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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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3061 Comments For “G-SYNC 101”

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WolfStar
Member
WolfStar

Since g-sync allows the monitor and gpu to talk to each other, wouldn’t it be much easier for the gpu to limit its own maximum frame rate output based on the monitor?

To my understanding, once past the g-sync range (ie, your monitors refresh rate) it really just becomes double buffer v-sync and adds a ton of input lag. To combat this you need to then limit the framerate output with an fps cap. If you’re lucky, the game will have one available that limits it at the engine level, great. However if it doesn’t include one you’re stuck with tearing, v-sync lag, or no tearing but still some form of input lag from external fps cap programs. Instead of having to deal with this crap and in an effort to make things WAY more user friendly, wouldn’t it be a lot easier to just limit the gpu frame production internally when gsync is enabled? I’m no gpu engineer and idk if you could even accomplish this, but through either restricting how much the gpu is working, or just limiting what the gpu outputs (though this is basically what vsync does, it would just be internal limiter, so Idk if that would add input lag or not) it at least seems possible.

Btw highly appreciate that you’re still active on replying to people in the comments given the age of this post, though I can tell you’re getting annoyed with repeat questions and the fact this “comment section” is just people asking you stuff. Idk if you can even answer this, but it’s just something I thought of while reading the article. Great read btw and awesome quality of testing and explanation.

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5 years 7 months ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

As far as I’m aware, what the GPU outputs is entirely dependent on the display driver and the game engine, both of which originate on the hard drive, some of which has to be processed by the CPU (RTSS is a CPU-based limiter by the way) before it even reaches the GPU, so, no, I’m doubting that is viable, and I’m certain if something like that was, they would have done it by now.

This graphic I made a while back should give you a clearer idea on how the whole process works:

comment image

Good news is (and something that gets confused all the time), is that at least with G-SYNC, RTSS does NOT add input lag over the same uncapped FPS within the refresh rate (in fact, due to how pre-rendered frames work, it can reduce input lag). RTSS only adds more lag than in-game caps, and only by about 1 frame.

Also, no worries, I only get “annoyed” (and not very) when someone obviously hasn’t read the article before asking a question that it already answers, or when someone that speaks an unspecified amount of English initially makes that fact unclear and then asks a question that they literally can’t understand the answer to (which thankfully doesn’t happen much anyway). Otherwise, no, I don’t mind.

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5 years 7 months ago
Abiak
Member
Abiak

jorimt please answer.
1) NVIDIA Control Panel G-Sync: Full Screen vs. Windowed and Full Screen, which one should I use for gaming?
2) Does just “full screen” work on windowed borderless?
3) Preferred refresh rate “Highest Available” or “Application controlled”?
4) Does “Highest Available” work on windowed borderless?
5) From what I understood, for a 144Hz monitor, the best options are gync + vsync on (NVCP) + in-game vsync off and frame limited to 142 fps. However I don’t get why you need vsync, why gsync + frame limiter is not enough?
6) If the game has no fps-limiter, you need to use RTSS, however RTSS also introduces delay so what’s the point of using it? Has it “less” delay than gsync+vsync 144 fps?
7) About RTSS, should I leave everything default and just block fps?
8) I think who has a bad PC don’t need to block fps so they have no delay, correct?
9) My monitor can be overclocked to 165Hz, do you recommend overclocking it and block fps to 163 or can it cause problems?
10) If games have “mouse direct input” do you reccomend using it (not sure if it is related with g-sync)?
11) Do you reccomend playing full screen or windowed borderless?
12) If you play without gsync you can have stuttering, tearing, frame delay and input delay, correct?
13) If I play with gsync+vsync and no fps block, let’s say my fps are 60, then I open menu and my fps go up to 144, what happens? After I close the menu everything goes back to normal?
14) Nvidia panel: vsync on or fast?
15) Should vsync be always on or just when fps are more than 144?
16) Should triple buffering be off?
17) Can I ask how did you set up the whole nvidia panel?

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5 years 7 months ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

While the comments section for this article has basically turned into “ask the author,” I would like to limit my answers (and preferably, users’ questions) to those not already explained in my article, or those that need clarification.

The majority of your questions have already been answered in this article.

1) See part #14 of this article.

