G-Sync is a proprietary adaptive sync technology developed by Nvidia aimed primarily at eliminating screen tearing and the need for software alternatives such as Vsync.[1] G-Sync eliminates screen tearing by allowing a video display's refresh rate to adapt to the frame rate of the outputting device (graphics card/integrated graphics) rather than the outputting device adapting to the display, which could traditionally be refreshed halfway through the process of a frame being output by the device, resulting in screen tearing, or two or more frames being shown at once.[2] In order for a device to use G-Sync, it must contain a proprietary G-Sync module sold by Nvidia. AMD has released a similar technology for displays, called FreeSync, which has the same function as G-Sync yet is royalty-free.
Nvidia built a special collision avoidance feature to avoid the eventuality of a new frame being ready while a duplicate is being drawn on screen (something that could generate lag and/or stutter) in which case the module anticipates the refresh and waits for the next frame to be completed.[3] Overdriving pixels also becomes tricky in a non-fixed refresh scenario, and solutions predicting when the next refresh is going to happen and accordingly adjusting the overdrive value must be implemented and tuned for each panel in order to avoid ghosting.[4]
The module carries all the functional parts. It is based around an Altera Arria V GX family FPGA featuring 156K logic elements, 396 DSP blocks and 67 LVDS channels. It is produced on the TSMC 28LP process and paired with three DDR3L DRAM chips to attain a certain bandwidth, for an aggregate 768MB capacity. The employed FPGA also features a LVDS interface to drive the monitor panel. It is meant to replace common scalers and be easily integrated by monitor manufacturers, who only have to take care of the power delivery circuit board and input connections.[5]
GPU:
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Monitor:
G-Sync faces some criticism due to its proprietary nature and the fact that it is still being promoted when free alternatives exist, such as the VESA standard Adaptive-Sync which is an optional feature of DisplayPort version 1.2a.[7] While AMD's FreeSync relies on the above-mentioned optional component of DisplayPort 1.2a, G-Sync requires an Nvidia-made module in place of the usual scaler in the display in order for it to function properly with select Nvidia GeForce graphics cards, such as the ones from the GeForce 10 series (Pascal).[6] However, there do exist G-Sync compatible monitors that can also utilize AMD's FreeSync.[8] The G-Sync module itself has also been criticized for drawing power when the monitor is switched off, while comparable technologies don't draw any power when the monitor is switched off.[9] A basic test by technology YouTuber JayzTwoCents showed that monitors with the G-Sync module draw approximately 14W continuously when the monitor is off, and that comparable monitors without the G-Sync module draw 0.0W when the monitor is off.
| Brand | Model number | Release year | Resolution | Size | Refresh rate at native resolution | Panel technology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer | X34 Predator | 2015 | 3440x1440 | 34 | 100 Hz | IPS | |
| Acer | XB270H | 2014 | 1920x1080 | 27" | 144 Hz | TN | |
| Acer | XB270HA | 2014 | 1920x1080 | 27" | 144 Hz | TN | |
| Acer | XB280HK | 2014 | 3840x2160 | 28" | 60 Hz | TN | |
| Acer | XB281HK | 2015 | 3840x2160 | 28" | 60 Hz | TN | |
| Acer | XB271HK | 2016 | 3840x2160 | 27" | 60 Hz | IPS | |
| Acer | XB321HK | 2016 | 3840x2160 | 32" | 60 Hz | IPS | |
| Acer | XB240HA | 2015 | 1920x1080 | 24" | 144 Hz | TN | |
| Acer | XB241H | 2016 | 1920x1080 | 24" | 144 Hz (180 Hz overclocked) | TN | |
| Acer | XB241YU | 2016 | 2560x1440 | 23.8" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | TN | |
| Acer | XB252Q | 2017 | 1920x1080 | 24.5" | 240 Hz | TN | |
| Acer | XB270HU | 2015 | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz | IPS (AHVA) | |
| Acer | XB271HU | 2016 | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | IPS (AHVA) | |
| Acer | XB271HUA | 2016 | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | TN | |
| Acer | XB272 | 2017 | 1920x1080 | 27" | 240 Hz | TN | |
| Acer | X34 | 2015 | 3440x1440 | 34" | 60 Hz (100 Hz overclocked) | IPS | |
| Acer | Z271 | 2016 | 1920x1080 | 27" | 144 Hz | VA | |
| Acer | Z301C | 2016 | 2560x1080 | 29.5" | 144 Hz (200 Hz overclocked) | VA | |
| Acer | Z35 | 2016 | 2560x1080 | 35" | 144~200 Hz | VA | |
| AOC | G2460PG | 2014 | 1920x1080 | 24" | 144 Hz | TN | |
| AOC | AG271QG | 2016 | 2560x1440 | 27" | 165 Hz | IPS (AHVA) | |
| AOC | AG271UG | 2017 | 3840x2160 | 27" | 60 Hz | IPS | |
| AOC | AG352UCG | 2017 | 3440x1440 | 35" | 100 Hz | VA | |
| Asus | PG348Q | 2016 | 3440x1440 | 34" | 100 Hz | IPS | |
| Asus | PG278Q | 2014 | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz | TN | |
| Asus | PG278QR | 2016 | 2560x1440 | 27" | 165 Hz | TN | |
