Workaround: FreeSync on nVidia GPUs

[DragonQ]

https://www.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/998zkw/freesync_on_an_nvidia_gpu_through_an_amd_gpu/

tl;dr:

• Add AMD GPU to system and plug monitor into it;
  
• Find a game that allows you choose a rendering device;
• Choose nVidia card as rendering device;
• FreeSync works as expected via AMD GPU.

And yes, there are several caveats here including the fact that most games won't let you pick a rendering device and an artificial frame rate cap is introduced due to the added latency of copying frame buffers from one card to another.

Who wants to bet how long it'll be until nVidia either (a) find a way to disable this workaround, or (b) announce Adaptive Sync support by complete coincidence?

 

[DragonQ]

Only just read up about this, this seems like a really good idea. Been trying to find a new monitor but G-Sync is just too expensive. My brother's freesync monitor which was around £200 looks incredibly smooth.

Didn't even realise Windows 10 has the option to pick what GPU for each app. Checked on my work PC and it sees the Intel as power saving and the AMD as high performance.

Does that mean in theory, I could swap my 1600X for an APU, and I could get Freesync out of that instead of buying a dedicated GPU?

Potentially but the original reporter of this said that Windows 10 decided his AMD GPU was the best option for both power saving and high performance, which meant he couldn't pick the nVidia as the rendering device at an OS level. So it's a bit of a gamble until/unless Windows 10 is updated to explicitly let you customise that option. It would always work in games that let you choose a rendering device though.

 

[DragonQ]

If Intel actually get their arse in gear and finally add adaptive sync support to their iGPUs, then it'd probably work with their mainstream CPUs too.

 

[DragonQ]

Intel supporting Adaptive Sync is pretty pointless until they have a semi-useful GPU.

 

[DragonQ]

But they are not Freesync monitors. They are DisplayPort Adaptive Sync monitors which are compatible with Freesync. Freesync is just the marketing term for the bit that happens in the driver. AMD's smart move was that they made Freesync royalty-free so that they can get their brand onto monitor spec sheets.

G-Sync on laptops just uses the same VESA Adaptive Sync standard without need of a dedicated module. So Nvidia can, and are already, doing this.

Yes, we all know this. What does it have to do with the sentence you quoted? Monitors aren't advertised as "adaptive sync compatible", they're advertised as "FreeSync compatible", which is good for AMD for all the reasons stated by melmac.

 

[DragonQ]

Yup, function over form, sadly AMD stopped making the more usable "Control Centre" ones once when they switched over to that Adrenaline ****

Actually they switched to Crimson, and the switch was very rocky because they removed a bunch of features in the process. I avoided it for a few months but they've since added a lot more features, including per-game FreeSync settings and ReLive. I am not sure if there's any features that are still missing from the old CCC days but thankfully all the ones I need are there.

nVidia's Control Panel looks like crap and I wouldn't even say it's that functional. On the same "missing features" track, I have an nVidia card in my HTPC and certain useful settings like colour depth and black levels have been in inconsistent places or flat-out missing for years. It's better now but still, it was never great.