Nvidia G-Sync
G-Sync is a proprietary adaptive sync technology developed by Nvidia aimed primarily to eliminate screen tearing and the need for software deterrents such as Vsync.[1] G-Sync eliminates screen tearing by forcing a video display to adapt to the framerate of the outputting device rather than the other way around, which could traditionally be refreshed halfway through the process of a frame being output by the device, resulting in two or more frames being shown at once.[2] In order for a device to use G-Sync, it must contain a proprietary G-Sync module sold by Nvidia.
G-Sync faces some criticism due to its proprietary nature, it still being pushed when free alternatives such as the VESA standard Adaptive-Sync, a specific brought from eDP, are now optional features of DisplayPort version 1.2a.[3] While AMD's FreeSync relies on the above-mentioned optional component of DisplayPort 1.2a, G-Sync requires an Nvidia-made module in place of the usual scaler in the display in order for it to function properly with select Nvidia GeForce graphics cards.
However, not all features offered by G-Sync can be achieved by relying on the VESA display standard.
NVIDIA built a special collision avoidance feature to avoid the eventuality of a new frame being ready while a duplicate is painting on the screen (something that could generate lag and/or stutter) in which case they anticipate the refresh and wait for the next frame to be completed.[4] Overdriving pixels also becomes tricky in a non-fixed refresh scenario and solutions predicting when the next refresh is going to happen and accordingly adjusting the overdrive value must be implemented and tuned for each panel in order to avoid ghosting.[5]
Hardware
The module carries all the functional parts. It is based around an Altera Arria V GX family FPGA produced on the TSMC 28LP process, paired with three DDR3L DRAM chips to attain a certain bandwidth, for an aggregate 768MB capacity. The employed FPGA also features a LVDS interface to drive the monitor panel. It's meant to replace common scalers and be easily integrated by monitor manufacturers, who only have to take care of the power delivery circuit board and input connections.
GPU and system requirements
- GPU: G-SYNC features require an Nvidia GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost GPU or higher.
- DRIVER: R340.52 or higher.
- Operating System: Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10. Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris.[6]
- System Requirement: Must support DisplayPort 1.2 directly from the GPU.
List of G-Sync-enabled monitors
| Brand | Model number | Resolution | Size | Refresh rate at native resolution | Panel Technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer | X34 Predator | 3440x1440 | 34 | 100 Hz | IPS |
| Acer | XB270H | 1920x1080 | 27" | 144 Hz | TN |
| Acer | XB270HA | 1920x1080 | 27" | 144 Hz | TN |
| Acer | XB280HK | 3840x2160 | 28" | 60 Hz | TN |
| Acer | XB281HK | 3840x2160 | 28" | 60 Hz | TN |
| Acer | XB271HK | 3840x2160 | 27" | 60 Hz | IPS |
| Acer | XB321HK | 3840x2160 | 32" | 60 Hz | IPS |
| Acer | XB240HA | 1920x1080 | 24" | 144 Hz | TN |
| Acer | XB241H | 1920x1080 | 24" | 144 Hz (180 Hz overclocked) | TN |
| Acer | XB241YU | 2560 x 1440 | 23.8" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | TN |
| Acer | XB270HU | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz | IPS |
| Acer | XB271HU | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | IPS |
| Acer | X34 | 3440x1440 | 34" | 60 Hz (100 Hz overclocked) | IPS |
| Acer | Z271 | 1920x1080 | 27" | 144 Hz | VA |
| Acer | Z301C | 2560x1080 | 29.5" | 144 Hz (200 Hz overclocked) | VA |
| Acer | Z35 | 2560x1080 | 35" | 144~200 Hz | VA |
| AOC | G2460PG | 1920x1080 | 24" | 144 Hz | TN |
| AOC | AG271QG | 2560x1440 | 27" | 165 Hz | IPS |
| AOC | AG271UG | 3840x2160 | 27" | 60 Hz | IPS |
| Asus | PG348Q | 3440x1440 | 34" | 100 Hz | IPS |
| Asus | PG278Q | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz | TN |
