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G-SYNC 101: Control Panel

Published Jun 20, 2017 by in: G-SYNC

G-SYNC Module

The G-SYNC module is a small chip that replaces the display’s standard internal scaler, and contains enough onboard memory to hold and process a single frame at a time.

The module exploits the vertical blanking interval (the span between the previous and next frame scan) to manipulate the display’s internal timings; performing G2G (gray to gray) overdrive calculations to prevent ghosting, and synchronizing the display’s refresh rate to the GPU’s render rate to eliminate tearing, along with the delayed frame delivery and adjoining stutter caused by traditional syncing methods.

G-SYNC Demo

The below Blur Busters Test UFO motion test pattern uses motion interpolation techniques to simulate the seamless framerate transitions G-SYNC provides within the refresh rate, when directly compared to standalone V-SYNC.

NVIDIA Control Panel Retirement

As of NVIDIA driver version 610.47, the NVIDIA Control Panel has officially reached EOL:

“After 20 years of dedicated service, the classic NVIDIA Control Panel is officially retiring for Game Ready and Studio Drivers. For NVIDIA RTX PRO users, the NVIDIA Control Panel will continue to be supported until we have migrated professional features to the NVIDIA app

Existing installs of the NVIDIA Control Panel will remain on users’ systems, unless they perform a clean installation, and users who still need the NVIDIA Control Panel can continue to download it from the Microsoft Store, but we won’t be adding features, fixes, or other changes.”

While the original NVIDIA Control Panel settings locations will be retained below, the NVIDIA App settings locations are now also included for a more up-to-date reference.

G-SYNC Activation

“Full screen” / “Enable for full screen mode” (exclusive fullscreen-type functionality only) is automatically selected when a supported display is connected to the GPU. If G-SYNC behavior is suspect or non-functioning, tick off, apply, tick on, and apply.

G-SYNC Windowed Mode

“Full screen and windowed” / “Enable for windowed and full screen mode” allows G-SYNC support for legacy windowed and borderless windowed modes. This option was introduced in a 2015 driver update, and by manipulating the DWM (Desktop Windows Manager) framebuffer, allows G-SYNC’s VRR (variable refresh rate) to synchronize to the focused window’s render rate; unfocused windows remain at the desktop’s fixed refresh rate until focused on.

G-SYNC only functions on one window at a time, and thus any unfocused window that contains moving content will appear to stutter or slow down, a reason why a variety of non-gaming applications (popular web browsers among them) include predefined NVIDIA profiles that disable G-SYNC support. As such, per-profile application of this mode is optimal vs. global. See Closing FAQ #5 for instructions.

Note: this setting may require a game or system restart after application; “Show indicator” / “G-SYNC Indicator” can be enabled to verify it is working as intended.

G-SYNC Preferred Refresh Rate

“Highest available” is automatically selected when G-SYNC is initially enabled, and overrides the in-game refresh rate selector (if present), defaulting to the highest supported refresh rate of the display. This is useful for games that don’t include a selector, and ensures the display’s native refresh rate is utilized.

“Application-controlled” adheres to the desktop’s current refresh rate, or defers control to games that contain a refresh rate selector.

Note: this setting only applies to games being run in exclusive fullscreen-type modes. For games being run in legacy borderless or windowed modes, the desktop always dictates the refresh rate.

  • NVIDIA App
    Settings location

    The NVIDIA App does not expose the legacy “Preferred refresh rate” setting.

    While it is no longer directly accessible in the app, like with the NVIDIA Control Panel, it is still automatically selected when G-SYNC is initially enabled, just internally, and can alternatively be accessed via the NVIDIA Profile Inspector (download here):

    Blur Buster's G-SYNC 101: Control Panel

  • NVIDIA Control Panel
    Settings location (legacy)

G-SYNC & V-SYNC

G-SYNC (GPU Synchronization) works on the same principle as double buffer V-SYNC; buffer A begins to render frame A, and upon completion, scans it to the display. Meanwhile, as buffer A finishes scanning its first frame, buffer B begins to render frame B, and upon completion, scans it to the display, repeat.

