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Which monitor is right for your computer? There are many factors to consider before you make a purchase, but a big one has to do with the ports the monitor will plug into. Different ports have different capabilities and compatibilities, but first take a look at the back of your PC to see what options are available to you.
If you're looking to plug a new monitor into your gaming computer, you'll probably notice two ports that look remarkably similar. There will be HDMI and DisplayPort ports to choose from, but what's the difference between the two, and does it really matter which one you use?
The answer, as always, is 'it depends.' What are you looking to do? For instance, you will have different needs depending on if you're gaming, or photo editing, or just looking to hook your Mac up to something that works.
Even if your monitor supports both connections, it may only support certain versions of each, which determines what resolution, refresh rate, and other features it can handle. Here's what you need to know.
Connecting With HDMI
Let's start by talking about HDMI, the standard with which you're probably most familiar. HDMI is most commonly used on TVs, like the LG OLED55E8PUA, sending high-definition video and audio signals over one cable for an easy, clean setup. There have been multiple versions of HDMI, each improving on the last. On modern monitors, you'll find any combination of the following ports:
These are somewhat simplified explanations, as there are other feature improvements in each standard, but they're the things most PC users will care about.
In addition to the above, all modern HDMI ports should support AMD's FreeSync technology, which eliminates screen tearing in games by matching the monitor's refresh rate to your video card's output framerate (with newer HDMI versions supporting FreeSync at higher refresh rates). HDMI does not, however, support Nvidia's similar G-Sync technology—for that, you need DisplayPort.
Connecting With DisplayPort
DisplayPort looks similar to HDMI, but is a different connector more common on PCs than TVs. It still allows for high-definition video and, in many cases, audio, but its standards are a bit different. On modern monitors, you'll likely find any of the following:
That may seem less powerful than HDMI (especially considering the features of HDMI 2.1), but DisplayPort is featured on some of our best monitors—including the Acer XR382CQK—and also has a few advantages.
First, it supports AMD's FreeSync and Nvidia's G-Sync, so you can have a tear-free gaming experience no matter which brand of card you use (as long as your monitor supports the technology, of course). In addition, you can drive multiple monitors from one DisplayPort connection, rather than having to use multiple ports, which is handy. Laptops can even send DisplayPort signals through a USB-C port.
In the end, which port you choose depends on your monitor's capabilities, and the features you need. DisplayPort is a bit more versatile, but if your monitor only gives you the choice between HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2—like this Pixio display does—HDMI may be the better choice, since HDMI 2.0 supports HDR and DisplayPort 1.2 does not. Of course, you'll need to refer to your monitor's specs to decide which port to use in your specific setup.
Hello,
I bought a brand new PC with an AMD Sapphire R9 390 graphics Card and a iiyama ProLite B2783QSU-B1, 27' Monitor which especially says Freesync support as a feature.
I am using a fresh installation of Windows 10 Pro 64bit. I connected the DP cable which came with the monitor and I use the latest Crimson Drivers from the website (also tried older ones).
In Windows i get crazy flickering, white stripes and popping sounds. This happens more frequently when i use my inputs like mouse or keyboard.
When I Switch to DVI it works fine but I can't use Freesync since it is only supported with DisplayPort.
I searched here on the Forums and on Google and found a crazy amount of other people having the same issue but nowhere to a good solution.
I don't want to order an expensive new cable or send back my monitor/graphics card since most sources say it seems to be a driver related problem.
So does anyone have a solution for this or does even AMD acknowledge this problem? Is there a solution planned with future updates?
Any help would be appreciated, thank you in advance.
Best regards
G-Sync monitors are expensive. If you have an Nvidia-based system, that can present a problem. Fortunately, these days FreeSync and G-Sync are more compatible than ever. Nvidia, in particular, has even made G-Sync explicitly available for certain FreeSync computers, so long as they are approved by Nvidia.
We’ll go over just what you need and how to set up G-Sync in these unique scenarios.
Step 1: Make sure you have the right monitor
First, you need to make sure that your hardware setup is going to support G-Sync, or this process isn’t going to work very well. Your monitor needs to be ready, and that requires three important things.
The first thing you need is a compatible monitor. You will want to consult the GeForce list of G-Sync compatible gaming monitors, which are monitors where G-Sync isn’t built in, but is expected to perform quite well. There are currently only around 12 of these compatible monitors, but you can expect more to be added over time as Nvidia keeps testing models. If you have an Adaptive Sync monitor, these steps are also worth a try, but the results aren’t guaranteed.
