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G-SYNC 101: Control Panel

Published Jun 20, 2017 by in: G-SYNC

G-SYNC Module

The G-SYNC module is a small chip that replaces the display’s standard internal scaler, and contains enough onboard memory to hold and process a single frame at a time.

The module exploits the vertical blanking interval (the span between the previous and next frame scan) to manipulate the display’s internal timings; performing G2G (gray to gray) overdrive calculations to prevent ghosting, and synchronizing the display’s refresh rate to the GPU’s render rate to eliminate tearing, along with the delayed frame delivery and adjoining stutter caused by traditional syncing methods.

G-SYNC Demo

The below Blur Busters Test UFO motion test pattern uses motion interpolation techniques to simulate the seamless framerate transitions G-SYNC provides within the refresh rate, when directly compared to standalone V-SYNC.

G-SYNC Activation

“Enable for full screen mode” (exclusive fullscreen functionality only) will automatically engage when a supported display is connected to the GPU. If G-SYNC behavior is suspect or non-functioning, untick the “Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible” box, apply, re-tick, and apply.

Blur Buster's G-SYNC 101: Control Panel

G-SYNC Windowed Mode

“Enable for windowed and full screen mode” allows G-SYNC support for windowed and borderless windowed mode. This option was introduced in a 2015 driver update, and by manipulating the DWM (Desktop Windows Manager) framebuffer, enables G-SYNC’s VRR (variable refresh rate) to synchronize to the focused window’s render rate; unfocused windows remain at the desktop’s fixed refresh rate until focused on.

G-SYNC only functions on one window at a time, and thus any unfocused window that contains moving content will appear to stutter or slow down, a reason why a variety of non-gaming applications (popular web browsers among them) include predefined Nvidia profiles that disable G-SYNC support.

Note: this setting may require a game or system restart after application; the “G-SYNC Indicator” (Nvidia Control Panel > Display > G-SYNC Indicator) can be enabled to verify it is working as intended.

G-SYNC Preferred Refresh Rate

“Highest available” automatically engages when G-SYNC is enabled, and overrides the in-game refresh rate selector (if present), defaulting to the highest supported refresh rate of the display. This is useful for games that don’t include a selector, and ensures the display’s native refresh rate is utilized.

“Application-controlled” adheres to the desktop’s current refresh rate, or defers control to games that contain a refresh rate selector.

Note: this setting only applies to games being run in exclusive fullscreen mode. For games being run in borderless or windowed mode, the desktop dictates the refresh rate.

G-SYNC & V-SYNC

G-SYNC (GPU Synchronization) works on the same principle as double buffer V-SYNC; buffer A begins to render frame A, and upon completion, scans it to the display. Meanwhile, as buffer A finishes scanning its first frame, buffer B begins to render frame B, and upon completion, scans it to the display, repeat.

The primary difference between G-SYNC and V-SYNC is the method in which rendered frames are synchronized. With V-SYNC, the GPU’s render rate is synchronized to the fixed refresh rate of the display. With G-SYNC, the display’s VRR (variable refresh rate) is synchronized to the GPU’s render rate.

Upon its release, G-SYNC’s ability to fall back on fixed refresh rate V-SYNC behavior when exceeding the maximum refresh rate of the display was built-in and non-optional. A 2015 driver update later exposed the option.

This update led to recurring confusion, creating a misconception that G-SYNC and V-SYNC are entirely separate options. However, with G-SYNC enabled, the “Vertical sync” option in the control panel no longer acts as V-SYNC, and actually dictates whether, one, the G-SYNC module compensates for frametime variances output by the system (which prevents tearing at all times. G-SYNC + V-SYNC “Off” disables this behavior; see G-SYNC 101: Range), and two, whether G-SYNC falls back on fixed refresh rate V-SYNC behavior; if V-SYNC is “On,” G-SYNC will revert to V-SYNC behavior above its range, if V-SYNC is “Off,” G-SYNC will disable above its range, and tearing will begin display wide.

