FreeSync developer AMD
FreeSync is an adaptive synchronization technology for LCD and OLED displays that support a variable refresh rate aimed at avoiding tearing and reducing stuttering caused by misalignment between the screen's refresh rate and the content's frame rate.FreeSync was developed by AMD and first announced in 2014 to compete against Nvidia's proprietary G-Sync. It is royalty-free, free to use, and has no performance penalty.Overview
FreeSync dynamically adapts the display refresh rate to variable frame rates which result from irregular GPU load when rendering complex gaming content as well as the lower 23.97/24/29.97/30 Hz used by fixed video content. This helps remove stuttering delays caused by the video interface having to finish the current frame and screen tearing when starting a new frame in the middle of transmission (with vertical sync off). The range of refresh rates supported by the standard is based on the capabilities reported by the display. FreeSync can be enabled automatically by plug and play, making it transparent to the operating system and end user. FreeSync is not limited to only AMD graphics cards, FreeSync is also compatible with select Nvidia graphics cards and select consoles.Transitions between different refresh rates are seamless and undetectable to the user. The sync mechanism keeps the video interface at the established pixel clock rate but dynamically adjusts the vertical blanking interval. The monitor keeps displaying the currently received image until a new frame is presented to the video card's frame buffer then transmission of the new image starts immediately. This simple mechanism provides low monitor latency and a smooth, virtually stutter-free viewing experience, with reduced implementation complexity for the timing controller (TCON) and display panel interface. It also helps improve battery life by reducing the refresh rate of the panel when not receiving new images.
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