What I really love about this channel is the expertise and research when it comes to gaming hardware and software but also how you are apparently very good at video games in general. Perfect match I would say! Information and personal experience to back it up :D
very true, i’m iffy about watching benchmark videos and such when the creator sucks at the game! obviously im not eating the vid for gameplay but it means more when they are actually good and genuine gamers
Why would you turn vsync off when using gsync, gsync only works when below monitor refresh rate. I always limit fps 2 frames under refresh rate and enable gsync and vsync and triple buffer, resizable bar. For instance in the vice Versa, If your monitor can only display 75hz why make your processor run 100% and go all stuttery and not handle background tasks or other overlays, to render frames your monitor can't even draw on time and have a higher chance to screen tear. When stability is more important than performance and performance over quality
Great video. As others have noted, Battlenonsence showed caping framerate so GPU is only working less than 95% usage provides a stable frametime and consistent input delay. I used to run uncapped on battlefield games, but since capping the frame rate it’s definitely more smooth, no more stutters and my aim has improved significantly.
One point about capping at monitor refresh rate - I find the smoothness of capping to be more beneficial in most games other than CSGO and Valorant, while I keep frames uncapped in those games. Essentially, when you're receiving information at a regular interval with a constant input delay, I believe you can do things like tracking more easily. When you have uncapped frames, you're receiving information with varying input delay, which can make tracking look a little more jarring which affects your aim.
Games such as Valorant and CSGO where I can hit over 800 fps can start to stutter like crazy. So I try to go for the double of the refresh rate of my monitor
@@griffin1366 Inconsistent frame times can make your game feel incredibly rugged even at high frame rates. You wouldn't feel a 1ms difference on paper, but imagine a target taking 10 frames to move past a gap. If those frames aren't evenly spread out it can be very distracting. We can't distinguish 240 frames per second. Instead our brain creates several images overtop one another. Like when you shake your cursor, you'll see multiple cursors at the same time when there's really only one at any given time. This effect is even worse when it's not just a target moving, but if it's you turning the camera. In which case your entire screen will stutter.
FYI: you can cap your frame rate in the Nvidia Control Panel. Also when I remember correctly, Battlenonsense's older tests showed, that you should cap your fps a bit below your monitor's refresh rate. For example, use 140 fps as a limit with a 144 Hz monitor.
Thanks for this, I used to use RTSS but I no longer use Afterburner and the less additional software the better! Much easier than trying to figure out launch parameters for every game I play... I cap mine at 113 on my 120hz monitor, as sometimes it spikes to 120 when I have it set to 116.
For pubg I find I need to do closer to 10 fps below refresh rate or it still throws too many frames once in a while. In any case I think the 5 is probably the right advice.
This was generally a very and informative rundown on input lag etc. The one thing it could have touched upon a bit more though is one of the main reasons for capping your fps to maintain a consistent input latency, muscle memory. That's why many people want a consistent frametime and to minimise any differences, your brain does notice it, even if we don't really "see" it.
Thank you for the informative run down while applying your explanation in the real world. The fact you actually play FPS games at a high level and are most interested in giving yourself a competitive advantage makes your content so much better than any mainstream tech channel.
@@prototype8137 Yes, but at 9:55 he said the two approaches are: 1) uncapped, adaptive sync off and no frame caps for the most up-to-date info. i.e. dealing with tearing for lower input lag for competitive shooters/pvp games. 2) enable adaptive sync but disable v-sync "if you're concerned with screen tearing". i.e. no screen tearing for more casual gaming.. except Vsync "off" + G-SYNC can still have tearing. You're saying people rather choose option #1 over option #2 for pvp games, but that wasn't what my comment was about. My comment is strictly about approach #2 being wrong, if the goal is tear-free gaming.
@@Defaultuseraccount been seeing people saying that if I wanna run v-sync on with the Global settings that I should turn on low latency to ultra and it should even the input lag out is that true or no?
THANK YOU!!! I've been having a lot of issues with stuttering in games and I've been trying to find good performance orientated videos and I found this gemstone. Thanks for always making such high quality and easily understandable content!
I like frame caps because it stops your GPU from going full force, which means it runs WAY quieter and with less power. Sometimes it can be virtually silent with good fan profiles.
@@andrey.003 that's only if you're okay with the slight input lag hit though, i'm sure I would do exactly as well in games with those 2-5ms extra delay from frame capping but I paid for this hardware so I'm gonna use it to its' fullest potential :D
The main reason why I framecap in Apex is specifically for muscle memory while supergliding. It may be just me, but I feel a lot more consistent at a steady 150 cap than 170 ish spiking and dropping on my 1080 ti.
Battle nonsense covered this topic extensively. Basically, Gsync + Cap 3-5fps below refresh rate + vsync on = most buttery smooth and consistent gaming experience possible. This eliminates all stuttering and sets input lag and responsiveness to always be the same, so you won't miss flick shots due to feeling differences in the game. Consistency is key to winning, just like in real sport. Uncapped = more power useage, more heat, more stuttering, more feeling of change and less consistency. Flick shots through a smoke will feel different when your fps goes from 400 to 150 when you could just play on 150 forever and it feels identical then.
further to my other comment... with frame capping and riva tuner.... the best way to find the sweetspot for riva tuner is to jump into game/firing range... set a frame cap at the higher end of what you normally achieve, shoot runaround etc and watch the live graph that shows the jumps/dips in frame time. If its really choppy then drop another 10fps off the cap and so on so forth until your frametime graph is running pretty much flat with the occasional spike. what this means is that once optimized at for example 139fps, you are getting each frame at an almost exact interval, again this helps with tracking, muscle memory, movement, etc etc, would rather drive a ferrari every day than keep swapping from a corrola to a veyron all the time
Thank you for the incredible video, I really appreciate the example with 200fps on a 60hz display for those without high refresh rate displays. Your content is truly incredible and is not available anywhere else on this platform.
Great video! I think I would recommend capping frames in the Nvidia control panel because RTSS, as awesome as it is and something I’ve used for years, it can cause trouble for certain games. For example, Elden Ring won’t load into a save when RTSS is on.
Optimum Tech has this terrifying ability to pump out a video precisely on the tech subject I'm currently thinking about. At this point I believe he is the living embodiment of the Google Analytics hivemind. I can't find any other explanation.
0:53 The concept of V-Sync can be beneficial when you turn on G-Sync and cap FPS at a level your GPU is capable to always hit. As Chris from "Battle(non)sense" said, V-Sync behaves differently when you use G-Sync and cap your FPS so your GPU can always hit it. "NVIDIA G-Sync + Null Setup & Input Lag Results" - Battle(non)sense
@@ectotrix7399 using the nvidia control panel to force v-sync is no better than the one in-game, I often avoid forcing things via the driver cause it can be confusing when your trying to personalize your settings to each game based on what you want
@@kevindiaz8936 From Blur Busters: "While NVCP V-SYNC has no input lag reduction over in-game V-SYNC, and when used with G-SYNC + FPS limit, it will never engage, some in-game V-SYNC solutions may introduce their own frame buffer or frame pacing behaviors, enable triple buffer V-SYNC automatically (not optimal for the native double buffer of G-SYNC), or simply not function at all, and, thus, NVCP V-SYNC is the safest bet."
Capping your frames a bit lower than what you get uncapped is also an incredible way to keep your GPU running cooler. Just something to consider as well since that is a very nice benefit
I think an important note is if FPS is not double or more than the refresh you could get higher input lag because of partial frames being shown for example if you get 480fps on 240hz you can fit two frames in one refresh cycle
with the reflex turned on you get the same response time as you would not use frame cap. so basically it is the same. i mean it is the same power consumtion.
Very informative video especially from someone like me who doesn't really know that much about monitors and what settings to use for fps games. What I really liked about the video was all the information and research you presented, it shows that you actually wanted to provide a very informative video not just like others that just tell you what settings to use.
Obviously video is 10 months old so nobody will see this, but at 2:13 the results are misleading, nvidia reflex, LLM, and amd anti-lag both only reduce input delay at near-maximum GPU utilization 98-100%, which is exactly what is shown in the chart. If your GPU utilization is say 80% of below, you will have worse input delay with these features enabled, so it's best to disable them. If anyone is seeing this, please look up Battle(non)sense on youtube, he has extremely detailed and researched videos on this that prove this exact issue. TLDR framecapping is, in most cases, still better, and you should never use LLM, reflex, or amd anti-lag unless your GPU utilization is nearly maxed out
I think you are referring to even older vids by him. There was a moment where Nvidia used these findings by BattleNonSense to improve Reflex. It is now in a state where it does not matter if you cap your frames or not. Actually, higher frames means less latency, even if the rendered frames are more than your monitor's refresh rate. You still benefit. So now, you just have to put on Reflex and not worry about anything. Today you can even put DLSS into the mix which reduces GPU load, power draw and temps which lead to more FPS and further lower latency.
