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Nvidia G-Sync

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G-Sync is a proprietary adaptive sync technology developed by Nvidia aimed primarily at eliminating screen tearing and the need for software alternatives such as Vsync.[1] G-Sync eliminates screen tearing by forcing a video display to adapt to the framerate of the outputting device (graphics card/integrated graphics) rather than the outputting device adapting to the display, which could traditionally be refreshed halfway through the process of a frame being output by the device, resulting in screen tearing, or 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. AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) has released a similar technology for displays, called FreeSync, which has the same function as G-Sync yet is royalty-free.

G-Sync faces some criticism[who?] due to its proprietary nature, and the fact that it's still being promoted when free alternatives such as the VESA standard Adaptive-Sync which is an optional feature 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, such as the ones from the Kepler microarchitecture (GTX 650Ti and later).

NVIDIA built a special collision avoidance feature to avoid the eventuality of a new frame being ready while a duplicate is being drawn on screen (something that could generate lag and/or stutter) in which case the module anticipates 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.

[7]

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 XB271HUA 2560x1440 27" 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) TN
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 PG278QR 2560x1440 27" 165 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

[8]

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
HP Omen X 35 3440x1440 35" 100 Hz No VA

List of G-Sync enabled GPUs

Architecture
Kepler Kepler (refresh) Maxwell Pascal Volta
GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost GeForce GTX 760 GeForce GTX 745 GeForce GTX 1050 GeForce GTX Titan V
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

[9]

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

  1. ^ "Nvidia G-Sync is a smooth move for PC games". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Review: Nvidia G-Sync Makes Your PC Games Look Amazing". GameSpot. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  3. ^ Scott Wasson (12 May 2014). "Adaptive-Sync added to DisplayPort spec". The Tech Report. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  4. ^ Scott Wasson (13 April 2015). "Trouble brewing? What happens at the edges?". The Tech Report. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  5. ^ a b Mark Walton (1 Jun 2015). "Nvidia announces G-Sync for laptops, reveals low-level tech details". Arstechnica. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  6. ^ Aaron Plattner (9 June 2014). "Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD driver 340.17 (beta)". devtalk.nvidia.com. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  7. ^ NVIDIA. "G-SYNC System Requirements". geforce.com. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  8. ^ NVIDIA. "G-SYNC-ready Monitors". geforce.com. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  9. ^ NVIDIA. "Supported GPUs". geforce.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.