The primary difference between G-SYNC and V-SYNC is the method in which rendered frames are synchronized. With V-SYNC, the GPU’s render rate is synchronized to the fixed refresh rate of the display. With G-SYNC, the display’s VRR (variable refresh rate) is synchronized to the GPU’s render rate.

Upon its release, G-SYNC’s ability to fall back on fixed refresh rate V-SYNC behavior when exceeding the maximum refresh rate of the display was built-in and non-optional. A 2015 driver update later exposed the option.

This update led to recurring confusion, creating a misconception that G-SYNC and V-SYNC are entirely separate options. However, with G-SYNC enabled, the “Vertical Sync” option in the control panel no longer acts as V-SYNC, and actually dictates whether, one, the G-SYNC module compensates for frametime variances output by the system (which prevents tearing at all times. G-SYNC + V-SYNC “Off” disables this behavior; see G-SYNC 101: Range), and two, whether G-SYNC falls back on fixed refresh rate V-SYNC behavior; if V-SYNC is “On,” G-SYNC will revert to V-SYNC behavior above its range, if V-SYNC is “Off,” G-SYNC will disable above its range, and tearing will begin display wide.

Within its range, G-SYNC is the only syncing method active, no matter the V-SYNC “On” or “Off” setting.

Currently, when G-SYNC is enabled, the “Vertical Sync” entry is automatically set to “Use 3D app setting” / “Use the 3D application setting” which defers V-SYNC fallback behavior and frametime compensation control to the in-game V-SYNC option. This can be manually overridden by changing the “Vertical Sync” entry in the control panel to “Off,” “On,” or “Fast.”

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3852 Comments For “G-SYNC 101”

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user2422
Member
user2422

When using G-Sync + V-Sync + FPS Limit, should I set Maximum Pre-Rendered Frames to 1 inside the NVIDIA Profile Inspector?

What are you personally using for this setting?

Like0Vote Down 
4 months 14 days ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

When using G-Sync + V-Sync + FPS Limit, should I set Maximum Pre-Rendered Frames to 1 inside the NVIDIA Profile Inspector?

Maximum Pre-Rendered Frames to 1 is equivalent to LLM “On.”

I have a section about it in https://blurbusters.com/gsync/gsync101-input-lag-tests-and-settings/14/:

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.

As for:

What are you personally using for this setting?

I personally leave it at driver defaults, which is LLM “Off” (Maximum Pre-Rendered Frames “Use 3D application setting” in NVI).

Historically, I’ve found that with it set to On/1, it can simply elongate frametime spikes vs. Off/default.

It’s a relatively weak and ineffective setting when directly compared to Reflex, which should typically be used for GPU-limited render queue latency reduction instead, where available.

Either way, it’s not directly related to VRR operation or settings.

Like1Vote Down 
4 months 13 days ago
user2422
Member
user2422

Interesting. I’m never actually GPU bound due to my fps limit. So would this even have an effect here? Apparently setting it to 1 can reduce latency, but is that only for GPU bound scenarios or all the time no matter the usage?

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4 months 13 days ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

Interesting. I’m never actually GPU bound due to my fps limit. So would this even have an effect here?

Shouldn’t, no.

If your manual FPS limit is keeping GPU usage below 99%, it’s essentially a static version of Reflex, which basically monitors the current average framerate/GPU usage ratio, and then uses a dynamic limiter to cap just enough under the achievable average to prevent maxed GPU usage.

It (or your manual FPS limit in this particular case) is preventing the render queue from building up extra pre-rendered frames by keeping your system from becoming GPU-bound in the first place, whereas settings like LLM “On” can only set a maximum on how many pre-rendered frames are generated after your system has already become GPU-bound.

Apparently setting it to 1 can reduce latency, but is that only for GPU bound scenarios or all the time no matter the usage?

Yes, only for GPU-bound scenarios; this goes for LLM “On” (again, previously known as Maximum Pre-Rendered Frames “1”), LLM “Ultra” and Reflex.

Extremely simplified, a high level way to look at the latency chain is: 1) between human and input device(s), then 2) between CPU and GPU, then 3) between GPU and display.