@@yinx9yep, you are exactly right. ive even done my testing in a game that has HORRIBLE input lag. reflex with set the queue to 1, while reflex boost will run your gpu at higher boost speed to maintain lower input latency. its almost always a win win to turn it on
@@adeptalakay so now how we tune gsync, vsync, reflex, cap? In 2 case (GPU render fps much more than the monitor| GPU cant reach max fps of monitor which have freesynce and VRR) prefer balance between smooth and input lag. Thanks!
For G-Sync to work properly you have to have V-sync enabled as well at the same time. It won't add the usual V-sync latency as long as your frame rate doesnt reach or exceed your monitors max refresh rate (Hz). So you basically enable G-Sync and V-Sync and cap at 3-4 fps below your monitors Hz. For me, Competitive: Turn on Reflex, V-Sync off, (and G-Sync on but doesnt really matter at this case) Non-Competitive: V-Sync on, G-Sync on, fps cap 3-4fps below monitors Hz. Also whilst NCP has an Fps cap mode, I would recommend RTSS since it's usually has les input lag (Battlenonsense testing).
I would say use in-game FPS limiter first. If not possible then RTSS. For the VSync and GSync interraction, i recommand to use NVIDIA control panel VSync as it has not be proven to work with in-game Vsync.
@@ectotrix7399 Yes, you are correct. Although I haven't heard about the last thing you said about the in-game V-sync not working properly with G-Sync. I will look into it.
So what should I be doing? I have a 240hz gsync ultimate monitor. My system can run valorant at 3-500 fps uncapped. Should I have gsync and vsync enabled and cap at 236 fps ?? Or leave uncapped with all sync options off
@@sonar2366 For Valorant and any other competitive game that supports Nvidia Reflex, turn Reflex On in-game, turn off V-sync and don't cap the framerate. And you can leave G-sync enabled it won't matter.
@@sonar2366 Your choice. It's two different approaches even if i would personnally uncapped FPS and as Valar Dracarys said, in that case turn off VSync and you can ether leave G-Sync or not, it has very little impact on input lag anyway. Make sure you turn On Nvidia Reflex in Valorant too. I think G-Sync is very good when you have low FPS but i don't think it's usefull at those framerates and refresh rate but I haven't done very advanced tests on it.
Love the video, gonna send this to friends bc they ask me similar questions Was relatively confused for a little while until the end of the video when you talked about having more up to date frames. Some of what you said sounded like you saying that wouldn't be true but then you did and it made more sense
This reminds me of the "Inside the Second" article from The Tech Report's Scott Wason (now of AMD). Great detail and explained what we were all feeling and why average FPS doesn't tell the full story. This shows why frame capping can help and why you might not need it in the world of nVidia reflex and anti-lag from AMD. Frame capping to the monitors refresh rate -1 is a good tip for those who want to keep frame tear free while not paying the penalty of V-Sync. Finally where you might want to use uncapping of FPS for ideal responsiveness.
Its nice to still see the 1060 mentioned in a few charts, I'm on a 3080 but I keep my 1050ti knocking about in a more portable system. Nvidia probably packed too much into their 10 series cards all those years ago.
But why what benefits we get from upgrading graphic card since we have to deal with either input lag or screen tearing or both and stutter some time I was comfortable with my gtx 1060 than my rtx 3070ti
Tim from Hardware unboxed tested several games about a year ago and found that different games behaved differently. Some had lower input lag while others increased input lag when frame capping.
Yeah I’ve noticed also that some games I will cap the fps and the system is fully capable of hitting that fps but it stays lower than the cap sometimes much lower. I don’t like that. What can I do about that?
For smoothest experience I believe Nvidia recommend Low Latency ultra with V Sync On and G Sync On as a triple combo. Ultra is described as: "...to prioritise latency fully minimising queued frames. In addition, this mode minimises VSYNC latency when both VSYNC and G-SYNC are enabled". And I certainly don't feel any input lag with this combination in my games. This also keeps FPS just under the highest HZ of your Monitor.
You're supposed to use g-sync with v-sync (not in-game but in the nvidia control panel) with the framerate capped just a few frame below the max of your display. This is ideal for a few reasons: 1. G-sync turns off when the frame rate goes beyond the monitors maximum refresh rate which will cause v-sync to kick (capping the frame rate) and will introduce input lag. 2. V-sync prevents screen tearing 3. The cap ensures the system stays within g-sync's operational range When you game like this, v-sync doesn't introduce additional input lag because the framerate is already capped (thus v-sync doesn't have to cap) and v-sync is only there to prevent tearing, enhancing your experience. I suppose as OP explains there are cases were if you don't need g-sync or v-sync then this configuration is not applicable but for many games this is ideal.
In the nvdia control panel, there is also a option for frame cap with similar term. Thus you can use without 3rd party software. (RTSS sometimes does not work, or sometime give you trouble)
My go to configuration is Gsync ON, Low Latency Mode ON, FrameRate Cap at 3FPS below refresh rate, VSYNC ON in Nvidia Control Panel. According to Block Busters, VSYNC ON is required for Gsync to completely eliminate screen tearing while not causing any input delay since you're capped below your refresh rate.
@@Niko93735 According to BlurBusters, Ultra should be used if FPS usually exceeds refresh rate, while On if it doesn’t always reach or exceed refresh rate. Since I use a different type of frame cap, I tend to use ON + my frame cap. Ultra also seems to cap much lower than 3-4FPS below max refresh rate. I think it was 157 on my 165Hz monitor. I cap it manually at 162FPS. It’s not a big difference, but I might as well use it. I think objectively frame capping via RTSS is also smoother than via Low Latency Mode. I watched a guy on here do a very in depth comparison and RTSS is still king of FPS caps.
Just as a consideration from a different perspective (and I've said this on one of your videos before), but fighting games are always capped at 60fps. To reduce lag in those, Gsync/freesync are recommended and players have been known to test monitors and controllers for inputlag, though monitors nowadays don't seem to have much input lag.
I’ve been searching for someone to comment om this for a while now. Especially since I’ve been playing multiversus on pc on my 144hz monitor. I always have g-sync turned off but I lately I rlly felt like the game was not smooth at all. I hope by force capping it on 60 via RTSS and enabling g-sync it’ll make it a lot smoother.
I use G SYNC and Reflex with a cap of 3 fps under my monitor refresh rate. I still get tearing. However, only at the bottom of the screen and not really noticeable. To fix this you can enable V SYNC in game or at the driver level. I believe if capped under the refresh rate ceiling and still being in the G SYNC range that it doesn't add much input lag. Blur Busters did an article on this years ago.
I personally follow BlurBusters Optimal G-SYNC Settings. Low input lag while maintaining high motion clarity and no screen tearing. If anyone is interested, the settings are as follows: Enable G-sync for fullscreen *Enable* vertical sync under "Manage 3D settings" in Nvidia Control Panel Fullscreen or Exclusive Fullscreen in-game. Vertical Sync *off* in-game. Limit FPS to 3 FPS below monitor refresh rate (for example 141 if you have a 144hz monitor) using RivaTuner or other means of FPS limiting.
I use g sync with v sync off in nvcp settings but I'm running 240hz monitor. So I don't see any tearing ,but I do feel I have better aim with v sync off and better responsiveness.
Great video Ali 🥰👍🤩 I personally haven’t played a competitive title since CS: Source 😂😋 and played plenty of single player open world and the occasional co-op title. I’m thinking of getting back into it and this is an excellent starting point of things to look at. Thanks buddy 🍻🍻
One thing you didn't mention is thermals. Capping your fps to your monitors refresh rate keeps thermals lower allowing the CPU/GPU to maintain a higher clock speed which reduces frame times. With the added benefit of having a quieter system and saving power. This is especially relevant to people on laptops.
Just wanted to point out this weird behavior in Overwatch. I'm one of those few people that is still bothered by screen tearing at 240hz, so to play smoothly I enable G-Sync with Nvidia Reflex on and V sync on. By just capping frames below my refresh rate, I still get tearing in OW even tho G sync in enabled. I noticed enabling reflex while V sync and G sync are active cap my frame rate at 224~ but it's the smoothest experience I can get in the game by far, and I remember that not reaching your refresh rate with V sync prevents the massive input lag penalty (I think blur buster said that). Even running 350-400 fps constant is not as smooth, so I prioritize getting a super consistent experience to having choppy 400fps with slightly less input lag
This is what I do currently too... It's confusing that there is no consensus under people who should know. Like, optimum tech here, he's a great tech TH-camr but his views don't coincide with what you said. ( I think I read the same article on blurbusters and also seen a yt vid testing the v-sync on ( in Nvidia CP not ingame) + g-sync + reflex
Low latency, reflex, and anti lag only benefit you if you are GPU dependent in the game. Really when it comes down to is if you are not frame camping it helps. But in reality frame capping I believe is still a better way to go because you should never be pushing your GPU and your CPU to the absolute limits to where you get dropped frames and render cues. I think it is overall a more smooth and beneficial gameplay if your computer can meet say 120 frames all the time in a particular game to just lock it at 120 frames as opposed to trying to squeeze out 20 more frames. Another thing you need to understand that when we're talking about latency on the game aspect it really doesn't matter when it comes to milliseconds on your hardware because latency in a game comes down to your internet connection plus the server it's running on and the ticket rate that the game is running at on the server. The only time maximum frame rate really matters is if you're in like a land game cuz then the more frames you have the less overall latency when playing on lan because then you're talking about direct connection to whatever server is running the game as opposed to dealing with the internet and traffic overhead.