Secondly, you’ll need a GTX 10-series graphics card or better. Lastly, you’ll need aDisplayPort connection from this graphics card to your monitor
With a compatible monitor at the ready, head into your monitor settings and make sure that FreeSync (or Adaptive Sync) is turned on. This is necessary for the following steps to work.
Step 2: Enable G-Sync
With your Nvidia graphics card installed, you should have access to the Nvidia Control Panel app on your PC. Open it now. Once open, look at the left-hand menu for the Display section. Here, select the option to Set up G-SYNC.
This will open up a new window where you can enable various G-Sync features. Here’s what you need to do here:
Once finished, select Apply to get G-Sync started.
Step 3: Confirm your compatibility
With a good, compatible monitor, you may find that G-Sync is already up and running just fine. Congratulations! Run a few graphics tests to make sure everything looks proper, and then full speed ahead. But other monitors may still not enable G-Sync properly. This is common, and you may have to make one other adjustment to help your monitor along.
Stay in the Nvidia Control Panel, and look on the left-hand menu for the section that says 3D Settings. Here, select Manage 3D Settings, and go to the Global tab. Look for the setting called Monitor Technology, and make sure it is set to the G-Sync compatibility setting.
If you prefer to select game by game whether or not to use G-Sync, you’ll want to access Program Settings instead of Global, which allows for some extra customization if you prefer certain games on G-Sync and certain games otherwise. Mount and blade cheat commands.
Step 4: Lower your refresh rate if necessary
Still not getting G-Sync to work properly? You may need to do some serious research on your specific model type and what settings you can change to make it work. However, we will mention that many people have found success by lowering the refresh rate on their monitors. It works because G-Sync sometimes senses that its features won’t work properly with your refresh rate and will stay disabled. This depends on what refresh rate your monitor is rated for, and the actual frame rate you can reach: If you go much beyond the specified frame rate, you may find G-Sync doesn’t work.
Freesync Displays
To fix this, head over to the Nvidia Control Panel, and look for the Display section in the left menu. Here, choose Change resolution. In the window that now opens, look for the section that says Refresh rate. Try lowering it to see if this helps.
Editors' RecommendationsList Of Freesync Monitors
NVIDIA's 'G-Sync Compatible' program expands its variable refresh rate (VRR) reach, welcoming monitors that are compliant with the VESA DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync standard, including AMD FreeSync. NVIDIA tested hundreds of monitors and certified those that deliver a leading G-Sync experience. We rounded up every monitor crowned G-Sync Compatible.
Balanced buy: AOC Agon AG241QG4Staff favorite
AOC's 24-inch Agon AG241QG4 is the smallest 1440p G-Sync Compatible display, wrapped in an understated, sleek design. With a 144Hz refresh rate and one-millisecond response time, it's primed for fast-paced games.
$330 at Amazon
Entry-level G-Sync: Acer XFA240Best budget
Acer's XFA240 is the cheapest 24-inch desktop companion for G-Sync compatibility. While topping out at 1080p, its 144Hz refresh rate and one-millisecond response time deliver snappy gameplay.
$200 at Amazon
Top-tier 4K: Acer XV273KBest 4K
The Acer XV273K leads the G-Sync Compatible launch lineup, positioned as the only 4K monitor awarded this status. This 27-inch IPS display is paired with a 144Hz and HDR capabilities, alongside a sleek shielding hood.
$800 at Amazon
Wrapped up: Acer ED273 Abidpx
Experience curved G-Sync for less with the Acer ED273 Abidpx at 27 inches. It touts a 1080p 144Hz output at a considerable size, only limited by its four-millisecond response time.
$230 at Amazon
Budget beast: Acer XF250Q Cbmiiprx
Packing 24.5-inch 1080p gaming with a one-millisecond response time, the Acer XF250Q Cbmiiprx is the cheapest 240Hz G-Sync Compatible monitor out there. Although not a ground-breaking image, it makes up for this with raw performance.
$230 at Amazon
Easy 1440p: Acer XG270HU
The Acer XG270HU is primed for sharp, low-latency gaming. With a 27-inch LED panel, at 1440p and 144Hz, it delivers an effective balance of clarity and smooth video.
