Only some AMD Radeon GPUs will support FreeSync displays

[Scorpus]

A small tidbit of information that was revealed yesterday, as part of AMD's launch of the Radeon R9 285, concerns the company's Project FreeSync initiative. As it turns out, not every GPU in AMD's current line of Radeons will support the adaptive sync technology, with most of the older rebranded parts getting left out.

AMD has so far revealed that only GCN 1.1 parts and above - namely the Hawaii-powered Radeon R9 290 and R9 290X, and the new Tonga-powered R9 285 - will support FreeSync. There's also a possibility that the Bonaire GPU found in the R7 260X and HD 7790 will be FreeSync compatible, as the chip also has some GCN 1.1 features like TrueAudio.

On the flip side, every other GPU in AMD's current line-up will not support FreeSync. Most of these cards, including the Radeon R9 280, 280X and 270X, are re-brands of older cards from AMD's HD 7000 series that include GCN 1.0 chips and don't support the necessary DisplayPort standard. This means that, disappointingly, some cards available to purchase today won't support FreeSync.

FreeSync is an AMD-led non-proprietary initiative, backed by VESA, that will bring variable refresh rates to a selection of monitors early next year. The adaptive sync technology allows a monitor to refresh at a rate lower than 60 Hz, which reduces stuttering and tearing in games that your GPU can't quite render at 60 frames per second.

The technology is an alternative to Nvidia's G-Sync, which provides similar functionality through a proprietary chip that is integrated into the display. G-Sync monitors are already available and supported on all Kepler products from the GTX 600 series onwards.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/57934-only-some-amd-radeon-gpus-will-support-freesync-displays.html

 

[Guest]

I am an Nvidia Person, but paying 200 Bucks for something I really dont need that despretly is a bit off putting, I am not even MAD at AMD setting free sync on newer model GPUS (makerting, programing wise strategies), I think thats Fine, now if they will get this working with Nvidia Gpus it will be a heavy Blow to G-Sync.


Looking forward to This.

 

[Guest]

Well, this was already in the FAQ about FreeSync last month. http://support.amd.com/en-us/search/faq/219

"All AMD Radeon™ graphics cards in the AMD Radeon™ HD 7000, HD 8000, R7 or R9 Series will support Project FreeSync for video playback and power-saving purposes. The AMD Radeon™ R9 295X2, 290X, R9 290, R7 260X and R7 260 GPUs additionally feature updated display controllers that will support dynamic refresh rates during gaming.

AMD APUs codenamed "Kaveri," "Kabini," "Temash," "Beema" and "Mullins" also feature the necessary hardware capabilities to enable dynamic refresh rates for video playback, gaming and power-saving purposes. All products must be connected to a display that supports DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync."

 

[cliffordcooley]

Hahaha
lol
ahahahha
OMG
Freesync is really getting off to a good start as a free alternative. Instead of spending top price in a monitor, you are faced with spending the offset in a top graphics card and monitor. I fail to see where the savings is at!

 

[VitalyT]

There's also a possibility that the Bonaire GPU found in the R7 260X and HD 7790 will be FreeSync compatible, as the chip also has some GCN 1.1 features like TrueAudio

I'm confused - are we syncing audio or graphics? I don't think that presence of TrueAudio in the older adapters is gonna help much

 

[GhostRyder]

Hahaha
lol
ahahahha
OMG
Freesync is really getting off to a good start as a free alternative. Instead of spending top price in a monitor, you are faced with spending the offset in a top graphics card and monitor. I fail to see where the savings is at!

$250 is top of the line? On top of that AMD already announced what cards will support it via gaming and it goes down to some pretty inexpensive cards on top of the high end.

Well looks like it came down to what DP ports and the standards on those cards after all.

 

[Guest]

Remeber that the Freesync Software was hacked into the Monitor, I dont think you would need to buy a new monitor, some one will find a way to implement it via firware to monitors.

 

[Guest]

"Remeber that the Freesync Software was hacked into the Monitor, I dont think you would need to buy a new monitor, some one will find a way to implement it via firware to monitors."

But how to hack into monitor firmware without opening it and special tool?
Even if monitor have USB, it is connected to PCB directly?

 

[Guest]

A10 APUs will support this and they cost under US$200, but you would need a mobo with display port.

 

[Puiu]

Hahaha
lol
ahahahha
OMG
Freesync is really getting off to a good start as a free alternative. Instead of spending top price in a monitor, you are faced with spending the offset in a top graphics card and monitor. I fail to see where the savings is at!

don't be stupid. freesync has more than enough support. we knew from the start that video cards that don't have the new version of displayport will not work and this is because it took a very long time for the new version to be released. 2015 will be the year when they really start ramping up and 2016 will have every monitor and every GPU support it. And the cheap APUs that already support it are expensive?

 

[cliffordcooley]

don't be stupid.

Why not? After reading every ones comments, I'm only fitting in with the crowd.

As little as I read about AMD, I was being lead to believe Freesync was out and ready to be used as a free solution to G-Sync being offered by nVidia, at the time nVidia introduced G-Sync. Thanks for correcting me, now AMD looks even more pathetic in my mind. All this time I was waiting for AMD to write drivers that would work with hardware already out in population. Low and behold I now realize that hardware never existed.

Now let me restate my previous comment and laughter. I'm laughing now because I find it funny, even if I am just now realizing the truth. The reason I find it funny is both AMD and NVidia required new cards and monitors. There was never anything out at the time of publication that would support either Free-Sync or G-Sync. But that was not what AMD wanted us to believe from the start.

 

[Puiu]

Why not? After reading every ones comments, I'm only fitting in with the crowd.

As little as I read about AMD, I was being lead to believe Freesync was out and ready to be used as a free solution to G-Sync being offered by nVidia, at the time nVidia introduced G-Sync. Thanks for correcting me, now AMD looks even more pathetic in my mind. All this time I was waiting for AMD to write drivers that would work with hardware already out in population. Low and behold I now realize that hardware never existed.

Now let me restate my previous comment and laughter. I'm laughing now because I find it funny, even if I am just now realizing the truth. The reason I find it funny is both AMD and NVidia required new cards and monitors. There was never anything out at the time of publication that would support either Free-Sync or G-Sync. But that was not what AMD wanted us to believe from the start.

stop trolling. they never said it's out and we always knew that the new displayport will arrive late this year. also adopting the new displayport would always take at least another half a year. I don't know what tech sites you read but they lied to you. AMD said that GCN 1.1 will support it and also the new APU's will support it. are you really that against something free? does it really bother you so much that AMD presented us with a free alternative to gsync that can actually work with nvidia hardware too once they add support for the new displayport?

 

[cliffordcooley]

stop trolling

From your perspective it may appear that way, but I am not trolling. If you have a problem with what I say prove me wrong and call it a day.

 

[Puiu]

From your perspective it may appear that way, but I am not trolling. If you have a problem with what I say prove me wrong and call it a day.

here's one from techspot saying what I said about displayport and adoption.
https://www.techspot.com/news/57023-amd-demos-freesync-on-hacked-monitor-at-computex.html
happy now?