what is gsync compatible?

Variable refresh rate monitors come in a few different flavors. NVIDIA’s implementation is known as G-SYNC, but there are two variations: standard G-SYNC, and G-SYNC Compatible. So what’s the difference?

Native G-SYNC displays use a chip produced by NVIDIA inside the display. Before the introduction of “G-SYNC Compatible” monitors, this was the only way to get variable refresh rate gaming working on your NVIDIA graphics card.

To recap, variable refresh rate (VRR) gaming eliminates unsightly screen tearing by instructing the monitor to wait until the graphics card is ready to send a full frame. The feature has become common in recent years, with most monitors now supporting FreeSync at the minimum, and G-SYNC support finding its way into televisions that are ideal for gaming.

Native G-SYNC has several benefits, including a wider VRR range (down to 30Hz) and lower latency than software-driven alternatives. The use of variable overdrive allows monitors to eliminate problems like ghosting or pixel overshoot, which is tied to the presence of a dedicated G-SYNC chip.

To take advantage of a native G-SYNC display, you’ll need a GeForce GTX 650 Ti graphics card or newer, plus a display with a G-SYNC chip in it. It can be difficult to sift through native G-SYNC monitors and G-SYNC Compatible monitors in marketing materials, so we’d recommend consulting NVIDIA’s list of native G-SYNC monitors before you buy.

AMD’s answer to G-SYNC is FreeSync, an open standard that is free to implement that doesn’t require dedicated hardware. While basic FreeSync support lacks some of the more powerful features seen on native G-SYNC displays, the relative ease at which it can be added to monitors has helped AMD establish the technology on a huge range of monitors and televisions.

RELATED: AMD FreeSync, FreeSync Premium, and FreeSync Premium Pro: What's the Difference?

Enter G-SYNC Compatible monitors. These monitors allow NVIDIA graphics card owners to use variable refresh rates in monitors that lack the dedicated G-SYNC chip. Many FreeSync monitors are also G-SYNC Compatible, but not all.

In reality, G-SYNC Compatible simply means that NVIDIA has tested and certified the monitor. Just like FreeSync, G-SYNC Compatible displays use the VESA Adaptive-Sync standard (read the whitepaper), with the same limitations such as a VRR range starting at 40Hz or 48Hz.

If a monitor isn’t certified by NVIDIA to be G-SYNC Compatible then it may still work with VRR on an NVIDIA graphics card, but it may not work perfectly. The best way to know for sure is to thoroughly research any prospective purchases, thereby avoiding disappointment. Read more about enabling G-SYNC on FreeSync monitors.

Both implementations of G-SYNC require DisplayPort 1.2a or better, though some G-SYNC Compatible TVs (like LG’s C9, CX, and C1 OLEDs) and monitors can use HDMI 2.1.

VRR has changed the game in terms of combating screen tearing and smoothing over performance dips. The Xbox Series consoles both support VRR, with support also allegedly coming to the PlayStation 5 in a later update.

Make sure you’re ready by buying the right display for the job. Learn how to buy the right TV, which TVs are the best, or which high refresh rate gaming monitors are right for you.

In all their forms, G-Sync and FreeSync are adaptive syncing technologies, meaning they dynamically synchronize your monitor’s refresh rate (how many times the screen updates itself per second) to match the frames-per-second output of your graphics card. This ensures smoothness by preventing screen tearing, which occurs when the monitor attempts to show chunks of several different frames in one image.

Unlike V-Sync, which is a similar technology you'll often find in a game's settings menu, G-Sync and FreeSync don't add input lag, and they don't force your GPU to stick to whatever your monitor's refresh rate is - an approach that causes stuttering with V-Sync. Instead they adjust the refresh rate on the fly.

As such, it's worth using one or the other, but Nvidia and AMD have tweaked their technologies over the years, adding new features and different tiers with varying capabilities. Which is best? It’s time to find out.

G-Sync is Nvidia's variable refresh rate technology, and (unsurprisingly) requires an Nvidia graphics card in order to work. That's generally not a problem, unless you were waiting for a lesser-spotted RTX 3080, but an even bigger problem might be how much the best Nvidia G-Sync monitors tend to cost.

