In our forums today, SimRacingRick posted a story about a new technology that NVidia is developing, or developed called “G-Sync”. The story originated from PCGamer and makes me wonder how much this will effect input lag, if at all. Here’s the storyfrom PCGamer..
The standard display refresh rate is 60Hz—that’s 60 images per second—but fancy GPUs can render way more than 60 frames per second. We like more frames. More frames means more responsive input—and screw compromise!—but when out-of-sync rendering traps multiple frames in a single refresh, the Horrible One emerges: screen tearing. The best we can do now is tame the beast with V-sync, but in Montreal today, Nvidia unsheathed a new weapon which it claims will put tearing and stuttering down for good.
V-sync forces the GPU to spit out 60 frames in time with the monitor’s refresh rate, and is totally gross and inelegant. Nvidia’s new tech, called G-Sync, flips that concept around. Instead of syncing the GPU’s output to the monitor’s refresh rate, it syncs the monitor’s refresh rate to the GPU’s output. Crap, why didn’t I think of, research, develop, and manufacture that idea?
The G-Sync module will be installed in displays and works with Nvidia’s Kepler GPUs. It kills the fixed 60Hz monitor refresh rate and instead begins a monitor refres
h cycle every time the GPU has finished rendering a frame. As your game’s framerate rises and falls, the monitor refresh rate follows along. This means “no more tearing, no more stuttering,” promises Nvidia’s announcement.
G-Sync capable displays will be available early next year, and Asus, BenQ, Philips, and ViewSonic are on board.
Sounds great, but at the cost of three new monitors for guys like me that are running in triples. Worth the investment, or are you ok with V-Sync?
Actually just read this about upgrading older monitors..
Alternatively, if you’re a dab hand with a Philips screwdriver, you can purchase the kit itself and mod an ASUS VG248QE monitor at home. This is of course the cheaper option, and you’ll still receive a 1-year warranty on the G-SYNC module, though this obviously won’t cover modding accidents that are a result of your own doing. A complete installation instruction manual will be available to view online when the module becomes available, giving you a good idea of the skill level required for the DIY solution; assuming proficiency with modding, our technical gurus believe installation should take approximately 30 minutes.
If you prefer to simply buy a monitor off the shelf from a retailer or e-tailer, NVIDIA G-SYNC monitors developed and manufactured by monitor OEMs will be available for sale next year. These monitors will range in size and resolution, scaling all the way up to deluxe 3840×2160 “4K” models, resulting in the ultimate combination of image quality, image smoothness, and input responsiveness.
I personally don’t use VSync in iRacing and run uncapped to net the highest possible FPS as possible to eliminate the input lag as much as possible. I believe other titles like rF2 or pCars aren’t as effected by VSync or FPS. What’s your take ?