G-SYNC 101: External FPS Limiter HOWTO


In-game vs. External Framerate Limiters*

*As of Nvidia driver version 441.87, Nvidia has made an official framerate limiting method available in the NVCP; labeled “Max Frame Rate,” it is a CPU-level FPS limiter, and as such, is comparable to the RTSS framerate limiter in both frametime performance and added delay. The “Nvidia Inspector: 2> Frame Delay” setup detailed further below is legacy, and does not apply to the “Max Frame Rate” limiter, the setup of which is also now detailed below it.

As described in G-SYNC 101: In-game vs. External FPS Limiters, In-game framerate limiters, being at the game’s engine-level, are almost always free of additional latency, as they can regulate frames at the source. External framerate limiters, on the other hand, must intercept frames further down the rendering chain, which can result in delayed frame delivery and additional input lag; how much depends on the limiter and its implementation.

In-game framerate limiters, however, aren’t available in every game, and while they aren’t required for games where the framerate can’t meet or exceed the maximum refresh rate, if the system can sustain the framerate above the refresh rate, and a said option isn’t present, an external framerate limiter must be used with G-SYNC to prevent V-SYNC-level input lag instead.

RTSS is a CPU-level FPS limiter, and introduces up to 1 frame of delay, whereas Nvidia Inspector uses a driver-level FPS limiter, which introduces 2 or more frames of delay. See G-SYNC 101: In-game vs. External FPS Limiters for complete details, along with input latency tests comparing the two external solutions against an in-game limiter.

RivaTuner Statistic Server: <1 Frame Delay

RTSS is available standalone here, or bundled with MSI Afterburner here.

If only a framerate limiter is required, the standalone download will suffice. MSI Afterburner itself is an excellent overclocking tool that can be used in conjunction with RTSS to inject an in-game overlay with multiple customizable performance readouts.

Blur Buster's G-SYNC 101: External FPS Limiter HOWTO

RTSS can limit the framerate either globally or per profile. To add a profile, click the “Add” button in the lower left corner of the RTSS windows and navigate to the exe. To set a frame limit, click the “Framerate limit” box and input a number.

Nvidia Inspector: 2> Frame Delay

An unofficial extension of the official Nvidia Control Panel, Nvidia Inspector (download here) exposes many useful options the official control panel does not, including a driver-level framerate limiter.

Nvidia Inspector can limit the framerate either globally or per profile (more details on profile creation can be found here).

To set a frame limit, locate the “Frame Rate Limiter” dropdown in the “2 – Sync and Refresh” section, select the desired limit, and then click the “Apply Changes” button in the upper right corner of the Nvidia Inspector window.

Blur Buster's G-SYNC 101: External FPS Limiter HOWTO

As of Nvidia Profile Inspector version 2.1.3.6 and Nvidia driver branch R381 or later, a new “Frame Rate Limiter Mode” dropdown has been introduced with a “Limiter V2 – Force Off” option:

Blur Buster's G-SYNC 101: External FPS Limiter HOWTO

This option claims to reduce the limiter’s input lag; exactly by how much, and with what combination of settings, remains to be determined.

NVIDIA Control Panel: <1 Frame Delay

As of Nvidia driver version 441.87, Nvidia has made an official framerate limiting method available in the NVIDIA Control panel labeled “Max Frame Rate.”

To set a framerate limit, navigate to the “Manage 3D settings” section in the NVCP, locate the “Max Frame Rate,” entry, select “On,” set the desired limit, select “OK,” and finally select the “Apply” button after it appears in the lower right corner of the NVCP window.



2877 Comments For “G-SYNC 101”

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sort by:   newest | oldest | most liked
AKG---
Member
AKG---

Hi again Jorimt,
I used msi afterburner’s program to see temp, frametime, etc
When I opened it in PUBG, I realised gpu usage is very low(%30- 60) when I activeted G-sync, it was at 60-70. What is this ? How can I make GPU usade %99 ? Even when G-sync open i Becuase it ruins my FPS.

vee1n
Member
vee1n

hello, i cant find the answer elsewhere so i’ll try here,

i have the 2566k 360 hz monitor from zowie. in the finals i’ve been getting barely 240 stable fps. i was wondering what i could do for the best image and input consistency? set the hz to 240? or just cap at 240 and maybe use freesync?

RagingBuddhist
Member
RagingBuddhist

Having a weird problem. When in a game, and I pull up the Xbox game bar G-Sync stops working. The indicator disappears as soon as the game bar comes up. This makes it difficult to use the performance widget bc G-Sync doesn’t work while it’s on screen. I’ve tried enabling G-Sync for full screen and windowed mode, still doesn’t work while the game overlay or pinned widgets are up. I couldn’t find any answers online, so I’m hoping someone has some insight.

sanchize
Member
sanchize

I have a 144 hz monitor, but in general my in-game fps is lower than 144 fps.
what is the better for me?

gsync + fps cap
gsync + vsync + fps cap

so i dont know, some people do not recommend enabling vsync if the fps is lower than the monitor.

Artluxo
Member
Artluxo

Hey, it has been a long time since this was tested and it says tested on hardware module only. Do you have any idea if thats also optimal/the same result on a gsync compatible screen based on adaptive sync without module?
Overall, can i expect the same smoothness compared to a gsync module screen?

wpDiscuz