Getting bored of chasing numbers

[Blackjack Davy]

First of all are you sure the Freesync is actually working? There is a Windmill test you can use (I think the moving vertical line test is better) and secondly how are you measuring framerates? It should be smooth at anything over about 40fps. Is it a TN or IPS panel? IPS should be smooth TN are well known for requiring high framerates but with Freesync, not sure.

 

[z10m]

Cpu mentioned above

Never seen it drop out of the range and I've watching fps closely, I think it's minimum 35 on this monitor so it's not that

Ok so with that CPU you are bound to get some drops below 60fps.
Don't expect 35fps with freesync to look as good as stable 60fps with vsync even 50fps freesync won't look as good.
Freesync is there to keep your monitor in sync so you don't get stutter but not to miraculously make 30-40fps super smooth as some people are claiming it will.

 

[Relentless81]

I'm going to toy with AA settings first based on advice given, if that doesn't work then I'll disable freesync and see how that performs, I'm returning the gpu if freesync is causing the issue and going back to 1080p

I'll be surprised if its the CPU, its had a number of GPUs running with it now and all have been fine, the only time I've started to notice issues is now I've gone to 1440p and Freesync

 

[z10m]

I'm going to toy with AA settings first based on advice given, if that doesn't work then I'll disable freesync and see how that performs, I'm returning the gpu if freesync is causing the issue and going back to 1080p

I'll be surprised if its the CPU, its had a number of GPUs running with it now and all have been fine, the only time I've started to notice issues is now I've gone to 1440p and Freesync

In that case it must be gpu/monitor related

 

[SiDeards73]

I recently upgraded from a 1080p 60hz to a 27" 1440p 144hz Freesync screen for my R9 290 Tri-X, i had to dial a few settings down but overall i find it much much much better, a lot more smoother, responsive, just generally nicer all round to play with...

I played The Divsion on it and it was so much more fluid and better than my 1080p screen, however i did tweak the settings to keep it at an average 90fps...

I would say this, tweak settings to keep the fps as close to 90 - 100fps as you can as this seemed to be the sweet spot for my 290, im sure higher than this would be good too, also use a frame limiter to cap it from going above 144hz, if this happens you go outside of the freesync range as well, i have the same BenQ monitor as you i believe?

 

[z10m]

I recently upgraded from a 1080p 60hz to a 27" 1440p 144hz Freesync screen for my R9 290 Tri-X, i had to dial a few settings down but overall i find it much much much better, a lot more smoother, responsive, just generally nicer all round to play with...

I played The Divsion on it and it was so much more fluid and better than my 1080p screen, however i did tweak the settings to keep it at an average 90fps...

I would say this, tweak settings to keep the fps as close to 90 - 100fps as you can as this seemed to be the sweet spot for my 290, im sure higher than this would be good too, also use a frame limiter to cap it from going above 144hz, if this happens you go outside of the freesync range as well, i have the same BenQ monitor as you i believe?

I agree with that. On my 144hz monitor I like to keep fps at or above 80 usually locking it at 80fps for consistency when playing on a controller but when playing on a mouse I want as much fps as I can get to minimise input lag.. On 60hz screens 60fps definitely looks smoother than on 144hz one.

 

[nashathedog]

I hate how hard it is to find out what the working range for a lot of freesync panels is, Unlike G-sync panels the freesync ones often have small ranges and/or high starting points. Some monitors tell you what there range is but most do not and I think it is often because they have rubbish ranges. I can't see what it is for yours but I was of the impression Benq usually do decent monitors, My 60hz 1080p 27" models great and that has a 2ms response where as yours has 1 ms so it should be as good or better, If I was you I'd look into finding out the monitors working range and whether you are dropping below that a lot and what happens when you do. By all accounts you should be having a great gaming experience with that gpu & monitor combo, The 8350 is a concern though.

http://www.benq.co.uk/product/monitor/xl2730z/specifications/

If I'm reading this right it's working freesync range is 40-144 so try capping your max to 142 and adjusting the in-game settings so minimums stay above 40,

Also I do think the cpu may be involved with the res going up and AMD's driver overhead but if you set it up to stay within these limits it should be fine.

If you are going to sell the monitor and want another 60hz Benq, I have the Benq GL 2750hm and if you go on the members market maybe we could strike a deal,
Having said that I wouldn't downgrade if I was you.

 

[Relentless81]

I would say this, tweak settings to keep the fps as close to 90 - 100fps as you can as this seemed to be the sweet spot for my 290, im sure higher than this would be good too, also use a frame limiter to cap it from going above 144hz, if this happens you go outside of the freesync range as well, i have the same BenQ monitor as you i believe?

Yeah I have a frame cap set in global settings

If its as simple as dropping settings to maintain a better FPS which I sincerely hope it is then I will tinker some more tonight but I still dont understand why BF4 maintains higher than 60FPS but I still play like a noob

What are the best ways to check Freesync is working, that windmill demo or something else?

