Nvidia to support Freesync?

[TNA]

Why will people not be stuck with G-sync?

If you have a g-sync monitor you won't be able to use it like an adaptive sync monitor with an AMD card, you'll only ever be able to use the monitors Gsync tech with an Nvidia card, so it won't eventually affect Nvidia negatively, only AMD.
Unless there's been another announcement I've missed?

Yes you missed it. Maybe I worded it wrong. Basically if you buy/own one of these monitors that do both G-Sync/Freesync (this is how they will be branded after all) then you won’t feel stuck with one or the other.

You’ve been here long enough to know that “we” do not dictate the market, as enthusiasts make up a small percentage of the overall demographic.

The other benefit to this from NV’s perspective is that all those people who didn’t buy gsync monitors, perhaps due to already owning AMD, or simply not wanting to be locked in, now have one less barrier to buying an NV card.

I suppose, but to be fair if they want a similar guarantee then for that there is Freesync 2 which is arguably a stritchter standard than a normal g-Sync. They are as rare as G-Sync monitors too though. Lol.

When the new OLED 120hz 4K TVs come out they will essentially be Freesync 2/G-Sync. That is what I have my eye on. It will take image quality to the next level. With a huge panel I can have any aspect ratio I want with OLED blacks. Will still use 16:9 though no doubt

 

[SS-89]

The way i see it there isn't anything that nVidia can't do in software that AMD can, i mean what are we saying here?

That Nvidia still gonna Nvidia? As it stands it gives people a bit more choice but an Nvidia card owner would still have a better experience with a Gsync monitor vs a freesync one (given most have stricter operating ranges without LFC) until they pull their finger out and release a software level implementation. That would however negate the need for the hardware gsync module which would therefore kill gsync.

 

[Rroff]

That Nvidia still gonna Nvidia? As it stands it gives people a bit more choice but an Nvidia card owner would still have a better experience with a Gsync monitor vs a freesync one (given most have stricter operating ranges without LFC) until they pull their finger out and release a software level implementation. That would however negate the need for the hardware gsync module which would therefore kill gsync.

There are features of G-Sync that can't be done software level (atleast not without a significant rewrite of the way Windows works by MS and even then I think some features need additional frame buffers on the monitor itself to implement).

G-Sync/FreeSync are very much not just clones of the same technology - amongst other differences is the way low framerates are handled, pixel response "boosting" and (level of) support for non-exclusive fullscreen modes.

 

[MrMarvelous]

Have they given up on their own proprietary GSYNC and gone with the free, open-source one permanently?

 

[humbug]

That Nvidia still gonna Nvidia? As it stands it gives people a bit more choice but an Nvidia card owner would still have a better experience with a Gsync monitor vs a freesync one (given most have stricter operating ranges without LFC) until they pull their finger out and release a software level implementation. That would however negate the need for the hardware gsync module which would therefore kill gsync.

Segment a difference between Adaptive Sync and branded G-Sync? i get what you're saying, they may try but i doubt they would get way with it.

When things like this happen its usually for a bunch of reasons coming together that makes 'the old way' unsustainable. apparently sales for G-Sync Screen have fallen off a cliff, if you look how many there are on sale its something like 20 or 30 compared with over 500 Free-Sync and all of them very expensive.

I think consumers are sick of paying what they see as an nVidia tax for the technology they know exists for a lot less on the other side, they don't have much selection choice and i think for these and other reasons vendors are putting pressure on nVidia to get onboard with the successful version of the technology because they want to drop the way nVidia want to do it.

Your Laptop probably has G-Sync and its not a G-Sync Module that's powering it, its done the same way AMD have been doing it for years.

I think nVidia will adopt the Vesa standard, they will say its different and better than AMD's when in fact its exactly the same but the G-Sync Module is about to become history. and good riddance to the bloody thing, it should never have been a thing.

 

[SS-89]

There are features of G-Sync that can't be done software level (atleast not without a significant rewrite of the way Windows works by MS and even then I think some features need additional frame buffers on the monitor itself to implement).

G-Sync/FreeSync are very much not just clones of the same technology - amongst other differences is the way low framerates are handled, pixel response "boosting" and (level of) support for non-exclusive fullscreen modes.

The sole reason I have a gsync monitor was at the time the wide operating range (as per the PCPer analysis done a few years ago: https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Dissecting-G-Sync-and-FreeSync-How-Technologies-Differ before AMD introduced software based LFC). I didn't buy it for any other gsync specific features ULMB etc. The single thing stopping me from getting rid of my ROG swift would be LFC. If LFC is supported at a driver level on freesync monitors for Nvidia users I would probably migrate for the added flexibility and to move to an IPS display.

Segment a difference between Adaptive Sync and branded G-Sync? i get what you're saying, they may try but i doubt they would get way with it.

When things like this happen its usually for a bunch of reasons coming together that makes 'the old way' unsustainable. apparently sales for G-Sync Screen have fallen off a cliff, if you look how many there are on sale its something like 20 or 30 compared with over 500 Free-Sync and all of them very expensive.

I'd agree Nvidia aren't doing this for any altruistic reasons, you're probably right, people tend to buy monitors and keep them for a long time especially when they have become so expensive so not surprised if sales decline is the reason behind it, they've probably exhausted what they can and manufacturers are now pushing them to drop it so they can amalgamate production and reduce their own costs.

Yes my alienware has a gsync display, not sure how it operates.