PLEASE with your input latency testing setup test borderless windowed vs full screen in todays games in 2022, like Apex, Valorant, Rocket League, etc. I’ve heard mixed reviews and would like it put to the test FOR SCIENCE! Keep up the awesome content. This channel has single handedly inspired me to dial in my rig settings and peripheral choices and get back into shooters and feel competitive in them again. Thanks from the USA!
I bet the difference is staggering, my system is mid to hight end and running borderless can still net me 144 fps but the he feels terrible generally and the frame times are less consistent
Great video, I actually noticed a difference on my 4k 60hz monitor when unlocking and capping the FPS to 120. Even though the monitor can only do 60hz, BF5 was much smoother at 120fps. So I tested 70 vs 120fps capped, 120 was much smoother just moving the camera and the input was better.
Yes the frame time is lower so even if the display can't show those extra frames you benefit from the lower frame times. You went from 16.6ms to 8.3ms which is a big jump. I gamed on a 4k 60 TV for a few years and playing any competitive games I needed 120fps or more to help as much as possible with latency.
I played comp shooters on 1080p60 for the first 5 years of having a pc, can also testify 60hz on 60fps is nearly unplayable compared to 60hz at something like 200fps :P
Completely agree. i also play with no FPS cap in CPU-bound games. I play competitive shooters since Quake 2. My 1st game is the original DOOM xD And now we even have Nvidia Reflex & Anti-Lag so FPS cap is useful almost only for G-Sync GPU bound game but it adds 0.5-1.5+ms delay (if GPU is pegged on 90-100% you can optimize even more to lower the system latency here btw). You show 1 extra ms but Im sure its a test, not a realistic gaming scenario. I believe it can go higher than 1ms. 1.5+ is realistic IMO. These days you can have System Latency lower than 10ms so 2ms is not a small amount. Especially if you live far from the server you can feel that difference if you are on a certain skill level. PS. Very good & informative video. I just wish everybody knew these things. I wasted too much time trying to explain what s what to random "gamers" with 0 PC experience. Last couple of years ppl are getting more informed thanx to Nvidia blog & marketing campaign, as well as Battle (non) Sense. But honestly that whole information is known for decades. There is just new generation of gamers & the forgotten truth is like a new discovery for the people. Its still nice to know exactly how much is the difference of your hardware, some option or a tweak. Now just a lot more people are interested in Gaming & the companies reinvent the wheel in attempt to shine with something "new"
Question for you, will input lag be lower on nvidea control panel ultra mode or less input lag with it being off ? In my case the game doesnt go past 40% gpu usage on unlimited fps. Just asking for the lowest input lag. Because in no nonsense vid there was less input lag with ultra lag mode turned off. But he mentioned nvidea said it was a bug. Have they improved that feature to the point that if used on the ultra mode theres actually the lowest input lag or is it better to leave it off?
@@CookieMonster-we1in Since your GPU doesnt use more than 40% leave LowLatency Mode Off. It helps only in GPU bound scenario. If you play game with Reflex Option it will override the driver (Ultra Mode). Pretty sure on 40% GPU, Nvidia Reflex ingame option also wont get improvement. PS:Its even shown in the video. I just answered the post. Just re-watched the video.
I disagree with how you should not turn on VSYNC when using GSYNC. I will always get tearing even with a frame cap. VSYNC doesn’t kick in unless you’re over your monitors refresh rate so the it should not be adding input delay on a GSYNC monitor.
Great informative video! 💯 Can you make a video on the difference between having latency off, on, ultra Nvidia control panel, then having Nvidia reflex off, enabled or enabled plus boost. I know some games begin to stutter with ultra setting is turned on.
I liked the video man, but I have an additional Question, I personally play on a 144hz gsync compatible monitor and other videos I've watched have said to cap the frame rate three below and run gsync with vsync for maximum smoothness, so I was just wondering why you recommend 1-2 less than the max refresh rate but turning vsync off, so just what difference does it make exactly?
there is a research done by BlurBusters regarding V-sync + G-sync on different refresh rates. of course lower refresh rates = high input lag but high refresh rates (240-360hz) it seems that input lag is pretty much gone. Please look into it I would like your opinion into it and possibly make a video about it and test
BlurBusters actually recommend turning v-sync on when using g-sync or freesync because of frametime variances. But it should only be enabled from nvidia control panel or amd equivalent. Look up G-SYNC 101 from blurbusters :)
Of course v sync should be on if youndont want to see tearing in games (even with g sync) its crazy how many people dont realise they are not intended to be used independently of the other.
Blurbusters have gone downhill IMO. They only care about a smooth picture such as G-Sync or DYAC (backlight strobing modes) and always recommend RTSS, which increases input lag.
@@griffin1366 except they dont - they explicitly reccomend using limiter in game if one exists, as this limits frames on engine level, as they correctly state RTSS does add a tiny bit of input lag - neglegible, but still. They also show quite clearly how vsync with gync enabled does NOT add any input lag, contrary to what you claim here several times already without any proof. The only "input lag advantage" you get when not using vsync in that scenario is the teared frame - so you might see half a frame while gsync / vsync "waits" on the other half to be ready to post. So if you want to call half of a teared frame input lag - sure, but thats a joke.
This was so informative! I am very impressed by the research you put into this video. But I have to ask about that amazing looking mousepad 😍 what is it and where can I get it?
5:35 the issue with high fps making "consistent average" frame time, you say that at ~150fps the frame time differences are larger than at 200fps+ the frame time variations are smaller, the problem is, in a real nonperfect scenario you arent just dropping to ~150-200fps; you're having random 1% lows in the ~100-150fps range, and typically these happen at crucial times: hitting a jumpshot for example is one of the most important gains from a high fps; jumping over cover will make your fps drop; if you cannot predict a reliable and smooth jumpshot with smooth ability to aim; if it is unstable during the course of the jump: you miss. hence: stable 144fps even on a 240fps monitor gives you the most reliable, and true, consistent ability to aim; react; and play the game at the highest level possible without taking frametime spikes into account. If you cannot hit a shot on 144hz you won't on 240hz either. Basic stuff for any competitive gamer.
Hey Ali, did you actually test with framerate limits, adaptive sync and vsync enabled together? If you do not enable vsync, you can still get tearing in the lower third of your picture. According to older Battlenonsense tests, enabling vsync does not hamper your input lag at all, as long as you also run adaptive sync and do not run into your max refresh rate.
@@m4nu507 so if you have a highter hz monither than your game fps can get let us say 360 hz monitor with apex legends at 190 fps cap should you cap 357 hz? or 297 ? apex is hardcapped at 300
If running uncapped keep your gpu usage below 95% by changing graphics settings. Reflex should hopefully fix that though. Low latency mode etc. adds input lag.
they changed this to make gamers understand it better, and it still doesn't work lol. on = 1 pre rendered frame, ultra = 0 pre rendered frames. this means you always get the most up to date frame, it wont show you out of date information
@@skytreegirl6929 That's not what my comment is about. I am saying: if your gpu is trying to render 400 fps, it uses more power than if it is rendering 144 fps in the same game with the same settings.
This video was great information but I felt it was geared only towards competitive fps games. What settings would you recommend for something like an adventure game or games with photo modes if you're looking to maximize graphics quality? How does frame capping effect rendering quality in those scenarios? I always capped my frames under the assumption that the excess power would be used to render higher quality frames instead. Would love to hear your take on this! Otherwise, great vid!
