AMD demos FreeSync on 'hacked' monitor at Computex

[Scorpus]

The big announcement for AMD at Computex 2014 was the launch of Kaveri mobile APUs, which we covered several days ago when the news broke. However I decided to drop by AMD's booth on the show floor, where they had set up the first public demonstration of FreeSync on an external monitor.

For those who aren't aware, FreeSync is AMD's non-proprietary alternative to Nvidia's G-Sync, whereby the refresh rate of a display can be synced to the render rate of the GPU. The adaptive refresh rate reduces stutter and tearing when gaming below the native refresh rate (usually 60 Hz), so gameplay at 40 frames per second can look nearly as good as traditional 60 frames per second gameplay.

FreeSync is AMD's name for Adaptive Sync, which was recently added to the VESA-standard DisplayPort 1.2a specification. Like G-Sync, monitors supporting FreeSync require changes to the hardware, although AMD claims their method of controlling VBLANK intervals is cheaper and easier to implement than Nvidia's proprietary G-Sync module.

The demo showed two monitors side by side displaying a rotating turbine at around 40 FPS, one with FreeSync enabled and the other with FreeSync disabled. The effect is exactly the same as G-Sync I previewed a few days ago, with rendering at 40 FPS looking incredibly smooth on the FreeSync monitor.

AMD told me that monitors supporting FreeSync are still 6-12 months away from public release, although they managed to get the particular monitor for the demo supporting Adaptive Sync "through some hacking". An executive didn't want to disclose what brand monitors they were using for the demo, or which hardware partners are working on FreeSync monitors, aside from saying that they're collaborating with many of the top brands.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/57023-amd-demos-freesync-on-hacked-monitor-at-computex.html

 

[cliffordcooley]

I think I prefer G-Sync.

As far as the expense being high, so is everything when it first comes out. And then the next thing you know, pocket change can pay for it.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

I think I prefer G-Sync.

As far as the expense being high, so is everything when it first comes out. And then the next thing you know, pocket change can pay for it.

I'm not so sure about G-Sync, it's nVidia proprietary and thus likely to remain expensive unless FreeSync becomes an adopted standard by monitor manufacturers forcing nVidia to check their weapons and balaclavas.

 

[wastedkill]

The demo looks like a dud simple because they are comparing freesync on/off on different monitors instead of the same monitors... hence cheating the results.

 

[LNCPapa]

Yeah... not really sure why they used two different monitors. It even looks like one is glossy while the other is matte. If they had to hack one to make it work why not put a second un-hacked monitor of the same model for the demo?

 

[Burty117]

I'm getting a G-sync screen in 15 days, so excited!

 

[Guest]

Nvidia G-sync? enjoy your shitty TN panel

 

[Axle Grease]

Nvidia G-sync? enjoy your shitty TN panel

So pr0n looks better on your monitor, but so what? Burty's monitor is far more suited towards gaming than anything you have.

 

[Axle Grease]

I'm not so sure about G-Sync, it's nVidia proprietary and thus likely to remain expensive unless FreeSync becomes an adopted standard by monitor manufacturers forcing nVidia to check their weapons and balaclavas.

It's been adopted by VESA into the latest displayport specification which is an excellent start. To what extent the monitor manufacturing industry will adopt adaptive sync will depend on how much of the gaming community finds it desirable. So it is pretty much up to us.

 

[Burty117]

Nvidia G-sync? enjoy your shitty TN panel

So pr0n looks better on your monitor, but so what? Burty's monitor is far more suited towards gaming than anything you have.

Don't worry about it, most people who have nothing better to do than say they'll never go back to TN panels are people who haven't used a modern / decent TN panel.

All I know is, I had a 1560x1440 IPS 27inch monitor and I hated it for gaming, I really did, I hated it so much I went back to an old 1440x900 TN panel because it felt like it was at least keeping up with my movements in games. I got it on the recommendation from quite a few people, I may not like marketing but everything I've heard about high refresh screens coupled with g-sync is pure bliss for playing games with so I'm happy to give it a shot. I don't do any professional work on my gaming PC so having a ridiculous colour range doesn't really help, as long as the enemy's show up on screen fast enough I can react, that matters far more to me

 

[Scorpus]

The demo looks like a dud simple because they are comparing freesync on/off on different monitors instead of the same monitors... hence cheating the results.

