones – support LFC. Y'all'll need to consult AMD'due south display list to check whether a FreeSync monitor on your radar supports LFC, whereas it's a known quantity with every G-Sync display.

Some of the initial teething problems with both adaptive sync technologies have been resolved at present. V-sync works the aforementioned in both FreeSync and G-Sync, with v-sync controls only affecting how frames are displayed exterior the variable refresh window. Borderless window gaming with adaptive sync is likewise supported now past both FreeSync and Chiliad-Sync, although AMD'southward implementation appears to be a bit dodgy in some situations.

As for graphics card support, FreeSync requires a 'Sea Islands' Radeon Rx 200 serial bill of fare from 2022 or newer, while G-Sync requires a 'Kepler' GeForce 600 series card from 2022 or newer. 1000-Sync doesn't work on AMD graphics cards, and FreeSync doesn't piece of work on Nvidia graphics cards, as has always been the case.

The main takeaway from looking at a range of Thou-Sync and FreeSync displays is that Yard-Sync is a known quantity, whereas FreeSync monitors vary significantly in quality. Basically every G-Sync monitor is a high-end unit of measurement with gaming-suitable features, a large refresh window, support for LFC and ULMB – in other words, when purchasing a G-Sync monitor you tin exist sure you're getting the all-time variable refresh feel and a great monitor in general.

With FreeSync, some monitors are gaming-focused with high-terminate features and support for LFC, but many aren't and are more geared towards everyday part usage than gaming. Potential buyers volition demand to research FreeSync monitors more than than with G-Sync equivalents to ensure they're getting a good monitor with all the features necessary for the best variable refresh experience.

Pricing

Pricing is one of the most contentious bug with FreeSync versus 1000-Sync, as Nvidia charges a hefty premium for the use of their proprietary module. I've researched a bunch of near-identical FreeSync and G-Sync monitors to examine the cost differences, and here are the results.

Monitor Type FreeSync Price Grand-Sync Price
24" 1080p 144 Hz AOC G2460PF $249 AOC G2460PG $449
24" 1080p 240 Hz TN ViewSonic XG2530 $449 Acer Predator XB252Q $549
27" 1440p 144 Hz IPS Acer XF270HU $599 Acer Predator XB271HU (OC to 165 Hz) $799
27" 4K 60 Hz IPS Acer H277HK $649 Acer Predator XB271HK $879
34" 1440p 21:9 100 Hz VA Philips 349X7 $899 AOC AG352UCG $1099
35" 1080p 21:9 144 Hz VA Acer XZ350CU $599 Acer Predator Z301C (OC to 200 Hz) $799

Looking at about-identical monitors from the same manufacturer, G-Sync adds $200 in most cases to the MSRP over the FreeSync model. When looking across brands, the margin can be every bit depression as $100, just it often hovers nigh the $200 mark. For the six monitor types I researched, the boilerplate price difference when looking at the most similar models was $188.

2 of the Grand-Sync models could be overclocked using the on-screen display beyond what the equivalent FreeSync model was capable of, which adds a scrap of value to the premium price you're paying. For the most part, though, you're but getting the same benefits of Thou-Sync like ULMB, LFC and, of course, adaptive sync compatibility with Nvidia graphics cards.

FreeSync monitors are universally cheaper, though i of the six monitors I examined (the Acer H277HK) did not back up LFC due to its express refresh rate windows.

Future: FreeSync 2 and K-Sync HDR

New adaptive sync monitors are gear up to hit the market in the coming months, which harness some new additions to the FreeSync and One thousand-Sync ecosystems.

G-Sync is expanding its feature set to include support for HDR monitors and wide color gamuts. HDR monitors with Yard-Sync will support features like ULMB and LFC, though they will also include far larger gamuts and higher effulgence for HDR functionality. Drivers will seamlessly switch between an SDR environment for desktop work, and HDR in supported applications where advisable.

FreeSync 2 is a much larger update, that non only includes support for HDR monitors, but also introduces a monitor validation program that will see only the best monitors receive a FreeSync 2 bluecoat. FreeSync 2 monitors volition take at to the lowest degree twice the maximum effulgence and color volume over standard sRGB displays, and monitors will exist validated to meet input lag standards (in the "few milliseconds" range). All FreeSync 2 monitors will support LFC.

FreeSync ii will include similar features to G-Sync HDR as well, like back up for larger gamuts, higher brightness and automatic switching between SDR and HDR modes. There'southward all the same no word on whether AMD will charge a premium for FreeSync 2 validation and branding, though the updated technology will bring FreeSync closer to what G-Sync provides in every monitor.