Settings like LLM and Reflex predominately affect #2, and settings like VRR predominately affect #3, while framerate limiters (be they in-game or external) contextually have a role in affecting #2 and #3 as well.

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4 months 13 days ago
user2422
Member
user2422

Thanks for taking your time to explain.

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4 months 13 days ago
anthony3192
Member
anthony3192

I have a problem with vrr flickering, in games like oblivion remastered in the evening, it becomes practically unplayable. I have a 9800x3d and a 5090, connected to a 240hz MSI 321URX monitor. the flickering is more present when I use frame generation or when I go to capture the fps. how can I do it? advice?

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4 months 17 days ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

The amount of VRR flicker is directly tied to frametime performance; the steadier it is, the less the flicker, and visa-versa.

This happens because each variable “Hz/frame” in VRR mode has a slightly different gamma response on OLED in VRR mode (I.E. 60 Hz/FPS gamma can be a tad more washed out vs. 120 Hz/FPS at a physical 240Hz refresh rate, and so on), thus rapid and/or sudden framerate fluctuation makes the gamma differences between them more obvious.

An RTSS limit set to an achievable average framerate will allow the steadiest frametime performance in most cases, but the Oblivion remaster is prone to frequent frametime spikes during traversal, which will make VRR flicker more evident, especially in darker scenes.

So while you can increase average frametime consistency with an RTSS limit, which will reduce general VRR flicker, there’s no escaping the VRR flicker that occurs on OLED in games with frequent or recurring frametime spikes, unfortunately.

Like2Vote Down 
4 months 17 days ago
anthony3192
Member
anthony3192

Thanks for the reply! Does RTSS increase input lag relative to the game’s internal cap?

Like0Vote Down 
4 months 16 days ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

Last I tested, only around 1/2 frame (+2ms at 240Hz):
https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?p=72633#p72182

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4 months 16 days ago
polce24
Member
polce24

Can/should I use an RTSS frame cap while using Reflex (ON) in-game?

Build = 9800X3D, 5080, MSI X870E
LG OLED 32″ 240HZ monitor with GSYNC/VRR

I’ve been putting a lot of hours into ARC Raiders and noticed that even with steady FPS (i.e., 225), panning the camera around was not smooth. I never got actual freezes, it just seemed like the image was not “solid” – trees would jitter around, etc.

Settings = GSYNC On (full screen only), VSYNC On NVCP (off in-game), Reflex On, No Cap
^ This is typically how I run most games, letting the FPS stay uncapped but using Reflex so it never goes over 225.

I’ve come to learn that this “jitter” even at high FPS is due to frame pacing and then learned that an RTSS a-sync cap is one of the best ways to to achieve great frame pacing.

I then changed my settings above to include an RTSS async cap of 200 FPS – panning the camera around was much smoother.

The issue is, I still notice some stutter now and then and wonder if that is because I have Reflex set to ON.

Should I just use SYNC On (full screen only), VSYNC On NVCP (off in-game) + RTSS async cap in every game and ignore Reflex?

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4 months 18 days ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

The issue is, I still notice some stutter now and then and wonder if that is because I have Reflex set to ON.

Should I just use SYNC On (full screen only), VSYNC On NVCP (off in-game) + RTSS async cap in every game and ignore Reflex?

Entirely depends on how much of the time your GPU usage is at 99%+ in the games you play at your given graphical settings and target average framerate when Reflex is disabled; Reflex only further reduces latency whenever the GPU usage is 99%+, otherwise, it isn’t strictly necessary to keep enabled, and may or may not affect frametime performance negatively.

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4 months 17 days ago
polce24
Member
polce24

Interesting ok, thank you for the reply. My GPU only ever hits around 80% since I have the settings set to low in ARC – seems there wouldn’t be a difference in using reflex or not in that situation.

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4 months 16 days ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

Correct; again, GPU usage 99%+ = Reflex further reduces latency, whereas GPU usage < 99% = Reflex doesn't further reduce latency, since the CPU is then no longer waiting on the busy GPU to hand off the next frame(s) to it.