For such games you choose, you want more fps smoothness or better graphics rendering. Input lag is not a big deal in such games (but I still like when it’s minimum).
thanks so much, in all the years i have been using afterburner i never once used the frame limiter, thinking v-sync did the same jab. Just switched to RTSS and frame times are a solid straight line almost constantly!! 🙂
I wanna know what you think about how on battle nonsense’s TH-cam video on g-sync, having v-sync on with g-sync removes the lag and adds the appropriate frame cap as well as improving edge cases in the frame synchronization. Did you do any testing
This is true but not complete. The reason you sometimes get a tear with V-Sync disabled with G-Sync, which almost never happens, is because keeping V-Sync disabled offers the absolute minimum latency at all times whilst giving a 99.999% tear free experience. Doing this also means you can go above or below your monitors maximum refresh rate and never care, so you'll get the benefits of G-Sync below maximum Hz, and also no added input lag above maximum Hz (Assuming you do not max out your GPU). Enabling V-Sync is how G-Sync was originally designed to work, before they introduced Fast-Sync and the ability to separate the two, and it's best for a 100% tear free experience at the cost of a higher minimum latency. Whether you notice this difference is irrelevant though, since at the kind of numbers competitive players get it's arguably placebo, but it's ultimately why most players still choose to disable all kinds of VRR even if it's proven to be good. For most people, G-Sync + V-Sync + FrameCap is probably best (or using the applicable setting in NVCP to automatically cap the frames). But for competitive fps players, they should force Disable V-Sync in NVCP and use G-Sync with the vast majority of G-Sync module displays and never think twice... just use in-game limiters so their fps does not fluctuate so much either above or below the maximum Hz. There are a few exceptions to this rule in terms of monitor, where not using VRR is probably better due to how that monitor handles it, but on a good display that's what I'd do. Just thought I'd add that in, hope it helps.
@@justnvc Why would you suggest comp players use g sync only and not v sync AND g sync if there's no additional input lag from using v sync with g sync?
@@oliverbull7401 there is at lower frames, due to the chance of no vsync with g-sync operation displaying a frame earlier. Mostly though I stand by this for lower Hz monitors where you still get input latency reductions at higher values, so not having to set up per game profiles or toggle G-Sync all the time when you can go further beyond.
You might see frameskipping. The best for competitive games is a monitor between 144hz and 240hz with a GOOD panel (oled is a prime candidate for low input lag) or a CRT with high refreshrate (less than 1ms of input lag due to technology)
hey man, you ever thought about testing out the "disable fullscreen optimizations" setting for your testing? it was a pretty popular way to increase your fps and improve your input lag when windows 10 had issues with games on release, but nowadays i question if it even works anymore :p
@@BSEUNHIR Hardware Unboxed did a lag/input delay test with fullscreen vs borderless and found almost no difference. I'm a borderless fan all the way. For some reason games like Halo MCC and Borderlands 3 only save my resolution/aspect ration in game by leaving it as borderless. If the setting is left for fullscreen I have to change the resolution back and forth for it to actually take effect.
@@KalebSDay Fullscreen vs Borderless is the same "input lag" but the problem with Borderless is that Windows can't suspend processes in the background and it runs with DWM enabled where as native fullscreen bypasses DWM, so by that the flip queue is different and you may get additional input lag depending on the game. DX12 however is natively borderless. Disabling fullscreen optimizations was a must in the older builds but these days (depending on who you believe), having it enabled is actually better. Microsoft has a full artcle on it if you would like to read it (I can't link it here). If you don't alt tab at all or very often then disabling it is fine as you'll get a few frames back. Essentially what it tries to do is make a fullscreen game borderless.
Hey great video! Do you have thoughts on the vertical-sync built into GSync being enabled/disabled? I've heard it's a small burden for no screen tearing but unsure!
When G-SYNC is enabled it changes what the “Vertical sync: Off / On" option in your GPU control panel does. It now dictates 2 very specific things: 1) Should G-SYNC compensate for variances in frametimes within G-SYNC range? V-SYNC "On": Yes, G-SYNC should compensate. This prevents tearing at ALL TIMES by always adhering to the scanout, which ensures the affected frame scan will complete in the current scanout before the next frame scan and scanout begin. G-SYNC frametime compensation is performed during the vertical blanking interval (the span between the previous and next frame scan), and, as such, does not delay single frame delivery within the G-SYNC range. V-SYNC "Off": No, G-SYNC should NOT compensate. This means when sudden frametime variances occur it will opt to start the next frame scan in the current scanout instead which results in simultaneous delivery of more than one frame in a single scanout a.k.a "tearing". 2) Should G-SYNC revert to fixed refresh rate V-SYNC behavior or disable itself when framerate exceeds G-SYNC range? V-SYNC “On" means that G-SYNC will revert to V-SYNC behavior when framerate exceeds G-SYNC range. V-SYNC "Off” means that G-SYNC will disable itself when framerate exceeds G-SYNC range, and tearing will begin display wide.
frame capping also helps that "slow mode" sluggish camera and etc turning in games when your gpu is maxed out. if it's at like 100% and you demand more from it it gets hella slow and thats when the sluggy feeling comes in, thats where that latency helps
Something that’s worth mentioning is that if you cap your frame rate at double your monitor’s refresh rate (480fps max for a 240hz monitor for example), you can still eliminate screen tearing while getting those more updated frames
frametimes aren't perfect, so unless the gpu driver is doing something to handle it I don't see how that would eliminate screen tearing? (though yeah sure it'll reduce it as mentioned in the video since it's harder to see tearing at higher framerates)
This is the stuff that keeps me up at night
you're not the only one
3 am here , school at 8
its 1 am😅
Same lmaoo
Me now at 03:02. AM. 😴😂
What I really love about this channel is the expertise and research when it comes to gaming hardware and software but also how you are apparently very good at video games in general. Perfect match I would say! Information and personal experience to back it up :D
very true, i’m iffy about watching benchmark videos and such when the creator sucks at the game! obviously im not eating the vid for gameplay but it means more when they are actually good and genuine gamers
Why would you turn vsync off when using gsync, gsync only works when below monitor refresh rate. I always limit fps 2 frames under refresh rate and enable gsync and vsync and triple buffer, resizable bar. For instance in the vice Versa, If your monitor can only display 75hz why make your processor run 100% and go all stuttery and not handle background tasks or other overlays, to render frames your monitor can't even draw on time and have a higher chance to screen tear. When stability is more important than performance and performance over quality
@@rdCORE what. Vsync give massive input lag. Period. Dont ever enable unless you cant fix very bad screen tearing
@@jordanc918 i think massive is an over exaggeration, you cant even notice it. vsync is good if you like longevity of hardware
sadly his information is in part really really wrong
Yeah this is absolute Gold, I'm going to be running uncapped, Adaptive Sync Off and with Reflex or AMD Antilag ON now. Thank you.
Great video. As others have noted, Battlenonsence showed caping framerate so GPU is only working less than 95% usage provides a stable frametime and consistent input delay. I used to run uncapped on battlefield games, but since capping the frame rate it’s definitely more smooth, no more stutters and my aim has improved significantly.
One point about capping at monitor refresh rate - I find the smoothness of capping to be more beneficial in most games other than CSGO and Valorant, while I keep frames uncapped in those games. Essentially, when you're receiving information at a regular interval with a constant input delay, I believe you can do things like tracking more easily. When you have uncapped frames, you're receiving information with varying input delay, which can make tracking look a little more jarring which affects your aim.
As Optimum said, it's barely >1ms variation and you benefit from having a much higher frmaerate. I know of some top-tier aimers that use uncapped.
Games such as Valorant and CSGO where I can hit over 800 fps can start to stutter like crazy. So I try to go for the double of the refresh rate of my monitor
@@griffin1366 Inconsistent frame times can make your game feel incredibly rugged even at high frame rates. You wouldn't feel a 1ms difference on paper, but imagine a target taking 10 frames to move past a gap. If those frames aren't evenly spread out it can be very distracting. We can't distinguish 240 frames per second. Instead our brain creates several images overtop one another. Like when you shake your cursor, you'll see multiple cursors at the same time when there's really only one at any given time. This effect is even worse when it's not just a target moving, but if it's you turning the camera. In which case your entire screen will stutter.
@@fjalls both games run smooth for me even at those framerates uncapped. CS used to have microstutter but it somehow fixed itself.
@@rdmz135 Ok good. Yeah CS is weird like that
FYI: you can cap your frame rate in the Nvidia Control Panel.
Also when I remember correctly, Battlenonsense's older tests showed, that you should cap your fps a bit below your monitor's refresh rate. For example, use 140 fps as a limit with a 144 Hz monitor.
Max fps minus 3 fps is best for anti input lag
Thanks for this, I used to use RTSS but I no longer use Afterburner and the less additional software the better! Much easier than trying to figure out launch parameters for every game I play... I cap mine at 113 on my 120hz monitor, as sometimes it spikes to 120 when I have it set to 116.
It's not working for me anymore without MASSIVE frametime issues. I had to go back to using RTSS.
nvcp has more input lag.
you should cap 1-2 fps below refresh when using adaptive sync. thats also what battlenonsense says
For pubg I find I need to do closer to 10 fps below refresh rate or it still throws too many frames once in a while. In any case I think the 5 is probably the right advice.
This was generally a very and informative rundown on input lag etc. The one thing it could have touched upon a bit more though is one of the main reasons for capping your fps to maintain a consistent input latency, muscle memory. That's why many people want a consistent frametime and to minimise any differences, your brain does notice it, even if we don't really "see" it.
