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G-SYNC 101: Optimal G-SYNC Settings & Conclusion

Published Jun 20, 2017 by in: G-SYNC

Optimal G-SYNC Settings*

*Settings tested with a single G-SYNC display (w/hardware module) on a single desktop GPU system; specific DSR, SLI, and multi-monitor behaviors, as well as G-SYNC laptop display and “G-SYNC Compatible” display implementation, may vary.

Nvidia Control Panel Settings:

  • Set up G-SYNC > Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible > Enable for full screen mode.
  • Manage 3D settings > Vertical sync > On (Why?).

In-game Settings:

  • Use “Fullscreen” or “Exclusive Fullscreen” mode (some games do not offer this option, or label borderless windowed as fullscreen).
  • Disable all available “Vertical Sync,” “V-SYNC,” “Double Buffer,” and “Triple Buffer” options.
  • If an in-game or config file FPS limiter is available, and framerate exceeds refresh rate:
    Set (a minimum of) 3 FPS limit below display’s maximum refresh rate (57 FPS @60Hz, 97 FPS @100Hz, 117 FPS @120Hz, 141 FPS @144Hz, etc).

RTSS Settings:

  • If an in-game or config file FPS limiter is not available and framerate exceeds refresh rate:
    Set (a minimum of) 3 FPS limit below display’s maximum refresh rate (see G-SYNC 101: External FPS Limiters HOWTO).

OR

Nvidia “Max Frame Rate” Settings*:

*Introduced in Nvidia driver version 441.87

  • If an in-game or config file FPS limiter is not available and framerate exceeds refresh rate:
    Set “Max Frame Rate” to “On,” and adjust slider to (a minimum of) 3 FPS limit below display’s maximum refresh rate.

Reflex* Settings:

*This setting is considered Low Latency Mode’s replacement, and will override it, regardless of what LLM is set to in the NVCP.

  • If framerate does not always reach or exceed refresh rate, and Reflex is available:
    Set Reflex to “On” or “On + Boost” (“Boost” ensures the GPU doesn’t drop below its base boost clocks, similar to NVCP “Prefer maximum performance”). When combined with G-SYNC + NVCP V-SYNC, this engine-level limiter will 1) automatically limit the framerate to ~59 FPS @60Hz, ~97 FPS @100Hz, ~116 FPS @120Hz, ~138 FPS @144Hz, ~224 FPS @240Hz (etc) whenever the framerate can be sustained above the refresh rate, and 2) dynamically monitor and limit the framerate whenever it can’t be sustained above the refresh rate to prevent the extra pre-rendered frames that would be generated in an otherwise GPU-bound scenario.

Low Latency Mode* Settings:

*This setting is not currently supported in Vulkan (DX12 support was added in driver version 551.23)

  • If an FPS limiter (such as in-game, config file, RTSS, and/or Nvidia “Max Frame Rate”) is not desired or available, Reflex is not available, and framerate exceeds refresh rate:
    Set “Low Latency Mode” to “Ultra” in the Nvidia Control Panel. When combined with G-SYNC + NVCP V-SYNC, this setting will automatically limit the framerate (in supported games) to ~59 FPS @60Hz, ~97 FPS @100Hz, ~116 FPS @120Hz, ~138 FPS @144Hz, ~224 FPS @240Hz, etc.
  • If an FPS limiter is already in use (such as in-game, config file, RTSS, and/or Nvidia “Max Frame Rate”), Reflex is not available, and framerate does not always reach or exceed refresh rate:
    Set “Low Latency Mode” to “On.” Unlike “Ultra,” this will not automatically limit the framerate, but like “Ultra,” “On” (in supported games that do not already have an internal pre-rendered frames queue of “1”) will reduce the pre-rendered frames generated in GPU-bound situations where the framerate falls below the set FPS limit.

Windows “Power Options” Settings:

Windows-managed core parking can put CPU cores to sleep too often, which may increase frametime variances and spikes. For a quick fix, use the “High performance” power plan, which disables OS-managed core parking and CPU frequency scaling. If a “Balanced” power plan is needed for a system implementing adaptive core frequency and voltage settings, then a free program called ParkControl by Bitsum can be used to disable core parking, while leaving all other power saving and scaling settings intact.

