FreeSync / Gsync flicker

[AusWolf]

@AusWolf
can be, worth the try, 50% of screen issues i had using DP port, were down to cable, even if it had correct specs.

is gpu scheduling enabled in win? try with it off.

I don't have a hardware scheduling option in the Settings menu, or the registry, either.

Let's see if the cable helps.

 

[Waldorf]

settings>display>graphics settings>hw scheduling
otherwise uninstall chipset/gpu drivers, clean with ddu.

 

[AusWolf]

settings>display>graphics settings>hw scheduling
otherwise uninstall chipset/gpu drivers, clean with ddu.

There's no such option there. I'll try a DDU if the new cable doesn't help. Thanks.

 

[Waldorf]

make sure your physically offline, uninstall drivers one by one,
reboot to safe mode, clean reboot, clean, reboot..
make sure to disable win-auto driver install (in DDU)/check all settings before cleaning.

 

[Lost_Troll]

Someone said in their review of the Club3D cable linked above that it resolved some flickering issues at 165 Hz, so I ordered it. If it helps, great, if it doesn't, then at least I have an extra cable just in case.

I bought mine from Monoprice and used it to replace the Display Port cable that came with my LG that was causing issues since it was one of those thin cables with little shielding. I also went with a 2.0 cable over the 1.4 with the 7900XT due to some people saying it was an issue with 2.0 output signal drivers current drive and need a tighter twisted cable paired with better shielding.

So far, I have had no issues at 160hz with the new cable.

 

[AusWolf]

I just ran a 3DMark Port Royal test where my FPS was around the 43-45 mark. The monitor was constantly in the LFC range at 80-90 Hz, and there was absolutely no backlight flicker.

So, it doesn't flicker at high FPS, it doesn't flicker at low FPS, but there is a very specific in-between value where it does. I suppose it's when LFC keeps turning on and off at a rapid rate.

Edit: Or maybe there's something specific with Kingdom Come: Deliverance that makes the monitor behave in an odd way. I'll have to test with more games.

 

[BicycleBicycle]

Someone said in their review of the Club3D cable linked above that it resolved some flickering issues at 165 Hz, so I ordered it. If it helps, great, if it doesn't, then at least I have an extra cable just in case.

I guess it doesn't hurt to have more cables around . But the issue here isn't about flickering at high refresh rate. That issue has more to do with data throughput limitations at a high refresh cycles and limitations on the capabilities of the cable they were using (dropped/corrupt data). This issue is not caused by limitations on data throughput, it's as you have researched an issue caused by LFC kicking in when FPS drops out of range of monitor's VRR range.
That article you linked to does a good job explaining the problem. I have an older MSI Optix UW monitor on my 2nd system that experiences this and like you, I did a bit of research as well only to come to CRU as final resolution. It's the constant "LFC compensation" at high frequency that causes the brightness flicker. It's like two systems fighting against each other, one is trying to bump the refresh rate to max (LFC) which has high brightness and Freesync is trying to apply VRR to match the low source FPS, which has low brightness and you get the brightness flicker.

On a side note, because I have V-sync enabled globally via Nvidia control panel I also had this issue in some static apps (Fan Control for one) where it would flicker because VRR was being applied to something like 50 FPS (for whatever reason) and LFC would kick in. Solution there was just to disable Vsync for that app in Nvidia Control panel to force max refresh of the monitor as tearing isn't relevant for static apps etc. So unfortunately, it's just monitor dependent .

 

[R-T-B]

can CRU help?

It can but he requested not to use such tools. Not sure what else can be done. Changing gamma settings might hide it, but that has obvious side effects.

