qubit
Overclocked quantum bit
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2007
- Messages
- 17,865 (2.81/day)
- Location
- Quantum Well UK
| System Name | Quantumville™ |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7-2700K @ 4GHz |
| Motherboard | Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 |
| Cooling | Noctua NH-D14 |
| Memory | 16GB (2 x 8GB Corsair Vengeance Black DDR3 PC3-12800 C9 1600MHz) |
| Video Card(s) | MSI RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming X Trio |
| Storage | Samsung 850 Pro 256GB | WD Black 4TB | WD Blue 6TB |
| Display(s) | ASUS ROG Strix XG27UQR (4K, 144Hz, G-SYNC compatible) | Asus MG28UQ (4K, 60Hz, FreeSync compatible) |
| Case | Cooler Master HAF 922 |
| Audio Device(s) | Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty PCIe |
| Power Supply | Corsair AX1600i |
| Mouse | Microsoft Intellimouse Pro - Black Shadow |
| Keyboard | Yes |
| Software | Windows 10 Pro 64-bit |
The tl;dr version: adaptive sync works great, about how I expected and wanna get that Asus 4K 144Hz G-SYNC monitor if it ever becomes available.
Now, here's the full story:
I've read so much about adaptive sync since NVIDIA first released G-SYNC a few years ago, but I never had the chance to try it out for myself, as I only had a regular monitor (the BenQ in my specs) so this gamer was getting a bit frustrated.
Finally, I bought the Asus MG28UQ (28" 4K, 60Hz, FreeSync compatible) monitor from a friend for a good price and A1 condition - and what a lovely monitor it is. The difference between 4K and 1080p on the desktop is really something when you see it properly. In my case, I set a scale factor of 2 on Windows 10, which results in a picture the same size as a 1080p one, but with four times the detail, producing a superbly detailed picture, with no screen door effect.
Now, this monitor is quite an early adaptive sync model, so it doesn't use the FreeSync branding. However, it works perfectly with my RTX 2080 SUPER, a big bonus. So, what's it like?
Well, first of all, you have to connect it with a DisplayPort cable, not HDMI, to get adaptive sync to work. I looked high and low for a second DP cable until I realised a while later that I didn't have one.
A frantic purchase from Amazon soon fixed that.
Right, so my system (see specs, 2700K system) can normally render above 60fps at 4K, which defeats the point of adaptve sync. However, turning up the quality settings a bit more soon put paid to that, so I was soon able to enjoy the lower, adaptive sync framerates in CoD:MW.
So, what's it like?
Well, it's interesting and very close to what I was expecting. No tearing and lower lag, with stutter visible when the framerate gets too low plus significant motion blur from such a low framerate... and that's about it. Quite underwhelming really, but that's a complement, as the system is working properly which makes for immersive gaming. Turning AS off results in the usual crappy tearing and looks terrible, or regular vsync with even lower framerates and noticeable lag, so it's doing a good job.
The next step is to try this on a 4K 144Hz monitor, where the benefits are greater. The framerates will be higher and since my current system can't hit 144Hz on CoD:MW anyway, even at low resolutions due to the old 2700K CPU, it will be running in AS mode all the time.
For this, I actually ordered the Asus ROG Strix XG27UQ 27" 4K 144Hz monitor for £800 way back last November from Amazon and am still waiting for it. Seems to be out of stock everywhere currently, maybe due to the pandemic, I don't know. Anyway, if I ever actually get my hands on it, I'll be able to enjoy the best of both worlds, 4K with G-SYNC when I want it and a solid 1080p at 144Hz (with integer scaling for a clear picture) when I want that maximum framerate in a twitch shooter, for the lowest lag.
At some point, price and availability permitting, I'm gonna upgrade the CPU to the latest for the highest framerates, likely the top end Rocket Lake when it's released and pair it with an RTX 3080 for a no-compromise gaming experience.
Note: this monitor is one of a new breed of much cheaper 4K 144Hz capable monitors. £800 is a lot of money, but way cheaper than the ridiculous £1800 or so I've seen for such monitors that are totally out of my price range. Also, I'll need that RTX 3080 to take full advantage of it and I'll buy one if one of these ever become available and somewhere near their MSRP from a reputable seller, that is. I'm not paying some rando scalper on eBay for one lol.
Now, here's the full story:
I've read so much about adaptive sync since NVIDIA first released G-SYNC a few years ago, but I never had the chance to try it out for myself, as I only had a regular monitor (the BenQ in my specs) so this gamer was getting a bit frustrated.
Finally, I bought the Asus MG28UQ (28" 4K, 60Hz, FreeSync compatible) monitor from a friend for a good price and A1 condition - and what a lovely monitor it is. The difference between 4K and 1080p on the desktop is really something when you see it properly. In my case, I set a scale factor of 2 on Windows 10, which results in a picture the same size as a 1080p one, but with four times the detail, producing a superbly detailed picture, with no screen door effect.
Now, this monitor is quite an early adaptive sync model, so it doesn't use the FreeSync branding. However, it works perfectly with my RTX 2080 SUPER, a big bonus. So, what's it like?
Well, first of all, you have to connect it with a DisplayPort cable, not HDMI, to get adaptive sync to work. I looked high and low for a second DP cable until I realised a while later that I didn't have one.
A frantic purchase from Amazon soon fixed that.Right, so my system (see specs, 2700K system) can normally render above 60fps at 4K, which defeats the point of adaptve sync. However, turning up the quality settings a bit more soon put paid to that, so I was soon able to enjoy the lower, adaptive sync framerates in CoD:MW.
So, what's it like?
Well, it's interesting and very close to what I was expecting. No tearing and lower lag, with stutter visible when the framerate gets too low plus significant motion blur from such a low framerate... and that's about it. Quite underwhelming really, but that's a complement, as the system is working properly which makes for immersive gaming. Turning AS off results in the usual crappy tearing and looks terrible, or regular vsync with even lower framerates and noticeable lag, so it's doing a good job.
The next step is to try this on a 4K 144Hz monitor, where the benefits are greater. The framerates will be higher and since my current system can't hit 144Hz on CoD:MW anyway, even at low resolutions due to the old 2700K CPU, it will be running in AS mode all the time.
For this, I actually ordered the Asus ROG Strix XG27UQ 27" 4K 144Hz monitor for £800 way back last November from Amazon and am still waiting for it. Seems to be out of stock everywhere currently, maybe due to the pandemic, I don't know. Anyway, if I ever actually get my hands on it, I'll be able to enjoy the best of both worlds, 4K with G-SYNC when I want it and a solid 1080p at 144Hz (with integer scaling for a clear picture) when I want that maximum framerate in a twitch shooter, for the lowest lag.
At some point, price and availability permitting, I'm gonna upgrade the CPU to the latest for the highest framerates, likely the top end Rocket Lake when it's released and pair it with an RTX 3080 for a no-compromise gaming experience.
Note: this monitor is one of a new breed of much cheaper 4K 144Hz capable monitors. £800 is a lot of money, but way cheaper than the ridiculous £1800 or so I've seen for such monitors that are totally out of my price range. Also, I'll need that RTX 3080 to take full advantage of it and I'll buy one if one of these ever become available and somewhere near their MSRP from a reputable seller, that is. I'm not paying some rando scalper on eBay for one lol.
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