You see, whereas FreeSync piggy-backs off a monitor's built-in DisplayPort 1.2 (and, more recently, HDMI) protocols, fully-fledged G-Sync monitors require a propriety processing chip, which pushes up the price. It's a fixed standard, too, and G-Sync monitors have to undergo over 300 compatibility and image quality tests, according to Nvidia, before they can join the G-Sync club.

On the bright side, G-Sync monitors also support a wider range of features than the FreeSync stable, such as:

This is why you often only find G-Sync on higher-end monitors, as it's simply not cost-effective to include it on cheaper ones. That said, since G-Sync is a fixed standard, you also know exactly what you're getting whenever you buy a G-Sync enabled display: the effectiveness won't be slightly different between monitors, as is the case with FreeSync.

G-Sync Ultimate adds HDR support into the mix. You still get everything described above, but every G-Sync Ultimate screen also gets you the following monitor specifications:

G-Sync Ultimate monitors are much rarer than their standard G-Sync counterparts - naturally, given their higher specs and pricing - but but they encompass both regular desktop monitors, such as the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ and Acer Predator X27, as well as Nvidia's BFGD (or Big Format Gaming Display) screens such as the HP Omen X Emperium.

If you’ve got an Nvidia card but no money left for a genuine, certified G-Sync display, all hope is not lost. The G-Sync Compatible label is given to AMD FreeSync monitors where Nvidia GPUs can essentially ride the coattails of FreeSync, granting you adaptive syncing via the onboard DisplayPort protocols instead of an expensive processor. Is it incredibly cheeky of Nvidia to borrow rival tech like this? A bit. Is it a bad deal for consumers? Nope.

The lack of that expensive processor does mean limitations compared to true G-Sync: you don’t get an ULMB mode or factory colour calibration as standard, for instance, and G-Sync will only work in the same fps range of whatever the monitor’s FreeSync implementation is rated for. Still, for a monitor to receive G-Sync Compatible certification, it will have had to have been tested by Nvidia themselves, so you can be confident the base adaptive sync functionality will work.

That’s important, because while in theory any FreeSync monitor could support syncing with Nvidia graphics cards, in practice many – over 200, according to Nvidia – show signs of blanking, pulsing, flickering and other nasty-looking artefacts when they were put to the test. In other words, if you’re an Nvidia card owner looking to save cash on their next monitor, look out for the G-Sync Compatible label – or just check our list of G-Sync Compatible monitors.

AMD’s take on the whole variable refresh rate business, as we’ve mentioned, is based on the built-in adaptive sync protocol inside a monitor’s DisplayPort connection to deliver its dynamic refresh rates. It’s also been enabled over HDMI since it was first introduced, but it doesn’t require a special processing unit in order to work and there aren’t any licensing fees to include it on a monitor, either.

The result is that FreeSync monitors are cheaper than their otherwise identical (or near-identical) G-Sync counterparts, often by £100 or more. There are lots more to choose from, too: whereas Nvidia lists 83 monitors with full G-Sync or G-Sync Ultimate support, AMD’s list of FreeSync monitors totals 1309. One-thousand, three-hundred and nine.

However, while a FreeSync display still needs to be certified by AMD before it can get a FreeSync sticker on the box, the standard isn’t fixed like it is with G-Sync. This means that your FreeSync experience can vary from monitor to monitor, and not all FreeSync monitors come with exactly the same features.

For starters, FreeSync’s variable refresh rate tech only works within a certain frame rate range. Some monitors have support for frame rates as low as 30fps, but most will only kick in if your frame rate is over 40fps, or even 48fps. That means that if your graphics card’s output drops below 30fps, 40fps, 48fps, or whatever the monitor’s lower limit is, FreeSync stops being effective and you don’t get any benefit whatsoever.

Some FreeSync monitors try to smooth out low-fps performance using something called Low Framerate Compensation, or LFC, which duplicates the number of frames being shown when they drop below a certain threshold – 30fps being bumped up to 60fps, for example. However, the monitor in question will need to have this feature built-in, so you may not find it on cheaper FreeSync models.

Early in 2020, AMD attempted to simplify its different tiers of FreeSync support by making them more numerous, vaguely-named and complicated.

Here’s the basics, though: FreeSync is the lowest, most widely available standard, and works exactly as described a few paragraphs back. FreeSync Premium is a newer standard, with certification requiring both the LFC feature as standard and a 120Hz refresh rate.

