No, the title wasn’t a typo and this is some really exciting stuff for PC gamers. The latest NVIDIA GeForce drivers actually add support for some FreeSync and Adaptive Sync monitors. What this means is that you can download the NVIDIA GeForce 417.71 WHQL driver right now and start making full use of an AMD FreeSync monitor.
Related: GeForce RTX 2060 South African Pricing & Pre-Order Options
This is, without a doubt, a great step for PC gamers as we all know how expensive those G-Sync monitors are compared to FreeSync monitors. You can download the latest GeForce drivers right here or via the GeForce Experience app and test it out for yourself if you happen to own a relatively new GeForce GPU and a FreeSync monitor.
In the GeForce driver notes, NVIDIA explains that:
NVIDIA G-SYNC can now be used to activate the VRR features of G-SYNC Compatible displays. G-SYNC Compatible displays have been validated by NVIDIA to not show pulsing, flickering, or other artifacts during VRR gaming.
However, there are some restrictions, as you will only be able to use GeForce 10-Series and up cards with the feature and only one display right now.
- G-SYNC on G-SYNC Compatible displays is supported only with NVIDIA Pascal and later GPU architectures.
- Only single displays are currently supported; multiple monitors can be connected but no more than one display should have G-SYNC enabled.
PC gamers do have to do some work if they don’t own one of the monitors in the image below. These monitors will have the feature automatically enabled for your PC when you install the drivers.
For all other FreeSync and Adaptive Sync monitors, you have to manually enable the feature by following these steps as outlined by NVIDIA in a new blog post. NVIDIA notes that it may work partially, work completely or not at all, so it is up to the user to see if their setup can take advantage of this feature. Check out what you need to do below.
- Connect the monitor to your GeForce RTX 20-Series or GeForce GTX 10-Series graphics card using a DisplayPort cable
- Enable the Variable Refresh Rate functionality of your display by using the monitor’s controls and On-Screen Display
- Open the NVIDIA Control Panel from the bottom right of Windows
- Expand the “Display” section
- Click on “Set up G-SYNC”
- Tick the “Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible” box
- Tick the “Enable settings for the selected display model” box
- Click “Apply” on the bottom right
- If the above isn’t available, or isn’t working, you may need to go to “Manage 3D Settings”, click the “Global” tab, scroll down to “Monitor Technology”, select “G-SYNC Compatible” in the drop down, and then click “Apply”
- Additionally, you may need to go to “Change Resolution” on the left nav and apply a higher refresh rate, or different resolution
The latest GeForce driver also adds support for the RTX 2060 in case you plan to purchase the little beast.
Do you own a GeForce GPU and a FreeSync Monitor and what do you think about this feature in the latest GeForce drivers? Let us know in the comment section below.