 

[AusWolf]

I guess it doesn't hurt to have more cables around . But the issue here isn't about flickering at high refresh rate. That issue has more to do with data throughput limitations at a high refresh cycles and limitations on the capabilities of the cable they were using (dropped/corrupt data). This issue is not caused by limitations on data throughput, it's as you have researched an issue caused by LFC kicking in when FPS drops out of range of monitor's VRR range.
That article you linked to does a good job explaining the problem. I have an older MSI Optix UW monitor on my 2nd system that experiences this and like you, I did a bit of research as well only to come to CRU as final resolution. It's the constant "LFC compensation" at high frequency that causes the brightness flicker. It's like two systems fighting against each other, one is trying to bump the refresh rate to max (LFC) which has high brightness and Freesync is trying to apply VRR to match the low source FPS, which has low brightness and you get the brightness flicker.

On a side note, because I have V-sync enabled globally via Nvidia control panel I also had this issue in some static apps (Fan Control for one) where it would flicker because VRR was being applied to something like 50 FPS (for whatever reason) and LFC would kick in. Solution there was just to disable Vsync for that app in Nvidia Control panel to force max refresh of the monitor as tearing isn't relevant for static apps etc. So unfortunately, it's just monitor dependent .

As I noticed, it's not even when LFC is active. 3DMark tests at the 40-45 FPS range are completely flicker free. It's only in the extremely rare instance when LFC keeps switching on and off, with FPS at the low 50s by the looks of it. The monitor is advertised as flicker-free which is true 99% of the time.

It can but he requested not to use such tools. Not sure what else can be done. Changing gamma settings might hide it, but that has obvious side effects.

I might just have to resort to that if the new cable doesn't help. Or maybe just leave everything as it is, as the issue seems to be a very isolated case.

 

[tabascosauz]

@AusWolf did you try raising the VRR floor to ensure that lower fps still stays within LFC range?

Especially at 4K, it pays to pay more attention to the cable, but I think I've gone through enough high quality VESA certified DP 1.2/1.4 cables at this point to definitively rule cable quality out as a factor in this issue specifically.

Others are the resident experts for VA displays, but both my Freesync Premium IPS panels did the flickering from time to time. Raising VRR to 80 or 90 lower limit seems to have done the trick pretty plainly. It is indeed very game-specific.

I would love to get my hands on a true hardware G-sync monitor that goes down to 1Hz, but until then I'm content with cautiously concluding that some Freesync Premium implementations just don't like staying close to their factory lower bound for VRR.

(Anti) SFF fun house

yeah im aware of that like, i've already got an OC on my A2000 going, but it's only the classic, easy one where you just drag your core/memory freq offset and hope it doesn't crater during load i just can't seem to be able to unlock the voltages; im on the recentmost drivers & afterburner (wait...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[BicycleBicycle]

As I noticed, it's not even when LFC is active. 3DMark tests at the 40-45 FPS range are completely flicker free. It's only in the extremely rare instance when LFC keeps switching on and off, with FPS at the low 50s by the looks of it. The monitor is advertised as flicker-free which is true 99% of the time.


I might just have to resort to that if the new cable doesn't help. Or maybe just leave everything as it is, as the issue seems to be a very isolated case.

Is VRR and Vsync active in 3DMark? The recommendation is turn off Vsync for 3Dmark benchmarks so that it doesn't limit FPS. It could be how Freesync works with Nvidia GPUs but for me, VSync off disables VRR for 3Dmark runs. In this case, monitor is always running at max refresh rate at all times (for 3Dmark), thus no LFC to that kicks in.

 

[AusWolf]

@AusWolf did you try raising the VRR floor to ensure that lower fps still stays within LFC range?

I might have to do that, I just want to rule out any cable issue 100% before I start tinkering.

Is VRR and Vsync active in 3DMark? The recommendation is turn off Vsync for 3Dmark benchmarks so that it doesn't limit FPS. It could be how Freesync works with Nvidia GPUs but for me, VSync off disables VRR for 3Dmark runs. In this case, monitor is always running at max refresh rate at all times (for 3Dmark), thus no LFC to that kicks in.

No Vsync, just VRR. Vsync is pretty much pointless with a VRR display anyway, so I always leave it off (not that I'd want it in a benchmark program anyway).