$376 at Amazon
Bending immersion: Acer XZ321Q
Throw a curve into the mix with the Acer XZ321Q, promising an immersive twist on gaming. With a huge 32-inch 1440p panel, delivering 144Hz and one-millisecond response time, this display elevates your PC across the board.
$530 at Amazon
Budget alternative: AOC G2590FX
Dropping to 1080p resolution, the 25-inch AOC G2590FX is another affordable G-Sync Compatible monitor. It doesn't cut corners though, with a 144Hz refresh rate and one-millisecond response time.
$200 at Amazon
Unmissable mid-range: ASUS MG278Q
With a 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate, the ASUS MG278Q is a leading display that won't disappoint. And at 27-inches, it's among the best of G-Sync Compatible monitors.
$400 at Amazon
Smooth HD: ASUS VG258Q
Rocking a 1080p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and one-millisecond response time, the ASUS VG258Q is a balanced, affordable 25-inch display. However, availability is limited in the U.S.
£277 at Amazon UK
Fast and clear: ASUS VG258QR
Although near-identical performance to the ASUS VG258Q, this model ups its refresh rate to 165Hz. It results in a familiar 24.5-inch 1080p image, topped with improved gaming performance, best found outside the U.S.
£280 at Amazon UK
Big HD upgrade: ASUS VG278Q
The ASUS VG278Q is a larger 27-inch sibling to the VG258Q, also earning G-Sync compatibility with parallel specifications. At 1080p and a 144Hz refresh rate, it packs an impressive image without the cost of a higher resolution.
$289 at Amazon
Gain more frames: ASUS VG278QR
The ASUS VG278QR offers a 165Hz variant of the ASUS VG278Q, also rocking near-identical specifications. It's the same 27-inch 1080p image with an added performance boost, although with limited U.S. availability.
£322 at Amazon
Lightning speed: ASUS XG248
Hitting a buttery-smooth 240Hz refresh rate and one-millisecond response time, the ASUS XG248 focuses on raw performance. While capped at 1080p, it's the perfect 24-inch for fast-paced focus.
$350 at Amazon
The fast lane: Asus XG258
The ASUS XG258 delivers the same 240Hz refresh rate and one-millisecond response time of its 24-inch counterpart, upgraded with a 25-inch 1080p panel. It's a reliable choice for bidding 240Hz gamers.
$400 at Amazon
Turbo focus: BenQ XL2540
The BenQ XL2540 cranks up to 240Hz, among the smoothest 24.5-inch monitors you'll find. It hits 1080p with a one-millisecond response time too, paired with an adjustable 'tactical shield' to blinker distractions.
$400 at Amazon
Super smooth: BenQ XL2740
BenQ's 27-inch Zowie XL2740 means business, leading the 240Hz G-Sync Compatible range with extra inches. Bearing the same high-quality build, flexibility, and shield, performance gaming doesn't get better than this.
$549 at Amazon
The big picture
Amid a diverse offering of G-Sync Compatible monitors, the AOC Agon AG241QG4 emerges as our top pick. Its 24-inch 1440p 144Hz panel boasts a balance of clarity and performance, adaptive between fast-paced gaming or everyday tasks. Lined with plentiful ports for connectivity, there's no better all-rounder on this list.
For gamers on a tighter budget, the Acer XFA240 is the most affordable G-Sync Compatible monitor, dropping below $200. Passing NVIDIA's rigorous certification process is no easy feat, making this 1080p 144Hz offering ideal for new adopters.
Unfortunately, 4K resolution isn't common about the current monitor lineup, crowing the Acer XV273K as the only certified monitor pushing 2160p. Stacked up with a 144Hz refresh rate and high dynamic range (HDR) colors, this unbeaten premium pick doesn't hold back.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.
Matt Brown
Matt Brown is a staff writer at Mobile Nations for Windows Central. Following years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Xbox and Windows PCs. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.
Welcome to our guide on how to enable G-Sync on a FreeSync monitor. For the better part of the decade, PC gamers have had a tough call to make to get smooth frames without screen tearing in their games.
V-sync offers one route to smooth out rendering, but can introduce stutter and input lag. Meanwhile, Nvidia’s G-Sync and AMD’s FreeSync have been two walled gardens, requiring specific hardware to take advantage of.
