[AT]NVIDIA G-Sync Review

[Wall Street]

I wish that Anand tested some high FPS twitch games. I play a lot of Quake Live. Games like Quake Live, the Counterstrike series and the modern shooters, flick shots are much more accurate at high FPS. I think that an advantage of G-Sync will be that you can get way above 60 FPS without having to have tearing or input lag. Of course, he tested games like Batman, Assassins Creed and Starcraft which are slow enough that this effect cannot be felt.

 

[blastingcap]

I wish that Anand tested some high FPS twitch games. I play a lot of Quake Live. Games like Quake Live, the Counterstrike series and the modern shooters, flick shots are much more accurate at high FPS. I think that an advantage of G-Sync will be that you can get way above 60 FPS without having to have tearing or input lag. Of course, he tested games like Batman, Assassins Creed and Starcraft which are slow enough that this effect cannot be felt.

Less input lag is the benefit

 

[Nintendesert]

Sounds like great tech, I wish I could see it first hand though.

I have two concerns though:

GSync2 requires more than my GTX680 and I have to upgrade the card for the new monitor.

The second is simply being locked into Nvidia if I buy a GSync monitor. I don't like that option since I keep monitors for a long time and change GPUs based on price/performance of that particular generation.

I get locked into only Nvidia GPUs if I buy an expensive GSync monitor. Which I'm sure is the goal.

 

[Wall Street]

Less input lag is the benefit

I get it. I wish he tested some fast games. He made it sound like the benefits were below 60 FPS, when my use case would be making 125 FPS with no input lag but a little tearing display as 125 FPS without any input lag or tearing.

 

[Zanovar]

Sounds like great tech, I wish I could see it first hand though.

I have two concerns though:

GSync2 requires more than my GTX680 and I have to upgrade the card for the new monitor.

The second is simply being locked into Nvidia if I buy a GSync monitor. I don't like that option since I keep monitors for a long time and change GPUs based on price/performance of that particular generation.

I get locked into only Nvidia GPUs if I buy an expensive GSync monitor. Which I'm sure is the goal.

Aye, i see your point about being locked in.and im not liking how this is heading,Blasting had the right idea,they should share..not gonna happen though:S.interesting few months ahead indeed.

 

[bystander36]

In the long term it doesnt matter what monitor they put it in, as long as if the technology works and provides a real benefit.

Why is there no such comparisons made between the benefits of ADAPTIVE vsync vs G-sync?

Since no one seems to have responded to your question that I saw...

You get tearing with adaptive v-sync. No matter what your FPS are, if v-sync is off, you get tearing. 100% percent of the time. If v-sync is not on, you get tearing.

It can be less obvious when your FPS are lower, but tearing is there.

 

[5150Joker]

Sounds like great tech, I wish I could see it first hand though.

I have two concerns though:

GSync2 requires more than my GTX680 and I have to upgrade the card for the new monitor.

The second is simply being locked into Nvidia if I buy a GSync monitor. I don't like that option since I keep monitors for a long time and change GPUs based on price/performance of that particular generation.

I get locked into only Nvidia GPUs if I buy an expensive GSync monitor. Which I'm sure is the goal.

The monitor will still work for any brand of graphics card. G-Sync is just proprietary for NVIDIA gpu's so you're not really locked in. Just like you lose Physx or any other NVIDIA feature if you switch to AMD. G-Sync is just one more feature inside your monitor that works in conjunction with NV hardware. AMD doesn't have anything equivalent so this perceived notion of being "locked in" is inaccurate.

 

[AnandThenMan]

The problem is the price premium, if you're not going to be always using an NV card then at times you'll be using a more expensive monitor without any of the benefits. For an extra $100 you could jump into a better video card or display.

If G-Sync worked with AMD/Intel then it's a slam dunk, but that's never going to happen.

 

[Teizo]

Sounds like great tech, I wish I could see it first hand though.

I have two concerns though:

GSync2 requires more than my GTX680 and I have to upgrade the card for the new monitor.

The second is simply being locked into Nvidia if I buy a GSync monitor. I don't like that option since I keep monitors for a long time and change GPUs based on price/performance of that particular generation.

I get locked into only Nvidia GPUs if I buy an expensive GSync monitor. Which I'm sure is the goal.

I think G-Sync monitors will have regular V-Sync as well..just to enable G-Sync you will need an Nvidia GPU.

So, you should be able to buy a G-Sync capable monitor and still run an AMD GPU...just you will be limited to regular V-Sync or no V-Sync at all.

If this is not correct, someone please correct me on this. But, I think this is correct based on all reviews going back and forth between V-Sync, No V-Sync, and G-Sync without mentioning changing anything in their set up.

 

[blackened23]

Sounds like great tech, I wish I could see it first hand though.

I have two concerns though:

GSync2 requires more than my GTX680 and I have to upgrade the card for the new monitor.

The second is simply being locked into Nvidia if I buy a GSync monitor. I don't like that option since I keep monitors for a long time and change GPUs based on price/performance of that particular generation.

I get locked into only Nvidia GPUs if I buy an expensive GSync monitor. Which I'm sure is the goal.

Out of curiosity, how does a gsync enabled monitor lock you in? It's still usable on other setups, isn't it?

 

[Childs]

Sounds like great tech, I wish I could see it first hand though.

I have two concerns though:

GSync2 requires more than my GTX680 and I have to upgrade the card for the new monitor.

The second is simply being locked into Nvidia if I buy a GSync monitor. I don't like that option since I keep monitors for a long time and change GPUs based on price/performance of that particular generation.

I get locked into only Nvidia GPUs if I buy an expensive GSync monitor. Which I'm sure is the goal.