This gave me an idea. Maybe Kingdom Come: Deliverance has some kind of weird Vsync implementation that messes with VRR and LFC? I noticed yesterday that in-game Vsync was enabled even though I turned it off a while ago (it does that sometimes). More testing is needed, methinks.

 

[r0ach]

This gave me an idea. Maybe Kingdom Come: Deliverance has some kind of weird Vsync implementation that messes with VRR and LFC? I noticed yesterday that in-game Vsync was enabled even though I turned it off a while ago (it does that sometimes). More testing is needed, methinks.

I had to use 3dMigoto wrapper to even get Crysis2 to work right with full-screen and 144hz. Think it was fine on Crysis 3, though. So there's definitely a few Cryengine problems like this.

 

[tabascosauz]

I might have to do that, I just want to rule out any cable issue 100% before I start tinkering.

No Vsync, just VRR. Vsync is pretty much pointless with a VRR display anyway, so I always leave it off (not that I'd want it in a benchmark program anyway).

This gave me an idea. Maybe Kingdom Come: Deliverance has some kind of weird Vsync implementation that messes with VRR and LFC? I noticed yesterday that in-game Vsync was enabled even though I turned it off a while ago (it does that sometimes). More testing is needed, methinks.

What brand is your cable? Stock and bundled with the display? Try to find something that's listed here https://www.displayport.org/product-category/cables-adaptors/

I have seen bad DP cables do many things from display driver crashing to artifacting (and potentially some of RX7000 launch issues), but Freesync flickering is not one I would attribute to it. Nonetheless, bundled cables don't tend to be very high quality, especially non-locking ones which iirc Dell's are. 3440x1440 144Hz does exceed DP 1.2's capabilities, so make sure you get a proper quality 1.4 cable.

I was long past that with my M32Q, but on my S2721DGF I had tried 1.4 certified cables as a potential solution to the flickering. I've had a bunch of bundled 1.2/1.4 cables, a pack of Cable Matters 1.4 cables, and now Club3D 1.4 cables (which are unequivocally the holy grail). Needless to say as both displays exhibit the same thing without tweaking VRR range, it was not a solution. The CRU tweaks only take a few seconds.

 

[FoulOnWhite]

What brand is your cable? Stock and bundled with the display? Try to find something that's listed here https://www.displayport.org/product-category/cables-adaptors/

I have seen bad DP cables do many things from display driver crashing to artifacting (and potentially some of RX7000 launch issues), but Freesync flickering is not one I would attribute to it. Nonetheless, bundled cables don't tend to be very high quality, especially non-locking ones which iirc Dell's are. 3440x1440 144Hz does exceed DP 1.2's capabilities, so make sure you get a proper quality 1.4 cable.

I'm using a bundled cable with the same display, so i thnik i might have to try a better one myself.

Edit, just ordered one of these, and it is on that linked list.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cable-Matters-Certified-Braided-DisplayPort-Black/dp/B0856Q7P5F?th=1

@AusWolf any good for you too ^^

 

[LabRat 891]

Sorry for buggin' ya @tabascosauz; didn't realize @AusWolf was still looking @ cable as related.
I've been having on/off similar problems.
My Display:

My issues *do* seem to be at least partially cable quality/EMI.
My smartphone's activity apparently/coincidentally(?) has had some 'impact' on the flickering (as nutty as that sounds). 'Suppose it could just-as-easily be my windowed case or mDP adapter, tho
It is varying day-to-day, on cleanly reinstalled drivers (both RdN.ID and AMD 1st Party). Additionally, the issue has also been a come-and-go since I was on an R9 290X (but same cables)

All-few of my on-hand DP cables are either older-spec or have been 'problemed' before (monoprice).
So, I'd like to 'subtract the variable' of my DP cable(s), and purchase something of quality for (preferably) <$30

Club3D was referenced as the absolute best, and mentions of Cable Matters too. which, I've had good luck w/ their Ethernet-related products.
Any suggestions/links to (US) deals? If I'm paying $$+, I want it to look nice too.

