Locked at 60 FPS

[Calneon]

It's vsync. When you have it enabled, it locks your fps to 60. Keep vsync on, removing it probably won't improve performance/visuals.

Most games I play have noticable mouse lag whenever Vsync is on, that's why I turn it off.

 

[stooeh]

I have to say that given a choice I would put up with tearing over laggy mouse controls in most FPS games.

And 120Hz just feels so smoooooth

 

[Steves1982]

Stop trying to persuade me to buy a 120Hz screen!

I have to use vsync a lot as a lot of games I play run at +60fps and I really notice the tearing.

Maybe I should buy one.....

 

[Neil79]

I think I remember reading that the human eye can't tell the difference after about 50-60fps so if you're getting these frames, surely 120hz is just wasted anyway?

There is a HUGE positive with a 120hz over a 60hz

60hz VSYNC - if your frame rates drop just enough it will stone dive to about 30fps because of something to do with frame buffering

Suppose your monitor operates at 60Hz (like most LCDs). If your card is capable of outputting at least one frame every 1/60th of a second (ie it can render the game scene at over 60fps), then your framerate will appear as 60fps. However, as soon as the frame time goes slightly above 1/60th of a second (ie 59.9fps effective rendering or below), you will see only 30fps. Now, this performance dropoff can be annoying, but the sudden transitions are far more distracting than the actual loss of performance itself. The same thing happens when your theorectical framerate drops just below 30fps - you see a jump down to 20fps (=60/3). Then 15fps (60/4), then 12fps then 10fps etc etc.

120hz VSYNC - Even if the frame rate can't keep up with 60 let alone 120 it will stay well above 30fps!

With a 120hz monitor you won't even need triple buffering via software

Frame rates and vsync was far far better and smoother on my 120HZ CRT, never had vsync off

 

[loltim]

It's vsync. When you have it enabled, it locks your fps to 60. Keep vsync on, removing it probably won't improve performance/visuals.

No, it locks it to whatever your minitors refresh rate is.

Nope for some people (including myself) it is way above 60fps: http://amo.net/NT/02-21-01FPS.html

link is dead for me

edit: works in chrome, not IE, odd.

 

[Steves1982]

No, it locks it to whatever your minitors refresh rate is.



link is dead for me

edit: works in chrome, not IE, odd.

Works in my IE, even odder!

 

[Bgr]

I dont think it makes that much difference, a solid 60fps to me doesnt look that much worse than a solid 120hz.

Its far less of a difference than the difference between 30 and 60.

Just try playing source or something on 120hz then try 60hz and be amazed at how smooth 120fps can feel, after using 120hz for a while even the desktop feels awful if on 60hz

 

[Neil79]

Just try playing source or something on 120hz then try 60hz and be amazed at how smooth 120fps can feel, after using 120hz for a while even the desktop feels awful if on 60hz

I don't even have a 120hz monitor(had a 120hz CRT years ago) and i can totaly believe this. Also my research says so aswell

p.s The Gamebryro engine has a number of issues on 60HZ monitors that affect a minority of people, Frameskipping also something ive experienced and researched

 

[Metalface Mark]

Really? I just spent 260 quid on an IPS monitor and sometimes I wonder if i should have gotten a 3D one instead.

I cant tell a huge difference on mine at 120fps over 60fps.

Its a bit smoother, but not to the same difference as 30 to 60 is.

 

[nitram100]

I actually downgraded to a 19" 75hz LCD from a 60hz 24" monitor because 60 frames felt like crap.

There is a huge difference between 75hz and 60hz if you're playing the right games.

 

[bledd]

I dont think it makes that much difference, a solid 60fps to me doesnt look that much worse than a solid 120hz.

Its far less of a difference than the difference between 30 and 60.

There's a huge difference, everything looks far more fluid

 

[HangTime]

Although I'm probably one of if not the biggest advocate of high framerates on the forums, I'd say the difference between 30fps and 60fps is greater than than between 60fps and 120fps. That's not to say there isn't still a significant difference mind, just that you are talking the difference between 'virtually unplayable' and 'a little jerky' to 'a little jerky' to 'reasonably smooth'.

 

[hdpcgamer]

In order to make full use of 120hz monitors, wouldn't you need to buy dual GTX 580s or 6970s in order to play the latest games at anywhere near 120+ FPS and at max settings?

 

[linktoinsanity]

Nope for some people (including myself) it is way above 60fps: http://amo.net/NT/02-21-01FPS.html

Interesting read, though I had to open Firefox to get the link to work.

@ OP: As many have already said, turn off Vsync.

