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What Is AMD FreeSync? FreeSync, FreeSync Premium and FreeSync Premium Pro Explained - harlan4096 - 17 January 20

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A breakdown of AMD's display tech for fighting screen tears.

AMD FreeSync is a technology found on certain gaming monitors, laptops and TVs to help fight screen tearing, stuttering and input latency (the time between when you move your mouse and when the cursor actually moves) during fast-paced games and video.

Introduced in 2015, FreeSync is AMD’s alternative to Nvidia G-Sync and requires an AMD (including third-party branded) graphics card. There were an estimated 1,000 FreeSync-certified displays as of January 2020. The feature comes in three tiers: FreeSync, FreeSync Premium and FreeSync Premium Pro.

Screen tearing is an unwelcome effect (see photo above) that makes the on-screen image look disjointed. It’s the result of the game’s framerate (the rate at which the game displays frames) failing to match the display’s refresh rate (the frequency at which the display redraws the screen). FreeSync displays have a dynamic refresh rate (also known as a variable refresh rate or VRR), allowing it to sync its minimum and maximum refresh rates with the framerate of the system’s AMD Radeon graphics card. That refresh rate range, known as the FreeSync range, can go as high as the monitor’s maximum refresh rate. However, if you seek max framerates that are greater than your monitor’s refresh rate, you may still see some tearing.

All versions of FreeSync are based on VESA’s Adaptive-Sync protocol, so it works over DisplayPort, (which also works over USB Type-C) and HDMI ports. For a display to be FreeSync-certified, it has to pass AMD’s testing process, which looks at its Adaptive-Sync support range, brightness, color range and more.

The best gaming monitors typically come with either a flavor of FreeSync or G-Sync. Some general use and professional monitors also use one of these types of Adaptive-Sync, as well as certain laptops and TVs (more on these below).
FreeSync vs. G-Sync

FreeSync is AMD’s take on Adaptive-Sync, similar to Nvidia’s G-Sync. Just like you need an AMD GPU to use FreeSync, you need an Nvidia GPU (it could also be third-party branded) to use G-Sync.

One key difference is that in addition to DisplayPort, (which also works over USB-C), FreeSync works with HDMI. G-Sync only works with DisplayPort, with the exception of LG's G-Sync Compatible TVs, which work over HDMI connection to a supported PC.

Performance-wise, we’ve found negligible discrepencies between standard FreeSync and G-Sync. For a detailed exploration of the performance differences, see our FreeSync vs. G-Sync article.

FreeSync is built on an open standard, and display makers don’t have to pay AMD a licensing fee or for hardware modules to incorporate it. Contrastingly, to use G-Sync, monitor makers have to pay for Nvidia's proprietary chip, which replaces the scaler they'd typically buy. As a result, FreeSync monitors are usually cheaper than G-Sync ones. However, Nvidia is fighting back with G-Sync Compatible monitors, which it certified to run G-Sync despite lacking the hardware as a standard G-Sync display. Many G-Sync Compatible displays are also FreeSync-certified, and we’ve found that numerous FreeSync monitors can also run G-Sync Compatibility even though they’re not certified to do so. To learn how, check out our instructions for how to run G-Sync on a FreeSync monitor.

FreeSync vs. FreeSync Premium vs. FreeSync Premium Pro

There are three different types of FreeSync: FreeSync, FreeSync Premium (announced in January 2020) and FreeSync Premium Pro (renamed from FreeSync 2 HDR in January 2020).

FreeSync Premium

While all types of FreeSync fight against screen tearing, flickering and low latency, FreeSync Premium kicks things a notch up by requiring a 120Hz refresh rate or greater when operating at FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution. It also adds low framerate compensation (LFC). With LFC, if your game’s framerate drops below the monitor’s lowest supported refresh rate, frames automatically display multiple times. This means you’ll stay in your monitor’s supported refresh rate range and, therefore, maintain smooth gameplay.

There are currently more than 300 FreeSync Premium monitors, according to AMD.

AMD FreeSync Premium Pro

FreeSync Premium Pro, known as FreeSync 2 HDR until January, targets those with HDR content.

A FreeSync Premium Pro display is supposed to differ from a non-FreeSync HDR monitor by offering lower input latency by having games tone map directly to the display, circumnavigating large in-between steps. It also promises over 400 nits brightness with HDR.

And like FreeSync Premium, FreeSync Premium Pro automatically activates LFC if the game’s framerate dips below the monitor’s refresh rate.

Gamers should note that not all games support FreeSync Premium Pro. Here’s every game that works with FreeSync Premium Pro.

What You Need to Run FreeSync

To use any form of FreeSync you need a FreeSync-certified display and a PC with an AMD graphics card or APU. Alternatively, you can pair a FreeSync display with an Xbox One X or Xbox One S (no PlayStations).

For PC gamers, your system will need a DisplayPort, (which also works over USB-C) or HDMI connection, plus the compatible Radeon Software graphics driver. Supported graphics are all AMD GPUs, including third-party branded ones, from 2012 (Radeon HD 7000) and on and any AMD Ryzen-series APU.

To use a PC monitor’s FreeSync, you have to turn it on in AMD Radeon Settings software.

FreeSync Laptops

Some laptops running AMD graphics have FreeSync built into the display. They’ll say so on their spec sheet.

In addition, any laptop with a RX 500-series GPU supports external FreeSync monitors.

Here’s a list of every FreeSync laptop.

FreeSync TVs

Samsung has dozens of TVs with FreeSync. Of course, you could pair these displays with a PC, but they primarily target those with an Xbox One X or Xbox One S, which both also support FreeSync (sorry, PlayStation fans).

You turn on a TV’s FreeSync function by activating the Game Mode in its Settings menu.
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