Edit: https://www.displayport.org/product-category/cables-adaptors/
So, basically... just make sure it's VESA certified?

I'm using a bundled cable with the same display, so i thnik i might have to try a better one myself.

Edit, just ordered one of these, and it is on that linked list.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cable-Matters-Certified-Braided-DisplayPort-Black/dp/B0856Q7P5F?th=1

@AusWolf any good for you too ^^

braided.
Anyone ever seen any w/ METAL sleeving? Or, maybe a DP<->mDP cable that I could sheathe into metal flex-tubing (like a showerhead's)?
It's less about EMI/RFI, and more me being a sucker for 'real metal' aesthetics.

 

[AusWolf]

What brand is your cable? Stock and bundled with the display? Try to find something that's listed here https://www.displayport.org/product-category/cables-adaptors/

I have seen bad DP cables do many things from display driver crashing to artifacting (and potentially some of RX7000 launch issues), but Freesync flickering is not one I would attribute to it. Nonetheless, bundled cables don't tend to be very high quality, especially non-locking ones which iirc Dell's are. 3440x1440 144Hz does exceed DP 1.2's capabilities, so make sure you get a proper quality 1.4 cable.

I was long past that with my M32Q, but on my S2721DGF I had tried 1.4 certified cables as a potential solution to the flickering. I've had a bunch of bundled 1.2/1.4 cables, a pack of Cable Matters 1.4 cables, and now Club3D 1.4 cables (which are unequivocally the holy grail). Needless to say as both displays exhibit the same thing without tweaking VRR range, it was not a solution. The CRU tweaks only take a few seconds.

I've been using the stock one that came with the monitor. The Club3D one that I ordered has just arrived, I'll try it in the morning when I get home from work.

I'm using a bundled cable with the same display, so i thnik i might have to try a better one myself.

Edit, just ordered one of these, and it is on that linked list.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cable-Matters-Certified-Braided-DisplayPort-Black/dp/B0856Q7P5F?th=1

@AusWolf any good for you too ^^

That looks very nice! I love braided cables, although I haven't gone wrong with Club3D, yet.

Sorry for buggin' ya @tabascosauz; didn't realize @AusWolf was still looking @ cable as related.
I've been having on/off similar problems.
My Display:

My issues *do* seem to be at least partially cable quality/EMI.
My smartphone's activity apparently/coincidentally(?) has had some 'impact' on the flickering (as nutty as that sounds). 'Suppose it could just-as-easily be my windowed case or mDP adapter, tho
It is varying day-to-day, on cleanly reinstalled drivers (both RdN.ID and AMD 1st Party). Additionally, the issue has also been a come-and-go since I was on an R9 290X (but same cables)

All-few of my on-hand DP cables are either older-spec or have been 'problemed' before (monoprice).
So, I'd like to 'subtract the variable' of my DP cable(s), and purchase something of quality for $30 or less (preferably $10-19)

Club3D was refrernced as the absolute best, and mentions of Cable Matters too. which, I've had good luck w/ their Ethernet-related products.
Any suggestions/links to (US) deals? If I'm paying $$, I want it to look nice too.



braided.
Anyone ever seen any w/ METAL sleeving? Or, maybe a DP<->mDP cable that I could sheathe into metal flex-tubing (like a showerhead's)?
It's less about EMI/RFI, and more me being a sucker for 'real metal' aesthetics.

Club3D solved my issues with my 4K TV that dropped the picture from time to time with other HDMI cables that I've tried. My current issue is of different nature, which the Club3D DP cable might help, we'll see, and I'll let you know.

By the way, I noticed that I get some flickering in some youtube videos as well, although it's not nearly as bad as in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. 30 FPS videos also make LFC turn on and off rapidly for some reason (the monitor rapidly swaps between 48 and 144 Hz). Maybe a 60 Hz desktop would help? Although my browser scrolling wouldn't be as smooth, but oh well. Also, KCD seems to flicker a lot less since I've turned Vsync off, so it might actually be a game related thing.