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4 months 16 days ago
olam
Member
olam

Hi, I would have two scenarios on which I’m not sure if I set it correctly in my case.

G-Sync + V-Sync are on

Game 1 – CS2 (FPS 99% exceeds refresh rate, Reflex available)
– FPS Limit 357 (I got 360 Hz)
– Reflex off (LLM also off)

Game 2 – PUBG (FPS rarely exceeding refresh rate, Reflex not available)
– FPS Limit 357
– Low Latency Mode -> On

Am I doing it right in this case?
If not, please correct me! Thanks in advance for your reply.
I just want to have the smoothest experience.

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4 months 25 days ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

Am I doing it right in this case?

Unfortunately, what you’re asking is very situational…

VRR/this article predominately addresses “sync” latency (VRR on + V-SYNC on + minimum 3 FPS below physical refresh rate), while settings like LLM and Reflex address “render queue” latency separately.

In other words, you can have sync latency without render queue latency, visa-versa, or both.

So, in your #1 and #2 scenarios, you have sync latency handled. That leaves added render queue latency, which occurs whenever your GPU usage is 99%+, with or without VRR, and whether your framerate is above or below the refresh rate.

Added render queue latency due to maxed GPU usage reduction in order of overall effectiveness:

Reflex > manual FPS limit (at framerate slightly below achievable average that prevents 99%+ GPU usage at all times) > LLM “Ultra” > LLM “On”

As such, if your GPU usage is frequently reaching 99%+ and Reflex is available, use it. If Reflex isn’t available in the same scenario, a manual limit as described above is usually second best, but is typically required to be lower (as to account for the lowest possible framerate drops caused by maxed GPU usage) and is obviously a static, not dynamic limit like Reflex is.

If manual limit tuning with a reduced average framerate to prevent maxed GPU usage isn’t to your liking, and Reflex isn’t available, then you’ll have to resort to LLM “Ultra” for similar render queue latency reduction.

I don’t really recommend LLM “On” in any scenario, personally, and both it and “Ultra” can worsen frametime performance in certain scenarios when directly compared to Reflex or a manual limit.

So, to summarize, VRR is much more set-and-forget-friendly than settings involving render queue latency, as the latter entirely depends on your graphical settings + average framerate target and your particular GPU’s ability to achieve it without maxing out in the given game.

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4 months 24 days ago
sc719
Member
sc719

I play competitive COD, on a 280Hz OLED, with average frames 300, 1% lows 220 and 5% 250…

To summarize theres basically 3 options you are suggesting?

1. Lowest tear free: VRR + Vsync + Reflex/AntiLag (or turn this off and have in game limit)

2. Absolute lowest response time: Uncapped + Reflex/AntiLag

3. Last: Capped

So the 1st option at worst it adds 1-2ms of delay from your results?

When I run the 1st option with Anti Lag, it goes to exactly 280 with 90% usage when idle but will go below throughout the game, is that an issue? I think in the comments you suggested either use reflex or manually set limit, but if i use reflex it is not -3 below monitor like the manual limit, however will dip below 280 throughout the game

Just wondering if i have this right here, thanks

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5 months 9 days ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

1. Lowest tear free: VRR + Vsync + Reflex/AntiLag (or turn this off and have in game limit)

My base VRR-specific recommendations are VRR on + V-SYNC on + minimum 3 frames within the physical refresh rate.

The above handles sync latency, while Reflex/Anti-Lag handle render queue latency due to GPU bound scenarios separate and distinct of what VRR handles.

2. Absolute lowest response time: Uncapped + Reflex/Anti-Lag

Yes.

3. Last: Capped

Assuming the average framerate never causes the GPU usage to reach/exceed 99%, yes (static version of Reflex, essentially).

So the 1st option at worst it adds 1-2ms of delay from your results?

It prevents any tearing that would reduce latency further; visible tearing = latency reduction; VRR + V-SYNC is the lowest possible tear-free method available for framerates within the given physical refresh rate.

When I run the 1st option with Anti Lag, it goes to exactly 280 with 90% usage when idle but will go below throughout the game, is that an issue?

