Jesus Pimp

I see this option in games and in the displays control panel. What does this do? Is it worth enabling?

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Frozen North

Good question.

Answer.

Shadowman

Taken from http://www.tweak3d.net/3ddictionary/

Vsync - Stands for Visual or Vertical Synchronization. The Video Card's ability to synchronize buffer swaps with the monitor's refresh rate, obviating known visual artifacts and anomolies. Some manufacturers allow the disabling of this feature, which will usually increase framerate, while degrading image quality.

Which, in my understanding, means the frames are usually stored in the video cards memory, until the monitor has finished showing the previous frame. Enabling it means every frame will be shown when the video card needs it to be, but not every frame will be drawn completely.

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Jesus Pimp

So enable it for framerates but sacrifice image quality?

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The_Dude

for gaming, yes.

for counter-strike, i get a jump from 70 constant to 99 constant.

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kel

The artifacting is not usually noticeable at high framerates (60+), but on slower machines you get tearing during fast movement because the buffer flips while the screen is only partially drawn, and then suddenly part of the frame appearing on the screen is from the last frame, part from the new frame.

It really depends what game and what system you run it on, but in general it can actually make things run and look smoother at high framerates.

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jujueye

I know a guy (how many stories start out with that...haha) who always uses vSync, and locks his framerates at 75. Monitor refresh at 75, video at 75. It actually looks great. Something about it is just right.

wakelagger

Disabling vsync will let the videocard output fames to the monitor as fast as it can make them.
Enabling vsync will slow down the video card so it will output frames at the same rate at which the monitor refreshes, or draws a new visible frame.
Disabling vsync has its disadvantages. Most noticeably on first person shooters where quick rotations and fast action are the norm, 'tearing' of the frame will occur. Basically, if you are moving in a straight line without vsync on, then turn quickly, this is what may happen.
The videocard sends frame 1 to the monitor
The monitor begins to draw frame 1
Suddenly, you turn left to challenge the dastardly villain
Meanwhile, the videocard sends frame 2 to the monitor, which shows your sudden change in direction.
Before the monitor is finished drawing Frame 1, it receives the new and improved frame 2, and it begins to draw the frame before its finished with the first frame. This results in a tear, which I will attempt to demonstrate with the wonders of ASCII art.

Vsync On
Frame1 Frame 2
******** ^^^^^^
******** ^^^^^^
******** ^^^^^^
******** ^^^^^^
Vsync Off
1 frame for monitor, frame 1+2 for video card
********
********
***^^^^
^^^^^^


If the tech guru's of the TFP concur with my 'art' and explanation, huzzah me.
If not, attach, me to your standard +5V stand by line

edited for lining up the ASCII 'art'

charliex

a lot of the vsync problems stem from the PC's inability to reliably generate an interrupt on a vsync or hsync, this makes it a lot easier for us game programmers to make nice smooth games.

strangely we spend a lot of time trying to avoid tearing, then the user comes along and disables it all and doesn't mind it as much we figured

Nhanced1

huzzah you.

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