What is: VRR, FreeSync, G-SYNC, and Adaptive Sync?

With VRR, the monitor refreshes the screen only when a new frame is available, resulting in smoother and more responsive gameplay with reduced screen tearing, stuttering, and input lag. This technology is particularly useful for gaming, where fast-moving scenes and unpredictable frame rates can cause visual artifacts and input lag, impacting the overall gaming experience.

VRR is available on some newer gaming monitors and compatible graphics cards, such as AMD FreeSync or NVIDIA G-Sync, which synchronize the monitor’s refresh rate with the graphics card’s output to provide a smoother gaming experience. VRR is also becoming more prevalent in the TV industry, with the introduction of technologies such as HDMI 2.1 and VESA Adaptive-Sync.

Adaptive Sync is an open standard developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), which means it can be implemented by any display manufacturer and is not restricted to a single graphics card manufacturer. This technology is designed to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering in video games, resulting in a smoother and more responsive gaming experience.

Adaptive Sync works by synchronizing the monitor’s refresh rate with the frame rate of the graphics card, which ensures that each frame is displayed at the right time. This technology is especially useful for gaming, where fast-moving scenes and unpredictable frame rates can cause visual artifacts and input lag.

To use Adaptive Sync, you need a compatible monitor and graphics card that support the technology. The latest versions of HDMI and DisplayPort standards support Adaptive Sync, and many newer gaming monitors and graphics cards are compatible with this technology.

In traditional displays, the monitor has a fixed refresh rate, and the graphics card produces a varying number of frames per second, which can cause screen tearing, stuttering, and other visual artifacts. FreeSync eliminates these issues by allowing the monitor to change its refresh rate dynamically, ensuring that each frame is displayed at the right time.

FreeSync is an open standard and is supported by a growing number of monitors and graphics cards. To use FreeSync, you need a compatible AMD graphics card and a monitor that supports FreeSync. Once both components are connected, FreeSync is automatically enabled and synchronized to deliver smooth, tear-free gameplay.

G-SYNC uses a specialized module installed in the monitor to synchronize the monitor’s refresh rate with the output of NVIDIA graphics cards, ensuring that each frame is displayed at the right time. This technology also provides additional benefits, including reduced input lag, decreased motion blur, and improved image quality.

G-SYNC is available on a growing number of monitors and graphics cards from NVIDIA, and it is typically more expensive than AMD’s FreeSync technology. However, NVIDIA’s G-SYNC provides more advanced features, such as ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur) and HDR (High Dynamic Range) support, which can provide even better image quality and performance. To use G-SYNC, you need a compatible NVIDIA graphics card and a G-SYNC compatible monitor. Once both components are connected, G-SYNC is automatically enabled and synchronized to provide a smooth, responsive, and tear-free gaming experience.