News - AMD publishes video showing FreeSync in action

[HEXUS]

Says that "FreeSync capable monitors are expected soon".

Read more.

[Vigil]

I wonder how this sort of thing works. 1. Nvidia comes up with G-SYNC; 2. someone over at AMD thinks, why didn't we think of that, and makes its alternative using their existing knowledge or 3. they "study" G-SYNC and then make their own version. I'm assuming Nvidia came up with it first of course.

Also, why bother buying a FreeSync capable monitor if certain cards already support it? They've not done a great job of distinguishing between the two options. I assume the monitor would be for people with weaker cards, but then why pay money for an expensive monitor when you could put that money towards a better card?

[krazy_olie]

I wonder how this sort of thing works. 1. Nvidia comes up with G-SYNC; 2. someone over at AMD thinks, why didn't we think of that, and makes its alternative using their existing knowledge or 3. they "study" G-SYNC and then make their own version. I'm assuming Nvidia came up with it first of course.

Also, why bother buying a FreeSync capable monitor if certain cards already support it? They've not done a great job of distinguishing between the two options. I assume the monitor would be for people with weaker cards, but then why pay money for an expensive monitor when you could put that money towards a better card?

There's an interview with an AMD guy(I can't remember where). seemed to imply that Nvidia just got there first, but they were already working on it. Eitehr way, G-Sync has physical hardware which inevitably adds cost. This is using parts of the VESA spec, (which was more to do with TVs and laptops) to do this. Note, GCN 1.1 has support for this in its hardware, so they were clearly thinking about it.
It seems as though changes for monitor manufacturers are more firmware than hardware based, the initial cost may just be a supply and demand thing rather than considerable licensing and manufacturing costs as in GSync's case. Only 260x and 290 support it, so I think the next round of AMD cards will be when this starts to kick of properly.

In the case of Gsync you probably are just better off buying a better card and locking in at 60hz rather than paying to protect from effects of dropping under. Save for the few who already have top end cards and want to run 144hz monitors.

[Jowsey]

I wonder how this sort of thing works. 1. Nvidia comes up with G-SYNC; 2. someone over at AMD thinks, why didn't we think of that, and makes its alternative using their existing knowledge or 3. they "study" G-SYNC and then make their own version. I'm assuming Nvidia came up with it first of course.

Also, why bother buying a FreeSync capable monitor if certain cards already support it? They've not done a great job of distinguishing between the two options. I assume the monitor would be for people with weaker cards, but then why pay money for an expensive monitor when you could put that money towards a better card?

You have completed missed the point I think.

The really difference between G-Sync and FreeSync (afaik) is that G-Sync is proprietary and requires specific hardware, however Freesync doesn't (to a degree). FreeSync is part of Display Port 1.2 and as such will be widely adopted.

Also, looking at the AMD cards that already support FreeSync (290x/290 and 260x/260) AMD has already shown it won't limit this to it's high end cards. Thankfully N-Vidia does support some of it's lower cards but why would you pair a £100 card to £350-400 monitor? Whereas because FreeSync is built into Display port there isn't a ridiculous overhead for it.

Saying that, because Nvidia have such a control on G-sync you can argue that that is a better position to be in as a gamer as N vidia can update and maintain the standard far faster then FreeSync (i'd imagine)

Either way, this is good news for everyone, Huzzah for no more screen tearing!!!

[moeburn]

"FreeSync allows users to eliminate screen tearing and stutter by synchronizing the monitor's refresh rate to the graphics card — even with a monitor that uses only industry standard technology, which requires no additional hardware."

I don't get screen tearing and stutter, because I use something video cards have had for over a decade: v-sync, with triple buffering.

So what's the point of this?

[moeburn]

This is only for displayport monitors. Displayport is different because the screen's refresh rate clock is generated in the monitor itself, instead of the video card. This will never work for HDMI screens.

[ZephyrSurfer]

@moeburn: A few things you would need a powerful card to keep v-sync at a high framerate at all times. Secondly its' other purpose would help even you, the input lag of triple buffering is obviously quite large, Freesync would add no input lag, unlike G-SYNC which adds a small amount maybe one frame.

[ZephyrSurfer]

I wonder how this sort of thing works. 1. Nvidia comes up with G-SYNC; 2. someone over at AMD thinks, why didn't we think of that, and makes its alternative using their existing knowledge or 3. they "study" G-SYNC and then make their own version. I'm assuming Nvidia came up with it first of course.

Also, why bother buying a FreeSync capable monitor if certain cards already support it? They've not done a great job of distinguishing between the two options. I assume the monitor would be for people with weaker cards, but then why pay money for an expensive monitor when you could put that money towards a better card?

AMD had tried to push it as before G-SYNC but they were doing it for a different purpose, ie. energy saving, however, it would have had the same benefits it currently does but didn't fly for some reason. Now that Nvidia made their standard I guess they did push FreeSync in opposition as an open standard that is now included in Displayport 1.2a.

[Varoxic]

"FreeSync allows users to eliminate screen tearing and stutter by synchronizing the monitor's refresh rate to the graphics card — even with a monitor that uses only industry standard technology, which requires no additional hardware."

I don't get screen tearing and stutter, because I use something video cards have had for over a decade: v-sync, with triple buffering.

So what's the point of this?

They forgot to add that FreeSync and G-Sync also solves something that a lot( or some) gamers have been complaining about, something that V-Sync brings: mouse lag.

[Varoxic]

"FreeSync allows users to eliminate screen tearing and stutter by synchronizing the monitor's refresh rate to the graphics card — even with a monitor that uses only industry standard technology, which requires no additional hardware."

I don't get screen tearing and stutter, because I use something video cards have had for over a decade: v-sync, with triple buffering.

So what's the point of this?

They forgot to add that FreeSync and G-Sync also solves something that a lot( or some) gamers have been complaining about, something that V-Sync brings: mouse lag.

Oh and also any other kind of input lag

[Jedibeeftrix]

now show me a 34" 3440x1440 monitor that supports it and i am sold!