Do NV GPUs support FreeSync?

[NotAgOat]

I just want to know what my options are. It seems like Freesync equivalent monitors are cheaper since they don't have proprietary licensed tech, and it's nice not getting locked into one ecosystem.

 

[96Firebird]

Not currently, no.

 

[krumme]

Do maxwell support vesa dp 1.2a?
My guess is yes they do in hardware, but its not -yet- enabled in drivers.
Imo its a matter of time. Nv will follow vesa standard because rest of the world will and always have.

 

[3DVagabond]

1.2a does not give you dynamic variable refresh rates. AMD cards give you that. nVidia will have to implement it. Whether it's a software or a hardware limitation we don't know.

 

[gamervivek]

Programmable display controller should do it, whether it's in amd or nvidia card.

 

[3DVagabond]

Programmable display controller should do it, whether it's in amd or nvidia card.

Should do what? Explain?

 

[ShintaiDK]

Do maxwell support vesa dp 1.2a?
My guess is yes they do in hardware, but its not -yet- enabled in drivers.
Imo its a matter of time. Nv will follow vesa standard because rest of the world will and always have.

When was the VESA standard released for DP1.2a? And considering it takes a good year just to get support for a new standard. How likely do you think its is that even Maxwell V2 supports it? It was released just a couple of months before DP1.3. And at a time where Maxwell V2 was already in wafer production.

 

[antihelten]

When was the VESA standard released for DP1.2a? And considering it takes a good year just to get support for a new standard. How likely do you think its is that even Maxwell V2 supports it? It was released just a couple of months before DP1.3. And at a time where Maxwell V2 was already in wafer production.

Nvidia is a member of VESA, and as such has access to the various work groups, proposals and draft specifications, long before a given standard is actually finished and released.

 

[kasakka]

The DP on Maxwell 2 is just DP 1.2 but I think technically it should be possible to get Freesync working on it as G-Sync already does. I'm guessing Nvidia will eventually just add support in a driver and still call it G-Sync but for now they are counting on their proprietary tech.

 

[Ed1]

The DP on Maxwell 2 is just DP 1.2 but I think technically it should be possible to get Freesync working on it as G-Sync already does. I'm guessing Nvidia will eventually just add support in a driver and still call it G-Sync but for now they are counting on their proprietary tech.

I doubt NV would do that , they might implement a software Gsync solution, if that is possible .
Gsync is far better than free-sync in current time .
Gysnc gives better low fps smoothness as free-sync just cuts off below sync hz window (monitor min/max window).

 

[imaheadcase]

If anything nvidia will just let gsync price be so low to make freesync not even matter, its not going to stop support for it cold turkey on all the commit monitor manufacturers.

As more sell, the price of it will prob be to a point no one cares, which they should not care anyways if they have a nvidia card.

 

[SPBHM]

the Asus laptop which works with some beta gsync driver and no module is probably using something like adaptive sync to work.

 

[exar333]

I doubt NV would do that , they might implement a software Gsync solution, if that is possible .
Gsync is far better than free-sync in current time .
Gysnc gives better low fps smoothness as free-sync just cuts off below sync hz window (monitor min/max window).

This is interesting.

I have been trying to locate a more comprehensive review comparing the two techs. The AT freesync 'review' left a lot to be desired...

Any good links?

 

[Ed1]

This is interesting.

I have been trying to locate a more comprehensive review comparing the two techs. The AT freesync 'review' left a lot to be desired...

Any good links?

Sure, here good one with video showing (or best it can ) between both .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkrJU5d2RfA

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Dissecting-G-Sync-and-FreeSync-How-Technologies-Differ

I think there are few more reviews on there site, but this one explains what Gsync is doing best and what free-sync doesn't .

 

[exar333]

Sure, here good one with video showing (or best it can ) between both .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkrJU5d2RfA

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Dissecting-G-Sync-and-FreeSync-How-Technologies-Differ

I think there are few more reviews on there site, but this one explains what Gsync is doing best and what free-sync doesn't .

Thanks! I will check these out!

:thumbsup:

 

[redzo]

NV will milk g-sync for as long as possible. By the time NV will support freesync, if they'll ever, maxwell will be irrelevant.

** My prediction is:

An improved version of freesync seems to be the future.

Currently, both freesync and g-sync belong to niche LCD markets. I find it hard to believe that a costly feature like nvdia's will ever take over. Freesync is a lot cheaper for LCD manufacturers and it will probably start to take over midrange LCD offerings. Anandtech points out the major drawback of freesync, but pcper does an excellent job exacerbating it: that low refresh rate unwanted behavior will probably get corrected once nvidia adopts freesync also. Until then(freesync taking over and nvidia adopting it), AMD correcting low refresh by optimizing drivers or nvidia being capable to reduce the price of g-sync in order to achieve greater market share by penetrating midrange LCD are just childish dreams.

