Freesync works on Nvidia cards

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Looks like someone has managed to get it to work via some fiddling:

https://www.reddit.com/r/hardware/co...gh_an_amd_gpu/

I recently had an idea while playing the latest WoW expansion. In the game and in a few others these days is the ability to select the rendering GPU. I currently have a GTX 1080 Ti and a Freesync monitor. So I added an AMD GPU I had on hand and connected my Freesync monitor to it. In this case it's a Radeon Pro WX 4100.

With the game displaying and rendering through the AMD GPU Freesync worked as expected. When switching to rendering with the Nvidia GPU Freesync continued to work flawlessly as verified in the monitor OSD while the game was undoubtedly rendered by the 1080 Ti.

This leaves an interesting option to use Freesync through an old AMD GPU. I'm sure there is a somewhat significant performance drop from copying the display to the other GPU but the benefits of Freesync may offset that.

My next thought was to try the the GPU selector that Microsoft added in 1803 but I can't convince it that either gpu is a Power Saving option. https://imgur.com/CHwG29f

I remember efforts in the past to get an egpu to display on an internal Laptop screen but from what I can find there's no great solution to do this in all applications.

*Edit Pictures:

WX 4100 https://imgur.com/a/asaG8Lc 1080 Ti https://imgur.com/a/IvH1tjQ

I also edited my MG279 to 56-144hz range. Still works great.

[Dashers]

Interesting workaround.

From what I've read from sources I'm happy to believe is, g-sync is the better technology. But then Betamax was better than VHS - we all made do with VHS. I'd rather freesync at freesync costs than the slightly more polished g-sync (especially given the predicted $500 premium for the next gen stuff).

That said, I cannot find for love nor money, a 24" 1080p IPS g-sync monitor, so I guess it's kinda moot.

[spacein_vader]

Interesting workaround.

From what I've read from sources I'm happy to believe is, g-sync is the better technology. But then Betamax was better than VHS - we all made do with VHS. I'd rather freesync at freesync costs than the slightly more polished g-sync (especially given the predicted $500 premium for the next gen stuff).

That said, I cannot find for love nor money, a 24" 1080p IPS g-sync monitor, so I guess it's kinda moot.

G sync was better than freesync 1.0. The followup version (can't remember if it's 1.X or 2.0 pretty much brought them up to par iirc.

[DanceswithUnix]

G sync was better than freesync 1.0. The followup version (can't remember if it's 1.X or 2.0 pretty much brought them up to par iirc.

The big difference is that gsync monitors go through an approval system at nvidia so should have a certain minimum quality level. Freesync costs you nothing, but can get you very little at the low end. At the top end I can't see a technical advantage either way.

[Spud1]

That said, I cannot find for love nor money, a 24" 1080p IPS g-sync monitor, so I guess it's kinda moot.

Yep they are like hens teeth - even if you up a level to 1440p the choices of monitors with an IPS panel is sparse. Quite a few TN panels but I am still amazed that people pay the £500+ prices some companies are asking for them! I paid that for mine but its IPS, 28", 1440p and G-sync so can just about stomach it...no way i'd pay that for a TN panel.

This is an interesting work around though - not something I will ever use personally but it's still pretty clever!

[Hoonigan]

I'm using a 1440p 165Hz ROG PG279Q with G-Sync, and after playing on a couple of monitors with FreeSync, I'm firmly in the "G-Sync is better" camp.

There's just that issue with the price premium.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Some used an APU and it worked too:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comment...rough_amd_apu/

[Bhavv]

There's also not enough monitors available with G Sync, and not at comparable prices.

You can get a 46" Samsung 3440x1440 120 Hz freesync for £999. You can't even get a G Sync monitor over 35" 100 Hz yet and that one still costs more.

I have a 1440p Rog Swift and want to stick to G Sync, but the upcoming G Sync HDR monitors are excessively priced for a monitor upgrade over my current one, and even more so compared to freesync options.

[Biscuit]

I'm using a 1440p 165Hz ROG PG279Q with G-Sync, and after playing on a couple of monitors with FreeSync, I'm firmly in the "G-Sync is better" camp.

There's just that issue with the price premium.

But are you comparing the cream of the crop G-Sync to some basic Freesync?

What exactly was better about it?

At the end of the day its just a technology and they both basically do the same thing, so its kinda hard to visualise how one would be better.
I know freesync 1 had some pretty bad range between loweest and highest frequency, but I thought that had been addressed with FS2?

[Spud1]

I know freesync 1 had some pretty bad range between loweest and highest frequency, but I thought that had been addressed with FS2?

AFAIK it has - there are minor differences but to all intents and purposes there was a huge gap between FS1 and G-sync, but from what I know FS2 and the current g-sync modules are there are functionally comparable and the average enthusiast (i.e. most of us) won't be able to tell the difference in-game. It is really tough to get an objective comparison though there are very, very few monitors that are out there which are the same panel with a different sync technology.

Ultimately it really, really doesn't matter as consumers don't get the choice. If you have an Nvidia card, you buy a g-sync panel (or "just" a normal screen), if you have an AMD card then you buy a freesync panel (or again, a normal screen). As cool as this workaround is it isn't a realistic option for most, so we're still limited by which card you own.

[Biscuit]

Ultimately it really, really doesn't matter as consumers don't get the choice. If you have an Nvidia card, you buy a g-sync panel (or "just" a normal screen), if you have an AMD card then you buy a freesync panel (or again, a normal screen). As cool as this workaround is it isn't a realistic option for most, so we're still limited by which card you own.

Or... You're about to upgrade and... Ah... Not a great market right now

[Bhavv]

Or... You're about to upgrade and... Ah... Not a great market right now

Thats the issue, if I wanted to swap to freesync without such workarounds, I'd need to swap my 1080 Ti to a Vega. Erm no, I dont think so. I'd just better hope my Rog Swift doesn't die, its a month or two away from its warranty expiration and I already had it replaced once for a patch of dead pixels.

I would really really like one of the upcoming G sync and HDR monitors, specifically the 35" 3440x1440 200 Hz one, but I dont think its going to be affordable to me as I'm also about to get my first house.

[outwar6010]

[XeNoNF50]

Some used an APU and it worked too:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comment...rough_amd_apu/

Not exactly an ideal methodology! Wish it just supported freesync out of the box though as the HDR monitors with g-sync are just insanity.

[Straussian852]

I need help!!!
Anyone please tell me, whether a quick Corei7 will rip and GPU a new hole and make it effectively redundant. And if not, WHAT software does it rock please?

[emilsobo]

It won't normaly work but if you get a cheap AMD graphics card you can make it work through that LinusTechTips make a video about doing just that.