Lastly, there’s FreeSync Premium Pro, which essentially replaces the now-defunct FreeSync 2 HDR standard. If anything, it’s just FreeSync 2 HDR by another name, its headline feature being HDR Support “with meticulous colour and luminance certification”. We still don’t know exactly where that puts FreeSync Premium Pro in relation to established HDR standards like DisplayHDR 400 and DisplayHDR 600, but at least all the games that supported FreeSync 2 HDR – including Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Resident Evil 2 and The Division 2 – will also work with HDR via this “new” standard.

FreeSync Premium Pro also bundles in the benefits of the tiers below it, so you can be sure a monitor with this on the box will feature LFC and at least a 120Hz refresh rate.

NVIDIA G-SYNC displays feature a special module integrated into the monitor, which provides a variable refresh rate (VRR) as well as variable overdrive for compatible graphics cards. This module also increases the monitor’s price.

In contrast, AMD’s FreeSync and NVIDIA’s G-SYNC Compatible technologies do not increase the cost of the monitors as they’re based on royalty-free Adaptive-Sync protocols of HDMI and/or DisplayPort.

Additionally, just like G-SYNC, Adaptive-Sync provides you with a variable refresh rate for tear-free gameplay, but usually, the supported VRR range is narrower and the overdrive implementation is not as good.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Some FreeSync/G-SYNC Compatible monitors have just as wide VRR range as G-SYNC models as well as flawless overdrive implementations, which is why there’s no simple answer to the question: is G-SYNC worth it?

Generally, most G-SYNC monitors are not worth it.

In many cases, for the extra price you’d have paid for a G-SYNC monitor in comparison to its Adaptive-Sync counterpart, you could simply buy a better display with FreeSync/G-SYNC Compatible.

Sure, it wouldn’t have a G-SYNC module, but it might have a higher resolution, a faster refresh rate, or a higher-quality panel, which would provide you with an overall better gaming experience than G-SYNC.

Here are some examples.

Nowadays, most 1080p 144Hz and 1080p 240Hz displays are discontinued, but you can find a few 1080p 360Hz models, such as the Dell AW2521H. Initially, this gaming monitor went for ~$700, but now it can be found on sale for $400 – $500.

Even at its discounted price, we find that it’s not worth the price as there’s a 1080p 360Hz FreeSync monitor that offers better performance and features for just $300, the Acer XV252QF (or the Acer Aopen 25XV2QF variant).

Not only is the FreeSync version cheaper, but it’s also overclockable to 390Hz and offers better backlight strobing support (works all the way up to 390Hz, whereas the 1080p 360Hz G-SYNC models are limited to 240Hz with MBR).

However, the G-SYNC models were available before the FreeSync versions, so if you wanted to be one of the first gamers with a 360Hz display, you had to invest in it.

In case you want the absolute best 1080p 360Hz monitor for competitive gaming with the fastest response times and the best MBR implementation, there’s the BenQ XL2566K with a TN panel. It doesn’t have a G-SYNC module.

In 2023, we’ll be seeing the first 1080p 540Hz TN panels and 1080p 500Hz IPS panels. There are two announced monitors using these panels, the ASUS PG248QP and the Dell AW2524H – and both of them will use G-SYNC modules. There are no FreeSync versions announced at the moment.

So, when it comes to 1080p displays, G-SYNC monitors are usually not worth it.

You’re either looking for a budget gaming monitor (in which case G-SYNC adds too much to the price) or a display for competitive gaming where input lag, response time speed and potentially backlight strobing implementation is a lot more important than VRR performance.

Now, if there’s no FreeSync counterpart available, a 1080p G-SYNC monitor with a high refresh rate is worth it if you want the best performance right away and don’t want to wait and see when and if FreeSync models using the same panel will be available.

Another good example is the Acer XB271HU 1440p 144Hz IPS gaming monitor with G-SYNC, which goes for ~$500. The newer Acer XV272UV with FreeSync has a higher 170Hz refresh rate, a wider color gamut and a faster pixel response time speed for $250.

Now, when we get to 1440p 240Hz models, you have a choice between something like the Dell AW2721D and the ASUS PG279QM with G-SYNC and HDR600 or the Gigabyte M27Q-X with FreeSync and HDR400.