| Asus | PG279Q | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | IPS |
| Asus | PG27AQ | 3840x2160 | 27" | 60 Hz | IPS |
| Asus | PG248Q | 1920x1080 | 24" | 144 Hz (180 Hz overclocked) | TN |
| Asus | PG258Q | 1920x1080 | 24.5" | 240 Hz | TN |
| BenQ | XL2420G | 1920x1080 | 24" | 144 Hz | TN |
| Philips | 272G5DYEB | 1920x1080 | 27" | 144 Hz | TN |
| Dell | S2716DG | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz | TN |
| Dell | S2417DG | 2560x1440 | 24" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | TN |
| ViewSonic | XG2703-GS | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | IPS |
List of upcoming G-Sync-enabled monitors
| Brand | Model number | Resolution | Size | Refresh rate at native resolution | HDR | Panel Technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer | XB272 | 1920x1080 | 27" | 240 Hz | No | TN |
| Acer | XB272-HDR | 3840x2160 | 27" | 144 Hz | Yes | IPS |
| Acer | XB251HQ | 1920x1080 | 24.5" | 240 Hz | No | TN |
| Acer | XB252Q | 1920x1080 | 24.5" | 240 Hz | No | TN |
| AOC | AG352UCG | 3440x1440 | 35" | 100 Hz | No | VA |
| Asus | PG27UQ | 3840x2160 | 27" | 144 Hz | Yes | IPS |
| Asus | XG27VQ | 1920x1080 | 27" | 144 Hz | No | ? (TBA) |
| HP | Omen X 35 | 3440x1440 | 35" | 100 Hz | No | VA |
List of G-Sync enabled GPUs
| Architecture | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kepler | Kepler (refresh) | Maxwell | Pascal |
| GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost | GeForce GTX 760 | GeForce GTX 745 | GeForce GTX 1050 |
| GeForce GTX 660 | GeForce GTX 770 | GeForce GTX 750 | GeForce GTX 1050 Ti |
| GeForce GTX 660 Ti | GeForce GTX 780 | GeForce GTX 750 Ti | GeForce GTX 1060 |
| GeForce GTX 670 | GeForce GTX 780 Ti | GeForce GTX 950 | GeForce GTX 1070 |
| GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX Titan | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce GTX 1080 |
| GeForce GTX 690 | GeForce GTX Titan Black | GeForce GTX 965M | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti |
| GeForce GTX Titan Z | GeForce GTX 970 | GeForce GTX Titan X | |
| GeForce GTX 970M | GeForce GTX Titan Xp | ||
| GeForce GTX 980 | |||
| GeForce GTX 980M | |||
| GeForce GTX 980 Ti | |||
| GeForce GTX Titan X | |||
G-Sync Notebook
Nvidia announced that G-sync will be available to notebook manufacturers and that in this case, it would not require a special module since the GPU is directly connected to the display without a scaler in between. According to Nvidia, fine tuning is still possible given the fact that all notebooks of the same model will have the same LCD panel, variable overdrive will be calculated by a shader running on the GPU, and a form of frame collision avoidance will also be implemented.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ "Nvidia G-Sync is a smooth move for PC games". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
- ↑ "Review: Nvidia G-Sync Makes Your PC Games Look Amazing". GameSpot. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
- ↑ Scott Wasson (12 May 2014). "Adaptive-Sync added to DisplayPort spec". The Tech Report. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ↑ Scott Wasson (13 April 2015). "Trouble brewing? What happens at the edges?". The Tech Report. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
- 1 2 Mark Walton (1 Jun 2015). "Nvidia announces G-Sync for laptops, reveals low-level tech details". Arstechnica. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
- ↑ Aaron Plattner (9 June 2014). "Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD driver 340.17 (beta)". devtalk.nvidia.com. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ↑ NVIDIA. "G-SYNC System Requirements". geforce.com. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ↑ NVIDIA. "G-SYNC-ready Monitors". geforce.com. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ↑ NVIDIA. "Supported GPUs". geforce.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.