Seems a bit like theorycraft, but I don't really know the first thing about competitive gaming.
This, I cannot STAND stuttering/tearing in games, I am hyper aware of it and it distracts me.
Thank you for the informative run down while applying your explanation in the real world. The fact you actually play FPS games at a high level and are most interested in giving yourself a competitive advantage makes your content so much better than any mainstream tech channel.
Blurbusters recommends Vsync enabled w/ G-SYNC + frame cap for best performance and no tearing. Vsync "off" + G-SYNC can still have tearing.
Yes but people would rather deal with tearing over input lag for Pvp games.
@@prototype8137 Yes, but at 9:55 he said the two approaches are:
1) uncapped, adaptive sync off and no frame caps for the most up-to-date info. i.e. dealing with tearing for lower input lag for competitive shooters/pvp games.
2) enable adaptive sync but disable v-sync "if you're concerned with screen tearing". i.e. no screen tearing for more casual gaming.. except Vsync "off" + G-SYNC can still have tearing.
You're saying people rather choose option #1 over option #2 for pvp games, but that wasn't what my comment was about. My comment is strictly about approach #2 being wrong, if the goal is tear-free gaming.
@@prototype8137 v sync plus gsync does not introduce any more lag. V sync works differently with gsync enabled plus cap.
@@Defaultuseraccount been seeing people saying that if I wanna run v-sync on with the Global settings that I should turn on low latency to ultra and it should even the input lag out is that true or no?
@@prototype8137 input lag with vsync and gsync is like minimal
Saved to Watch later (at work) and already know it deserves a thumbs up.
THANK YOU!!! I've been having a lot of issues with stuttering in games and I've been trying to find good performance orientated videos and I found this gemstone. Thanks for always making such high quality and easily understandable content!
I like frame caps because it stops your GPU from going full force, which means it runs WAY quieter and with less power. Sometimes it can be virtually silent with good fan profiles.
yes. you cap it literraly to your monitor refresh rate which is pretty enough.
@@andrey.003 that's only if you're okay with the slight input lag hit though, i'm sure I would do exactly as well in games with those 2-5ms extra delay from frame capping but I paid for this hardware so I'm gonna use it to its' fullest potential :D
The main reason why I framecap in Apex is specifically for muscle memory while supergliding. It may be just me, but I feel a lot more consistent at a steady 150 cap than 170 ish spiking and dropping on my 1080 ti.
I haven't tried capping that frames that low, but there is an obvious difference in supergliding between 190 capped and 240
Lower fps makes it easier to superglide, the macro to superglide, it’s set to lower fps for that frame to hit superglide.
Love how you're low-key an Apex beast
Battle nonsense covered this topic extensively. Basically, Gsync + Cap 3-5fps below refresh rate + vsync on = most buttery smooth and consistent gaming experience possible.
This eliminates all stuttering and sets input lag and responsiveness to always be the same, so you won't miss flick shots due to feeling differences in the game. Consistency is key to winning, just like in real sport.
Uncapped = more power useage, more heat, more stuttering, more feeling of change and less consistency. Flick shots through a smoke will feel different when your fps goes from 400 to 150 when you could just play on 150 forever and it feels identical then.
now what about freesync screens that are compatible with nvidia? Is it still Gsync + Cap 3-5fps below refresh rate + vsync?
@@BrokkoliSchleuder yeh
@@Snook_ what would you do on an AMD setup
@@j.m4a1 probably the same. Concepts are no different. AMD has its equivalent settings
further to my other comment... with frame capping and riva tuner.... the best way to find the sweetspot for riva tuner is to jump into game/firing range... set a frame cap at the higher end of what you normally achieve, shoot runaround etc and watch the live graph that shows the jumps/dips in frame time. If its really choppy then drop another 10fps off the cap and so on so forth until your frametime graph is running pretty much flat with the occasional spike. what this means is that once optimized at for example 139fps, you are getting each frame at an almost exact interval, again this helps with tracking, muscle memory, movement, etc etc, would rather drive a ferrari every day than keep swapping from a corrola to a veyron all the time
Thank you for the incredible video, I really appreciate the example with 200fps on a 60hz display for those without high refresh rate displays. Your content is truly incredible and is not available anywhere else on this platform.
I appreciate how in depth and informational this video was even for knowledgeable people
No not really
Great video! I think I would recommend capping frames in the Nvidia control panel because RTSS, as awesome as it is and something I’ve used for years, it can cause trouble for certain games. For example, Elden Ring won’t load into a save when RTSS is on.
Elden ring does work if you just start rtss after you've already started playing, as a workaround.
why do you need rtss in elden ring? it already has a 60fps hard cap
@@Oldsah It does? I didn't know that. Well, I don't run RTSS now while playing Elden Ring anyway haha.
@@LordVerdo you can rry adding it to the list of applications and disabling the features there. sometimes that helps.
else youll just have to close it
@@Oldsah I use it for onscreen monitoring, should've clarified
Just gotta mention how SUPERB your filming and editing are at the moment, they’ve improved so much, massive kudos
Optimum Tech has this terrifying ability to pump out a video precisely on the tech subject I'm currently thinking about.
At this point I believe he is the living embodiment of the Google Analytics hivemind. I can't find any other explanation.
0:53 The concept of V-Sync can be beneficial when you turn on G-Sync and cap FPS at a level your GPU is capable to always hit.
As Chris from "Battle(non)sense" said, V-Sync behaves differently when you use G-Sync and cap your FPS so your GPU can always hit it.
"NVIDIA G-Sync + Null Setup & Input Lag Results" - Battle(non)sense
I immediately thought the same thing, but he was targeting the lowest possible latency and may not have known that beforehand.
I'm pretty sure it only work with the NVIDIA control panel V-Sync. Make sure you use that and not the in-game VSync.
@@ectotrix7399 using the nvidia control panel to force v-sync is no better than the one in-game, I often avoid forcing things via the driver cause it can be confusing when your trying to personalize your settings to each game based on what you want
@@kevindiaz8936 From Blur Busters: "While NVCP V-SYNC has no input lag reduction over in-game V-SYNC, and when used with G-SYNC + FPS limit, it will never engage, some in-game V-SYNC solutions may introduce their own frame buffer or frame pacing behaviors, enable triple buffer V-SYNC automatically (not optimal for the native double buffer of G-SYNC), or simply not function at all, and, thus, NVCP V-SYNC is the safest bet."
@@torque5056 This is exactly the point that needs to be shared, thank you for clipping that from BB.
Capping your frames a bit lower than what you get uncapped is also an incredible way to keep your GPU running cooler. Just something to consider as well since that is a very nice benefit
I think an important note is if FPS is not double or more than the refresh you could get higher input lag because of partial frames being shown for example if you get 480fps on 240hz you can fit two frames in one refresh cycle
So basically it's sounds good but actually terrible?
@@dibumartinez4190 more fps is always better.
@@ezpz4659 ONLY with reflex or low latency on*
with the reflex turned on you get the same response time as you would not use frame cap. so basically it is the same. i mean it is the same power consumtion.
@@ezpz4659 Bruhhh if frametime gets bad then frame rate doesn't matter game will not be smooth dur to inconsistent frametime
Very informative video especially from someone like me who doesn't really know that much about monitors and what settings to use for fps games. What I really liked about the video was all the information and research you presented, it shows that you actually wanted to provide a very informative video not just like others that just tell you what settings to use.
Obviously video is 10 months old so nobody will see this, but at 2:13 the results are misleading, nvidia reflex, LLM, and amd anti-lag both only reduce input delay at near-maximum GPU utilization 98-100%, which is exactly what is shown in the chart. If your GPU utilization is say 80% of below, you will have worse input delay with these features enabled, so it's best to disable them. If anyone is seeing this, please look up Battle(non)sense on youtube, he has extremely detailed and researched videos on this that prove this exact issue. TLDR framecapping is, in most cases, still better, and you should never use LLM, reflex, or amd anti-lag unless your GPU utilization is nearly maxed out
I think you are referring to even older vids by him. There was a moment where Nvidia used these findings by BattleNonSense to improve Reflex. It is now in a state where it does not matter if you cap your frames or not. Actually, higher frames means less latency, even if the rendered frames are more than your monitor's refresh rate. You still benefit.
So now, you just have to put on Reflex and not worry about anything. Today you can even put DLSS into the mix which reduces GPU load, power draw and temps which lead to more FPS and further lower latency.
@@yinx9yep, you are exactly right. ive even done my testing in a game that has HORRIBLE input lag. reflex with set the queue to 1, while reflex boost will run your gpu at higher boost speed to maintain lower input latency. its almost always a win win to turn it on
@@adeptalakay so now how we tune gsync, vsync, reflex, cap? In 2 case (GPU render fps much more than the monitor| GPU cant reach max fps of monitor which have freesynce and VRR) prefer balance between smooth and input lag. Thanks!
