How to set up G-SYNC

If you’re a gamer, there’s a good chance you’ve come across G-SYNC before. Especially if you’ve been looking for a silky smooth gameplay experience that’ll make everything from first person shooters to fighting games more responsive.

Well, thanks to NVIDIA, you get exactly that. And you can say goodbye to lag and flickering screens too. Their G-SYNC display tech makes your games tear and stutter-free, so you can get properly immersed and actually compete with your enemies online.

But how do you find it on your monitor? Is yours actually compatible? And is it simple enough to set up? Let’s have a look…

What is G-SYNC and how does it work?

Developed by NVIDIA, this display tech syncs your monitor’s refresh rate with the frame rate of your NVIDIA graphics card. The result? No more of that annoying screen tearing, less stutter, and a whole lot less input lag. And we all know those can be the difference between life and death on those multiplayer battlegrounds. You could say it’s a bit of a game changer!

How to turn on G-SYNC

Getting NVIDIA G-SYNC up and running is nice and easy:

1. Is your gear compatible? – First off, see whether you actually have a G-SYNC compatible monitor and an NVIDIA graphics card that supports G-SYNC. If you don’t, stop reading, and go and grab yourself both. It’s worth it.
2. Install drivers – Make sure you’ve got the latest NVIDIA drivers installed on your computer.
3. Open the NVIDIA Control Panel – Right click on your desktop and select ‘NVIDIA Control Panel’.
4. Enable G-SYNC – In the Control Panel, head to ‘Display’ > ‘Set up G-SYNC’. Tick the box that says ‘Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible’. You can choose to switch it on for full screen mode or full screen and windowed mode.

And that’s it. G-SYNC should now be running on your system.

Choosing the right mode: Full screen vs. windowed

G-SYNC offers you two modes – full screen and windowed. Here’s a bit about each one:

• Full screen mode – This is the traditional option where G-SYNC fires up when your game or app is in full screen. It’s the most common choice for gamers because it gives you the best performance.
• Windowed mode – This lets G-SYNC work even when your application or game is running in a window or borderless window. It’s handy for multitasking or streaming, as you can easily swap between things without losing the benefits of G-SYNC.

To pick the mode you want, go to the NVIDIA Control Panel, and under the G-SYNC settings, choose either ‘Enable for full screen mode’ or ‘Enable for windowed and full screen mode’.

Applying G-SYNC settings to specific displays

If you’re rocking multiple monitors, you can always apply G-SYNC settings to a specific display:

1. Open NVIDIA Control Panel – Right-click on your desktop and pick ‘NVIDIA Control Panel’.
2. Select display – Go to ‘Display’ > ‘Set up G-SYNC’.
3. Choose monitor – Pick the monitor you want to apply G-SYNC settings to from the dropdown menu.
4. Turn on G-SYNC – Make sure it’s enabled for that particular monitor.

It’s definitely worth doing if you have a multi-monitor setup with different screens having different refresh rates and uses.

Adjusting G-SYNC settings for better performance

To get that next level performance from G-SYNC, you might need to tweak a few settings:

1. V-Sync – In the NVIDIA Control Panel, under ‘Manage 3D Settings’ set ‘Vertical Sync’ to ‘Use the 3D application setting’. In-game, set V-Sync to ‘Off’ if you can. G-SYNC handles any synchronisation, so in-game V-Sync is unnecessary.
2. Frame rate cap – For the best performance, use a frame rate limiter that’s a bit below your monitor’s maximum refresh rate (e.g., 138 FPS for a 144 Hz monitor). This’ll stop G-SYNC from switching off and guarantees smoother gameplay.
3. Low latency mode – Turn on NVIDIA’S low latency mode in the Control Panel to make everything you do in game more responsive.

By playing about with these settings, you can fine-tune your gaming to get the most out of G-SYNC.

Monitor compatibility

Not all monitors work with G-SYNC. Here’s how to make sure they do…

1. Look for G-SYNC certification – Look for the G-SYNC or G-SYNC Compatible logo on the monitor’s specs.
2. Firmware updates – Some monitors need a firmware update to support G-SYNC. Go to the brand’s website for any of the latest updates.
3. Test it out – You can always turn G-SYNC on in the NVIDIA Control Panel to see if it works properly. If you’re seeing flickering, or it’s performing badly, your monitor probably isn’t fully compatible.

Troubleshooting common G-SYNC setup issues

Sometimes, you might run into a few issues when you’re setting up G-SYNC. Here are the most common problems and handy tips on how to fix them:

• Flickering screen – This’ll happen if the monitor’s running old firmware. Install any new updates from the manufacturer, and it should stop.
• No G-SYNC option – Check that your NVIDIA drivers are up to date and that your monitor actually supports G-SYNC.
• Poor performance – Head into your settings in the NVIDIA Control Panel and make sure V-Sync is off in-game too. It’s also worth setting your frame rate cap slightly below your monitor’s maximum refresh rate.

Comparing G-SYNC with other tech

G-SYNC isn’t the only monitor tech you need to know about. Here’s a quick rundown of some other similar bits of tech:

• FreeSync – This one is AMD’s speciality, and is fairly similar to G-SYNC, but is usually more affordable and doesn’t need a special module in the monitor. FreeSync monitors are now becoming more and more compatible with NVIDIA GPUs.
• V-Sync – Vertical Sync is an older technology that synchronises the frame rate of a game with a monitor’s refresh rate. Be warned though – it can lead to input lag and stutter.
• Adaptive Sync – Lots of monitors now support Adaptive Sync and it’s supported by NVIDIA and AMD. It also offers a great balance between price and performance.

Source: CURRYS