Hardware Canucks A Week With NVIDIA's G-SYNC Monitor

[Heinz68]

SKYMTL is addicted to G-SYNC and thinks it's awesome, too bad Nvidia wont sell me one unless I go green
Actually I''m just lil kidding, my next monitor upgrade is going to be 50 inch 4K UHD. I copied the text at OCN forum since at HardwareCanucks it's for members only, anyway here is the original source. My second G-SYNC thread, hopefully this one goes better, but I can always try 3rd time when the full review gets published.

Edit: The source link is now open without registration and much more info.

Unfortunately the widespread release of G-SYNC will only be in Q1 2014 but an early alpha-stage prototype monitor did land on my doorstep last week and, as you can tell by the near lack of content on Hardware Canucks since then, it has ruined my productivity. Simply put, I'm addicted.


G-SYNC?s Current Limitations Explained

While G-SYNC may look like a cure-all for many of the glaring shortcomings in the display market, it isn?t infallible and it can?t rectify every issue. Stuttering will continue to rear its ugly head when games load textures or when a system storage device becomes a bottleneck. In addition, blur still occurs and detracts from the overall experience despite G-SYNC?s improvements in other areas.

With input lag all but eliminated from the display side of the equation, according to NVIDIA you?ll need a suitably high end gaming mouse with an extreme polling interval to take full advantage of what G-SYNC offers. I didn?t notice anything more than the usual improvements in response time and accuracy when moving from an MX510 to a G9x but professional gamers (I?m certainly not one of those) may say otherwise since the screen?s response time has been significantly reduced.

There are some additional limitations as well. While it can be used with an SLI system, G-SYNC can?t operate in Windowed Mode, doesn?t currently support NVIDIA?s Surround multi monitor technology and will only be available through a DisplayPort interface. Don?t expect any external G-SYNC adapters either since existing monitor scalers can?t be adapted to work with the technology, nor can they be bypassed via an external hub. As you might expect, the technology is only compatible with NVIDIA?s Kepler-based cards but due to the its unique nature, I?m sure we can all understand why this needs to be held close to their chests.

. . .

Until our full review is published early next year, I can safely say that after a week of using G-SYNC, there?s really only one word to sum up my experience thus far: awesome.

[AliG]

So will monitors come pre-installed with the G-SYNC chipset or is this something you can purchase and drop into any panel?

[kam03]

So will monitors come pre-installed with the G-SYNC chipset or is this something you can purchase and drop into any panel?

I hope you can purchase it and add to any panel if not then it will flop. All users with high end screens will not just go and buy a new screen for g-sync.

[mutantmagnet]

So will monitors come pre-installed with the G-SYNC chipset or is this something you can purchase and drop into any panel?

You can't apply it to any panel. Each display has to be tuned properly and that costs research and development. That was the explanation I got from a smaller company that is willing to publicly talk about this.

http://overlordforum.com/topic/603-n...g-sync/?p=6702

It will take some time to get G-Sync expanded out even beyond the ASUS unit.



There are several issues here - one is that each G-Sync module must be tuned to the specific panel and PCBs used for that panel. As of now, the OEM makers - ASUS, BENQ, etc have the tech from Nvidia and are implementing them the best way they see fit (read: in whatever way makes them the most money). This goes to my point that people claiming exclusivity have no idea what they are talking about. The tech has been released to OEM makers already. The second issue is that of development. Since the tech must be tuned for each application it means it will take time for the modules to make their way into a bunch of different panel formats since R&D and production is pricey.



We here at Overlord are small potatoes and have not been given such worldly access to the OEM specs for G-Sync. We couldn't do much with it anyway since we don't have a large R&D department to make custom PCBs with the modules properly tuned to our panel (IPS) and TCONs.



After a conversation with Nvidia last week the whole expansion to IPS - and more importantly as far as we here at Overlord are concerned - to IPS/1440 panels is in the works. I am waiting to hear back on where in the R&D timeline the 1440/IPS G-Sync module is. Until then I continue to hammer home with Nvidia that the holy grail, short of a real 4k at 60hz or above, not the hybrids out now, is a 1440/120Hz selectable/G-Sync model. TN at 1080 is ok if you run 3 panels, but a single panel? Please. With GPUs ramping up each quarter it seems, soon 3 x 1440/120/GSYNC will be attainable and price effective compared to the upcoming 4K models.



Bottom line I think people don't understand that you cannot take the module and just plug it into a different setup. The module must be engineered to each specific application making it more time consuming and ultimately more expensive.

[lowfat]

There will be a DIY addon card available for existing Asus VG248QE displays. No other existing displays will work. But come 2014 there will be a lot of manufacturers that will be offering GSYNC versions of their displays. Probably for about $100 more.

[Lanek]

The question is are we ready to go back from a 27" 2560x1440 PLS/IPS panel ( why not a Qnix PLS OC to 120hz ) or a 30" Dell U30h14 ( 3ms total input lag in "game mode" ( signal processing is completely overrided, so only response pixel is left ).. to a 24-27" 1080p TN with G-sync.. Lets hope some brand can adapt them to other panels

[ZX2Slow]

I am looking forward to some 27+" screens that support G-Sync, 120+Hz, & 1440p+ I picked up a few of those HAnns.G 28" screens a while back and cant go smaller.

