Question What kind of pitfalls will I be looking at trying to use FreeSync with Nvidia GTX 1660 Super?

[SteveGrabowski]

I know I absolutely must buy a monitor that does FreeSync over DisplayPort and not HDMI when using an Nvidia gpu, but do I need a specific minimum Displayport version? I'm most concerned with getting something with a FreeSync range of 40 Hz to 60 Hz, though I might spring for something from 40 Hz to 75 Hz also. Don't really care about getting something supporting 144Hz since as a 1660 Super user it's pretty clear I'm not willing to spend the kind of money to run AAA games at 144 fps. Any other pitfalls to consider besides ensuring the monitor I'm looking at supports FreeSync over DisplayPort?

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Also not looking for something that would be considered GSync compatible since like I said above, I have no intention of trying to push 144 fps gaming so no reason to care about having full GSync range.

 

[sandorski]

AFAIK, as long as FreeSync is Off it should operate as a non-*Sync monitor.

 

[aleader]

I'm still confused about this and I've had my Freesync monitor for over a year now. I have a 5700XT incoming and wanted to make sure I'm using the right cable and setting things up right. I had it running with my 1070 over DP previously. I moved my post over here:

VirtualLarry said:
Yes, the monitor may well be a "FreeSync" monitor, with both HDMI and DP, but AFAIK, it was "FreeSync 2" from AMD, that allowed use of FreeSync (VESA VRB) over HDMI. So in order to actually make use of FreeSync features on those monitors, you had to connect via their DisplayPort input.

I don't want to turn this into a monitor thread, but this is my monitor (I actually only paid $205 for it when I checked):

https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-32QK500-W-led-monitor

It calls it 'Freesync', not Freesync 2, or Premium, so I'm assuming that's what it is. This excerpt is from AMD's Freesync page, specifically the 'Freesync' heading (the others are Freesync Premium and Premium Pro):

Every AMD FreeSync™ monitor goes through a rigorous certification process to ensure a tear free, low latency experience. Pair your Radeon™ graphics card with an AMD FreeSync monitor over HDMI® or DisplayPort™ for effortlessly smooth gameplay.

That implies that either cable works does it not?

Also this, although this seems kind of ambiguous to me:

Does AMD FreeSync™ technology work over HDMI®?
Yes, FreeSync technology has supported HDMI since its inception. Many FreeSync certified displays have supported variable refresh rate technologies over HDMI since long before HDMI 2.1 was released and HDMI VRR was adopted. Buying a FreeSync certified display that supports FreeSync over HDMI, provides the immediate benefit of variable refresh rate, even if the display does not support HDMI 2.1.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I'm still confused about this and I've had my Freesync monitor for over a year now. I have a 5700XT incoming and wanted to make sure I'm using the right cable and setting things up right. I had it running with my 1070 over DP previously. I moved my post over here:

Were you correctly getting variable rate refresh though using your 1070 over DP with that monitor? I want to be able to have VRR in the 40 Hz to 60 Hz range so I can play targeting 60 fps but not have stutters nor tearing when I get short framerate drops into the 50s or even 40s. Turning VSync on with my non *Sync monitor is annoying since it introduces stutter, but that still looks way better to me than just turning on adaptive sync (eg VSync on when framerate >= monitor refresh rate, VSync off otherwise) where I get ugly tearing when I drop into the 50s in say RDR2. Or even worse, no sync at all when there tearing is just always there.

It would suck if I turn on FreeSync on the monitor and GSync on the card but the driver treats it like a GSync monitor and starts trying to blast out 144 fps for example.

 

[aleader]

Were you correctly getting variable rate refresh though using your 1070 over DP with that monitor? I want to be able to have VRR in the 40 Hz to 60 Hz range so I can play targeting 60 fps but not have stutters nor tearing when I get short framerate drops into the 50s or even 40s. Turning VSync on with my non *Sync monitor is annoying since it introduces stutter, but that still looks way better to me than just turning on adaptive sync (eg VSync on when framerate >= monitor refresh rate, VSync off otherwise) where I get ugly tearing when I drop into the 50s in say RDR2. Or even worse, no sync at all when there tearing is just always there.

It would suck if I turn on FreeSync on the monitor and GSync on the card but the driver treats it like a GSync monitor and starts trying to blast out 144 fps for example.

My understanding of it after much research at the time is that you turn Vsync ON in Control Panel and OFF in-game, and make sure that 'GSYNC compatible' is selected in CP. You also obviously turn Freesync ON in your monitor settings. Without the DP cable, GSYNC compatible didn't even show up for me in CP. When I first got the monitor I didn't realize you need a DP cable with Nvidia.

I must have went through 500 posts and 'experts' trying to figure out if Freesync was actually working as everyone has a different opinion on it. I do see in my games (with Afterburner) though when I set the max fps to 72 (you're supposed to set it about 3 frames short of your monitor's refresh rate) that some of my games (that can run that high) are at 72 in-game. I'm assuming then that Freesync is 'working', but I still have yet to figure out how you know for sure as nobody seems to know this.

I have never experienced any tearing, so maybe that's a sign that it's working?