Within its range, G-SYNC is the only syncing method active, no matter the V-SYNC “On” or “Off” setting.

Currently, when G-SYNC is enabled, the control panel’s “Vertical sync” entry is automatically engaged to “Use the 3D application setting,” which defers V-SYNC fallback behavior and frametime compensation control to the in-game V-SYNC option. This can be manually overridden by changing the “Vertical sync” entry in the control panel to “Off,” “On,” or “Fast.”

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3072 Comments For “G-SYNC 101”

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HopelessNinersFan
Member
HopelessNinersFan

Hi!

Thank you for the guide, it’s definitely made life much easier for me. I do have some confusion though. I have a 4080 SUPER, 32 GB RAM, i9 13980HX, and 240 HZ display – I’m quite proud of it. It mentions to enable Reflex if available or Low-Latency mode if FPS doesn’t always exceed the refresh rate, but how does that fit with setting a FPS limiter to limit the FPS regardless? I apologize in-advance if I’m misinterpreting, I’m still relatively new to PC gaming on a more advanced level. Furthermore, is Reflex even worth it if my 4080 isn’t ever anywhere near getting pinned? I heard Reflex only has an impact if your GPU is at 99%. Thanks again!

Regards,

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4 days 50 minutes ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

It mentions to enable Reflex if available or Low-Latency mode if FPS doesn’t always exceed the refresh rate, but how does that fit with setting a FPS limiter to limit the FPS regardless?

As noted here, Reflex has its own FPS limiting behavior when combined with G-SYNC + NVCP V-SYNC.

is Reflex even worth it if my 4080 isn’t ever anywhere near getting pinned? I heard Reflex only has an impact if your GPU is at 99%.

Correct, Reflex is only effective in further reducing latency (over a standalone FPS limiter) whenever GPU usage is 99% or higher.

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12 hours 21 minutes ago
Herconomicon
Member
Herconomicon

Do you recommend v-sync set to ON globally or per application ?

Like0Vote Down 
19 days 11 hours ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

That’s up to individual user preference, and will only affect convenience; NVCP V-SYNC will work the same way with VRR whether it’s enabled globally or per app.

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18 days 12 hours ago
Vizima
Member
Vizima

So, I’ve been doing a lot of testing over the past few weeks. My PC specs are: Intel Core i7-13700k and my monitor is an Asus 240Hz OLED. First off, I want to thank you for the guide, it started my hyperfocus of testing a lot stuff xD. I stumbled upon something peculiar while playing Apex Legends.

When I cap my framerate (I use RTSS for this) and enable both G-Sync and V-Sync in the NVIDIA Control Panel, and then select Reflex in-game, my framerate gets capped at 225, as the guide suggests. It feels incredibly smooth, but I noticed something strange – I could NOT bunny hop anymore (on controller). Turning off V-Sync allows me to bunny hop again, but I dislike the drop in smoothness, so I decided to try some other options.

The first thing I tried was disabling Reflex altogether. Despite expecting Reflex to reduce input delay, its absence actually allowed me to bunny hop again (which I consider an indicator of low input delay). Then, I decided to re-enable everything – G-Sync, V-Sync in NCP, and Reflex in-game – and capped my framerate in RTSS to 200. To my surprise, I found that I could bunny hop once again, experiencing low input delay and maintaining very smooth gameplay. Can anyone explain what’s happening here? Because with the exact same settings at 225, I couldn’t achieve the same result.

Here are my MSI Afterburner benchmark results while playing in-game:

200 FPS (capped in RTSS)
Average FPS: 198
1% Low FPS: 185
0.1% Low FPS: 166

Thanks a lot!

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20 days 3 hours ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

First off, I want to thank you for the guide, it started my hyperfocus of testing a lot stuff xD.

Sorry to hear that XD

noticed something strange – I could NOT bunny hop anymore (on controller).