Love the work you're doing nowadays, man! It's great watching your channel grow so much! Keep it up!
it always grinds gears when people say uncapping fps is better performance, it excessively load on gpu leads to more input lag
For G-Sync to work properly you have to have V-sync enabled as well at the same time. It won't add the usual V-sync latency as long as your frame rate doesnt reach or exceed your monitors max refresh rate (Hz). So you basically enable G-Sync and V-Sync and cap at 3-4 fps below your monitors Hz.
For me,
Competitive: Turn on Reflex, V-Sync off, (and G-Sync on but doesnt really matter at this case)
Non-Competitive: V-Sync on, G-Sync on, fps cap 3-4fps below monitors Hz.
Also whilst NCP has an Fps cap mode, I would recommend RTSS since it's usually has les input lag (Battlenonsense testing).
I would say use in-game FPS limiter first.
If not possible then RTSS.
For the VSync and GSync interraction, i recommand to use NVIDIA control panel VSync as it has not be proven to work with in-game Vsync.
@@ectotrix7399 Yes, you are correct.
Although I haven't heard about the last thing you said about the in-game V-sync not working properly with G-Sync. I will look into it.
So what should I be doing? I have a 240hz gsync ultimate monitor. My system can run valorant at 3-500 fps uncapped. Should I have gsync and vsync enabled and cap at 236 fps ?? Or leave uncapped with all sync options off
@@sonar2366 For Valorant and any other competitive game that supports Nvidia Reflex, turn Reflex On in-game, turn off V-sync and don't cap the framerate. And you can leave G-sync enabled it won't matter.
@@sonar2366 Your choice. It's two different approaches even if i would personnally uncapped FPS and as Valar Dracarys said, in that case turn off VSync and you can ether leave G-Sync or not, it has very little impact on input lag anyway. Make sure you turn On Nvidia Reflex in Valorant too.
I think G-Sync is very good when you have low FPS but i don't think it's usefull at those framerates and refresh rate but I haven't done very advanced tests on it.
Love the video, gonna send this to friends bc they ask me similar questions
Was relatively confused for a little while until the end of the video when you talked about having more up to date frames. Some of what you said sounded like you saying that wouldn't be true but then you did and it made more sense
This reminds me of the "Inside the Second" article from The Tech Report's Scott Wason (now of AMD). Great detail and explained what we were all feeling and why average FPS doesn't tell the full story. This shows why frame capping can help and why you might not need it in the world of nVidia reflex and anti-lag from AMD. Frame capping to the monitors refresh rate -1 is a good tip for those who want to keep frame tear free while not paying the penalty of V-Sync. Finally where you might want to use uncapping of FPS for ideal responsiveness.
Your videos are full of great info. Been binging them up. Well done. You got another subscriber!
Its nice to still see the 1060 mentioned in a few charts, I'm on a 3080 but I keep my 1050ti knocking about in a more portable system. Nvidia probably packed too much into their 10 series cards all those years ago.
Same. Still keeping my rx 580
But why what benefits we get from upgrading graphic card since we have to deal with either input lag or screen tearing or both and stutter some time I was comfortable with my gtx 1060 than my rtx 3070ti
thank you for having this all be in one video instead of being in thirty different reddit posts half of which are out of date :)
Love the b-roll and thumbnail!!
Literally didn’t know any of this, thanks!!
Tim from Hardware unboxed tested several games about a year ago and found that different games behaved differently. Some had lower input lag while others increased input lag when frame capping.
Yeah I’ve noticed also that some games I will cap the fps and the system is fully capable of hitting that fps but it stays lower than the cap sometimes much lower. I don’t like that. What can I do about that?
Wow the 4k 60 content is the smoothest I have ever seen, it might not be very functional but it is satisfying!
For smoothest experience I believe Nvidia recommend Low Latency ultra with V Sync On and G Sync On as a triple combo. Ultra is described as: "...to prioritise latency fully minimising queued frames. In addition, this mode minimises VSYNC latency when both VSYNC and G-SYNC are enabled". And I certainly don't feel any input lag with this combination in my games. This also keeps FPS just under the highest HZ of your Monitor.
Pros don’t use VSync. Vsync is believed to be terrible regardless. Only for non-competitive games it’s fine.
one of the best video about input lag i've seen so far.
You're supposed to use g-sync with v-sync (not in-game but in the nvidia control panel) with the framerate capped just a few frame below the max of your display. This is ideal for a few reasons:
1. G-sync turns off when the frame rate goes beyond the monitors maximum refresh rate which will cause v-sync to kick (capping the frame rate) and will introduce input lag.
2. V-sync prevents screen tearing
3. The cap ensures the system stays within g-sync's operational range
When you game like this, v-sync doesn't introduce additional input lag because the framerate is already capped (thus v-sync doesn't have to cap) and v-sync is only there to prevent tearing, enhancing your experience.
I suppose as OP explains there are cases were if you don't need g-sync or v-sync then this configuration is not applicable but for many games this is ideal.
In the nvdia control panel, there is also a option for frame cap with similar term. Thus you can use without 3rd party software. (RTSS sometimes does not work, or sometime give you trouble)
My go to configuration is Gsync ON, Low Latency Mode ON, FrameRate Cap at 3FPS below refresh rate, VSYNC ON in Nvidia Control Panel. According to Block Busters, VSYNC ON is required for Gsync to completely eliminate screen tearing while not causing any input delay since you're capped below your refresh rate.
this!
Same settings, exactly. G-sync 101.
Why not ultra low latency mode ? Autocap fps
@@Niko93735 According to BlurBusters, Ultra should be used if FPS usually exceeds refresh rate, while On if it doesn’t always reach or exceed refresh rate. Since I use a different type of frame cap, I tend to use ON + my frame cap. Ultra also seems to cap much lower than 3-4FPS below max refresh rate. I think it was 157 on my 165Hz monitor. I cap it manually at 162FPS. It’s not a big difference, but I might as well use it. I think objectively frame capping via RTSS is also smoother than via Low Latency Mode. I watched a guy on here do a very in depth comparison and RTSS is still king of FPS caps.
@@hotwheels1997 thx!
Thank you very much, this topic is always complicated and this video is very helpful.
Regards from Mexico 🇲🇽
First tip- cap your FPS
Last tip- max out your FPS
10/10
Lmfao
I literally just got the view sonic monitor 2 hours ago and now you release this, what is my luck!
Just as a consideration from a different perspective (and I've said this on one of your videos before), but fighting games are always capped at 60fps. To reduce lag in those, Gsync/freesync are recommended and players have been known to test monitors and controllers for inputlag, though monitors nowadays don't seem to have much input lag.
I’ve been searching for someone to comment om this for a while now. Especially since I’ve been playing multiversus on pc on my 144hz monitor. I always have g-sync turned off but I lately I rlly felt like the game was not smooth at all. I hope by force capping it on 60 via RTSS and enabling g-sync it’ll make it a lot smoother.
I use G SYNC and Reflex with a cap of 3 fps under my monitor refresh rate. I still get tearing. However, only at the bottom of the screen and not really noticeable. To fix this you can enable V SYNC in game or at the driver level. I believe if capped under the refresh rate ceiling and still being in the G SYNC range that it doesn't add much input lag. Blur Busters did an article on this years ago.
Can we just admire how good he is at apex?!
Edit: okay srsly, thank you for doing all that testing and making this video!
this guy knows tech and knows how to play, thumbs up
I like guides like this plz do more performance tests during the year and with other technologys 🌞
So informative, great video brother!
I personally follow BlurBusters Optimal G-SYNC Settings. Low input lag while maintaining high motion clarity and no screen tearing.
If anyone is interested, the settings are as follows:
Enable G-sync for fullscreen
*Enable* vertical sync under "Manage 3D settings" in Nvidia Control Panel
Fullscreen or Exclusive Fullscreen in-game.
Vertical Sync *off* in-game.
Limit FPS to 3 FPS below monitor refresh rate (for example 141 if you have a 144hz monitor) using RivaTuner or other means of FPS limiting.
I use g sync with v sync off in nvcp settings but I'm running 240hz monitor. So I don't see any tearing ,but I do feel I have better aim with v sync off and better responsiveness.
@@muradif1987Agree.
Man your gameplay is always so satisfying to watch, as well as your production quality
Great video Ali 🥰👍🤩 I personally haven’t played a competitive title since CS: Source 😂😋 and played plenty of single player open world and the occasional co-op title. I’m thinking of getting back into it and this is an excellent starting point of things to look at. Thanks buddy 🍻🍻
Was hoping you’d make a video like this, great content as always Optimum 😅
One thing you didn't mention is thermals. Capping your fps to your monitors refresh rate keeps thermals lower allowing the CPU/GPU to maintain a higher clock speed which reduces frame times. With the added benefit of having a quieter system and saving power. This is especially relevant to people on laptops.
damn, bro has no idea what he's talking about
Yeah.. no.
