Updated listings on the AMD FreeSync support site now include FreeSync Refresh Range and also indicate whether the model is Low Framerate Compensation capable.
Updated listings on the AMD FreeSync support site now include FreeSync Refresh Range and also indicate whether the model is Low Framerate Compensation capable.
The FreeSync-Compatible ACER XG270HU
AMD‘s FreeSync technology has had a remarkable reception amongst monitor manufacturers in the year since the first models launched. No less than seventy-five models from diverse manufacturers such as Samsung, ASUS and Viewsonic now boast support for the VESA Adaptive Sync standard and are certified as FreeSync compatible, a pretty stupendous achievement all around.
One criticism however has been how difficult it can be to identify the refresh range of the monitor. Manufacturer websites tend to list the maximum refresh rate each panel is capable of, but the minimum often isn’t spelled out. That’s pretty critical for gaming, where a high minimum can mean frame stutter (analogous to V-SYNC judder) if your GPU can’t quite keep up; essentially the lower the better.
Effect of LFC on perception of motion ‘Smoothness’
This titbit of information is all the more important when you take AMD’s FreeSync Low Framerate Compensation into account. LFC increases the refresh rate of the monitor when the incoming frame rate dips below the minimum threshold, reducing to a great extent frame stuttering (unless the frame rate tanks to a catastrophic level). Unfortunately LFC is only available on models with specific characteristics, and that’s not generally obvious ‘at a glance’.
Now AMD have stepped in to provide a concise list of information you will need when drawing up a list of FreeSync Monitors suitable for you. Each manufacturer and model is listed, along with the type of panel (i.e. TN/IPS etc.), size, resolution and refresh rate range; plus, they’ve added an check mark to denote LFC compatibility. Simple, but enormously helpful to consumers.
You can find the full list here, including more detailed information on the benefits of FreeSync.
NB: Only AMD GCN-class GPUs and certified monitors are compatible with FreeSync.