Blur Buster's G-SYNC 101: Input Lag & Optimal Settings

Mouse Settings:

If available, set the mouse’s polling rate to 1000Hz, which is the setting recommended by Nvidia for high refresh rate G-SYNC, and will decrease the mouse-induced input lag and microstutter experienced with the lower 500Hz and 125Hz settings at higher refresh rates.

mouse-125vs500vs1000

Refer to The Blur Busters Mouse Guide for complete information.

Nvidia Control Panel V-SYNC vs. In-game V-SYNC

While NVCP V-SYNC has no input lag reduction over in-game V-SYNC, and when used with G-SYNC + FPS limit, it will never engage, some in-game V-SYNC solutions may introduce their own frame buffer or frame pacing behaviors, enable triple buffer V-SYNC automatically (not optimal for the native double buffer of G-SYNC), or simply not function at all, and, thus, NVCP V-SYNC is the safest bet.

There are rare occasions, however, where V-SYNC will only function with the in-game option enabled, so if tearing or other anomalous behavior is observed with NVCP V-SYNC (or visa-versa), each solution should be tried until said behavior is resolved.

Maximum Pre-rendered Frames*: Depends

*As of Nvidia driver version 436.02, “Maximum pre-rendered frames” is now labeled “Low Latency Mode,” with “On” being equivalent to MPRF at “1.”

A somewhat contentious setting with very elusive consistent documentable effects, Nvidia Control Panel’s “Maximum pre-rendered frames” dictates how many frames the CPU can prepare before they are sent to the GPU. At best, setting it to the lowest available value of “1” can reduce input lag by 1 frame (and only in certain scenarios), at worst, depending on the power and configuration of the system, the CPU may not be able to keep up, and more frametime spikes will occur.

The effects of this setting are entirely dependent on the given system and game, and many games already have an equivalent internal value of “1” at default. As such, any input latency tests I could have attempted would have only applied to my system, and only to the test game, which is why I ultimately decided to forgo them. All that I can recommend is to try a value of “1” per game, and if the performance doesn’t appear to be impacted and frametime spikes do not increase in frequency, then either, one, the game already has an internal value of “1,” or, two, the setting has done its job and input lag has decreased; user experimentation is required.

Conclusion

Much like strobing methods such as LightBoost & ULMB permit “1000Hz-like” motion clarity at attainable framerates in the here and now, G-SYNC provides input response that rivals high framerate V-SYNC OFF, with no tearing, and at any framerate within its range.

As for its shortcomings, G-SYNC is only as effective as the system it runs on. If the road is the system, G-SYNC is the suspension; the bumpier the road, the less it can compensate. But if set up properly, and run on a capable system, G-SYNC is the best, most flexible syncing solution available on Nvidia hardware, with no peer (V-SYNC OFF among them) in the sheer consistency of its frame delivery.

Feel free to leave a comment below, resume the discussion in the Blur Busters Forums, or continue to the Closing FAQ for further clarifications.

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3195 Comments For “G-SYNC 101”

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retrospek
Member
retrospek

My monitor is 280hz but whenever i use gsync + vsync with reflex on it limits my fps to 260. should i instead use incame fps cap of 277 and turn off reflex and instead use low latency on ultra?

Like0Vote Down 
15 hours 59 minutes ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

My monitor is 280hz but whenever i use gsync + vsync with reflex on it limits my fps to 260.

That’s expected; it’s the Reflex auto limiter to ensure the framerate remains well within the G-SYNC range.

should i instead use incame fps cap of 277 and turn off reflex and instead use low latency on ultra?

See my Optimal G-SYNC settings:
https://blurbusters.com/gsync/gsync101-input-lag-tests-and-settings/14/

If you have any remaining questions after, reply here.

Like1Vote Down 
10 hours 45 minutes ago
ThanksJorimt
Member
ThanksJorimt

I noticed in your LDAT testing reflex had the same input lag (16ms) but at a lower 224 fps than in-game frame limiter alone (237 fps). Is there a reason to use reflex when it seems like you’re paying a -13 fps penalty for effectively the same result.

Also, just a small typo I noticed on the last page (14):

… ~224 FPS @240Hz (etc) whenever the framerate can be sustained above the refesh rate, and 2) dynamically monitor and limit the framerate whenever it can’t be sustained above the refresh rate …

Like0Vote Down 
2 days 1 hour ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

Is there a reason to use reflex when it seems like you’re paying a -13 fps penalty for effectively the same result.