 

[destrekor]

I wouldn't doubt if both Freesync and G Sync continue to evolve and become better products on their own, and perhaps there still will be some differences simply due to the different approaches.

With that, it couldn't be a bad thing for Nvidia to support both. I mean, even if you are one to say, "Freesync is an inferior solution so why should Nvidia support it", many could argue that on Windows, OpenGL is an inferior solution to to DirectX, yet Nvidia supports both. It isn't a challenge to implement for Nvidia, and while it might cause a few less G Sync monitors to be sold, plenty will swoon over the Nvidia brand's implementation, and others yet who might have Freesync displays or intend to buy one, can now feel free to buy an Nvidia GPU instead of feeling locked into AMD. So what Nvidia may lose in G Sync revenue they are more likely to gain back, and then some, on GPU revenue. Frankly, supporting both is a win/win, because unless Nvidia opens up G Sync, AMD can never support both.

Long term, I thoroughly expect Freesync to become THE standard considering it is in the VESA DP standard, and will be developed enough in the future to be just as good, if not better than the current G Sync implementation. That said, that won't happen tomorrow, it may be a few years before this really plays out fully.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Nvidia is a member of VESA, and as such has access to the various work groups, proposals and draft specifications, long before a given standard is actually finished and released.

And how long do you think a chip design is feature finished before launch?

Also draft is one thing, final spec another. Do I need to say wifi?

You can ask yourself why we didnt see DP1.3 cards right away. Or why AMD dont have a single HDMI 2.0 capable card yet. They all had access to the drafts.

 

[Black Octagon]

Perhaps certain G-Sync monitors could also exist in cheaper, module-free variants for which NV still supports FS-like VRR via Adaptive Sync? I.e., The G-Sync version would just be a 'premium' version of the same monitor.

 

[Ed1]

IMO, if I had to guess, in future I think the monitor chip with add more features so down the road Gsync or free sync will be supported , at least what there now at much lower price .
Nvidia said Gsync is not done yet and more features are coming .
So I guess this is moving target as its new tech right now .

 

[Stuka87]

The DP on Maxwell 2 is just DP 1.2 but I think technically it should be possible to get Freesync working on it as G-Sync already does. I'm guessing Nvidia will eventually just add support in a driver and still call it G-Sync but for now they are counting on their proprietary tech.

G-Sync is an external piece of hardware that has a programmable display controller in it. nVidia cards (to our knowledge) do not have this hardware built into their card, which is why they had to go with an external piece of hardware. AMD cards do have this built in, which is why they do not require hardware inside the display.

 

[Denithor]

Yeah, just like the requirement for a separate chip to enable SLI mode on Intel motherboards (X38/X48 days).

 

[Ed1]

G-Sync is an external piece of hardware that has a programmable display controller in it. nVidia cards (to our knowledge) do not have this hardware built into their card, which is why they had to go with an external piece of hardware. AMD cards do have this built in, which is why they do not require hardware inside the display.

I think that is wrong, free sync NV could support but not the Gysnc features which need buffer ,this is of course doing it in HW, maybe you could do similar gsync feature in drivers .

 

[destrekor]

G-Sync is an external piece of hardware that has a programmable display controller in it. nVidia cards (to our knowledge) do not have this hardware built into their card, which is why they had to go with an external piece of hardware. AMD cards do have this built in, which is why they do not require hardware inside the display.

The G Sync hardware in the monitor is not due to lack of hardware on the GPU, rather, it is due to a requirement set by Nvidia to have a special framebuffer and controller for the monitor so that they can more easily resort to double or even triple buffering in order to maintain a smooth refresh rate at low FPS.

If they didn't have that performance goal, I don't see a reason why they could not have the GPU do most of the work.

FreeSync monitors are not devoid of special hardware, but they lack the meat of what goes into the G Sync method. FreeSync doesn't resort to double or triple buffering at lower framerate, the monitor just gets stuck to a certain refresh rate.

I suspect both the FreeSync monitor hardware and the driver-level control can all be improved and still be more cost effective. I wouldn't doubt that, due to the open license nature of VESA and the AdaptiveSync feature, if ultimately the AdaptiveSync hardware becomes a little more like G Sync. I think AdaptiveSync will eventually engulf G Sync in a way, perhaps imitated or perhaps officially. It sure would be nice if Nvidia contributed their idea to VESA for it to become open tech instead of licensed. I don't exactly expect that, but in some ways, I expect that more than Nvidia holding onto G Sync even if AdaptiveSync seems to have the market majority.

 

[SoulWager]

I'm pretty sure Nvidia is working on an adaptive-sync implementation for mobile g-sync, but don't expect them to enable that for desktop monitors until there's a business case for it. Basically, you need enough freesync monitors in circulation that the GPUs sold to people with adaptive sync monitors outweighs the lost g-sync sales, and losing future gpu sales to people buying freesync monitors over g-sync monitors.

Short answer: No. Ask again in a year or two.