@@eddoug259 Do tell senpai
as an apex player this has been incredibly useful. thank you ali!!!!
What I've found with frame capping is that it makes my sensitivity feel more consistent. I play better on a locked 330 fps than an uncapped 500
same? so mad placebo or there is something
Thank you been looking for this video for yearssss
Just wanted to point out this weird behavior in Overwatch. I'm one of those few people that is still bothered by screen tearing at 240hz, so to play smoothly I enable G-Sync with Nvidia Reflex on and V sync on. By just capping frames below my refresh rate, I still get tearing in OW even tho G sync in enabled. I noticed enabling reflex while V sync and G sync are active cap my frame rate at 224~ but it's the smoothest experience I can get in the game by far, and I remember that not reaching your refresh rate with V sync prevents the massive input lag penalty (I think blur buster said that). Even running 350-400 fps constant is not as smooth, so I prioritize getting a super consistent experience to having choppy 400fps with slightly less input lag
this is almost bar for bar what i do too, nice to see I'm not the only one.
This is what I do currently too... It's confusing that there is no consensus under people who should know. Like, optimum tech here, he's a great tech TH-camr but his views don't coincide with what you said. ( I think I read the same article on blurbusters and also seen a yt vid testing the v-sync on ( in Nvidia CP not ingame) + g-sync + reflex
Low latency, reflex, and anti lag only benefit you if you are GPU dependent in the game. Really when it comes down to is if you are not frame camping it helps. But in reality frame capping I believe is still a better way to go because you should never be pushing your GPU and your CPU to the absolute limits to where you get dropped frames and render cues. I think it is overall a more smooth and beneficial gameplay if your computer can meet say 120 frames all the time in a particular game to just lock it at 120 frames as opposed to trying to squeeze out 20 more frames. Another thing you need to understand that when we're talking about latency on the game aspect it really doesn't matter when it comes to milliseconds on your hardware because latency in a game comes down to your internet connection plus the server it's running on and the ticket rate that the game is running at on the server. The only time maximum frame rate really matters is if you're in like a land game cuz then the more frames you have the less overall latency when playing on lan because then you're talking about direct connection to whatever server is running the game as opposed to dealing with the internet and traffic overhead.
Another banger video! Thanks a lot!
PLEASE with your input latency testing setup test borderless windowed vs full screen in todays games in 2022, like Apex, Valorant, Rocket League, etc.
I’ve heard mixed reviews and would like it put to the test FOR SCIENCE!
Keep up the awesome content.
This channel has single handedly inspired me to dial in my rig settings and peripheral choices and get back into shooters and feel competitive in them again.
Thanks from the USA!
I bet the difference is staggering, my system is mid to hight end and running borderless can still net me 144 fps but the he feels terrible generally and the frame times are less consistent
Great video, I actually noticed a difference on my 4k 60hz monitor when unlocking and capping the FPS to 120. Even though the monitor can only do 60hz, BF5 was much smoother at 120fps. So I tested 70 vs 120fps capped, 120 was much smoother just moving the camera and the input was better.
Yes the frame time is lower so even if the display can't show those extra frames you benefit from the lower frame times.
You went from 16.6ms to 8.3ms which is a big jump.
I gamed on a 4k 60 TV for a few years and playing any competitive games I needed 120fps or more to help as much as possible with latency.
I played comp shooters on 1080p60 for the first 5 years of having a pc, can also testify 60hz on 60fps is nearly unplayable compared to 60hz at something like 200fps :P
Completely agree. i also play with no FPS cap in CPU-bound games. I play competitive shooters since Quake 2. My 1st game is the original DOOM xD And now we even have Nvidia Reflex & Anti-Lag so FPS cap is useful almost only for G-Sync GPU bound game but it adds 0.5-1.5+ms delay (if GPU is pegged on 90-100% you can optimize even more to lower the system latency here btw). You show 1 extra ms but Im sure its a test, not a realistic gaming scenario. I believe it can go higher than 1ms. 1.5+ is realistic IMO. These days you can have System Latency lower than 10ms so 2ms is not a small amount. Especially if you live far from the server you can feel that difference if you are on a certain skill level.
PS. Very good & informative video. I just wish everybody knew these things. I wasted too much time trying to explain what s what to random "gamers" with 0 PC experience. Last couple of years ppl are getting more informed thanx to Nvidia blog & marketing campaign, as well as Battle (non) Sense. But honestly that whole information is known for decades. There is just new generation of gamers & the forgotten truth is like a new discovery for the people. Its still nice to know exactly how much is the difference of your hardware, some option or a tweak.
Now just a lot more people are interested in Gaming & the companies reinvent the wheel in attempt to shine with something "new"
Question for you, will input lag be lower on nvidea control panel ultra mode or less input lag with it being off ? In my case the game doesnt go past 40% gpu usage on unlimited fps. Just asking for the lowest input lag. Because in no nonsense vid there was less input lag with ultra lag mode turned off. But he mentioned nvidea said it was a bug. Have they improved that feature to the point that if used on the ultra mode theres actually the lowest input lag or is it better to leave it off?
@@CookieMonster-we1in Since your GPU doesnt use more than 40% leave LowLatency Mode Off. It helps only in GPU bound scenario. If you play game with Reflex Option it will override the driver (Ultra Mode). Pretty sure on 40% GPU, Nvidia Reflex ingame option also wont get improvement.
PS:Its even shown in the video. I just answered the post. Just re-watched the video.
I disagree with how you should not turn on VSYNC when using GSYNC. I will always get tearing even with a frame cap. VSYNC doesn’t kick in unless you’re over your monitors refresh rate so the it should not be adding input delay on a GSYNC monitor.
Superb information and so well presented. Lots of density, had to watch twice! Bravo.
Great informative video! 💯
Can you make a video on the difference between having latency off, on, ultra Nvidia control panel, then having Nvidia reflex off, enabled or enabled plus boost.
I know some games begin to stutter with ultra setting is turned on.
👏 The best explanation of this I’ve seen.
I liked the video man, but I have an additional Question, I personally play on a 144hz gsync compatible monitor and other videos I've watched have said to cap the frame rate three below and run gsync with vsync for maximum smoothness, so I was just wondering why you recommend 1-2 less than the max refresh rate but turning vsync off, so just what difference does it make exactly?
138 fps
Wow this is great I have been looking for a guide like this!
there is a research done by BlurBusters regarding V-sync + G-sync on different refresh rates. of course lower refresh rates = high input lag but high refresh rates (240-360hz) it seems that input lag is pretty much gone. Please look into it I would like your opinion into it and possibly make a video about it and test
It's very minimal, 0.8ms additional input lag at 360hz.
I was just thinking about this a couple days ago. Thanks for this video.
BlurBusters actually recommend turning v-sync on when using g-sync or freesync because of frametime variances. But it should only be enabled from nvidia control panel or amd equivalent. Look up G-SYNC 101 from blurbusters :)
Of course v sync should be on if youndont want to see tearing in games (even with g sync) its crazy how many people dont realise they are not intended to be used independently of the other.
Blurbusters have gone downhill IMO. They only care about a smooth picture such as G-Sync or DYAC (backlight strobing modes) and always recommend RTSS, which increases input lag.
@@griffin1366 except they dont - they explicitly reccomend using limiter in game if one exists, as this limits frames on engine level, as they correctly state RTSS does add a tiny bit of input lag - neglegible, but still.
They also show quite clearly how vsync with gync enabled does NOT add any input lag, contrary to what you claim here several times already without any proof. The only "input lag advantage" you get when not using vsync in that scenario is the teared frame - so you might see half a frame while gsync / vsync "waits" on the other half to be ready to post. So if you want to call half of a teared frame input lag - sure, but thats a joke.
@@anselmbuder People with LDAT tools? It's a small input lag addition. Less if you're at 360hz / 357fps etc. higher at 141 / 144hz.
This was so informative! I am very impressed by the research you put into this video. But I have to ask about that amazing looking mousepad 😍 what is it and where can I get it?
Yeah I am absolutely here to find out what mousepad this is!
The mousepad is called VAXEE PA ZYGEN if i am not mistaken
Excellent detailed video as always ! Thanks ! Keep it up !
The unbeatable channel for clean and accurate information when it comes to pc hardware and competitive gaming. props to you, you're one of the best.
Your content is so cool ! Keep it up !
5:35 the issue with high fps making "consistent average" frame time, you say that at ~150fps the frame time differences are larger than at 200fps+ the frame time variations are smaller, the problem is, in a real nonperfect scenario you arent just dropping to ~150-200fps; you're having random 1% lows in the ~100-150fps range, and typically these happen at crucial times: hitting a jumpshot for example is one of the most important gains from a high fps; jumping over cover will make your fps drop; if you cannot predict a reliable and smooth jumpshot with smooth ability to aim; if it is unstable during the course of the jump: you miss. hence: stable 144fps even on a 240fps monitor gives you the most reliable, and true, consistent ability to aim; react; and play the game at the highest level possible without taking frametime spikes into account. If you cannot hit a shot on 144hz you won't on 240hz either. Basic stuff for any competitive gamer.