 

[SiDeards73]

Yeah I have a frame cap set in global settings

If its as simple as dropping settings to maintain a better FPS which I sincerely hope it is then I will tinker some more tonight but I still dont understand why BF4 maintains higher than 60FPS but I still play like a noob

What are the best ways to check Freesync is working, that windmill demo or something else?

Windmill demo is probably the safest bet, i limit to 143fps as i heard 144 can be buggy.

Make sure V-Sync is turned off, also i think the BenQ screen has some blur reducution stuff? im pretty sure i turned all mine off as i think i read it can interfere with the feel as well?

I also setup my BenQ with a Custom ICC Profile from TFT Central and read up on the Freesync stuff, have a read through this

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/benq_xl2730z.htm

Worth checking that your BenQ (if thats what you are using?) is the correct version without the Freesync issue.

 

[Seanspeed]

I think something a lot of people take for granted with variable refresh rate displays is thinking that Freesync/Gsync will make variable framerates 'smooth'. Well no, they dont. At least not completely. It'll certainly help the smoothness out and do it without tearing, but a capped, consistent framerate is always going to be smoother than a variable framerate.

Basically, if you are quite sensitive to framerate variations, Freesync/Gsync is not going to be a magical solution for you whatsoever. It may work as a bandaid for the times that you see drops, but you're still better off capping a game at the performance level you're comfortable with and that the game can reliably hit. The great thing about variable refresh rate displays is that this doesn't have to be 30fps, 60fps or 120fps or whatever. You can pick anything. 67fps. 91fps. 45fps(so long as your Freesync range goes down that low). Whatever.

Of course you'll have to do this on a per-game basis, which does require a teeny bit of extra fiddling, but I'd really recommend trying this and seeing if that doesn't help you. Rivatuner Statistics Server(RTSS) is a great program for limiting framerates.

 

[Relentless81]

Windmill demo is probably the safest bet, i limit to 143fps as i heard 144 can be buggy.

Make sure V-Sync is turned off, also i think the BenQ screen has some blur reducution stuff? im pretty sure i turned all mine off as i think i read it can interfere with the feel as well?

I also setup my BenQ with a Custom ICC Profile from TFT Central and read up on the Freesync stuff, have a read through this

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/benq_xl2730z.htm

Worth checking that your BenQ (if thats what you are using?) is the correct version without the Freesync issue.

Hmmm guess what my fps is limited to!

I read up on the screen before buying, blur reduction is off and it has v2 firmware, I'll have a read through the link as a refresher thanks

I think something a lot of people take for granted with variable refresh rate displays is thinking that Freesync/Gsync will make variable framerates 'smooth'. Well no, they dont. At least not completely. It'll certainly help the smoothness out and do it without tearing, but a capped, consistent framerate is always going to be smoother than a variable framerate.

Basically, if you are quite sensitive to framerate variations, Freesync/Gsync is not going to be a magical solution for you whatsoever. It may work as a bandaid for the times that you see drops, but you're still better off capping a game at the performance level you're comfortable with and that the game can reliably hit. The great thing about variable refresh rate displays is that this doesn't have to be 30fps, 60fps or 120fps or whatever. You can pick anything. 67fps. 91fps. 45fps(so long as your Freesync range goes down that low). Whatever.

Of course you'll have to do this on a per-game basis, which does require a teeny bit of extra fiddling, but I'd really recommend trying this and seeing if that doesn't help you. Rivatuner Statistics Server(RTSS) is a great program for limiting framerates.

I think you're right, I've been so used to just setting everything to max with 2xmsaa that I didn't even know about all these other aa modes and just threw another gpu at my system thinking I'll get the same experience at 1440p that I did at 1080

I'll try some different aa types and see what happens, maybe 1440p with 2xmsaa is just too much and if I want higher fps I need fxaa or smaa hopefully it's as simple as that

 

[Panos]

Yes like I say Vsync is forced off for all apps in Global Profile, I will double check this later.

DP cable I use the one that came with the monitor, no black screen flicker which is the only issue a DP cable can cause as far as I know

Freesync is activated on Benq XL2730Z and Fury Nitro. CPU is 8350 at 4.2GHZ

Apart from the cpu that might be bottleneck on single core games.

The cable coming with the 2730Z is not DP1.2a certified. Please buy a new one. I have this monitor and if you do not believe me search online the code the cable has printed on. At best 1.1 certified at worst 1.0.

The monitor Freesync is working on 39-144 fps. Bellow 39 it wont work.
Make sure the latest firmware is installed on the monitor, because last year the first batch had issues when some settings were turned on deactivating the freesync on scaller level.

Use the 16.7.2 drivers not the 16.7.3 since they do have couple of issues.

Many answers about this monitor can be found in the 2730Z discussion thread.
I have the monitor with a Nano and runs within the freesync range everything maxed out with msaa 2x

 

[shankly1985]

Apart from the cpu that might be bottleneck on single core games.