 

[LabRat 891]

Club3D solved my issues with my 4K TV that dropped the picture from time to time with other HDMI cables that I've tried. My current issue is of different nature, which the Club3D DP cable might help, we'll see, and I'll let you know.

By the way, I noticed that I get some flickering in some youtube videos as well, although it's not nearly as bad as in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. 30 FPS videos also make LFC turn on and off rapidly for some reason (the monitor rapidly swaps between 48 and 144 Hz). Maybe a 60 Hz desktop would help? Although my browser scrolling wouldn't be as smooth, but oh well. Also, KCD seems to flicker a lot less since I've turned Vsync off, so it might actually be a game related thing.

I'll look through what they offer; thx for the additional feedback/input.
I think I'll need a mDP<->DP for my MI25s, to minimize the impedance of a passive adapter.
Oh, my poor MI25s' mDP ports. *shrug* Can figure out 'strain relief.
Looks like 'latest spec' mDP cables are nearly non-existent. Using tabascosauz's link, I did 'find' this:

BizLink - P0000025-DMC100-Screw DP2.1 DP80 Enhanced mini DP with screw to Enhanced full-size DP Cable 1m

But, I'm having a hellova time trying to find it, and most-all other mDPs on DP.org (that are 'top spec') are USB-C. :/

 

[tabascosauz]

Sorry to digress but...

braided.
Anyone ever seen any w/ METAL sleeving? Or, maybe a DP<->mDP cable that I could sheathe into metal flex-tubing (like a showerhead's)?

It's less about EMI/RFI, and more me being a sucker for 'real metal' aesthetics.

Hmmm I don't think I've seen this. The closest you can get is probably a silver or gray braided one.

I'm using a bundled cable with the same display, so i thnik i might have to try a better one myself.

Edit, just ordered one of these, and it is on that linked list.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cable-Matters-Certified-Braided-DisplayPort-Black/dp/B0856Q7P5F?th=1

@AusWolf any good for you too ^^

Good choice. I don't think mine is braided, but it's solid.

I've been using the stock one that came with the monitor. The Club3D one that I ordered has just arrived, I'll try it in the morning when I get home from work.


That looks very nice! I love braided cables, although I haven't gone wrong with Club3D, yet.


Club3D solved my issues with my 4K TV that dropped the picture from time to time with other HDMI cables that I've tried. My current issue is of different nature, which the Club3D DP cable might help, we'll see, and I'll let you know.

By the way, I noticed that I get some flickering in some youtube videos as well, although it's not nearly as bad as in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. 30 FPS videos also make LFC turn on and off rapidly for some reason (the monitor rapidly swaps between 48 and 144 Hz). Maybe a 60 Hz desktop would help? Although my browser scrolling wouldn't be as smooth, but oh well. Also, KCD seems to flicker a lot less since I've turned Vsync off, so it might actually be a game related thing.

I don't know why you don't just go and give changing the VRR range a shot. The whole point of LFC is that you don't lose VRR functionality even if the framerate isn't technically enough. Maybe then consider more drastic measures like 60Hz if it doesn't work, not before.

I have been struggling for years now on this problem and it's the only solution amongst dozens that has ever worked.

(Anti) SFF fun house

Try 3x 32" QHD panels :) True immersion. Try 2x32" QHD + 1x 32" UHD (And then overclock the QHD's to do UHD) It's stupid. I'll never go back. Au prices are of course higher, and include tax. This is why when i got my 4K Kogan (in theory a piece of shit, but with OC'ing and tweaking settings...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Aquinus]

I've noticed this with my 32" Dell curved VA panel. There are times where VRR causes a very noticeable flicker but only under certain frequencies. My guess is that it's hitting a frequency that coincides with a harmonic frequency of the polarity inversion algorithm of the panel to prevent image retention. The sad solution is to disable VRR and run at a fixed frequency. That has worked for me, but I'd prefer the tech to work as advertised without side-effects. I have not been able to compare this behavior with a vendor other than Dell. My LG doesn't appear to have VRR on my Mac despite supporting FreeSync.