Well, being locked in isnt bad as long as you get what it is you want. I will be happy with the elimination of motion blur. I have been gearing my system towards that, as its gives me eye fatigue. Others think Mantle is more important. As long as we are getting what we pay for I see no problem with vendor specific features.

 

[AnandThenMan]

In a way you do get locked in because without the Nvidia hardware you don't get any benefits. This is exactly why Nvidia is keeping it this way of course.

 

[blackened23]

In a way you do get locked in because without the Nvidia hardware you don't get any benefits. This is exactly why Nvidia is keeping it this way of course.

Oh. Okay. So there isn't a single AMD user using a lightboost enabled monitor. As it happens, the Asus VG278 is one of the best lightboost monitors on the market, plenty of pro gamers use it. Not that I care about professional gaming, but there you have it. Yet according to you, that somehow locks you in? Say what now? If you don't want it, simply don't buy it. I have never bought something and flailed my arms later stating "I'm locked in!"; most people enter a purchase knowing the benefits prior to spending their hard earned cash. And like I said, that asus lightboost screen is one of the best anyone can buy. For anyone who is a lightboost or 120hz gamer, I dare say the majority will buy that particular panel or the BenQ model. Those are the two best BY FAR on the market.

 

[AnandThenMan]

Oh. Okay. So there isn't a single AMD user using a lightboost enabled monitor. Therefore that somehow locks you in. Got it.

Which is why I said "in a way" not definitively.

 

[bystander36]

Lightboost has a hack to make it work on AMD GPU's. I would not be at all surprised that with in a few months, there will be a hack to get this to work with AMD as well.

I'm personally already locked into Nvidia, due to 3D Vision. AMD's poor HD3D support made me go 3D Vision. Hopefully AMD will be more serious about their G-sync alternative, if and when they get that rolling.

 

[blackened23]

Which is why I said "in a way" not definitively.

Consumers who buy DIY PC upgrades aren't idiots. People don't buy products without knowing the benefits beforehand. Nobody is going to buy a lightboost panel and then raise their arms stating "I WAS LOCKED IN!". Come on. Fact of the matter is that even without gsync, the asus VG248 is one of the best lightboost panels money can buy. I'm sure plenty of AMD users buy it, in fact.

 

[OCGuy]

It is definitely exciting that there is something new in the display world that will be within reach to the masses long before 4k.

A better gaming experience, as the overwhelmingly positive reviews describe, is something that resonates with people.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Always look at the bright side of life.

It's pretty clear that this is only a big boost for 60hz monitors.

IMO this tech would have been more useful a few years ago.
It's nice to have but not a killer app for those of us with 120h+ monitors.

Why would anyone prefer 60hz IPS with gsync vs 120hz IPS with no gsync?
Obviously 120hz IPS with gsync is the best combo but at that point Gsync is just icing.

Who am I kidding, I'll probably still get it anyway.

 

[AnandThenMan]

Why not G-Sync 4K 120hz at least. I don't want too much do I?

 

[Zanovar]

I agree,gsync sounds great but im getting the feeling we will need or want 2 g cards the way this is going(im guessing here).*shrugs*.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

On topic: AT G-sync review
As some pointed out earlier, this review falls in line with recent Hawaii reviews where some things are overlooked, and some are overblown (some in positive, and some in negative way).
These reviews get closer attention. There starts to be more questions about the reviewer intentions and motives, then about the reviewed matter...

I think the issue is mainly a lack of testing methodology for such new equipment. There were some poor word choices in there which I pointed out earlier but the article should not have been called a review. There is little to no actual useful data for the reader other than it works OK in completely unrealistic situations.

What I mean by that is they purposely are pairing a poverty level GPU with a $5-600 dollar gsync monitor to make it shine in the review. No one who can afford a gsync monitor is going to be playing a 25 fps because of terrible hardware. At its release price this needs to be reviewed against 60 fps plus setups on 60 and 120hz monitors to be of any use to the target market for gsync.

 

[Zanovar]

Why not G-Sync 4K 120hz at least. I don't want too much do I?

you ask for too much hahaha

 

[Wall Street]

In regards to the IPS and 4K questions, I think the G-Sync probably has the most value in monitors that can reach the highest and lowest refresh rates. The ASUS monitor can go from 30 Hz to 144 Hz which means the fastest refresh is 4.8 times more than the slowest. Most panels would be able to do 30 Hz to 60 Hz which only allows a maximum refresh of 2 times the slowest refresh. I believe that when you go above the max refresh with G-Sync, V-Sync will kick in again, which limits how low the input lag can go and how high the frame rate can go even if your GPU is capable of high frame rates.

I think that we will see G-Sync on non-TN and higher resolution displays when panels come out with those characteristics that can support 120 Hz or 144 Hz. I think that a 60 Hz only G-Sync panel would probably be a waste of money.

 

[Headfoot]

There is not any new technology really. The transport mechanism has been there. The only thing new is intercepting the displays "draw call" to display the image on screen and then telling the display when to actually display the image.

Guarantee you they could get a patent on it if they wanted to. Its just a matter of how many limitations the prosecuting attorney puts in. It's pretty much impossible to not get a patent if you throw enough money at it.

 

[Vesku]

It makes you wonder, why for example something like DisplayPort didnt add this.

Simple sync between output and input.

G-Sync is nice, but it is really a workaround style fix.

That's what has surprised me too, especially since the GPU makers have a decent amount of influence with DisplayPort. I think that will be the alternative to G-Sync, IO capabilities built into the display connector standards. Could do this already with the integrated ethernet HDMI or Thunderbolt just need some of those ARM chips to find their way from Smart TV to Computer Displays.