Yes; for the purpose of avoiding maxed GPU usage, a manual FPS limit is static, whereas Reflex is dynamic, and will automatically keep the limit slightly below the currently achievable average framerate to prevent extra render queue latency (separate of sync latency).

As such, Reflex is most useful if a constant average framerate can’t be guaranteed, if it can, a manual limit will suffice just as well.

Finally, as for the -3 FPS vs. -13 FPS offset, the higher the physical refresh rate, the lower the limit with Reflex. Nvidia has never explicitly detailed why, but the going assumption is it’s to account for the increased frametime jitter as the maximum refresh rate becomes higher (more impactful at 360Hz and above).

The -3 FPS recommendation is just a blanket minimum starting point.

Also, just a small typo I noticed on the last page (14)

Fixed.

Like1Vote Down 
1 day 23 hours ago
voicon
Member
voicon

so in summary what is the best setting for input lag (If I turn off Gsync and also Vsync)

Like0Vote Down 
2 days 15 hours ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

This article is for optimal G-SYNC settings, not G-SYNC off.

That said, G-SYNC off + V-SYNC off eliminates the possibility of sync latency, so the only render-related latency left in that scenario is 1) frametime latency, which is dictated by the achievable average framerate (the higher the average framerate, the lower the average frametime = the faster the frame delivery), and 2) render queue latency, which is dependent on the GPU usage percentage.

So for the lowest latency G-SYNC off + V-SYNC off, ensure your monitor is at its highest possible physical refresh rate + your system reaches the highest average framerate that doesn’t max GPU usage in the given game, and if/when it does, prevent it by enabling Reflex, where available, or setting a manual FPS limit that keeps the GPU usage below 99%.

Like0Vote Down 
2 days 12 hours ago
Dvrgg
Member
Dvrgg

Hello, I wanted to ask, is it worth using the Rtss fps limit for the game (-3 fps from 165 Hz monitor), if the frame rate is not perfectly smooth when using the internal limiter? (G-sync + V-sync, -3 fps) And also, is there any point in enabling Reflex/Llm if the GPU is not loaded by 99%? Do I need to do anything else to achieve maximum smoothness even sacrificing input lag?

Like0Vote Down 
6 days 14 hours ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

is it worth using the Rtss fps limit for the game (-3 fps from 165 Hz monitor), if the frame rate is not perfectly smooth when using the internal limiter? (G-sync + V-sync, -3 fps)

If the frametime instability is being caused directly by the in-game limiter, then an RTSS limit can can improve this. If the instability is being caused by the general system/engine performance separate of the limiter, then it won’t.

This can be game-dependent, so you’ll need to try each.

is there any point in enabling Reflex/Llm if the GPU is not loaded by 99%?

Since Reflex/LLM only further reduce latency whenever the game is GPU-bound, not strictly, no.

Do I need to do anything else to achieve maximum smoothness even sacrificing input lag?

Maximum smoothness regardless of input lag (discounting any unavoidable system-side stutter) would actually be more like G-SYNC off + V-SYNC on + framerate sustained above the refresh rate 100% of the time + 3 or more pre-rendered frames (aka allow the GPU to reach 99%).

More buffering typically = increased smoothness with higher latency, whereas less buffering typically = lower input latency with the potential of decreased smoothness. It’s very difficult to achieve a perfect balance of both. Properly configured G-SYNC comes closest.

Like0Vote Down 
6 days 8 hours ago
2xmos
Member
2xmos

Hello, I got a question

You advice to set at -3 FPS on games without Reflex but Reflex cap at -7%, so why don’t you advice to set to -7%?

Thanks

Like0Vote Down 
7 days 8 minutes ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

My -3 FPS recommendation predates Reflex by several years.

As for why I don’t recommend -7%, this is because 1), the offset of the Reflex auto limiting behavior is dependent on the current max refresh rate (the higher the refresh rate, the higher the percentage is), and 2) my recommended -3 FPS is a blanket minimum limit intended as a general starting point.

My previous test show that even at 240Hz, the average in-game and external limiter can typically keep G-SYNC engaged with a mere -2 to -3 FPS in limit in most cases, but yes, at higher refresh rates (especially 360Hz+), a lower than -3 FPS limit may (or may not) be necessary.

Regardless, my general -3 FPS minimum limit recommendation still stands as a starting point for the average setup.

Like0Vote Down 
6 days 22 hours ago
wpDiscuz

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