@ Everyone: Personally 100fps "feels" smoother to me, though I only have a 60hz monitor. Though I agree with Metalfacemark who says that he notices the difference far more between 30-60fps, then above 60fps.

I have noticed that if I set my Vsync to on and therefore limit to 60fps, it goes below 60fps in some games whilst there is more happening and I notice, whilst if the GTX280 is allowed to pump out more than 100 or so fps it drops below 60 far less often and therefore is not noticeable.

Hence the reason I like to leave Vsync off myself and am most comfortable with an fps at around 160 as it is then very rare for it to drop below 60.

 

[PapaLazaru]

I like a solid 60 FPS and no screen tearing when I play BC2.

 

[stopper]

Hence the reason I like to leave Vsync off myself and am most comfortable with an fps at around 160 as it is then very rare for it to drop below 60.

If your card is pumping out 160 fps constantly then wouldn't you be better off locking vsync at 60 or 120?
Because regardless of fps, if your monitor can't draw as fast as your gfx card pumps them out, then you will have a lot of tearing.

Lets say a monitor draws at 60fps, and your gfx card is drawing at 61fps, then once ever 60 frames your card WILL draw the bottom half of the last frame and the top half of the next frame to the monitor at the exact same time, which will result in screen tearing.
Now if you have a constant 160fps coming from your gfx and card and no vsync then you have a ton of tearing. You can say until you are blue in the face you that you don't, but the fact is you do.

Conclusion, if your gfx card can constantly pump out more fps than your monitor then lock vsync to prevent tearing.
If your monitor is displaying faster than your gfx card can draw then unlock vsync to prevent the 60-30fps stuttering.

 

[Neil79]

In order to make full use of 120hz monitors, wouldn't you need to buy dual GTX 580s or 6970s in order to play the latest games at anywhere near 120+ FPS and at max settings?

No as i've already explained and pretty much most are ignoring

 

[just Scott]

If your card is pumping out 160 fps constantly then wouldn't you be better off locking vsync at 60 or 120?
Because regardless of fps, if your monitor can't draw as fast as your gfx card pumps them out, then you will have a lot of tearing.

Lets say a monitor draws at 60fps, and your gfx card is drawing at 61fps, then once ever 60 frames your card WILL draw the bottom half of the last frame and the top half of the next frame to the monitor at the exact same time, which will result in screen tearing.
Now if you have a constant 160fps coming from your gfx and card and no vsync then you have a ton of tearing. You can say until you are blue in the face you that you don't, but the fact is you do.

Conclusion, if your gfx card can constantly pump out more fps than your monitor then lock vsync to prevent tearing.
If your monitor is displaying faster than your gfx card can draw then unlock vsync to prevent the 60-30fps stuttering.

If I don't get 121 fps on TF2 (with a 60Hz monitor) then I get horrible mouse lag. With 121 fps I also get very little noticeable screen tearing. The lag when vsync is on is far more noticeable than any tearing.

 

[linktoinsanity]

If your card is pumping out 160 fps constantly then wouldn't you be better off locking vsync at 60 or 120?
Because regardless of fps, if your monitor can't draw as fast as your gfx card pumps them out, then you will have a lot of tearing.

Lets say a monitor draws at 60fps, and your gfx card is drawing at 61fps, then once ever 60 frames your card WILL draw the bottom half of the last frame and the top half of the next frame to the monitor at the exact same time, which will result in screen tearing.
Now if you have a constant 160fps coming from your gfx and card and no vsync then you have a ton of tearing. You can say until you are blue in the face you that you don't, but the fact is you do.

Conclusion, if your gfx card can constantly pump out more fps than your monitor then lock vsync to prevent tearing.
If your monitor is displaying faster than your gfx card can draw then unlock vsync to prevent the 60-30fps stuttering.

I thought that I made this perfectly clear in that post you quoted, but I'll just repeat that if it is locked at 60 it dips below 50 when there is a lot happening, if it isn't locked at 60 it does it far far less, meaning that overall the gameplay looks much smoother.

 

[stopper]

I thought that I made this perfectly clear in that post you quoted, but I'll just repeat that if it is locked at 60 it dips below 50 when there is a lot happening, if it isn't locked at 60 it does it far far less, meaning that overall the gameplay looks much smoother.

You also made it clear that your card can pump out 160fps

If your card is dropping from 160 to 50 then some thing is seriously wrong wouldn't you think? Or you just need to enable triple buffering.

And quite frankly, if its drawing 160fps more than its drawing 60, vsync off will actualy be a worse experience than it would if you had it on putting up with the drops.