Edit: Slight rant. This very problem mixed with MacOS not remembering that I set the display to 60hz and reverting to VRR is driving me mad, specifically because of the flicker and the inability to disable VRR on the display itself.

 

[LabRat 891]

I've noticed this with my 32" Dell curved VA panel. There are times where VRR causes a very noticeable flicker but only under certain frequencies. My guess is that it's hitting a frequency that coincides with a harmonic frequency of the polarity inversion algorithm of the panel to prevent image retention. The sad solution is to disable VRR and run at a fixed frequency. That has worked for me, but I'd prefer the tech to work as advertised without side-effects. I have not been able to compare this behavior with a vendor other than Dell. My LG doesn't appear to have VRR on my Mac despite supporting FreeSync.

Edit: Slight rant. This very problem mixed with MacOS not remembering that I set the display to 60hz and reverting to VRR is driving me mad, specifically because of the flicker and the inability to disable VRR on the display itself.

Your guess is pretty close to (and more detailed than) what I'd been thinkin'.

Already looked through the OSD menu, I take it?

Also, what's the GPU vendor in your mac?
IIRC Radeon Pro has 1st party support for "EDID Override";
I assume there's a similar Radeon Settings menu in Mac?

edit:
Related?

A script to fix EDID problems on external monitors in macOS

A script to fix EDID problems on external monitors in macOS - patch-edid.md

gist.github.com

How to Fix Dell Monitors With Mac Laptops - Brian Cantoni

External Dell monitors connected to Retina Mac laptops can sometimes have awful resolution and fuzziness; here's a reliable way I've found to fix this.

www.cantoni.org

2018 MBP DisplayPort/HDMI Signal Issues - Fix Included!

With the updated TB3 controller in the new MBP, It seems that the way both DisplayPort as well as HDMI is negotiated with external displays has been altered causing the 2018 MBP to be incompatible with some displays. I have an ASUS PA248Q that I have attempted to connect to my 2018 MBP with...

forums.macrumors.com

Spoiler: Edit 2: (No longer applicable. Ordered.)

Best Options I can find for my mDP (output) DP (Input) needs, so far

Club3D CAC-1115 Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort 1.4/HBR3 Cable Male/Male, HDR Support 2 Meter/6.56 Feet, Black Vesa Certified - $18.99

Amazon.com

Accell mDP to DP 1.4 - VESA-Certified Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort 1.4 Cable - 7 Feet, Hbr3, 8K @60Hz, 4K UHD @240Hz - $24.99

Amazon.com

Infinnet Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort 1.4 1.4a Cable 8K 60Hz 4K 144Hz 120Hz 160Hz 2K 280Hz 240Hz 1080p 390Hz 360Hz Display Port to Mini DisplayPort DP 1.4 HBR3 HDR VESA Certified Cord, 2m (6 feet) - $24.99

Amazon.com

6ft (2m) VESA Certified Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort 1.4 Cable - 8K 60Hz HBR3 HDR - Super UHD mDP to DP 1.4 Cord - Slim (34 AWG) Ultra HD 4K 120Hz - $27.99

6.6ft (2m) VESA Certified Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort 1.4 Cable - 8K 60Hz HBR3 HDR - Super UHD m

Create high-resolution 8K connections with HBR3 support between your Mini DisplayPort and DisplayPort devices

www.startech.com

I'd found at least 1 mDP<->mDP 2.1 cable, but would need an adapter @ my monitor's input. Which, I have no idea how counterproductive that would be.
(gravity is nicer to the orientation of the DP-in on my LCD vs. the 'weak' mDP port(s) on my GPUs.

Thanks for the help tabascosauz

 

[AusWolf]

I don't know why you don't just go and give changing the VRR range a shot. The whole point of LFC is that you don't lose VRR functionality even if the framerate isn't technically enough. Maybe then consider more drastic measures like 60Hz if it doesn't work, not before.

I have been struggling for years now on this problem and it's the only solution amongst dozens that has ever worked.

