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Vsync on or off?

Corpsepyre

Banned
So, I was playing Spec Ops just now, and was hitting 90-100 frames per second, although the game was tearing here and there, and diluted the experience. Had to switch Vsync on, and was then getting constant 60 fps. What do you people prefer? Vsync on or off? I'm new to pc gaming so I don't know much about this tech. Does it hamper the performance of the game in other areas other than frames? Also, how does one get rid not this menace that is screen tearing?
 
Ah yes, the vsync question. There is no simple answer to this, but usually you should have v-sync on to prevent tearing have perfect image quality (IQ). But it causes input lag.

On the other hand, vsync off has no input lag. But you get tearing.

My advise, if the tearing doesnt bother you. Keep it off.
 
Off if I don't see tearing without it, on if I do. Depending on how it performed in application, I'll look at forcing it through drivers, etc.
 
On, everything I play screen tears to absolute hell and back, I can't even fix it with some games. I think it's my comp but I have no clue what could cause it.
 
Some people dont like Vsync because
1. They cant maintain 60fps so vsync causes drops to 45fps and 30fps, rather than the actual rendered fps.
2. Input lag, some people perceive some lag because frames are drawn in later in sync with the monitor.

1. Can be mitigated with nVidia Adaptive sync, which unlocks the vsync when fps falls below the refresh rate.

Personally i keep it on for everything except sim racing, because thats the only game i play seriously. For that scenario i just use MSI Afterburner to limit my fps to 60fps. I get a tear here or there, but just want to minimise any input lag, even if its imperceivable.
 
Depends on the game. I can't play any Crysis game with vsync on, and Dark Souls forcing vsync through the drivers has insufferable input lag, but based Durante got me covered with borderless fullscreen mode.
 
Always on... if a game suffers from bad enough input lag that it's frustrating, I just don't play the game anymore and make a note of which dev crapped it out so I know to be more wary in the future.
 
If the game cannot maintain 120/60 FPS constantly with an engine lock (not vsync per se) then vsync is the only option. Tearing and speed ups/slowdowns are the worst. I can deal with bit of input lag if it means there will be no tearing.

If the game can't keep 60 FPS but it is above 30 then lock it at 30. No tearing and no jumping.
 
preferably on.
Can't deal with screen tears.
No point of playing a game if it means to turn everything into a total ugly mess imo. Disadvantage in competitive games? so be it.
 
I come from the console side of this argument, but I will simply refuse to play games if the screen tearing is noticeable. For me, that's one of the absolutely worst things a game can do, and I'd rather have a lower framerate than tearing.
 
Depends on the game for me. I think the only games I never use vsync for would be DayZ, Rust, and Arma 3. These games give me a little bit of tearing but I'm willing to make that trade-off for better performance.

Just about all others I use vsync since tearing is annoying and ugly.
 
I'm not all that sensitive to input lag unless I'm using a mouse so On. Screen tearing is a ridiculous visual flaw and hurts the game significantly.
 
Adaptive (cap the frame rate at my monitor's refresh rate). If it's over that, it Vsyncs. If it's under, it tears.

It's the best solution while I wait for Gsync.
 
I've been experimenting with it off.

I got one of those ASUS 144hz monitors with Lightboost support, so I try with V-sync off and adjust the graphics settings to get a really high framerate to take advantage of it.

It tends to be a game by game basis, like if the there's too much tearing or graphics take far to a hit to get the high framerates I try to v-sync it.
 
G/freesync save us from this madness. That said triple buffering as suggested is a good middle ground, just global force it through your gpu control panel.
 
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