Lower latency doesn’t necessarily always mean more responsiveness in the respect that muscle memory may be a factor. I.E. you could be “used to” whatever latency levels you have in a given configuration, and if that changes, whether it be higher or lower latency, it can be just enough to throw you off and prevent you from replicating any maneuvers that have very narrow and/or specific timing windows.

As to how Reflex would be affecting bunny hopping with a controller in your particular scenario, I can’t say.

Reflex itself monitors GPU usage; whenever the GPU is above 99%, Reflex will set a dynamic engine-level FPS limit just below the currently achievable average framerate as to prevent maxed GPU usage, which otherwise causes extra render queue-level latency (typically 1-2 frames).

Like1Vote Down 
18 days 11 hours ago
Vizima
Member
Vizima

Sorry to hear that XD

No problem at all. In fact, I enjoy the process of exploring all these settings to find the most optimal one! 😄

Lower latency doesn’t necessarily always mean more responsiveness in the respect that muscle memory may be a factor. I.E. you could be “used to” whatever latency levels you have in a given configuration, and if that changes, whether it be higher or lower latency, it can be just enough to throw you off and prevent you from replicating any maneuvers that have very narrow and/or specific timing windows.

Hmm, that makes sense, although I really think its nog a muscle memory thing. What’s the most effective method for testing input delay or latency without additional hardware? It’d be helpful to assess various setups. I’ve also experimented with V-Sync alongside Reflex, without G-Sync, and it appears smooth, with the added benefit of being able to bunny hop too (perhaps due to the 237 FPS cap instead of the 225 FPS cap). Quite unconventional findings, it seems. My monitor is the Asus OLED PG27AQDM 240Hz.

Reflex itself monitors GPU usage; whenever the GPU is above 99%, Reflex will set a dynamic engine-level FPS limit just below the currently achievable average framerate as to prevent maxed GPU usage, which otherwise causes extra render queue-level latency (typically 1-2 frames).

I never experience such high GPU usage with the 4090; it typically hovers around 50% or so. Does this indicate a reason to keep Reflex and/or ULLM off? In what scenarios do I benefit from Reflex and/or ULLM?

Another query: What are the most recent insights regarding FPS cap options? Is it a driver-level cap within the new Nvidia application, RTSS, or in-game/Steam launch commands? Specifically inquiring about Apex Legends.

Thanks a lot again!

Like1Vote Down 
16 days 18 hours ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

No problem at all. In fact, I enjoy the process of exploring all these settings to find the most optimal one!

I was half joking; this pursuit can quickly become an obsession with diminished returns.

You really just need to ensure you can keep the render queue as clear as possible for the lowest latency at the given achievable framerate. The rest is mostly down to factors ultimately outside the end-user’s control.

What’s the most effective method for testing input delay or latency without additional hardware?

There really isn’t one.

Some software allows you to monitor things like present time at the render pipleline-level, which then passes it off as “latency” readings, but said readings are usually not directly representative of true button-to-pixel latency.

G-SYNC monitors that feature the Reflex Latency Analyzer roughly approximate button-to-pixel latency measurements via mouse clicks, but I don’t think that’s a feature of the PG27AQDM.

In what scenarios do I benefit from Reflex and/or ULLM?

Whenever GPU usage is 99% or higher.

Whenever your system is not GPU-limited, settings like Reflex and LLM will do nothing to reduce latency further, and in the worst case, may affect frametime performance negatively.

What are the most recent insights regarding FPS cap options?

Things like this don’t really change much or at all over time, since fundamental PC hardware architecture hasn’t changed much either; engine-level limiters are typically the lowest latency, but with less consistent frametime performance, while external limiters like RTSS are slightly higher latency (typically by 1/2 to 1 frame), but with steadier frametime performance.

Like2Vote Down 
16 days 12 hours ago
toby23
Member
toby23

If I have a 120 Hz monitor with G-Sync and can achieve 115fps average in a game, is there any negative to locking the framerate to 59fps with RTSS to lower power consumption and smooth out Frametime?
Running unlocked in MSFS results in the Frametime jumping around all over the place but locking to 59 fps makes it steady.

