FreeSync

FreeSync

Original author(s)	AMD
Developer(s)	AMD
Operating system	Cross-platform
Website	AMD FreeSync

FreeSync is the brand name for an adaptive synchronization technology for LCD displays that support a dynamic refresh rate aimed at reducing screen tearing.^[1] FreeSync was initially developed by AMD in response to Nvidia's G-Sync. FreeSync is royalty-free, free to use, and has no performance penalty.^[2]

Adaptive-Sync

In 2015, VESA announced Adaptive-Sync as an ingredient component of the DisplayPort 1.2a specification; FreeSync is a hardware/software solution that utilizes DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync protocols to enable smooth, tearing-free and low-latency gameplay.^[3] FreeSync has a dynamic refresh rate range of 9–240 Hz.^[2] FreeSync has also been implemented over HDMI.

Advantages

• Helps improve battery life by reducing the refresh rate of the panel when the screen is static (meaning, the previous frame was the same as the current one).^[4]
• Ensures that the transition between refresh rate is seamless and undetectable to the user.
• Can be enabled by plug and play, making it transparent to the operating system and end user.
• Reduces implementation complexity of the Timing Controller (TCON) and panel by keeping the GPU's pixel clock rate constant and varying blank parameters.
• Dynamically adapts the display refresh rate to fixed video content frame rate for a power efficient and stutter-free video playback with anything over 30FPS.
• Dynamically adapts the display refresh rate to variable gaming content render for low latency and a smooth, virtually stutter-free gaming experience.

FreeSync 2

In January 2017, AMD announced the second generation of FreeSync. FreeSync 2 expands beyond the territory of its predecessor by also including standards for things like color and dynamic range. Requirements include removing the minimum frame rate, and setting a maximum on screen latency. FreeSync 2 also doubles the color and brightness spaces, and communicating the screen's specifications to the driver, enabling automatic support for high dynamic range.^[5]

List of FreeSync monitors

^{[62][63][64][65]}

List of FreeSync-compatible APUs and GPUs

Features of ATI and AMD Radeon GPUs

	R100	R200	R300	R400	R500	R600	RV670	R700	Evergreen	Northern Islands	Southern Islands	Sea Islands	Volcanic Islands	Arctic Islands	Vega
Released	Apr 2000	Aug 2001	Sep 2002	May 2004	Oct 2005	May 2007	Nov 2007	Jun 2008	Sep 2009	Oct 2010	Jan 2012	Sep 2013	Jun 2015	Jun 2016	Jun 2017
Instruction set	not publicly known					TeraScale instruction set					GCN instruction set
Microarchitecture						TeraScale 1 (VLIW5)			TeraScale 2 (VLIW5)	TeraScale 3 (VLIW4)	GCN 1st gen	GCN 2nd gen	GCN 3rd gen	GCN 4th gen	GCN 5th gen
Type	Fixed pipeline	Programmable pixel&vertex pipelines				Unified shader model
Direct3D	7.0	8.1	9.0	9.0b	9.0c	10.0	10.1		11.0		11.1	12.0
Shader Model	N/A	1.4	2.0+	2.0b	3.0	4.0	4.1		5.0			5.1			TBA
OpenGL	1.3		2.0			3.3			4.4		4.5
Vulkan	N/A										Linux experimental Windows 7+ full support for 1.0		1.0
OpenCL	N/A					Close to Metal		1.1	1.2			2.0
Power saving	Unknown					PowerPlay				PowerTune	PowerTune & ZeroCore Power
Unified Video Decoder	N/A					Avivo/UVD	UVD+	UVD 2	UVD 2.2	UVD 3	UVD 4	UVD 4.2	UVD 5.0 or 6.0	UVD 6.3	UVD 7[66]
Video Coding Engine	N/A										VCE 1.0	VCE 2.0	VCE 3.0 or 3.1	VCE 3.4	VCE 4.0[66]
TrueAudio	N/A											Dedicated DSP		Run on the shaders	TBA
FreeSync	N/A
Max. displays[lower-alpha 1]	1–2	2							2–6
Max. resolution	Unknown								2–6x 2560×1600		2–6x 4096×2160 @ 60 Hz			2–6x 5120x2880 @ 60 Hz	TBA
/drm/radeon[lower-alpha 2]													N/A
/drm/amdgpu[lower-alpha 2]	N/A										experimental[67]				not in mainline yet

Features of AMD Accelerated Processing Units

Brand	Llano	Trinity	Richland	Kaveri	Carrizo	Bristol Ridge	Raven Ridge		Desna, Ontario, Zacate	Kabini, Temash	Beema, Mullins	Carrizo-L	Stoney Ridge
Platform	Desktop, Mobile					Mobile	Desktop, Mobile		Ultra-mobile
Released	Aug 2011	Oct 2012	Jun 2013	Jan 2014	Jun 2015	Jun 2016	TBA		Jan 2011	May 2013	Q2 2014	May 2015	June 2016
Fab. (nm)	GlobalFoundries 32 SOI			28			14		TSMC 40	28
Die size (mm2)	228	246		245	244.62	250.04	TBA		75 (+ 28 FCH)	~107		TBA	125
Socket	FM1, FS1	FM2, FS1+, FP2		FM2+, FP3	FM2+[lower-alpha 1], FP4	AM4, FP4	AM4, FP5		FT1	AM1, FT3	FT3b	FP4	FP4
CPU architecture	AMD 10h	Piledriver		Steamroller	Excavator		Zen		Bobcat	Jaguar	Puma	Puma+[68]	Excavator
Memory support	DDR3-1866 DDR3-1600 DDR3-1333		DDR3-2133 DDR3-1866 DDR3-1600 DDR3-1333			DDR4-2400 DDR4-2133 DDR4-1866 DDR4-1600			DDR3L-1333 DDR3L-1066	DDR3L-1866 DDR3L-1600 DDR3L-1333 DDR3L-1066		DDR3L-1866 DDR3L-1600 DDR3L-1333	Up to DDR4-2133
3D engine[lower-alpha 2]	TeraScale (VLIW5)	TeraScale (VLIW4)		GCN 2nd Gen (Mantle, HSA)	GCN 3rd Gen (Mantle, HSA)		GCN 5th Gen[69] (Mantle, HSA)		TeraScale (VLIW5)	GCN 2nd Gen			GCN 3rd Gen[69]
	Up to 400:20:8	Up to 384:24:6		Up to 512:32:8			TBA		80:8:4	128:8:4			Up to 192:?:?
	IOMMUv1			IOMMUv2					IOMMUv1[70]			TBA	TBA
Unified Video Decoder	UVD 3			UVD 4.2	UVD 6		TBA		UVD 3	UVD 4	UVD 4.2	UVD 6	UVD 6.3
Video Coding Engine	N/A	VCE 1.0		VCE 2.0	VCE 3.1		TBA		N/A	VCE 2.0		VCE 3.1
GPU power saving	PowerPlay	PowerTune							N/A	PowerTune[71]
Max. displays[lower-alpha 3]	2–3	2–4		2–4	3	4	TBA		2			TBA	TBA
TrueAudio	N/A			[73]					N/A[70]				TBA
FreeSync	N/A								N/A				TBA
/drm/radeon[74][75]						N/A							N/A
/drm/amdgpu[76]	N/A			[77]					N/A	[77]

See also

• Mantle
• Vulkan (API)
• GPUOpen
• G-Sync
• Refresh rate

References

External links

• Freesync Monitors
• AMD FreeSync homepage