The G-SYNC variants offer a slightly better HDR image quality, but they’re over $250 more expensive. The difference in HDR image quality is not worth the extra money as these G-SYNC models don’t really offer a true HDR viewing experience.

If you’re looking for a 1440p 360Hz gaming monitor, it’s only available with a G-SYNC module, the ASUS PG27AQN. It’s unknown whether there’ll be any FreeSync versions of this monitor.

Therefore, when it comes to 1440p G-SYNC monitors, they’re not worth the price unless you want a high-end model with a 360Hz refresh rate.

When it comes to 27″ – 32″ 4K SDR high refresh rate gaming models, there are no particularly good G-SYNC options. Luckily, most FreeSync variants offer excellent performance with properly optimized overdrive and reasonable pricing.

We recommend the Gigabyte M32U and the Acer XB283K KV for SDR.

When it comes to HDR monitors, the G-SYNC Ultimate models are way too expensive. There are the ASUS PG32UQX and the ViewSonic XG321UG with 1152-zone mini LED solutions. Sadly, they go for ~$2,500 yet have a few major flaws, such as subpar pixel response time and lack of HDMI 2.1.

The upcoming G-SYNC Ultimate models, such as the ASUS PG32UQXE, will feature faster response time and HDMI 2.1. They’ll also be cheaper ($2,000) but have fewer dimming zones (576).

The FreeSync models are much more affordable and offer excellent HDR image quality and performance. We recommend checking out the Samsung Neo G7, the Innocn 32M2V and the Cooler Master Tempest GP27U.

Finally, larger 4K gaming monitors are only available as FreeSync variants, such as the Gigabyte Aorus FV43U.

If you’re looking for a 34″ OLED gaming monitor, the Dell AW3423DWF and the Dell AW3423DW are the most popular models. The main difference between them lies in the G-SYNC module and the $200 price difference – you can see a detailed comparison in our review.

In case you’re interested in a larger ultrawide monitor, the Dell AW3821DW 38″ 3840×1600 144Hz model with G-SYNC is actually more affordable than the inferior FreeSync models, so it’s what we recommend.

As for the 49″ super-ultrawides, you’ll have to settle with FreeSync models, such as the Samsung Odyssey G9, the Neo G9 and the LG 49WQ95C since there are no G-SYNC equivalents.

The LG 45GR95QE and the Corsair Xeneon Flex are the only 45″ OLED ultrawide gaming monitors available at the moment, and both of them use FreeSync/G-SYNC Compatible.

What’s the bottom line?

Nvidia introduced G-Sync in 2013, and its biggest rival is AMD FreeSync. But the answer to "what is G-Sync is getting increasingly complex. There are now three tiers of G-Sync: G-Sync, G-Sync Ultimate and G-Sync Compatible.

Screen tearing is an unwelcome effect on the image (see photo above). It’s the result of the game’s framerate (the rate at which image frames display) not matching the monitor’s refresh rate (the frequency at which a display’s image redraws).  G-Sync displays have a variable refresh rate (also known as VRR or a dynamic refresh rate) and can sync its minimum and maximum refresh rates with the framerate of the system's Nvidia graphics card. That refresh rate range can go as high as the monitor's maximum refresh rate. This way, you see images right when they’re rendered, while also fighting input lag or delays between when you move your mouse (for recommendations, see our Best Gaming Mouse (opens in new tab) article) and when the cursor actually moves.

Check out Nvidia’s video below for an idea of what G-Sync looks like:

FreeSync (opens in new tab) is AMD’s answer to G-Sync, and both use VESA's Adaptive-Sync protocol (opens in new tab). Just like you need an Nvidia graphics card to use G-Sync, you need an AMD graphics card to use FreeSync.

There are some key differences. One of the standouts is that FreeSync work over HDMI and DisplayPort, (which also works over USB Type-C), but G-Sync only works with DisplayPort, unless you're using a G-Sync Compatible TV (more on that below). However, Nvidia has said that it's working on changing this. For more on the two ports and which is best for gaming, see our DisplayPort vs. HDMI (opens in new tab) analysis.

In terms of performance, our testing has shown minute differences between the two. For an in-depth look at the variances in performance, check out our G-Sync vs. FreeSync (opens in new tab) article and see the results.

