What it is: We test for G-SYNC compatibility with an NVIDIA GTX1060. We check for any excess blur, screen blanking, or excess tearing, and confirm the variable refresh rate range.

We use the results of this test to subjectively assign a result, based on how well the monitor supports NVIDIA's FreeSync implementation. The possible results are:

We test FreeSync on a custom built PC, with an NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB. Each monitor is connected via DisplayPort, as NVIDIA's FreeSync implementation does not currently work over HDMI. We use NVIDIA's Pendulum G-SYNC demo to test for tearing, stuttering, screen blanking, and other artifacts. We start at the monitor's standard refresh rate, and gradually decrease the sliders until we could see any issues. From there, we gradually increase the sliders until we start seeing tearing or other issues. The results of both of these tests give us the effective variable refresh rate range. We repeat the test at least twice to confirm our findings.

Additional information

How to get the best results

In order to use the new mode, you must have an NVIDIA 10-, or 20- series graphics card, and it must be connected to your monitor with a DisplayPort cable. Depending on your specific monitor, you may need to enable FreeSync from the on-screen display.

To enable FreeSync, you must first select "G-SYNC Compatible" from the Monitor Technology setting under NVIDIA Control Panel. Once this setting has been enabled, you should see a new option, Set up G-SYNC, appear under the Display menu. From there you can enable G-SYNC for either full screen mode, or both full screen and windowed mode.

Officially supported monitors

As of March 25, 2019, 17 monitors have received official G-SYNC Compatible certification. They are:

Acer ED273 Abidpx

Acer XFA240

Acer XG270HU

Acer XV273K

Acer XZ321Q

Agon AG241QG4

AOC G2590FX

AOC AG241QX

ASUS MG278Q

ASUS VG258Q

ASUS VG258QR

ASUS VG278Q

ASUS VG278QR

ASUS XG248Q

ASUS XG258Q

BenQ XL2740

BenQ XL2540-B

Update 04/24/2019: NVIDIA has added 6 new G-SYNC compatible monitors in their latest driver update, version 430.39. The six new monitors are:

Acer KG271 Bbmiipx

Acer XF240H Bmjdpr

Acer XF270H Bpmiiprx

AOpen 27HC1R Pbidpx

Gigabyte Aorus AD27QD

LG 27GK750F

HDMI - FreeSync Variable Refresh Rate

Unfortunately, this update only enables FreeSync over DisplayPort, it is not currently possible to use this with an HDMI cable. This means, unfortunately, that it does not work with the few TVs on the market that support FreeSync over HDMI, including the Samsung 2018 QLEDs, NU8000 and NU8500, or with FreeSync monitors that only have HDMI ports.

Limitations

This test is by no means exhaustive, and your results may vary depending on the specific games you are playing, and your specific graphics card. On most monitors, we did still observe some tearing, especially during rapid refresh rate changes. This could cause a few seconds of tearing when changing from pre-rendered cutscenes in games, to the in-game engine, or if the game suddenly slows down significantly.

On all monitors, the screen would usually start tearing within 1-2 fps of the monitor's maximum refresh rate. The exact same behavior was observed when testing the monitors on an AMD Radeon card, and is caused by the refresh rate very briefly exceeding the display's maximum refresh rate.

We hope to expand this test in the future, let us know in the discussions down below if you have any suggestions on things we could check.

Conclusion

The addition of FreeSync to NVIDIA's drivers is a welcome change, and represents a significant policy shift at NVIDIA. So far, the implementation seems to work well with the majority of FreeSync monitors currently on the market, and we hope that it will only improve in the future. It remains to be seen whether NVIDIA will support FreeSync over HDMI, which would be wonderful news, given the influx of HDMI-VRR TVs expected to hit the markets in the coming months.