Vsync - on or off?

MoRT489

MoRT489

MoRT489

Soldato
Joined
21 Aug 2006
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So I see lots of people say turn it off to increase frame rates, but this can cause tearing. if my monitor is limited to 75Hz with vsync on, when i turn it off and get say 200fps is it actually making 200 frames per second, if so why is the monitor limited to 75 and why ever have vsync on?! I may just not understand the situation, any clarification welcomed :)
 
if you are usually getting 200fps with it off then you may aswell turn it on

your eyes won't be able to tell the difference between 75 and 200fps because it is well above the "refresh rate" of your eye. But you will sure as hell spot tearing. It is the monitor hardware that limits the maximum frame rate, most are 60-75hz.

Vsync slowing the frame rates only becomes a problem if the frame rate drops to 40-60fps or below as it can make the image a little jerky at that point
 
ScottiB said:
your eyes won't be able to tell the difference between 75 and 200fps because it is well above the "refresh rate" of your eye
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Wrong. Don't get me started. :)

If you use a CRT, turn it off. I don't own and have never played on a LCD, but my mate plays with it ON and with frame per second set to 60 in the game settings/config. On has issues that really show up if your system is struggling, because if it missed a vertical sync then it waits for the next one and if it misses that one the next one... and so on - so you end up with 60, 30, 15, erm 7.5? frames per second etc. Off has tearing issues. Try both.

I play TF2 on my CRT at 100Hz and 100fps with tearing set to ON ;)
 
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Cant think of any game that i think hmm I should turn vsync off 60 fps is fine to me.
 
If you're getting a consistent framerate that high, turn Vsync on. You'll eliminate tearing, and with that kind of fps output, you're not going to drop below the vsync threshold.

And to avoid the repetitive and dull refresh rate argument that Keyser is trying to provoke, yes, technically the human eye can perceive incredibly small time intervals with a VERY bright light source, but factors such as persistence of vision, absolute and relative brightness etc all come into play, and the end result is that you're not going to be able to perceive a difference for general use between 75fps and 200fps.
 
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Tesla said:
LCD/TFT don't have refresh rates.
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Depends what you call a refresh rate. The electronics in LCD panels register changes to the current display on a fixed cycle, typically 60hz, or if your lucky 75hz.

If the signal from the graphics card changes during the update cycle you'll get tearing just the same as with a CRT's refresh cycle.
 
i have game called river and when vsyns is on it plays awfull took me ages to work out why game was running crap lol


anway beside the point i allways have vsync turned off i been pc gaming for 12 years and i like the tearing yes youheard it i like it. it just feels wierd to me with vsync on
 
“your eyes won't be able to tell the difference between 75 and 200fps because it is well above the "refresh rate" of your eye.”
What a load of rubbish the eye doesn’t see in FPS and it can see well over 200fps.
Turning vsync off is pointless as even though the counter says 200fps your monitor is only drawing 75fps or whatever the refresh rate is at. The refresh rate is the max amount of FPS your monitor can draw. Turning vsync off just means you get tearing as the monitor draws half or less of 1 frame drops the rest and starts drawing the next before dropping that and moving onto the next.

Unless you refresh rate is at 200hz you’re not getting 200fps. That’s one reason why I don’t like LCD’s as your limited to 60 or 75fps.
 
Makhaira said:
And to avoid the repetitive and dull refresh rate argument that Keyser is trying to provoke, yes, technically the human eye can perceive incredibly small time intervals with a VERY bright light source, but factors such as persistence of vision, absolute and relative brightness etc all come into play, and the end result is that you're not going to be able to perceive a difference for general use between 75fps and 200fps.
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ack! :) Maybe the reason tearing looks so bad on a LCD is because the 'refresh rate' is 60 or 75Hz.. I couldn't play Quake2 in 75fps.. 85fps was needed and 100fps+ is even better.
 
keyser said:
ack! :) Maybe the reason tearing looks so bad on a LCD is because the 'refresh rate' is 60 or 75Hz.. I couldn't play Quake2 in 75fps.. 85fps was needed and 100fps+ is even better.
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I've played some games reasonably smoothly at 35fps and most people on here report playing crysis at between 25 and 35 so how is 75 fps not enough for quake?!
 
Framerate constantly above the Hz of your monitor, turn v sync on

Framerate constantly below the Hz of your monitor, turn v sync off

Dont give a stuff about messing about with it for each game, just dont want tearing, v sync on in all games
 
creed said:
I've played some games reasonably smoothly at 35fps and most people on here report playing crysis at between 25 and 35 so how is 75 fps not enough for quake?!
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It's difference that I can perceive to be not smooth @ 75fps and smooth @ 85. I'm sure I could play games at 35fps, doesn't mean I'd enjoy it. But that's just me.
 
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