2, 3 & 4) See part #1 of this article.

5) This has been asked (and answered by me) too many times at this point. Please read through article, as well as previous comments, where I give an even simpler, more direct answer on this.

6) See part #11 of this article.

7) Again, see part #14 of this article.

8) If your PC can’t reach the maximum refresh rate of your monitor in a game, no, you don’t need a framerate limit, though it can still reduce input lag in some game menus, where the framerate can often go much higher than in gameplay.

9) Up to you, but some monitors that overclock to 165Hz can actually be blurrier than at 144Hz because of worse overdrive tuning when overclocked.

10) Raw mouse input bypasses the Window’s mouse setting’s sensitivity and acceleration. It’s best to have it on for better mouse precision.

11) Fullscreen, if possible.

12) Yes.

13) I’m not sure what you are trying to say, but maybe you mean the same thing I mentioned in answer #8 above?

14) No, see part #8 of this article.

15) Up to you, but if you never want to see tearing, leave it on; that was the original design of G-SYNC.

16) Always off; G-SYNC functions on a double buffer only.

17) How I personally set it up? I use Nvidia Inspector, so I have G-SYNC enabled (sometimes fullscreen mode, sometimes windowed; some of my apps don’t do well with windowed), Vertical Sync “Force on,” Anisotropic Filtering mode “User-defined / Off, Anisotropic filtering setting “16x,” and Texture filtering – Quality “High Quality” (for an increase in global texture clarity; has nothing to do with G-SYNC), and Enable Ansel “ANSEL_ENABLE_OFF” (never use it). That’s basically it.

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5 years 7 months ago
Abiak
Member
Abiak

Thank you, I’ve read it, english is not my main language so I need a confirmation:

1 & 2: I should set “full screen” and play always in full screen mode, if the game has no full screen (i.e. it has only Windowed borderless) I should set “Windowed and Full Screen”, correct?
3.1) Well I guess Highest Available?
3.2) In case it does not work and the game has a refresh rate selector, can you select the refresh rate from the game or it is something you can’t change? Cause if you can’t change it, I guess it’s a problem.
4) I guess the answer is no?
5) Is the answer “No vsync = tearing”?
6) Is the answer “and a far superior alternative to the 2-6 frame delay added by uncapped G-SYNC.”?
7) I’m sorry but I couldn’t find the answer.
8) So who has a bad PC has an advantage over the RTSS users.
12) I tried playing csgo with 200-600 fps, there was a bit of lag but no tearing. If I play without gsync/vsync and can’t reach 144 fps (or over it) what kind of problems are there?
13) Yes, I meant, when you have 144 fps in the menu there is lag, my question is: the lag goes away after you close the menu or do you need to restart the game in order to fix it?
14) Well I guess fast is NOT the answer.
16) If games have double buffering on or off?
17.1) And why do you use inspector if it is worse than RTSS?
17.2) This is how I set it up:
Antialias/ing options off and application-controlled. Triple buffering off. CUDA GPU all. Shader cache on. Anisotropic application-controlled. Negative LOD bias allow. TF quality = quality. Pre-rendered frames both 1. GPU rendering OpenGL auto. Power management adaptive (max in games). MFAA on. DSR off. Ambient occlusion off. Threaded auto. V-sync on. Monitor technology G-sync. Preferred refresh rate highest. PhysX auto. Resolution 2560×1440 144Hz. All color options and image default (not nvidia). No scaling + override the scaling mode set by games. G-sync full screen.

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5 years 7 months ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

Quick clarification/correction on below point:

8) Within the refresh rate, an RTSS cap actually has LESS input lag than uncapped at the same framerate. So no, a weaker PC at a lower framerate (without an RTSS FPS cap) does not have an input lag advantage.

E.g. an RTSS framerate cap has MORE input lag than an in-game framerate cap, but an RTSS framerate cap has LESS input lag than an uncapped framerate within the refresh rate.

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5 years 7 months ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

1 & 2) “YES” to both questions.

3.1 & 3.2 & 4) With G-SYNC enabled, always leave it set to “Highest Available.” “YES” it works in borderless/windowed mode.

5) “YES”

6) In order of best to worst FPS cap: in-game > RTSS > Nvidia Inspector. RTSS has much less lag than uncapped framerate IF your framerate exceed your max refresh rate.

