Confusion about VSync

[Amraam]

I have Vsync turned on via the NCP and off in the game ini files with my screen at 60Hz. I cap Skyrim to 59FPS (via and ENB) and there are times when the FPS will dip to 40s.

How come I still never get tearing despite me not maintaining a constant 60FPS?

I thought VSync only worked if the FPS matched the screen Hz? In other words, I thought that if you couldn't maintain that FPS, tearing would occur, hence the introduction of Vsync ratios (half refresh rate etc.)?

 

[GizF1]

Basically

You get tearing when a 60fps screen tries to display more than 60 frames in a second as the monitor displays 2 different frames within the same refresh

You get stuttering when a 60 fps screen receives less than 60 frames in a second as the montior has no new frame to display when it has refreshed

Gsync and freesync smooth it out by ensuring the monitor is ready to display an image before sending it and using clever tricks to make sure the image that is sent is the correct one.

Vsync just displays an image at the exact refresh rate (or half of it) of the monitor as not all montiors refresh at exactly 60fps - if your gpu is sending less than 60fps you'll still get stutters

I think thats about right

Giz

 

[Amraam]

Basically

You get tearing when a 60fps screen tries to display more than 60 frames in a second as the monitor displays 2 different frames within the same refresh

You get stuttering when a 60 fps screen receives less than 60 frames in a second as the montior has no new frame to display when it has refreshed

Gsync and freesync smooth it out by ensuring the monitor is ready to display an image before sending it and using clever tricks to make sure the image that is sent is the correct one.

Vsync just displays an image at the exact refresh rate (or half of it) of the monitor as not all montiors refresh at exactly 60fps - if your gpu is sending less than 60fps you'll still get stutters

I think thats about right

Giz

Makes perfect sense, thank you. I never truly understood why the stuttering occurred, but I'm very glad to hear that GSync will resolve that. I've tried Skyrim without Vsync (using a 60FPS cap) and the tearing is unbearable...

 

[Danny75]

For any game that gives you tearing without Vsync, try Borderless Windowed Mode or Windowed Mode (if available).

 

[shankly1985]

Vsync helps stop screen tearing by matching each frame 1to1 with the refresh cycle.
The downside to this is if you can't maintain the 60fps cap your performance will be worse because how the GPU needs to wait for next refresh also resulting in high input lag.

With vsync off now the monitor and gpu are out of sync with each other and the Display will just updates what ever frame rate it is given resulting in screen tear.

 

[Nasher]

Tearing is only really an issue on 60hz screens. For 120/144hz they refresh so quickly you don't notice it.

 

[shankly1985]

Tearing is only really an issue on 60hz screens. For 120/144hz they refresh so quickly you don't notice it.

This isn't fully true
120hz or 144hz will only hide it if you can stay close to that refresh rate or above so FPS ranging from 100 to 200, once you start dropping down in frame rate you notice screen tear just has much as 60hz display.