I thought this was strange as well, the FreeSync Off monitor is from Dell while the FreeSync On one appears to be from AOC. You'd think they could get two of the same monitor and just hack one

 

[GhostRyder]

So the way it sounds is that it works...all that needs to be said in the end...

Maybe I'll hold off and grab a 4k freesync enabled panel. Nah I think ill still grab that asus panel that's about to come out. Either way though it works in the end so it's a good tool.

 

[Guest]

Lol love it when people say 120hz TN are so much better, but they don't care for the superior quality of VA/IPS, 120hz is only better than IPS for motion clarity and frame rate for gamer nerds. I'm sorry but PCs are powerful tools and playing video games doesn't do them justice. "G4m3rs" are so pathetic...

 

[cliffordcooley]

Lol love it when people say 120hz TN are so much better, but they don't care for the superior quality of VA/IPS, 120hz is only better than IPS for motion clarity and frame rate for gamer nerds. I'm sorry but PCs are powerful tools and playing video games doesn't do them justice. "G4m3rs" are so pathetic...

And you are reading a statement that was never made.

 

[Puiu]

Nvidia G-sync? enjoy your shitty TN panel

So pr0n looks better on your monitor, but so what? Burty's monitor is far more suited towards gaming than anything you have.

Don't worry about it, most people who have nothing better to do than say they'll never go back to TN panels are people who haven't used a modern / decent TN panel.

All I know is, I had a 1560x1440 IPS 27inch monitor and I hated it for gaming, I really did, I hated it so much I went back to an old 1440x900 TN panel because it felt like it was at least keeping up with my movements in games. I got it on the recommendation from quite a few people, I may not like marketing but everything I've heard about high refresh screens coupled with g-sync is pure bliss for playing games with so I'm happy to give it a shot. I don't do any professional work on my gaming PC so having a ridiculous colour range doesn't really help, as long as the enemy's show up on screen fast enough I can react, that matters far more to me

if you don't have money then you go with TN, if you have money you go with IPS. it's that simple. once you've used and IPS monitor for some time you won't go back to those shitty TN colors (response time or not). as for g-sync not being used on IPS... where did they mention that? and it's 100% certain that IPS will get freesync when it's ready. there are also 120hz high res IPS monitors, so there are no problems there. when I put several TN monitors next to each other I always find that all of them have different colors. and the viewing angles are atrocious
there are 2 reasons you would buy a TN panel: it's cheaper and has better response time. other than that IPS is much better in every aspect.
buying an expensive monitor just for gaming doesn't make sense. you use it for other things too besides gaming.

 

[Burty117]

if you don't have money then you go with TN, if you have money you go with IPS. it's that simple. once you've used and IPS monitor for some time you won't go back to those shitty TN colors (response time or not).

I've had an IPS monitor for 9 months, it was a decent resolution and has been recommended by many, I agree, color wise it's great, for most stuff it was absolutely fine, gaming? it was god awful. Simple as that. I don't do anything that is color critical and to be honest a half decent TN panel and a good IPS I honestly cannot tell much of a difference unless stressing them with certain photos.

and it's 100% certain that IPS will get freesync when it's ready. there are also 120hz high res IPS monitors, so there are no problems there.

My IPS monitor I had overclocked to 92Hz and even got it stable at 112Hz, it's not the refresh rate that made it rubbish for gaming, it was the response times, this is where IPS just cannot compare to TN and other technology's.

when I put several TN monitors next to each other I always find that all of them have different colors. and the viewing angles are atrocious

Then you've clearly never used a decent TN panel, viewing angles is an inherent issue with the technology granted, but it's no where near as bad as people like you make it out to be (unless you've only used old TN panels from 2001?).

there are 2 reasons you would buy a TN panel: it's cheaper and has better response time. other than that IPS is much better in every aspect.
buying an expensive monitor just for gaming doesn't make sense. you use it for other things too besides gaming.

Yeah I use it to browse the web, maybe edit some videos and watch some movies, Listen to Music, but I spend about 80% of the time on my PC playing games, so yeah, it does make sense. I would rather what I do for 80% of the time is good and the other 20% "OK". Rather than 80% rubbish and 20% good.

 

[DizConnected]

Surprised no one has posted this video, showing freesync on and off with the same monitor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZthhqmhbw8

 

[cliffordcooley]

^^ The only detail I saw in that video was a moving camera that could hardly stay in focus.