7) When used with G-SYNC, “YES.”

8) EDITED, see reply above this comment.

12) Lots of visible tearing.

13) The added lag goes away as soon as the framerate is below 144. You don’t need to do anything.

14) G-SYNC + Fast Sync = worse, G-SYNC + V-SYNC = best.

16) Just make sure if the game has a triple buffer option, that it is off. Follow my Optimal G-SYNC Settings in part #14 of this article, and you’ll be fine.

17.1) I don’t use Nvidia Inspector for a framerate limiter, I use it instead of the Nvidia Control Panel for other settings. I use RTSS or an in-game limiter for framerate limiting.

17.2) Those are fine, do what you like. Believe it or not, many of those settings don’t make much of a difference with G-SYNC anyway.

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5 years 7 months ago
Abiak
Member
Abiak

3.2) I meant if the game does not support highest avaible and the game has a refresh rate selector, can you select the refresh rate from the game or it is something you can’t change?
4) But it is supposed to work only on full screen, why does it work on windowed borderless too?
6) No, I meant “gsync+vsync+RTSS 141 fps” vs “gsync+vsync 144 fps”, which has more lag?
7) Do you mean everything default and just block fps?
8) Are you telling me that if you play without gsync+rtss you lag more than with gsync+rtss?
13) Then if you can’t reach 144 fps you don’t need to block fps, just gsync+vsync.
16.1) Ok but some games ask buffering: off, double, triple (and sometimes there are even more options). Should I use off?
16.2) My mouse has 500Hz polling rate, how can I change it?

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5 years 7 months ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

If you have any further questions after this, please post them in a new thread in the G-SYNC forum:
https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewforum.php?f=5&sid=536ac9a313f2edae6a75591b741f1c42

3.2) Set it to “Application Controlled” if you want the game to control the refresh rate (if it has the option to do so; many games do not). I don’t see why you would ever want to do this though. With G-SYNC, you always want to use the highest refresh rate possible, and the “Highest Available” option allows that.

4) What I mean is, you might as well have it set to “Highest Available” with borderless/windowed, because it uses the desktop refresh rate in this scenario anyway.

6) “G-SYNC + V-SYNC @144 FPS” has MUCH more input lag than “G-SYNC + V-SYNC + RTSS w/141 FPS limit.” RTSS only has MORE input lag than an in-game FPS limit. RTSS has LESS input lag than anything else.

7) YES, leave all the RTSS settings at default and just use its FPS limiter.

8) In most cases, YES. Input lag is higher with G-SYNC + V-SYNC without RTSS. I can’t make it any clearer for you without confusing you further, so let’s leave it at that.

13) Short Answer, correct, But long answers, is that many in-game menus will reach a higher framerate than in gameplay in these cases, so an RTSS or in-game FPS limit will reduce input lag in the menus as well. You seem to be treating RTSS as if it is an evil that must be avoided at all cost, but it only adds up to 1 frame of lag when compared to an in-game limit, and only when the framerate is at or above the FPS limit you set; when the framerate is below the limit you set, RTSS isn’t even active.

16.1) My answer is already in the optimal settings section (part #14) of this article; turn all V-SYNC options OFF in the game, and turn V-SYNC ON in the Nvidia control panel. It is as simple as that.

16.2) That entirely depends on your mouse model. Some mice don’t have the option to go above 500Hz.

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5 years 7 months ago
Abiak
Member
Abiak

Please allow me the last answers, I need to answer “your answers”.
3.2.1) I’ll try to explain again: not all games support highest avaible. If the game doesn’t support it, the game itself will control the refresh rate: I want to know if this is an option that you can see and change or if you can’t change it. Let’s say the game has a 120Hz refresh rate, can you see this option and set it to 144Hz?
3.2.2) If highest avaible doesn’t work and the game has no refresh rate control, it will use the desktop refresh rate which is 144Hz, so both highest avaible and desktop refresh rate are 144Hz correct?
4) As I said in 3.2.2 they are both 144Hz.
8) Gsync+vsync+rtss vs nothing (no gsync, no vsync, no fps block), has “nothing” more lag?
13) I didn’t know that! So with RTSS limit 141 fps: I play 30-140 fps = no lag, I play 141 fps = 1 frame lag?
16.2) Can’t you do it with some software?
17) In the technology monitor option I can select G-sync, ULMB and fixed refresh, you never reccomend the last 2?

