Any point to the g-sync module now?

[Phixsator]

So many of you must have hard of the gamenab mod driver based of off some OEM driver enabling g-sync on laptops even though there is no g-sync module inside, basically taking advantage of power saving features which has led to the adaptive sync standard we know today and therefor making it possible to have variable refresh rate on your laptop using a nvidia branded gpu. Seems a lot like what AMD started out demoing way back with their freesync basicly, exploiting the same feature set of the panel inside the laptop. Now to the main point..

Now that it has also been confirmed by nvidia that g-sync is coming to laptops at some point for specific branded g-sync models without the use of a g-sync module, what is holding someone from modding the drivers and using an adaptive sync capable desktop monitor and also getting variable refresh rate capabilities without locking yourself completely to nvidia? I dont see nvidia offering the support officially as it would go against what nvidia normally does and it wouldn't help sales of their gsync panels one bit.

Now all the info can be seen pcpers working gsync laptop here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SYvgB6SZ4 , and if you google "gamenab" or look at reddit.

The biggest question for me is though.. Did nvidia lie again? or is this an afterthought using the same name aka gsync for variable refresh rate? They did say gsync wasn't possible without the Gsync module. Is it just 1 name for 2 different technologies? or is the gsync module not really necessary afterall since it does the exact same thing a scaler with adaptive sync capabilities would do?

Some info links, will be updated as i find more:
http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Mobile-G-Sync-Confirmed-and-Tested-Leaked-Alpha-Driver

 

[andybird123]

Did you read the article?
This laptop suffers a number of side effects like the screen blacking out entirely when "gsync" with no module is enabled

No, nvidia didnt lie, this "working" on a laptop is similar to the early freesync demo that Amd did, it isnt the same as desktop gsync

Freesync/adaptive sync hasnt been properly tested and reviewed yet so what the comparison is still remains to be seen

 

[Phixsator]

Did you read the article?
This laptop suffers a number of side effects like the screen blacking out entirely when "gsync" with no module is enabled

No, nvidia didnt lie, this "working" on a laptop is similar to the early freesync demo that Amd did, it isnt the same as desktop gsync

Freesync/adaptive sync hasnt been properly tested and reviewed yet so what the comparison is still remains to be seen

One could contribute the "issues" to early alpha drivers instead of the module not being present..You dont know... i dont know.. But it makes more sense imho. To me it just seems like there hasnt been set some sort of minimum variable refresh rate causing the monitor to try and refresh at sub optimal hz resulting in the issue to begin with.. That is my personal theory atleast.

I dont think VESA would accept a standard if that standard wasnt working and if adaptive sync doesnt suffers from this issue why should this module free version of gsync once drivers are 100% up and running..Dont forget the confirmed laptops wont have a module in them.

 

[andybird123]

Basically, yes, in its rawist form this would appear to be something like adaptive sync working on an nvidia gpu.

Lets not forget that the gsync module was created because desktop monitors didnt support variable refresh. But yes it looks like nvidia could support adaptive sync if they wanted.

How gsync compares to adaptive sync remains to be seen.

And then there is the question of "need". Only if adaptive sync monitors see big sales do nvidia need to support it. All the while gsync module monitors are selling it would be counterproductive for them to support desktop ASync.

The problem with referencing gamenab though is that his claims are full of bull. He didnt mod the driver he just downloaded it. It enables variable refresh on a certain laptop, but not on desktop monitors. The guy even tries to show "gsync working" in windowed mode which it cant.

then there is also the fact that laptops use eDP which is quite a bit different to normal DP and has had variable vblank for quite a while, it doesnt automatically mean that all nvidia cards could comply with DP1.2a, as even AMD first off said the 7*** series would support freesync and now they dont support it for gaming

 

[Phixsator]

Basically, yes, in its rawist form this would appear to be something like adaptive sync working on an nvidia gpu.

Lets not forget that the gsync module was created because desktop monitors didnt support variable refresh. But yes it looks like nvidia could support adaptive sync if they wanted.

How gsync compares to adaptive sync remains to be seen.

And then there is the question of "need". Only if adaptive sync monitors see big sales do nvidia need to support it. All the while gsync module monitors are selling it would be counterproductive for them to support desktop ASync.

The problem with referencing gamenab though is that his claims are full of bull. He didnt mod the driver he just downloaded it. It enables variable refresh on a certain laptop, but not on desktop monitors. The guy even tries to show "gsync working" in windowed mode which it cant.

then there is also the fact that laptops use eDP which is quite a bit different to normal DP and has had variable vblank for quite a while, it doesnt automatically mean that all nvidia cards could comply with DP1.2a, as even AMD first off said the 7*** series would support freesync and now they dont support it for gaming

Thats actually what i find to be the funniest thing off it all. I agree the gamenab guy is mostly BS, i dont believe the gsync module is DRM(in its traditional sense) as it clearly has a function with its framebuffer, but through all this BS he is claiming i find a few gems so to speak such as nvidias ability to support adaptive sync through their own gsync "system" as you pointed out yourself.

I personally dont see why adaptive sync should provide a worse experience than the gsync module. I am ofcourse very optimistic about it and i certainly dont know for sure yet as we havent had any proper hands on with the final tech yet.

My personal hope is that Adaptive Sync will work with nvidia at some point, sooner rather than later, officially that is, cause i personally dont want to be locked to a specific brand when it comes to GPUs and a monitor purchase could certainly decide what vendor you want to go with. If i have to choose though between a proprietary tech with no chance of being supported by the other gpu brands or an open standard that might be supported by nvidia? I would personally pick the latter even if im using a geforce card.