 

[LoadsaMoney]

Del

 

[humbug]

The sole reason I have a gsync monitor was at the time the wide operating range (as per the PCPer analysis done a few years ago: https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Dissecting-G-Sync-and-FreeSync-How-Technologies-Differ before AMD introduced software based LFC). I didn't buy it for any other gsync specific features ULMB etc. The single thing stopping me from getting rid of my ROG swift would be LFC. If LFC is supported at a driver level on freesync monitors for Nvidia users I would probably migrate for the added flexibility and to move to an IPS display.



I'd agree Nvidia aren't doing this for any altruistic reasons, you're probably right, people tend to buy monitors and keep them for a long time especially when they have become so expensive so not surprised if sales decline is the reason behind it, they've probably exhausted what they can and manufacturers are now pushing them to drop it so they can amalgamate production and reduce their own costs.

Yes my alienware has a gsync display, not sure how it operates.

Hardware Unboxed did a thing on it a year or so ago, as far as they could tell those G-Sync laptops, at least the ones they looked at, don't have G-Sync modules in them, they are operating adaptive sync technology in the same way AMD are.

 

[humbug]

Hardware Unboxed did a thing on it a year or so ago, as far as they could tell those G-Sync laptops, at least the ones they looked at, don't have G-Sync modules in them, they are operating adaptive sync technology in the same way AMD are.

You know, they are kinda bulky things to be sticking in the back of a nice slim laptop screen, it wouldn't fit....
Certainly not the HDR one with the $500 chip and fan on it.

 

[DmitryD]

I dunno any extra costs nVidia put on - obviously there is a lot more to it than the bill of materials - but the FPGA used in the non-HDR variant could be bought for $9/unit in bulk when I last checked. (Obviously there is also licensing costs involved as well, etc.). The HDR version is a very different story though.

Apparently FPGA used in fancy 4k 144Hz monitors retailing for >2k cost around $500.

You need to factor in R&D, not just manufacturing costs - without scale (which GSYNC failed to achieve) costs will be high, even Nvidia could not sustain it, which is good!

 

[SS-89]

Hardware Unboxed did a thing on it a year or so ago, as far as they could tell those G-Sync laptops, at least the ones they looked at, don't have G-Sync modules in them, they are operating adaptive sync technology in the same way AMD are.

Interesting which would imply that gsync is working based on a software level LFC as I'm definitely getting gsync through the full operating range.

From an older article (https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...c-for-laptops-reveals-low-level-tech-details/):

According to Nvidia, the reason desktop displays need a G-Sync module is that it provides a much more controllable end-to-end solution for consistent performance. However, for G-Sync laptops, there's no module. Instead, the display is directly controlled by the GPU, which pulls double duty as both scaler and graphics card. G-Sync exploits this connection and the variable timing and panel self-refresh functionality built into eDP, effectively implementing G-Sync in software.

The more technically minded out there will note that this is very similar to how AMD's FreeSync works on the desktop, the tech being based DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync, which was in turn based on eDP.

 

[doody]

g sync is dead people need to stop moaning and to get over it

 

[Shashman]

Hahahaha!

Can't help but feel smug with my brand new 32" AOC Freesync monitor and 1070Ti, with everyone and their aunt telling people (and me) to go for Vega GPUs because of Freesync support

 

[LoadsaMoney]

 

[humbug]

Interesting which would imply that gsync is working based on a software level LFC as I'm definitely getting gsync through the full operating range.

Right, of course nVidia have a lot more control over its implementation there insuring it works, They will simply apply that to certifying desktop screens from here on out, and actually good of them to do that retrospectively on existing Free Sync screens. They didn't have to do that, of course that just makes me think there is something urgent about it.

Role on Wednesday

Hahahaha!

Can't help but feel smug with my brand new 32" AOC Freesync monitor and 1070Ti, with everyone and their aunt telling people (and me) to go for Vega GPUs because of Freesync support

Thats now 3 of us in this thread with that screen, we can start a little club

 

[Aretak]

Hahahaha!

Can't help but feel smug with my brand new 32" AOC Freesync monitor and 1070Ti, with everyone and their aunt telling people (and me) to go for Vega GPUs because of Freesync support

You sure showed them by paying more for (at best) the same performance.

 

[Rofflay]

Well the AW2518HF is £299 the gsync version is £599. It was pushing me so much with RX i would have bought AMD to spite Nvidia.

This may change things they have to support freesync fully there is no other option. But thier greed this last three years is still disgusting.

 

[ltron]

You're looking at what I said backwards.





Of course it will hurt AMD, Plenty of people that own an adaptive-sync monitor will buy an Nvidia gpu now that they support adaptive sync through the open standard. Why do you think Nvidia did it? They did it because it gives them access to a section of the gpu market that they didn't appeal to before.

It could help them though because monitor manufacturers know that if they support Freesync then AMD and Nvidia users can all use that monitor. Hopefully this encourages investment in Freesync and we get better monitors. Also, it means you can use a Freesync monitor with Nvidia but you can keep that monitor if you want to switch to AMD.

 

[humbug]

Well the AW2518HF is £299 the gsync version is £599. It was pushing me so much with RX i would have bought AMD to spite Nvidia.

This may change things they have to support freesync fully there is no other option. But thier greed this last three years is still disgusting.

Wait a couple days for AMDs CES Keynote before making a final decision.

 

[ltron]

Wait a couple days for AMDs CES Keynote before making a final decision.

I agree.