Thank you for the very professional and informative video 💪🏻
Hey Ali, did you actually test with framerate limits, adaptive sync and vsync enabled together?
If you do not enable vsync, you can still get tearing in the lower third of your picture.
According to older Battlenonsense tests, enabling vsync does not hamper your input lag at all, as long as you also run adaptive sync and do not run into your max refresh rate.
Yeah, blurbusters also recommends using gsync with vsync with -3 fps max refresh rate cap.
Yes it does. It's 0.8ms at 360hz and 2.4ms at 144hz in additional input lag.
@@griffin1366 ye...and there is not a single human who are gonna notice that
@@m4nu507 so if you have a highter hz monither than your game fps can get let us say
360 hz monitor with apex legends at 190 fps cap
should you cap 357 hz? or 297 ? apex is hardcapped at 300
@@griffin1366 Where did you get this data ?
No rambling, straight to the point, easy to understand explanation of the theory behind it ... solid content as always
Amazing video, you put a lot of work i to it👍👍👍
If running uncapped keep your gpu usage below 95% by changing graphics settings. Reflex should hopefully fix that though. Low latency mode etc. adds input lag.
I just cap frames so my room isn't a sauna.
Off topic, but you're pretty cracked at games especially Apex 🔥🔥
Great video but I wonder which option for low latency mode in nvidia control panel is better, on or ultra?
they changed this to make gamers understand it better, and it still doesn't work lol. on = 1 pre rendered frame, ultra = 0 pre rendered frames. this means you always get the most up to date frame, it wont show you out of date information
@@mevgayming”It won’t show out of date information” is incorrect statement. It’s always delayed.
This is the exact video I didn’t even know I was looking for.
Capping frames also consumes less power and your fan speed can run lower.
False
If your monitor only has 144 then it will only display 144hz
@@skytreegirl6929 That's not what my comment is about. I am saying: if your gpu is trying to render 400 fps, it uses more power than if it is rendering 144 fps in the same game with the same settings.
By far my favorite tech TH-camr gahhhd dayum
This video was great information but I felt it was geared only towards competitive fps games. What settings would you recommend for something like an adventure game or games with photo modes if you're looking to maximize graphics quality? How does frame capping effect rendering quality in those scenarios? I always capped my frames under the assumption that the excess power would be used to render higher quality frames instead. Would love to hear your take on this! Otherwise, great vid!
For such games you choose, you want more fps smoothness or better graphics rendering. Input lag is not a big deal in such games (but I still like when it’s minimum).
thanks so much, in all the years i have been using afterburner i never once used the frame limiter, thinking v-sync did the same jab. Just switched to RTSS and frame times are a solid straight line almost constantly!! 🙂
I wanna know what you think about how on battle nonsense’s TH-cam video on g-sync, having v-sync on with g-sync removes the lag and adds the appropriate frame cap as well as improving edge cases in the frame synchronization. Did you do any testing
This is true but not complete. The reason you sometimes get a tear with V-Sync disabled with G-Sync, which almost never happens, is because keeping V-Sync disabled offers the absolute minimum latency at all times whilst giving a 99.999% tear free experience. Doing this also means you can go above or below your monitors maximum refresh rate and never care, so you'll get the benefits of G-Sync below maximum Hz, and also no added input lag above maximum Hz (Assuming you do not max out your GPU). Enabling V-Sync is how G-Sync was originally designed to work, before they introduced Fast-Sync and the ability to separate the two, and it's best for a 100% tear free experience at the cost of a higher minimum latency. Whether you notice this difference is irrelevant though, since at the kind of numbers competitive players get it's arguably placebo, but it's ultimately why most players still choose to disable all kinds of VRR even if it's proven to be good.
For most people, G-Sync + V-Sync + FrameCap is probably best (or using the applicable setting in NVCP to automatically cap the frames). But for competitive fps players, they should force Disable V-Sync in NVCP and use G-Sync with the vast majority of G-Sync module displays and never think twice... just use in-game limiters so their fps does not fluctuate so much either above or below the maximum Hz. There are a few exceptions to this rule in terms of monitor, where not using VRR is probably better due to how that monitor handles it, but on a good display that's what I'd do.
Just thought I'd add that in, hope it helps.
G-Sync still has some additional input lag but it's very low compared to V-Sync.
@@justnvc Why would you suggest comp players use g sync only and not v sync AND g sync if there's no additional input lag from using v sync with g sync?
@@oliverbull7401 there is at lower frames, due to the chance of no vsync with g-sync operation displaying a frame earlier. Mostly though I stand by this for lower Hz monitors where you still get input latency reductions at higher values, so not having to set up per game profiles or toggle G-Sync all the time when you can go further beyond.
You might see frameskipping. The best for competitive games is a monitor between 144hz and 240hz with a GOOD panel (oled is a prime candidate for low input lag) or a CRT with high refreshrate (less than 1ms of input lag due to technology)
so nice to see you still actually play overwatch, the one game im still interested in
hey man, you ever thought about testing out the "disable fullscreen optimizations" setting for your testing? it was a pretty popular way to increase your fps and improve your input lag when windows 10 had issues with games on release, but nowadays i question if it even works anymore :p
yea had the same settings on my valorant.
It slows my tab outs with it ticked on while playing native on cs/val
It's less and less relevant these days, since modern APIs (DX12, Vulkan) don't even have exclusive fullscreen modes, so they're always "borderless".
@@BSEUNHIR Hardware Unboxed did a lag/input delay test with fullscreen vs borderless and found almost no difference. I'm a borderless fan all the way. For some reason games like Halo MCC and Borderlands 3 only save my resolution/aspect ration in game by leaving it as borderless. If the setting is left for fullscreen I have to change the resolution back and forth for it to actually take effect.
@@KalebSDay Fullscreen vs Borderless is the same "input lag" but the problem with Borderless is that Windows can't suspend processes in the background and it runs with DWM enabled where as native fullscreen bypasses DWM, so by that the flip queue is different and you may get additional input lag depending on the game.
DX12 however is natively borderless.
Disabling fullscreen optimizations was a must in the older builds but these days (depending on who you believe), having it enabled is actually better. Microsoft has a full artcle on it if you would like to read it (I can't link it here). If you don't alt tab at all or very often then disabling it is fine as you'll get a few frames back. Essentially what it tries to do is make a fullscreen game borderless.
Can we talk about how absolutely cracked Ali is. Like damn.
Hey great video! Do you have thoughts on the vertical-sync built into GSync being enabled/disabled? I've heard it's a small burden for no screen tearing but unsure!
When using G-Sync you ==>ALWAYS
When G-SYNC is enabled it changes what the “Vertical sync: Off / On" option in your GPU control panel does. It now dictates 2 very specific things:
1) Should G-SYNC compensate for variances in frametimes within G-SYNC range?
V-SYNC "On": Yes, G-SYNC should compensate. This prevents tearing at ALL TIMES by always adhering to the scanout, which ensures the affected frame scan will complete in the current scanout before the next frame scan and scanout begin. G-SYNC frametime compensation is performed during the vertical blanking interval (the span between the previous and next frame scan), and, as such, does not delay single frame delivery within the G-SYNC range.
V-SYNC "Off": No, G-SYNC should NOT compensate. This means when sudden frametime variances occur it will opt to start the next frame scan in the current scanout instead which results in simultaneous delivery of more than one frame in a single scanout a.k.a "tearing".
2) Should G-SYNC revert to fixed refresh rate V-SYNC behavior or disable itself when framerate exceeds G-SYNC range?
V-SYNC “On" means that G-SYNC will revert to V-SYNC behavior when framerate exceeds G-SYNC range.
V-SYNC "Off” means that G-SYNC will disable itself when framerate exceeds G-SYNC range, and tearing will begin display wide.
frame capping also helps that "slow mode" sluggish camera and etc turning in games when your gpu is maxed out. if it's at like 100% and you demand more from it it gets hella slow and thats when the sluggy feeling comes in, thats where that latency helps
Something that’s worth mentioning is that if you cap your frame rate at double your monitor’s refresh rate (480fps max for a 240hz monitor for example), you can still eliminate screen tearing while getting those more updated frames
Whoa, that should be illegal
frametimes aren't perfect, so unless the gpu driver is doing something to handle it I don't see how that would eliminate screen tearing? (though yeah sure it'll reduce it as mentioned in the video since it's harder to see tearing at higher framerates)
but u cant use g sync then. when u cap at 239fps on 240hz u have gsync on all the time that helps alot if the fps drop