Make sure you check out our pick of the best FreeSync monitors for G-Sync in 2019.
The issue was that there needed to be support across multiple devices to get the adaptive sync features working, and crossing brand lines between Nvidia and AMD made it impossible. To use the adaptive refresh rates of a FreeSync monitor, you needed an AMD graphic processor that supported FreeSync. And, to use G-sync, you needed both an expensive G-Sync monitor and an Nvidia graphics card at least Maxwell (i.e. the GTX 960) or newer.
Pairing Nvidia graphics with a FreeSync monitor, and vice versa, left the technology sitting idle. But, Nvidia has made a huge shift to that dynamic. Now, recent Nvidia graphics cards will support adaptive sync on previously unsupported monitors, including FreeSync models.
If you’re looking to start gaming with G-Sync on a FreeSync monitor, here’s what you need to know and what you can expect.
What exactly is G-Sync?
G-Sync is simply Nvidia’s technology for matching the refresh rate of a gaming monitor to the frame rate of a video game.
Since video games can have wildly varying demands on hardware from moment to moment, graphics cards rarely maintain a perfectly consistent frame rate. You may see a GPU deliver 100fps only to quickly dive down to 40fps when a bunch of action kicks off.
And, when the frame rate running on your PC differs from the monitor’s refresh rate, issues emerge. There may be tearing as the monitor displays parts of two different frames or stutter when the monitor repeats frames while waiting for new frame data. G-Sync prevents visual issues like these by ensuring the monitor doesn’t refresh faster or slower than the game’s frame rate.
Which GPUs are supported?
Nvidia is enabling G-Sync for variable refresh rate monitors on GTX 10-Series and RTX 20-Series graphics cards. If you’re running an older GPU, you’re out of luck. Your graphics card will also need to connect to your monitor via DisplayPort. So, if you have a gaming laptop with only an HDMI output, you may also be left out.
Which variable refresh monitors support G-Sync?
Nvidia claims to have tested 400 monitors with variable refresh rates to ensure gamers know which will work effectively with G-Sync. Out of this group only 12 have passed so far, and Nvidia has labeled the best performing monitors as “G-Sync Compatible.”
Monitors that have received this designation passed tests ensuring they offered large variable refresh rate ranges greater than 2.4:1 (with most offering at least 48-144Hz), so the window is wide enough between the lowest and highest refresh rate for gamers to benefit. They also ensure the monitors don’t blank, pulse, flicker, ghost or present other artifacts with G-Sync enabled.
At this time, 12 monitors have the G-Sync Compatible designation:
However, even if your variable refresh rate monitor isn’t listed, you can still enable G-Sync. There may be issues, but you have the option of testing it out and deciding for yourself whether the benefits are worthwhile.
How do I use G-Sync on a FreeSync monitor?
To start, you need to make sure you’ve updated your Nvidia drivers to at least Version 417.71. Support was enabled on January 15, 2019, so drivers dated before this will not work with FreeSync monitors.
You’ll also need to ensure your Nvidia graphics card and monitor are connected via DisplayPort. Also, check your monitor’s settings to confirm variable refresh rates are enabled.
If your monitor is one of the G-Sync Compatible models, then G-Sync should automatically enable itself, as should variable refresh rates. If not, you can manually enable G-Sync using the following steps:
You can find more details on enabling G-Sync here. Force remove mcafee safe connect.
How well does it work?
Just how well G-Sync works is largely going to come down to what settings you’re using in your games and what monitor you’re using it with. Our experience has been generally positive with G-Sync enabled on a G-Sync Compatible monitor.
If you’re playing a game at such high settings that you can’t consistently keep your frame rate within the monitors variable refresh rate range, then the experience won’t be positive. If your game does run within that variable refresh rate range, though, it should be a smooth experience without stutter or tearing.
Gaming with too high of a frame rate can also cause issues. So, it’s best to keep your game’s frame rate limited slightly below the maximum refresh rate of your monitor. You can see the variable refresh rates of G-Sync and G-Sync Compatible monitors at Nvidia here.
As G-Sync is similar to V-Sync in some ways, gamers may be concerned about introducing input lag. However, YouTuber Battle(non)sense has done thorough testing of input lag for G-Sync on a compatible monitor, and found that limiting the max frame rate while V-Sync and G-Sync were enabled did not introduce input latency – curiously, latency was actually reduced.
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