[AliG]

You can't apply it to any panel. Each display has to be tuned properly and that costs research and development. That was the explanation I got from a smaller company that is willing to publicly talk about this.

http://overlordforum.com/topic/603-n...g-sync/?p=6702

Thanks a lot buddy

[BababooeyHTJ]

There will be a DIY addon card available for existing Asus VG248QE displays. No other existing displays will work. But come 2014 there will be a lot of manufacturers that will be offering GSYNC versions of their displays. Probably for about $100 more.

I thought that was supposed to be available before the end of the year. At least according to the first anandtech article.

[cx-ray]

I read a German preview where they said it's not that big of a difference when you have a setup that pushes very high frame rates, no VSync, in combination with a 120/144Hz monitor. They also mentioned when frame rates exceed your maximum screen refresh rate, the situation would be similar to running with VSync enabled. Buffering will occur and the screen will only refresh after the next complete frame. It appears that G-Sync probably is an improvement when you're running "common" 50-80 FPS in a given game. For people with very high-end setups, the advantages aren't quite as clear. There will be a trade off between visuals and additional input latency of 6-8ms or higher.

[Dimitriman]

Sounds like a long shot by Nvidia, this technology will have to significantly improve and become cheaper + more flexible before it is widely adopted.

[LordEC911]

I thought that was supposed to be available before the end of the year. At least according to the first anandtech article.

It has always been Q1 '14.

[ryan92084]

Considering I just upgraded from my circa 2006 Viewsonic VX2022W to a dell u2412 within the last few months we'll see if this is still even around when I'm due for my next monitor in ~2019

[Hornet331]

I read a German preview where they said it's not that big of a difference when you have a setup that pushes very high frame rates, no VSync, in combination with a 120/144Hz monitor. They also mentioned when frame rates exceed your maximum screen refresh rate, the situation would be similar to running with VSync enabled. Buffering will occur and the screen will only refresh after the next complete frame. It appears that G-Sync probably is an improvement when you're running "common" 50-80 FPS in a given game. For people with very high-end setups, the advantages aren't quite as clear. There will be a trade off between visuals and additional input latency of 6-8ms or higher.

thats why i never bother with such solutions...

for me -> try to get constatly above 60fps and then limit fps to 60. Sadly not all engines allow for an fps max limit.

[STEvil]

And what happens when we move beyond current gen LCD's?

[-=DVS=-]

Well its love or hate type of tech some will love it others will hate on it.
Personally my self i have been running IPS and TN 120hz screen, switching between them i always go back to 120hz, G-Sync sounds awesome and cant wait to get it on fast 144hz panel.
And one day we will have it all IPS,high res and G-Sync type of tech.
Progress is good even if it is proprietary.

[MaddMuppet]

I think this is a step in the right direction. So sick of screen tearing for FPS, buy Vsync is not an option for games like BF4.

[BababooeyHTJ]

It has always been Q1 '14.

The first native G-Sync enabled monitors won't show up until Q1 next year, however NVIDIA will be releasing the G-Sync board for modding before the end of this year.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7436/n...via-smoothness

[TimPrice]

It was about time, the PhysX cards felt lonely already.

[LordEC911]

And what happens when we move beyond current gen LCD's?

Well one company is working on that solution for everybody, fixing the inherent flaws with current LCD tech.
The other is worried about selling you an add-on and ignoring the root cause.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7436/n...via-smoothness

Sorry misread what you had quoted.
Yeah, they definitely flopped on that. Current interviews are saying they aren't focusing on selling the board but getting monitors out.

[mutantmagnet]

I read a German preview where they said it's not that big of a difference when you have a setup that pushes very high frame rates, no VSync, in combination with a 120/144Hz monitor. They also mentioned when frame rates exceed your maximum screen refresh rate, the situation would be similar to running with VSync enabled. Buffering will occur and the screen will only refresh after the next complete frame. It appears that G-Sync probably is an improvement when you're running "common" 50-80 FPS in a given game. For people with very high-end setups, the advantages aren't quite as clear. There will be a trade off between visuals and additional input latency of 6-8ms or higher.

While this is true the Gsync module has the ability to cater to people who can maintain 100+ FPS. Gsync can be used in 3 modes, gsync, 3d vision and low persistence.

Low persistence is Nvidia's official support for Lightboost with improvements over the original implementation.

Speculating on it, I expect colors won't be biased towards reds which everyone has to work around now but I don't know how else they could massively improve on it.

[BababooeyHTJ]

Sorry misread what you had quoted.
Yeah, they definitely flopped on that. Current interviews are saying they aren't focusing on selling the board but getting monitors out.

Thats disappointing, hopefully they haven't changed their minds on selling that board.

[MaddMuppet]

Well one company is working on that solution for everybody, fixing the inherent flaws with current LCD tech.
The other is worried about selling you an add-on and ignoring the root cause.


Sorry misread what you had quoted.
Yeah, they definitely flopped on that. Current interviews are saying they aren't focusing on selling the board but getting monitors out.

I thought the flaws are with LCD technology and not with the graphics cards or drivers, so if you are referring to Mantle, then this would seem unlikely to have an affect on this.

[Heinz68]

I thought the flaws are with LCD technology and not with the graphics cards or drivers, so if you are referring to Mantle, then this would seem unlikely to have an affect on this.

I think he might be referring to this

[MaddMuppet]

I think he might be referring to this

Thanks for that. He statement had no links to anything.

It will be interesting to see what AMD's answer is to this. But again if the LCD display is the issue, than what will be their answer to it.