Not familiar enough with Anti-Lag to say. What I can say is, if/when you’re using VRR, you need the framerate at least 3 frames lower than 280 at 280Hz to keep it engaged. Perhaps Anti-Lag doesn’t institute an automatic limit slightly below the physical refresh rate like Reflex does (in most cases, barring dev choices, API limitations, and/or bugs) with VRR on + V-SYNC on?

In that case, you’d need to set a (minimum -3 FPS) manual or in-game limit on top of that.

I think in the comments you suggested either use reflex or manually set limit, but if i use reflex it is not -3 below monitor like the manual limit, however will dip below 280 throughout the game

Again, VRR and settings like Reflex handle different forms of latency…

Reflex, in the case of VRR (as I’ve noted in the article and previous comments), does two things; 1) it prevents GPU usage from reaching 99%+ by setting a dynamic limit slightly below the currently achievable average framerate (with or without VRR enabled), and 2) whenever the average framerate could otherwise be sustained above the physical refresh rate without maxing GPU usage, Reflex sets an automatic limit a small percentage below said refresh rate to keep the average framerate safely within it, and thus ensure VRR remains engaged.

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5 months 9 days ago
sc719
Member
sc719

Not familiar enough with Anti-Lag to say. What I can say is, if/when you’re using VRR, you need the framerate at least 3 frames lower than 280 at 280Hz to keep it engaged. Perhaps Anti-Lag doesn’t institute an automatic limit slightly below the physical refresh rate like Reflex does (in most cases, barring dev choices, API limitations, and/or bugs) with VRR on + V-SYNC on?

In that case, you’d need to set a (minimum -3 FPS) manual or in-game limit on top of that.

Yes, others online are reporting the same thing regarding Anti Lag 2, it won’t limit the FPS below monitor rate like Reflex would.

So in this case, I will have to limit the frames myself in game, should AntiLag/Reflex still be on if we are limiting frames manually within the refresh rate of the monitor, or should they be turned off at this point?

CoD in game FPS limiter is bugged I think, the highest I can cap the frames to is 250, in fact setting the limit between 200-250 also just sets it at 250.. are external FPS limiters recommended at this stage, I know you have previously mentioned in game limits, I dont mind just limiting it to 250, its close enough to 280.

Lastly, is there a preference for Vsync on in AMD or in game?

Thank you

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5 months 9 days ago
jorimt
Author
jorimt

So in this case, I will have to limit the frames myself in game, should AntiLag/Reflex still be on if we are limiting frames manually within the refresh rate of the monitor, or should they be turned off at this point?

If you’re already ensuring the framerate is within the physical refresh rate with a manual in-game or external limit and you’re using VRR, then you have sync latency handled.

Question then is, is your GPU usage 99%+ at any point during your game session at your target graphical settings and average framerate?

If so, settings like Reflex/Anti-Lag will prevent the added latency at any point the GPU usage is maxed, if not, and it naturally remains below 99%, then they won’t do anything to reduce latency further, simple as that.

Again, render queue latency due to a busy GPU does not = the sync latency a framerate limit slightly below the physical refresh rate handles; you can have one, the other or both (they can stack).

are external FPS limiters recommended at this stage, I know you have previously mentioned in game limits, I dont mind just limiting it to 250, its close enough to 280.

Depends on 1) how functional the given in-game limiter is, and 2) how sensitive you are to frametime variances; external limiters tend to have steadier frametime performance than in-game, but of course, at the cost of slightly higher average latency, typically 1/2 to 1 frame (not much).

I did an LDAT test of in-game/Reflex and a few external limiters a while back, for reference:
https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?p=72633#p72182

Lastly, is there a preference for Vsync on in AMD or in game?

Historically, AMD CP V-SYNC only worked for OpenGL apps, but more recently, there have been multiple confirmed user reports here in the comments that it now works for most/all other APIs as well.

Some games have more quirks with their V-SYNC implementations than others; 99% of the time I recommend CP-level V-SYNC to rule those out, so you can start with that for the majority of games, but keep in mind that there may be a particular game that requires in-game V-SYNC (or visa-versa) to avoid certain anomalous behaviors.

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5 months 8 days ago
wpDiscuz

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