Freesync technology is AMD’s weapon to rival NVIDIA G-SYNC technology. What they have in common is that they both seek to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering in games.
As a PC gamer, you will definitely wonder about getting a monitor that has AMD Freesync. Because powerful hardware needs a powerful display.
This question becomes important to answer especially if it is your first PC build.
Is AMD Freesync worth it? And what benefit will you derive from it? Here’s what you need to know.
What Is AMD FreeSync?
AMD Freesync just like NVIDIA G-SYNC is an adaptive sync technology that is aimed at eliminating visual distortions. Ghosting, screen tearing and stuttering are visual distortions
AMD Freesync does this by making sure that the refresh rate of your display is equal to that of the frames per second being produced by your GPU.
AMD Freesync is a software-based solution to give you better gaming experience.
How Does AMD FreeSync Work?
Your monitor always refreshes itself at a constant rate. But, your GPU renders and produces frames at different rates which can be faster or slower than the monitor’s refresh rate.
It might be fast resulting in high FPS or slow giving you low FPS.
When the frames per second exceed that of your monitor screen tearing occurs.
Screen stuttering happens when there is a massive quick drop in FPS. Frames are produced slowly and your monitor shows them at a slow rate.
Because the frames are shown at a slow rate the gameplay starts to “stutter” or seems to jump ahead.
This is where AMD Freesync comes in. As mentioned earlier AMD Freesync works by synchronizing the refresh rate of your display to that of the GPU.
So when you playing a game which exceeds your monitor’s refresh rate AMD Freesync kicks in. And makes sure the FPS is less than or matches your monitor’s refresh rate.
The same thing happens when there is a massive drop in FPS during gameplay. AMD Freesync reduces the refresh rate of the monitor to match that of the GPU render rates.
This eliminates screen tearing and stuttering resulting in much smoother gameplay and enjoyable gaming experience.
How Good Is AMD FreeSync?
The way AMD Freesync works is similar to that of NVIDIA G-SYNC. Both eliminate visual distortions. But AMD Freesync has two clear advantages over that of NVIDIA G-SYNC.
The first is how budget-friendly AMD Freesync monitors are. They are considerably more affordable than their NVIDIA G-SYNC counterparts.
The reason why AMD Freesync monitors are less expensive than NVIDIA G-SYNC monitors is that AMD Freesync is a software solution. Whilst NVIDIA G-SYNC is a hardware solution.
And hardware is always going to cost more than software. You basically pay for NVIDIA G-SYNC modules in the monitors.
The second is compatibility. A few AMD Freesync monitors are compatible with NVIDIA GPUs. Back in the day, if you wanted to enjoy the capabilities of AMD Freesync having an AMD GPU was a must.
Now things have changed. You can hook-up an NVIDIA GPU to an AMD Freesync monitor. Thanks to the new drivers NVIDIA released. This has opened up opportunities for PC gamers.
But, it doesn’t work the other way around though. NVIDIA G-SYNC monitors are not compatible with AMD GPUs. We hope this will change in the future.
Downsides Of AMD FreeSync
To be honest, AMD Freesync has barely no weak points now. AMD Freesync monitors are affordable.
Plus thanks to NVIDIA releasing new drivers. A select number of AMD Freesync monitors are now compatible with NVIDIA GPUs. It very hard to see the downsides it provides.
The only one that comes in mind is the NVIDIA G-SYNC is always going to work better than AMD Freesync.
Because NVIDIA employs the use of hardware modules. If you think there are any more downsides. Feel free to comment.
AMD FreeSync Vs NVIDIA G-SYNC, Which One Is Better?
Looking at the cold hard facts. It’s obvious which one is better. AMD Freesync is more affordable than monitors that have NVIDIA G-SYNC.
And what put the nail in the coffin was when NVIDIA announced that NVIDIA GPUs can take advantage of AMD Freesync technology. This means that you hook up an NVIDIA GPU or AMD GPU to an AMD Freesync monitor. This makes things more budget-friendly.
NVIDIA G-SYNC wins when you want a top-notch gaming experience. Because NVIDIA combines the use of hardware and software.
This makes their G-SYNC technology is bulletproof as compared to only AMD Freesync which is software only.
In addition to that, AMD Freesync monitors have variable refresh rates combined that with the AMD Freesync software. You get a monitor that doesn’t fully eliminate screen tearing and stuttering.
And because G-SYNC monitors have modules installed in them you get a low input lag.
A low input lag is a great thing especially if you play competitive fast-paced games.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions on AMD Freesync
Do You Really Need FreeSync?
Yes, if you want smoother and more enjoyable gameplay. Then AMD Freesync is worth it.
Is FreeSync For AMD Only?
Yes, Freesync is found on AMD only hardware. However, there are monitors that support NVIDIA G-sync and vice-versa. You will have to enable this in the settings though.
Does AMD FreeSync Really Make a Difference?
Freesync makes a lot of difference during gameplay. Especially if your FPS during gameplay is not constant. For example, the FPS is 100 and drops to 70, goes up to 80, etc. You get the point.
Do I Need FreeSync For 144hz?
No, it’s not necessary to get Freesync for 144Hz. But if you need a smoother gameplay experience. AMD Freesync helps with that.
Is FreeSync Better Than 144hz?
AMD Freesync cannot be directly compared to 144Hz. Because the purpose of AMD Freesync is to smoothen drastic changes in FPS during gameplay.
This greatly reduces screen tearing and ghosting by dynamically changing the refresh rate of the monitor.
Does FreeSync Increase FPS?
No, AMD Freesync doesn’t increase FPS. It rather makes gameplay more enjoyable and smoother.
Is a FreeSync Monitor Worth It?
Yes, AMD Freesync is completely worth it. The affordability makes it so. That doesn’t mean you should jump on any monitor that says AMD Freesync.
You should make sure the monitor ticks other boxes of what you are looking for.
- Can My PC Run 144 FPS and How To Get It Gaming?
- How Many FPS Can A 144Hz Monitor Display? [Answered]
If you are looking for a much more premium gaming experience NVIDIA G-SYNC is the way to go. The hardware modules make sure that screen tearing and stuttering is better managed.
And input lag is drastically reduced. You don’t want low input lag when you are trying to destroy the enemy. You have to be fast. If you decide to go with NVIDIA G-SYNC be prepared to pay extra.
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