When a monitor fails to refresh as quickly as a game’s frame rate, it results in something called tearing. If you’re a gamer who’s been forced to deal with this on a regular basis, you’ll know just how annoying it can be. For those who only use their computer to check their email or search for tips on how to improve their golf swing, they’ll be just fine. But your monitor’s display is critical to your gaming experience.
Fortunately, there’s a method of syncing your refresh rate to your GPU rendering, and it’s all thanks to a program called FreeSync. While you may not have heard of it, it’s both simple and effective.
If your gaming consists of simple titles such as Half-Life, you can get away without using FreeSync. High refresh rates can be hugely beneficial in eliminating tearing, so you might not even need adaptive sync technologies with a GPU that produces high frame rates consistently.
However, if you enjoy playing newer games like Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, which are more graphic intensive, even powerful gaming desktops night render an average of only 50 or 50 FPS. That would fall below the monitor’s refresh rate.
When you use FreeSync, the refresh rate scales whichever way is necessary to match the frame rate, which means you’ll never see the monitor refreshing mid-frame, and tearing won’t occur.
Getting FreeSync to Work
In order to use FreeSync, you’ll need either an AMD graphics card compatible or an integrated APU, such as AMD’s Ryzen-branded all-in-one chips. The majority of today’s Radeon cards support FreeSync.
Once you have the basic requirements in place, you’ll also need to decide on whether you’re happy with the basic FreeSync or if one of the two upgrades would be a better option for you.
FreeSync Premium
You should only use a monitor that supports low frame rate compensation (LFC). LFC comes into play when your graphic processor is unable to maintain the frame rate of your monitor. LFC ensures they remain in sync.
FreeSync Premium Pro
FreeSync Premium Pro offers variable refresh technology and HDR support, resulting in smoother gameplay, along with enhanced contrast and brightness. If you’re the kind of gamer who appreciates HDR effect, you’ll have a great experience with a FreeSync Premium Pro monitor.
FreeSync vs G-Sync
FreeSync isn’t the only mainstream technology to display smoother pictures. Theres also G-Sync. The main difference is the developer, as AMD develops FreeSync, whereas G-Sync is developed by Nvidia.
FreeSync requires you to have a laptop with an AMD graphics card or a game console with an AMD processor. G-Sync, on the other hand, synchronises your monitor’s refresh rate with a Nvidia graphics card’s frame rate.
G-SYNC displays may feature a dedicated module, but it also means a steep price hike compared with FreeSync. AMD FreeSync doesn’t add any cost to the monitor at all. That isn’t to say that G-SYNC monitors don’t have their advantages over FreeSync.
For example, they have a variable overdrive, a lower input lag, and a wider dynamic refresh rate. The majority of G-Sync monitors support VRR only when the GPU is connected to the monitor via a DisplayPort input, whereas the majority of FreeSync monitors work over both DisplayPort and HDMI.
For Xbox users, FreeSync displays provide a great solution, as Xboxes use AMD chips. There are also numerous FreeSync monitors available, and they come with various specifications, meaning that gamers have various monitors to choose from.
Wrap Up
Now you know what FreeSync is, and you know the differences between FreeSync, FreeSync Premium, and FreeSync Premium Pro, you’ll find it far easier to choose the best monitor and take your gaming experience to a whole new level.
Always keep an eye on new technologies and monitors. For example, portable monitors are becoming quite a trend. Even if it’s just one portable monitor, with FreeSync technology, you could be enjoying the ultimate portable gaming experience in no time.