The cable coming with the 2730Z is not DP1.2a certified. Please buy a new one. I have this monitor and if you do not believe me search online the code the cable has printed on. At best 1.1 certified at worst 1.0.

The monitor Freesync is working on 39-144 fps. Bellow 39 it wont work.
Make sure the latest firmware is installed on the monitor, because last year the first batch had issues when some settings were turned on deactivating the freesync on scaller level.

Use the 16.7.2 drivers not the 16.7.3 since they do have couple of issues.

Many answers about this monitor can be found in the 2730Z discussion thread.
I have the monitor with a Nano and runs within the freesync range everything maxed out with msaa 2x

Using cable that came with my BenQ XL2730Z all working fine, my frame rate even goes down to 35-144
Nothing wrong with stock cable in my end.

 

[bigmunkey3741]

i know its a long shot.. but maybe, since you changed your card.. have you uninstalled the old GPU drivers using DDU before installing the new drivers?
Made a big difference for me when i went to a new card, even though both were nvidia :/

 

[Relentless81]

Apart from the cpu that might be bottleneck on single core games.

The cable coming with the 2730Z is not DP1.2a certified. Please buy a new one. I have this monitor and if you do not believe me search online the code the cable has printed on. At best 1.1 certified at worst 1.0.

The monitor Freesync is working on 39-144 fps. Bellow 39 it wont work.
Make sure the latest firmware is installed on the monitor, because last year the first batch had issues when some settings were turned on deactivating the freesync on scaller level.

Use the 16.7.2 drivers not the 16.7.3 since they do have couple of issues.

Many answers about this monitor can be found in the 2730Z discussion thread.
I have the monitor with a Nano and runs within the freesync range everything maxed out with msaa 2x

This is why I keep using BF4 as an example, it isnt a single core game

What are the issues with the current drivers?

I read the thread extensively before purchase, the included cable is fine, the only issue I can see that will be caused with the cable is black screen flicker which I am not experiancing

Using cable that came with my BenQ XL2730Z all working fine, my frame rate even goes down to 35-144
Nothing wrong with stock cable in my end.

Same, I really cant see any issues regarding the cable, my issues seem to be around performance or what could potentially be input lag, image quality is fine, no tearing but sometimes noticeable changes in FPS which Freesync isnt ironing out maybe because I expect too much from it and all of these issues seem to point toward me having my settings too high for my res and system spec so far from what people have replied

i know its a long shot.. but maybe, since you changed your card.. have you uninstalled the old GPU drivers using DDU before installing the new drivers?
Made a big difference for me when i went to a new card, even though both were nvidia :/

I use DDU every time I remove a driver and install a new driver

 

[melmac]

Do you use Freesync on for everything? In some games, especially fast paced, online shooters, it's better to leave freesync off, because the smoothing that happens can sometimes make it feel different. Like for counter strike source, I turn freesync off because I am useless and I can't hit anything if I set the resolution to anything other than 1280*1024. For these types of twitch games, especially when you are sensitive to frame rate, any changes in screen or mouse take a long time to get used to.

You should really monitor your framerate and see are you dropping under 30fps. The sweet spot for freesync is between 40 and 100. If you never drop below 40fps and are noticing frame drops then there is something else wrong.

 

[Relentless81]

Its interesting and makes me wonder whasts the point in Freesync if thats the case, maybe for more cinematic games? But yeah I do monitor my FPS religiously recently due to the problems I am experiencing and in BF4 which is the fastest paced shooter I play it very rarely drops below 60FPS and never out of Freesync

Like I said above, its more of an input lag problem or FPS spikes/drops due to running settings too high

 

[Seanspeed]

If you never drop below 40fps and are noticing frame drops then there is something else wrong.

This just isn't true. Variable refresh rate monitors do not completely mask variable framerates. It simply transitions them in the best way possible. But if you are sensitive to framerate fluctuation, then variable framerates are still going to be somewhat jarring and make a game feel worse to play.

Hence why I suggested still using a framerate cap/limiter.

 

[Relentless81]

This just isn't true. Variable refresh rate monitors do not completely mask variable framerates. It simply transitions them in the best way possible. But if you are sensitive to framerate fluctuation, then variable framerates are still going to be somewhat jarring and make a game feel worse to play.

Hence why I suggested still using a framerate cap/limiter.

This is what I am going to basing the issue on and hopefully resolving it by double checking my setting, trying different AA etc

Isnt the CCC FPS cap good enough? Why would I need a different one

 

[Mayh3M]

This just isn't true. Variable refresh rate monitors do not completely mask variable framerates.

Yup. That's why Freesync/G-Sync are actually at their best between a higher set of frame rates such as 60 and 100 because it's more difficult to notice the transitions at those frame rates. When I drop below 60 I notice it instantly regardless of G-Sync.

To be fair it depends to a large extent on what the user finds comfortable themselves. Some people swear they can play a game at 40 fps for example. For me anything under 60 and I'd rather go do something else entirely.