PS Super article, thank you so much for keeping it updated.

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25 days 7 hours ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

No negatives beyond the lower framerate/higher frametime; many players (including me) sometimes prefer to set a fixed average framerate limit below the refresh rate to increase consistency (as well as prevent maxed GPU usage) in these cases.

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25 days 6 hours ago
toby23
Member
toby23

Does the actual number you choose to lock at matter? Does it have to be a multiple of the screens physical refresh rate eg 120hz locked to 60 or 30? Or could it be 50 for example?
In my testing, only 60 (59) was actually smooth on my 120hz. 40 didn’t work and neither did 50.

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25 days 1 hour ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

For G-SYNC, no; that “rule” only applies to standalone V-SYNC.

If you’re experiencing a lack of smoothness in the 40-50 range with G-SYNC on + NVCP V-SYNC on, then it’s either an LFC threshold issue with your particular monitor model or something not directly related to G-SYNC.

Like1Vote Down 
25 days 5 minutes ago
toby23
Member
toby23

Does using ‘Enable Passive Waiting’ and ‘Enable framerate limiter – async/front edge sync/back edge sync/NVIDIA Reflex’ in RTSS make any actual difference to CPU overhead / GPU performance in demanding sims like MSFS?

Should I be selecting NVIDIA Reflex here too if that’s active in my game settings too? What should I select if REFLEX isn’t an option in game?

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Like2Vote Down 
24 days 8 hours ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

Those RTSS settings aren’t directly related to VRR operation and will affect the performance the same way whether VRR is enabled/disabled.

I haven’t experimented enough with them to give any specific information on their differences, but if you hover over that setting, it should reveal a detailed tool-tip.

As for Nvidia Reflex, beyond auto limiting the framerate slightly below the refresh rate when combined with G-SYNC + NVCP V-SYNC, it’s not directly related to VRR operation either, and instead monitors the current GPU usage, dynamically limiting the framerate to just below the achievable average as to prevent maxed GPU usage and adjoining render queue-level latency due to generation of extra pre-rendered frames in that scenario.

Like1Vote Down 
20 days 8 hours ago
toby23
Member
toby23

Thank you.

Like1Vote Down 
18 days 15 hours ago
Ryan Le
Member
Ryan Le

In Sea of Thieves, I have V-Sync turned off, but there is also an option to set the buffering to either double or triple, and there’s no off option. I set it to double buffering, but do I still need to enable V-Sync in NVCP? Would the in-game double buffering option (with in-game V-Sync off) conflict with NVCP V-Sync since it’s also running on double buffering?

Like0Vote Down 
29 days 16 hours ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

In the case where in-game V-SYNC can’t be disabled, double buffer is the correct choice when paired with VRR.

As for whether to enable NVCP V-SYNC in this scenario, it won’t really make a difference in 99% of cases; you can leave it enabled in the NVCP or set it to “Use the 3D application setting.”

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29 days 3 hours ago
Ryan Le
Member
Ryan Le

I’m sorry I didn’t make it clear. In Sea of Thieves, there are two separate settings, “the in-game V-SYNC” and “Buffering”:
– The in-game V-SYNC CAN be turned off and on
– But the Buffering can only be set to either “double” or “triple” with no “off” option

The post said I should “Disable all available “Vertical Sync,” “V-SYNC,” “Double Buffer,” and “Triple Buffer” options.” but in this case, there’s no option to turn off the buffer setting. So if I set it as:
– In-game V-SYNC: Off
– In-game buffering: Double
– NVCP V-SYNC: On

Is that the correct setting? Sorry for asking a lot as there are a lot of games that have the same situation, eg. Far Cry 3, so I want to know if my setting is right. Thanks in advance!

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28 days 17 hours ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

I have SoT, but haven’t played it for years, so forgot it had a separate toggle for the buffering type. So, yes, in that case your settings are correct (assuming that buffering setting even does anything with the in-game V-SYNC set to off).

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28 days 11 hours ago
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