What’s the Difference Between AMD Free-Sync and NVIDIA G-Sync?

GAMES sport
5 min readAug 1, 2022

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If you’re looking to buy a new high-end gaming monitor, it’s important to know the difference between AMD Free-Sync and NVIDIA G-Sync technology, because they are the two biggest competitors in the market today. These monitor technologies are similar in many ways, but there are also major differences you should be aware of before choosing one over the other. Before you can make that decision, though, it helps to understand what these display technologies actually do and how they differ from each other.

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The Purpose of Monitor Synchronization

Both AMD Free-Sync and NVIDIA G-Sync are technologies designed to synchronize the frame rate of a monitor with the GPU in order to eliminate screen tearing. The main difference between the two is that G-Sync is proprietary while Free-Sync is open source. In terms of performance, G-Sync tends to be a bit smoother as it can control both the refresh rate and frame rate, whereas Free-Sync can only control the refresh rate. However, Free-Sync monitors are typically cheaper than G-Sync monitors. In addition, because Free-Sync is an open standard supported by many different companies, there are more displays available than for G-Sync. For these reasons, some people prefer to use Free-sync monitors instead of G-sync ones.

An Introduction to VSync Off and Free-Sync

VSync is a display option found in most video settings menus. It stands for Vertical Sync and its purpose is to synchronize the frame rate of your graphics card with the refresh rate of your monitor. This prevents screen tearing, where half of one frame is displayed on top of another. The trade-off is that if your graphics card can’t keep up with your monitor’s refresh rate, you’ll see significant input lag. Free-Sync is AMD’s solution to this problem. Essentially, it allows any video card to work with any monitor, regardless of whether or not they both support it. All you need is an AMD GPU and a Free-Sync capable monitor. The downside is that there are fewer monitors than cards so the selection may be limited. You also need the latest drivers installed to take advantage of it. However, many people swear by Free-Sync because it provides smoother gameplay without stuttering from other synchronization methods like Vsync off.

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How do AMD Free-Sync and NVIDIA G-SYNC Work?

Both technologies allow a display to change its refresh rate to match the frame rate of a graphics card, which can eliminate screen tearing. NVIDIA G-SYNC also reduces stutter and input lag. However, G-SYNC requires special hardware in both the monitor and graphics card, while Free-Sync only requires compatible hardware in the monitor. This makes Free-Sync monitors more affordable. The cost for an NVIDIA G-SYNC capable graphics card starts at $350 and displays start at $500 for a 24 1920x1080 TN panel. For comparison, an equivalent Free-Sync display is priced at $400. Of course, with the higher price point you get better specs: IPS panels with 1440p resolutions or 4K resolutions on larger screens. Plus, you’ll enjoy the benefits of NVIDIA’s G-SYNC technology as well.

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What are the Differences Between Free-SYNC/G-SYNC Monitors?

If you’re looking to purchase a new monitor, you’ve probably come across the terms Free-Sync or G-Sync. Both of these technologies are designed to improve your gaming experience by synchronizing the frame rate of your monitor with the frame rate of your graphics card. So, what’s the difference between these two technologies? Well, in a nutshell, they work differently. With G-Sync monitors, there is no option for the end user to adjust refresh rates on their own — instead it is done automatically. The downside is that when input lag becomes an issue, you’ll need to replace your current monitor with one that has been certified as being G-SYNC compatible. On the other hand, AMD Free-Sync allows users to choose from any refresh rate within the range supported by their monitor and graphics card. Of course, this does require an additional step (pressing FPS LIMITER ON/OFF) before starting a game but that can be set to run every time you launch a game. However, if your system isn’t capable of supporting higher than 60 frames per second, then you may notice some choppiness with the display. There are also differences in pricing. G-Sync monitors are generally more expensive because they include Nvidia’s proprietary hardware whereas Free-Sync is based on open standards. You might want to do some research into how each technology works before deciding which is best for you.

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Which is Better — AMD Free-SYNC or NVIDIA G-SYNC?

Both technologies are designed to reduce screen tearing, but they work in different ways. AMD Free-Sync uses your monitor’s refresh rate to sync with your graphics card, while NVIDIA G-Sync syncs with the graphics card itself. So, which is better? If you have an AMD graphics card, Free-Sync will do a better job of reducing screen tearing for you. If you have an NVIDIA GPU, G-sync will be more compatible with your setup because it syncs directly with the GPU instead of relying on your monitor’s refresh rate. The downside to this is that, since you’re syncing up with the GPU instead of your monitor, G-sync can’t help with input lag or stuttering. Additionally, not all monitors support NVIDIA G-SYNC so this technology might not be available to use at all times. With that said, if you don’t have an AMD graphics card and still want to take advantage of reduced screen tearing, then using NVIDIA G-SYNC would be the best option for you.

A good alternative to either AMD Free-Sync or NVIDIA G-Sync is high frame rates (e.g., 120fps). You’ll still get some of the benefits without having to worry about compatibility with specific hardware!

Another thing to keep in mind is that you won’t necessarily need a high refresh rate monitor if you’re aiming for a reduced screen tearing experience. If your graphics card supports Vsync, then it can do a lot of work on its own so even if you’re playing at 60Hz, it might not matter as much as other factors, like your graphics card’s power.

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