Questions about V-Sync

[Matt16978]

From what little I understand, enabling v-sync changes my monitor's refresh rate on the fly to match the current frame rate of whatever game I am playing. This comes at a preformance hit, but elimnates "pixil tearing" (which I am unfamiliar with). I am wondering if enabling v-sync is worth the performance hit and whether other people generally leave it on or off. My system specs are
Athalon XP 1700+
512 mb pc 2100 ddr
gfx 5900nu

I generally run games at
1024 X 768 or 1280 X 960 if new
1600 X 1200 if old

Your comments are appriciated.

 

[modedepe]

Nope it doesn't change your refresh rate, that stays the same. It's basically just making your max fps whatever your refresh rate is. If your refresh rate is 60hz, your max fps is 60. I would recommend you leave it off unless you have problems with tearing.

 

[VIAN]

Vysnc caps your maximum framerate to the number of your monitor's set refresh rate.

Vsync +s:
No frame tearing

Vsync -s:
Introduces response lag.
Cap frame rate.
May reduce frame rate by a very little amount.

I don't use Vsync. With Vsync off, there is little to no frame tearing. The better response you get from the mouse is worth it. And you get the highest performance possible from your card.

 

[clicknext]

What exactly does frame tearing look like? I played for years with Vsync off and never saw anything weird as a result.

 

[VIAN]

It will look something like this.

This was created out of three shots. This tearing will run up your monitor, but not smoothly, it will appear and disappear and be more blurry and flickery and distract from gameplay.

 

[kylebisme]

ya, that is what it looks like. it happens because without vsync your monitor will start drawing from a new frame even though it hasn't compleated the last one, so for each refresh of your monitor the image is made up of partial frames from your videocard. personaly i think vsync is a must.

 

[high]

i find even at 85hz at 1600x1200x32 4xAA 16xAF I get some tearing in games with it off...my card is TOO fast, especially games like NFSU and Warcraft3

 

[Reliant]

I just leave V-Sync on all the time, tearing is just too nasty to look at.

 

[high]

really neuters performance...mouse is slower, turning around is slower, action in general is slower

 

[sugarkang]

can you only get 60fps maximum on LCD monitors then?
there seem to be very few 17" lcds with 75hz refresh.

i've got a 19" crt, and set UT2K3 vsync at 85hz. it seems much better than at 60hz.

 

[beatle]

Originally posted by: sugarkang
can you only get 60fps maximum on LCD monitors then?
there seem to be very few 17" lcds with 75hz refresh.

i've got a 19" crt, and set UT2K3 vsync at 85hz. it seems much better than at 60hz.

That's true. An LCD's refresh is different from a CRT, however. On an LCD, all of the pixels are refreshed at once, not drawn top to bottom and left to right like a CRT. This is one reason why some people still prefer CRTs for gaming.