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5 years 7 months ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

If you would like to continue this discussion Abiak, again, please start a new thread in the G-SYNC forum.

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5 years 7 months ago
Jaz11
Member
Jaz11

Great read thank you! Does the -3 fps cap have to be 3 or more? I have been running mine at 118 cap (120hz monitor)

I previously have had vsync off in control panel but will be switching it on now.

Is a -2 fps cap ok? (I have ocd, odd numbers mess with me)

Thanks. Jaz.

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5 years 7 months ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

A -2 FPS limit is what I used in all of my tests, so yes.

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5 years 7 months ago
Jaz11
Member
Jaz11

Ok thank you. Does vsync turn on at the monitors refresh rate (120hz) ror only if the fps tries to go over?

Would vsync turning on and off be noticable? The monitors live refresh tracker does occasionally show 120hz for a split second even with the 118fps cap

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5 years 7 months ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

The built-in refresh rate meter isn’t always 100% accurate. Ignore those spikes to 120Hz, they don’t reflect the reality (mine did it as well in the tests); as long as you have the -2 FPS limit applied and the meter is moving, G-SYNC is active.

As for being able to discern the transition in and out of the G-SYNC range (with G-SYNC + V-SYNC On + -2 or more FPS limit), if you have the FPS limiter in place, it won’t happen.

Without an appropriate FPS limit, there can be a visible stutter during the transition from the G-SYNC ceiling to above the max refresh rate and back with V-SYNC active, but I’ve only experienced this phenomenon with G-SYNC at lower max refresh rates (60Hz), and it can easily be mistaken for what are actually common (and unavoidable) frametime spikes, which have the same visible effect, even well within the G-SYNC range.

No system is stutter-free, even with properly configured G-SYNC.

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5 years 7 months ago
jabbofresh
Member
jabbofresh

Hi jorimt. Quick question. If I play fortnite on the xbox x (assuming it is 60hz vsync locked) but I have variable refresh enabled (freesync). Is it safe to assume I may benefit from the same small benefits in input lag reduce per your Gsync ceiling vs vsync tests? Looks to be an average of around 5-10 ms

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5 years 8 months ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

In that specific scenario, only when the framerate is below 60 FPS will you get the benefits of VRR (FreeSync), otherwise, standard V-SYNC-level input lag levels will apply (or plain old tearing, if a given game does not have V-SYNC enforced).

I don’t know what the performance is for that game on the One X, but if it is a near constant 60, the irony is that you aren’t getting the benefits of VRR at 60Hz unless there are regular drops into the 50’s or lower, and/or the devs have instituted a -2 or -3 FPS framerate limit, the latter of which I highly doubt.

It’s very early days for VRR on consoles however, so no doubt the implementation will improve as time goes by.

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5 years 8 months ago
embracing_lol
Member
embracing_lol

Hi, I strictly play League of Legends and plan to purchase a 165hz w/ G-SYNC monitor (Dell s2417dg). My FPS in game is around 200 and dips to an average of 110-130 FPS during the rest of the game. My hardware is a Ryzen 5 1600 (stock clock speeds) / GTX 1050ti. What would be the most optimal setup for the least input lag and no tearing? I was thinking of using G-SYNC On / NVCP V-SYNC Off / In-Game V-SYNC Off.

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5 years 8 months ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

As I’ve stated multiple times in the comments section here, in this article, and elsewhere, within the G-SYNC range, the only input lag reduction with G-SYNC + V-SYNC Off over G-SYNC + V-SYNC On is the tearing you may see, nothing more.

G-SYNC + V-SYNC Off, even with an appropriate FPS limit (say 162 FPS @165HZ), can and will tear; the frequency and severity depends on the given system + given game (read the “2 – Range” section of this article and my previous comment a handful below yours for more details).

The rest of your input lag factors G-SYNC simply isn’t responsible for, and what remains will entirely depend on the combined latency of your mouse, keyboard, monitor, game, and overall system response, which will vary by specs, overclocks, software configuration, system health, etc.

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5 years 8 months ago
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