While both G-Sync and FreeSync are based on Adaptive-Sync, G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate also require usage of a proprietary Nvidia chip. Monitor vendors are required to buy this in place of the scaler they'd typically buy if they want their display certified for G-Sync or G-Sync Ultimate. FreeSync, on the other hand, is an open standard, and FreeSync monitors are generally cheaper than G-Sync or G-Sync Ultimate ones. However, G-Sync Compatible monitors don't require this chip and many FreeSync monitors are also G-Sync Compatible.

G-Sync comes in three different flavors. G-Sync is the standard, G-Sync Ultimate targets those with HDR (opens in new tab)content and G-Sync Compatible is the lowest-priced form, since it doesn't require display makers to incorporate/buy Nvidia's hardware. Many G-Sync Compatible displays are also FreeSync-certified.

Here you can find a list of every G-Sync, G-Sync Ultimate and G-Sync Compatible monitor (opens in new tab).

A monitor's G-Sync also works with HDR (opens in new tab) content, but things will look better if that monitor has G-Sync Ultimate, formerly called G-Sync HDR (for HDR recommendations, check out our article on how to pick the best HDR monitor (opens in new tab)).

Unlike regular G-Sync, Nvidia certifies G-Sync Ultimate displays for ultra-low latency, multi-zone backlights, DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, 1,000 nits max brightness with HDR video or games and to run at its highest refresh rate at its max resolution -- all thanks to "advanced" Nvidia G-Sync processors. Keep in mind these displays are typically BFGD (big format gaming displays) and, therefore, on the pricier end.

To use a G-Sync monitor with a desktop gaming PC (opens in new tab), you need:

To use a G-Sync monitor with a laptop, you need:

To use a G-Sync Ultimate monitor with a desktop PC, you need:

To use a G-Sync Ultimate monitor with a laptop, you need:

In 2019, Nvidia started testing and approving specific displays, including ones with other types of Adaptive-Sync technology, like FreeSync, to run G-Sync. These monitors are called G-Sync Compatible. Confirmed by our own testing, G-Sync Compatible displays can successfully run G-Sync with the proper driver and a few caveats even though they don't have the same chips as a G-Sync or G-Sync Ultimate display.

Some things Nvidia confirms you can't do with G-Sync Compatible displays compared to regular G-Sync displays are ultra low motion blur, overclocking and variable overdrive.

You can find the full list of G-Sync Compatible monitors at the bottom of Nvidia's webpage (opens in new tab).

We've also found that numerous FreeSync monitors can run G-Sync Compatibility even though they're not certified to do so. To learn how to run G-Sync Compatibility, see our step-by-step instructions for how to run G-Sync on a FreeSync monitor (opens in new tab), which includes details on the small number of limitations you'll face. And for what Nvidia and monitor makers think about running G-Sync on non-certified monitors, check out article Should You Care if Your Monitor Is Certified G-Sync Compatible?

As of 2021, there are numerous LG-branded G-Sync Compatible OLED (opens in new tab)TVs. They work via connection over HDMI to a desktop or laptop with an Nvidia RTX or GTX 16-series graphics card. You also need to follow the instruction for downloading the proper firmware (opens in new tab). Nvidia said it's working on getting more TVs that work with G-Sync Compatibility over HDMI in the future.

Here's every G-Sync Compatible TV announced as of this writing:

since my monitor has been showing sign of clear death, i've been looking for something new to buy, but every time i look for the differences between the aforementioned subjects, i find something different, so i thought about using the collective knowledge of us all.

Here's what i've learned so far, and please do correct me if i'm wrong: (let's assume the monitor has a 144Hz refresh rate)

- Native G-Sync is rated between 1Hz and 144Hz, G-Sync Compatible is rated between 30/45/60Hz (it can vary) and 144Hz, so as long as you don't go lower than 30/45/60FPS, you have a tear-free experience.

-Native G-Sync means Nvidia performed over 300 tests on said monitor, compatible is "just" certified by Nvidia (don't know the actual difference)

-Non-native G-Sync monitors lacks ULMB function (Ultra-Low Motion Blue)

Aaaaand i believe that's pretty much it. Are there any inaccuracies in my statements? Am i missing something?

A G-SYNC compatible monitor is essentially an Adaptive-Sync display that's been validated by NVIDIA to work without any issues (such as flickering and other visual artifacts) through their testing.