Nvidia G-Sync Impressions/Owners thread

Annisman*

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Aug 20, 2010
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Hey guys, is anybody else currently using G-Sync ? I'd like to know your impressions.

I bought the G-Sync DIY kit and installed on my Asus VG248QE 144hz monitor. Installation wasn't too difficult, but it did take about an hour and a half at a casual pace.

My initial impressions:

Pros:

-Screen tearing is completely gone now
-Some games seem to take to it very well, like Bioshock Infinite and Far Cry 3
-Seems to be the same amount of 'input lag' (referring to mouse responsiveness in game) as V-Sync off, so pretty much no input lag.
-some games at high fps are incredibly smooth, such as Hard Reset, a very visually intense twitch shooter. (like, smoother than before at a high fps)

Cons:

-Games at already high fps seem to not get much added smoothness
-Some games which I thought would be much smoother at 'lower' fps (I consider that below 60 fps) are only slightly better. Such as Crysis 3, The Secret World and Metro Last Light.
-small % of fps lost in titles because of polling
-high price ~ 200$

Conclusion:

I have gamed with 120hz+ monitors for about 3 years now, and I never use VSync, so I have always dealt with a small amount of tearing, however there was never much to speak of, or I never really noticed it. So this benefit is a bit lost on me, though having zero tearing is nice.

The benefits of G-Sync are supposed to be most noticeable at lower fps (between 30 and 60) but with my current setup it is rare for games to ever dip that low even at Ultra settings, especially because this panel is only 1080, so I believe that benefit is also somewhat lost for me.

In general, every game is now 'smoother' this benefit is one that I do notice, as I consider myself very (unfortunately) perceptive of lag, low and fluctuating fps and microstutter. For example, I can usually clearly tell the difference between 60 and 80 fps. I have even decided to stick to one graphics card after going years with CF/SLI to help eliminate the possiblity of microstutter. And yes, I know, not everybody has the same experice there.

If going to a 120hz monitor is = to 2X better than 60hz then I would say that going from 144hz to 144hz+G-Sync is an overall 20% improvement in overall experience. So, not the amount I was personally hoping for but still enough to be worth it to me.

I would say that unless you only game at 60hz currently, or are very perceptive of the things I mentioned then you had better wait for the 1440p G-Sync panels to arrive because it should be a much greater benefit.

OR if you only have a mid-high end Nvidia graphics card which does not keep most games above 80-90 fps, then it also may be a worthy purchase.

Has anybody else gotten their toes wet with G-Sync or experienced it first hand ? I'd like to know your impressions.

I think a lot of reviwers are coming from 60hz panels so *some* of the benefits they laud are simply from a higher panel hz rate.
 

96Firebird

Diamond Member
Nov 8, 2010
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I am currently on an old 60Hz 1680x1050 TN panel, so I think going to a 1080p G-sync monitor will greatly improve my gaming experience. My 770 does very well, but I know in the future it will start to slow down. I know this is where G-sync really shines, and I like to keep my graphics cards for a while.

With that said, I'll make the trip down I-90 and come check it out in person. :p
 

PPB

Golden Member
Jul 5, 2013
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How do you find screen tearing at such high framerate when you were "just" playing with 120hz monitor and no vsync (and obviously no g sync yet)? Did you find it just as annoying as 60hz screen tearing is at halved fps?
 

Owls

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Feb 22, 2006
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There really should be more 1600p 120hz monitors out there but sadly there arent. And I don't want to downgrade to 1440
 

Annisman*

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Aug 20, 2010
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How do you find screen tearing at such high framerate when you were "just" playing with 120hz monitor and no vsync (and obviously no g sync yet)? Did you find it just as annoying as 60hz screen tearing is at halved fps?

Well I've used both 120hz no vsync and 144hz no vsync, the screen tearing is far less prevalent on 120hz, and from my experience, very rare on 144hz. I could be wrong but I think tearing only happens when the card is sending more frames than the screen can output, so getting your video card to send more than 144 frames a second is difficult with any modern game.

And honestly, I don't even remember what it was like to game on 60hz so I can't comment on that.
 

Annisman*

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Aug 20, 2010
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I am currently on an old 60Hz 1680x1050 TN panel, so I think going to a 1080p G-sync monitor will greatly improve my gaming experience. My 770 does very well, but I know in the future it will start to slow down. I know this is where G-sync really shines, and I like to keep my graphics cards for a while.

With that said, I'll make the trip down I-90 and come check it out in person. :p

Lan party !?
 

PPB

Golden Member
Jul 5, 2013
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Well I've used both 120hz no vsync and 144hz no vsync, the screen tearing is far less prevalent on 120hz, and from my experience, very rare on 144hz. I could be wrong but I think tearing only happens when the card is sending more frames than the screen can output, so getting your video card to send more than 144 frames a second is difficult with any modern game.

And honestly, I don't even remember what it was like to game on 60hz so I can't comment on that.

No, in reality it happens all the time because the fixed refresh rate doesnt match the frametimes from each frame. So even at below 144 fps on a 144hz monitor you would get screen tearing. Its the nature of a fixed refresh rate and uneven frametimes.
 

bystander36

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Apr 1, 2013
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Well I've used both 120hz no vsync and 144hz no vsync, the screen tearing is far less prevalent on 120hz, and from my experience, very rare on 144hz. I could be wrong but I think tearing only happens when the card is sending more frames than the screen can output, so getting your video card to send more than 144 frames a second is difficult with any modern game.