(Anti) SFF fun house

Try 3x 32" QHD panels :) True immersion. Try 2x32" QHD + 1x 32" UHD (And then overclock the QHD's to do UHD) It's stupid. I'll never go back. Au prices are of course higher, and include tax. This is why when i got my 4K Kogan (in theory a piece of shit, but with OC'ing and tweaking settings...

www.techpowerup.com

Why do I not have that button (GPU scheduling)? I've tried reinstalling the GPU driver, but no luck.
My settings menu looks like this for some reason:

I've noticed this with my 32" Dell curved VA panel. There are times where VRR causes a very noticeable flicker but only under certain frequencies. My guess is that it's hitting a frequency that coincides with a harmonic frequency of the polarity inversion algorithm of the panel to prevent image retention.

That might explain it. I don't see it at high frame rates when the refresh rate is the same as the frame rate, and I also don't see it at very low frame rates when LFC is constantly on. I only see it at very specific scenarios when my FPS hovers around 50. This is my main reason for not wanting to tinker with CRU - it's not really worth it.

On a different note, I've just plugged in the Club3D cable. Tests are coming.

 

[Vayra86]

I fell for this meme and tried the resource hog game Returnal. First thoughts were, well, the gunplay is azz and this is clearly a console trash game, but maybe the story will make up for it. That part didn't work out either. I'm not sure if there are actually any good resource hog games that exist. Same phenomenon with Dying Light 1 vs 2 players that seem to like version 1 better than 2. Can't think of a promising 'next gen graphics' title on the horizon besides maybe Stalker 2.

Haven't tried Starfield yet, but I've never liked any previous Bethesda games. Games like Oblivion and Skyrim were just big, empty worlds to me with meh story compared to a real RPG and mediocre combat. I guess that leaves only Cybermeme2077 as a potential good 'next gen graphics' game.

Sounds like you need CS GO

I get what you're saying though. Games in general, esp first person feel consoley, and even if its not input lag 'sauce' you feel, its just the half-drunk camera movement whenever characters move around, or all the 'natural' delays built into every activity (hold button to use...). I'm sure its an acquired taste, but first person with heavy head bob and janking the camera out of your control every few minutes to 'give you a movie experience' (in first person... whoever invented this needs to be shot in the neck) which generally means you're watching something with worse camera work than something filmed on a phone. Games do way too much of this. Let me play... ffs!

Anyway. Offtopic sorry. I'm learning a lot from this topic though, never even knew this existed.

 

[tabascosauz]

Why do I not have that button (GPU scheduling)? I've tried reinstalling the GPU driver, but no luck.
My settings menu looks like this for some reason:

That might explain it. I don't see it at high frame rates when the refresh rate is the same as the frame rate, and I also don't see it at very low frame rates when LFC is constantly on. I only see it at very specific scenarios when my FPS hovers around 50. This is my main reason for not wanting to tinker with CRU - it's not really worth it.

On a different note, I've just plugged in the Club3D cable. Tests are coming.

On current builds of Windows, hardware scheduling is an Nvidia-only thing. In practical terms, it's like a SAM-lite for performance, but less consistent.

The "new" hardware scheduling in 11 (not to be confused with what it used to be in 10) did help my flickering a little bit, but was not an actual solution. Higher VRR range remains the only one.

It's not worth trying to guesstimate your way around this one - if this issue followed logic, then it would make more sense to extend VRR range downwards as far as possible (e.g. 30-165Hz), but that solution doesn't amount to anything either. The issue itself isn't even logical, it's less to do with where the range is, and more to do with some common freak control logic on these monitors that causes bizarre unwanted LFC on/off switching. The point is to take away any chances for LFC to start switching on/off, ie. take away all opportunities to run Freesync without LFC at the lower end.

 

[AusWolf]

On current builds of Windows, hardware scheduling is an Nvidia-only thing. In practical terms, it's like a SAM-lite for performance, but less consistent.

Then it means that the solution to my issue lies somewhere else.