| Asus | PG279Q | 2015 | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | IPS (AHVA) | |
| Asus | PG27AQ | 2015 | 3840x2160 | 27" | 60 Hz | IPS | |
| Asus | PG27UQ | 2018 | 3840x2160 | 27" | 144 Hz | IPS (HDR) | |
| Asus | PG248Q | 2016 | 1920x1080 | 24" | 144 Hz (180 Hz overclocked) | TN | |
| Asus | PG258Q | 2016 | 1920x1080 | 24.5" | 240 Hz | TN | |
| BenQ | XL2420G | 2015 | 1920x1080 | 24" | 144 Hz | TN | |
| Dell | AW3418DW | 2017 | 3440x1440 | 34" | 100 Hz (120 Hz overclocked) | IPS | |
| Dell | AW2721D[10] | 2020 | 2560x1440 | 27" | 240 Hz | IPS | |
| Dell | AW3418HW | 2017 | 2560x1080 | 34" | 144 Hz (160 Hz overclocked) | IPS | |
| Dell | S2716DG | 2016 | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz | TN | |
| Dell | S2417DG | 2016 | 2560x1440 | 24" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | TN | |
| HP | Omen X 35 | 2017 | 3440x1440 | 35" | 100 Hz | VA | |
| Philips | 272G5DYEB | 2014 | 1920x1080 | 27" | 144 Hz | TN | |
| LG | 32GK850G-B | 2017 | 2560x1440 | 32" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | VA | |
| LG | 34UC89G-B | 2017 | 2560x1080 | 34" | 144 Hz (166 Hz overclocked) | IPS | |
| ViewSonic | XG2703-GS | 2016 | 2560x1440 | 27" | 144 Hz (165 Hz overclocked) | IPS (AHVA) |
| Brand | Model number | Resolution | Size | Refresh rate at native resolution | HDR | Panel technology | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer | XB272-HDR | 3840x2160 | 27" | 144 Hz | Yes | IPS | |
| Acer | X35 | 3440×1440 | 35" | 200 Hz overclocked | Yes | VA | |
| Acer | Predator BFGD | 3840×2160 | 65" | 120 Hz overclocked | Yes | ? | |
| AOC | AG273UG | 3840x2160 | 27" | 144 Hz | Yes | IPS | |
| AOC | AG273QCG | 2560x1440 | 27" | 165 Hz | No | TN | |
| AOC | AG353UCG | 3440×1440 | 35" | 200 Hz overclocked | Yes | VA | |
| Asus | PG35VQ | 3440x1440 | 35" | 200 Hz | Yes | AMVA? | |
| Asus | PG65 | 3840×2160 | 65" | 120 Hz overclocked | Yes | ? | |
| HP | OMEN X 65 | 3840×2160 | 65" | 120 Hz overclocked | Yes | ? |
| Architecture | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kepler | Kepler (refresh) | Maxwell | Pascal | Volta | Turing | Ampere | Ada Lovelace | |
| GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost | GeForce GTX 760 | GeForce GTX 745 | GeForce GT 1030[12] | Titan V | GeForce GTX 1650 | GeForce RTX 3050 | GeForce RTX 4060 | |
| GeForce GTX 660 | GeForce GTX 770 | GeForce GTX 750 | GeForce GTX 1050 | GeForce GTX 1650 Super | GeForce RTX 3060 | GeForce RTX 4060 Ti | ||
| GeForce GTX 660 Ti | GeForce GTX 780 | GeForce GTX 750 Ti | GeForce GTX 1050 Ti | GeForce GTX 1660 | GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | GeForce RTX 4070 | ||
| GeForce GTX 670 | GeForce GTX 780 Ti | GeForce GTX 950 | GeForce GTX 1060 | GeForce RTX 1660 Ti | GeForce RTX 3070 | GeForce RTX 4070 Ti | ||
| GeForce GTX 680 | GeForce GTX Titan | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce GTX 1070 | GeForce RTX 2060 | GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | GeForce RTX 4080 | ||
| GeForce GTX 690 | GeForce GTX Titan Black | GeForce GTX 965M | GeForce GTX 1070 Ti | GeForce RTX 2060 Super | GeForce RTX 3080 | GeForce RTX 4090 | ||
| GeForce GTX Titan Z | GeForce GTX 970 | GeForce GTX 1080 | GeForce RTX 2070 | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | ||||
| GeForce GTX 970M | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | GeForce RTX 2070 Super | GeForce RTX 3090 | |||||
| GeForce GTX 980 | Titan X | GeForce RTX 2080 | GeForce RTX 3090 Ti | |||||
| GeForce GTX 980M | Titan Xp | GeForce RTX 2080 Super | ||||||
| GeForce GTX 980 Ti | GeForce RTX 2080 Ti | |||||||
| GeForce GTX Titan X | RTX Titan | |||||||
Nvidia announced that G-Sync will be available to notebook manufacturers and that in this case, it would not require a special module since the GPU is directly connected to the display without a scaler in between.According to Nvidia, fine tuning is still possible given the fact that all notebooks of the same model will have the same LCD panel, variable overdrive will be calculated by shaders running on the GPU, and a form of frame collision avoidance will also be implemented.[4]
At CES 2018 Nvidia announced a line of large gaming monitors built by HP, Asus and Acer with 65-inch panels, 4K, HDR, as well as G-Sync support. The inclusion of G-Sync modules make the monitors among the first TV-sized displays to feature variable refresh-rates.[13]
At CES 2019, Nvidia announced that they will support variable refresh rate monitors with FreeSync technology under a new standard named G-Sync Compatible. All monitors under this new standard have been tested by Nvidia to meet their baseline requirements for variable refresh rate and will enable G-Sync automatically when used with an Nvidia GPU.[14] However, users with any FreeSync monitor, including those that are not officially certified may choose to enable the G-Sync option in the Nvidia Control Panel.[15] Unlike G-Sync, G-Sync Compatible displays are only compatible with the GTX 10-series and onwards.[16]