And honestly, I don't even remember what it was like to game on 60hz so I can't comment on that.

While being noticeable and being present are two different things. Tearing isn't rare at 120hz or 144hz, it actually tears just as often is on a 60hz monitor, it just doesn't stay on the screen as long. Without V-sync, nearly all frames cause a tear, but they get wiped off the screen twice as fast.

Every frame generated creates a tear, unless it just happens to land during vertical blanking mode, which is no more likely at 144hz than at 60hz. Most the time between refreshes is spent updating the screen, so most frames are creating tears. They just aren't on the screen as long, so you don't notice it as often, which is part of the appeal of a 120hz monitor.
 

Annisman*

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Aug 20, 2010
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Ah, excellent explanation bystander36, I definitely explained it wrong.
 

Stuka87

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Dec 10, 2010
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How do you find screen tearing at such high framerate when you were "just" playing with 120hz monitor and no vsync (and obviously no g sync yet)? Did you find it just as annoying as 60hz screen tearing is at halved fps?

The faster the refresh rate, the less noticeable screen tearing is because the screen is being refreshed more often. If you played on a 30Hz screen for instance, the screen tearing at anything below 30 would be unbearable.

With 144 the screen refreshes are so fast the tears are on screen for a shorter period of time.
 

bystander36

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Apr 1, 2013
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I personally find tearing at 120hz to be a bit different. Unless my FPS are locked close to 120 or 60, the tears aren't all that noticeable, but the screen will appear to wobble when I turn, or pan the screen. I don't really notice the specific tear, but I clearly notice that something isn't right and it's like the screen wobbles on me.
 

BrightCandle

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Mar 15, 2007
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I am personally waiting for the Asus 1440p monitor. If that wasn't coming out I would have snapped up the VGE model but the extra pixels and size with vsync and 120hz is just too compelling to wait. The Asus model I rejected earlier this year and went with the Benq XL2411T because the colour quality was pretty bad comparatively, I really wasn't sure if I wanted to then end up buying it anyway just for Gsync, certainly when there are other options due in 2 months time. I can wait a little while but I won't wait forever.
 

wand3r3r

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May 16, 2008
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In theory it sounds good, however I would find myself dropping settings since 60 FPS is a minimum for me. It's interesting and I await the day when they don't have an absurd $100-200 fee for this. Most people who need it have mediocre systems with low end or mid range systems, I don't see them paying this premium. So in short, an interesting concept, I wish it were free. :p

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm surprised there aren't more people with it yet given the talk.
 

apoe

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Feb 3, 2014
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Have you used lightboost and gsync ULMB? Can you do a comparison if you have? Thanks
 
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Eymar

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Aug 30, 2001
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Excellent post, I have similar preferences and perceptions (mine is probably not as sharp as yours). Nice to see a viewpoint from someone who owns the 120hz monitor for a while so the differences from going to G-sync isn't clouded by differences in switching monitors. G-sync solves the main graphics problems I like to be solved and that is tearing and lag so hoping for viable options in 30"+ range. I'd also like to see if Gsync helps high fps(>60fps) micro stuttering associated with SLI/XF.
 

Annisman*

Golden Member
Aug 20, 2010
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Excellent post, I have similar preferences and perceptions (mine is probably not as sharp as yours). Nice to see a viewpoint from someone who owns the 120hz monitor for a while so the differences from going to G-sync isn't clouded by differences in switching monitors. G-sync solves the main graphics problems I like to be solved and that is tearing and lag so hoping for viable options in 30"+ range. I'd also like to see if Gsync helps high fps(>60fps) micro stuttering associated with SLI/XF.

Yeah, I'll be the first to admit that I will do anything to get smoother gameplay. TN panel, 1ms response, 144hz, G-Sync, only one video card (less microstutter) and I'm still not totally pleased lol. Onward we march !
 

bystander36

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2013
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I don't think that is what he meant. Gsync has a ULMB mode, but it is improved. Gsync's ULMB mode is like Lightboost and it would be great to hear the differences in quality between the old Lightboost and the new ULMB mode.
 

96Firebird

Diamond Member
Nov 8, 2010
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Personally, I am waiting for a retail G-sync monitor, not one that I have to put together myself. I am a very hands-on person, but I also enjoy my warrantly...
 

Mand

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Jan 13, 2014
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The faster the refresh rate, the less noticeable screen tearing is because the screen is being refreshed more often. If you played on a 30Hz screen for instance, the screen tearing at anything below 30 would be unbearable.

With 144 the screen refreshes are so fast the tears are on screen for a shorter period of time.

But aren't you then just replacing them with another, different tear just as quickly?

I haven't played on a 120+ Hz display yet, so I can't speak firsthand, but I do know that I find tearing utterly unbearable on my 60 Hz display to the point where I enable vsync in every game I own, despite the stutter and lag it causes.

G-Sync will be a very good thing for me.
 

BrightCandle

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Mar 15, 2007
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I have definitely noticed less tearing at 120/144hz than I did at 60hz. The tear line lasts half the time, so despite the fact that every screen is still tearing there is half the difference between frames than there was at 60 fps. At 60 fps on a 120hz monitor I am not sure if there is less, it would seem unlikely and its been a while since I played a game at that low of an fps.