AMD Announces FreeSync (free g-sync alternative)

Janus67 · Jan 7, 2014

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7641/amd-demonstrates-freesync-free-gsync-alternative-at-ces-2014

Looks to be targeted at mobile maybe first.

AMD has been relatively silent on the topic of NVIDIA’s variable refresh rate G-Sync technology since its announcement last year. At this year’s CES however, AMD gave me a short demo of its version of the technology.

Using two Toshiba Satellite Click notebooks purchased at retail, without any hardware modifications, AMD demonstrated variable refresh rate technology. According to AMD, there’s been a push to bring variable refresh rate display panels to mobile for a while now in hopes of reducing power consumption (refreshing a display before new content is available wastes power, sort of the same reason we have panel self refresh displays). There’s apparently already a VESA standard for controlling VBLANK intervals. The GPU’s display engine needs to support it, as do the panel and display hardware itself. If all of the components support this spec however, then you can get what appears to be the equivalent of G-Sync without any extra hardware.

In the case of the Toshiba Satellite Click, the panel already supports variable VBLANK. AMD’s display engines have supported variable VBLANK for a couple of generations, and that extends all the way down to APUs. The Satellite Click in question uses AMD’s low cost Kabini APU, which already has the requisite hardware to support variable VBLANK and thus variable display refresh rates (Kaveri as well as AMD's latest GPUs should support it as well). AMD simply needed driver support for controlling VBLANK timing, which is present in the latest Catalyst drivers. AMD hasn’t yet exposed any of the controls to end users, but all of the pieces in this demo are ready and already available.

The next step was to write a little demo app that could show it working. In the video below both systems have V-Sync enabled, but the machine on the right is taking advantage of variable VBLANK intervals. Just like I did in our G-Sync review, I took a 720p60 video of both screens and slowed it down to make it easier to see the stuttering you get with V-Sync On when your content has a variable frame rate. AMD doesn’t want to charge for this technology since it’s already a part of a spec that it has implemented (and shouldn’t require a hardware change to those panels that support the spec), hence the current working name “FreeSync”.

AMD’s demo isn’t quite as nice as NVIDIA’s swinging pendulum, and we obviously weren’t able to test anywhere near as many scenarios, but this one is a good starting point. The system on the left is limited to 30 fps given the heavy workload and v-sync being on, while the system on the right is able to vary its frame rate and synchronize presenting each frame to the display's refresh rate. AMD isn’t ready to productize this nor does it have a public go to market strategy, but my guess is we’ll see more panel vendors encouraged to include support for variable VBLANK and perhaps an eventual AMD driver update that enables control over this function.

In our review I was pretty pleased with G-Sync. I’d be even more pleased if all panels/systems supported it. AMD’s “FreeSync” seems like a step in that direction (and a sensible one too that doesn’t require any additional hardware). If variable VBLANK control is indeed integrated into all modern AMD GPUs, that means the Xbox One and PS4 should also have support for this. Given G-Sync’s sweet spot at between 40 - 60 fps, I feel like “FreeSync” would be a big win for AMD’s APUs.

iLoki · Jan 8, 2014

It will be interesting to see how this stacks up to G-Sync for sure. It bugs me that G-Sync is a separate hardware implementation, meaning that if I want to take advantage of it, then I need to replace my monitor(s), and change out my video card for an Nvidia card, which makes it a very costly conversion for many who are in the same situation I am.

At the very least, for G-Sync, you'd have to either buy the replacement module, if the monitor supports such a thing (I think there was an Asus monitor that you could do this with) or replace your monitor..

With FreeSync though (love the name btw lol), if its even half as effective as G-Sync, it'll be a hit. The capabilities are already there in modern LCD's that are up to the VESA standards, and all it would take in the majority of cases is a driver update, and maybe a firmware update for the monitor's control board.

Implications for the PS4/XBone are really interesting too, it could free up developers to push the graphics just a little further without suffering an easily perceptible performance penalty.

Of course, given that implementations of FreeSync will be software based, system overhead and affect on performance is going to be critical. I don't particularly care if it can smooth things out if it's cutting my overall performance in half lol.

madhatter256 · Jan 8, 2014

From what I've been reading, this is a feature that was present for a LONG time but AMD never really marketed it until now.

anthonyg45157 · Jan 8, 2014

I'd rather see them focus on mantle, frame pacing for DX9, and other projects before this.

But its good to see competition. I like how and is leaving a lot of its stuff free to use unlike nvidia.

SF101 · Jan 8, 2014

their is no reason they cant do all of those things anthony its not like amd only focuses on one thing at a time they are a huge company with lots of man power to spread around.

they are working with EA to get the first mantel launch in the works and i think thats more like waiting on EA at this point.

framepacing i expect has its own team already neck deep trying to resolve it so their really is no reason if they have previous work done on a freesync not to develope it.

seems the nvidia peeps are ranting and raving over it and considering it the greatest blah blah blah reason to over pay for nvidia products and partner products.

can tell you one thing though if AMD brings something to the table that works without a new monitor nvidia is going to have a tough time explaning that one away.

just gouge gouge gouge its to the point that it almost seems nvidia is looking for a exit strategy.

sobe · Jan 8, 2014

Yes on the software side with VBLANK has been around for a long time, issues present itself in regards to profit and the fact that half of AMD's "innovations" die off before making it anywhere.

As of right now, FreeSync in action, quite frankly is not that impressive compared to the G-Sync hardware alternative. AMD fans will jump up about this, but as other review sites like TweakTown have already stated from the event showing off FreeSync on Lenovo laptops, it isn't in the same league as G-Sync. I want to see FreeSync working on a full fledged gaming setup and see what it is fully capable of, not the time demos, FreeSync seems to be very promising.

Now, with what AMD is proposing with FreeSync, I would like to see them further develop with monitor manufacturers to see that on the software side it becomes a much smoother experience. A free alternative to the, $175 I believe NVIDIA is charging for the G-Sync kit, will be a good way to shake things up! We know how NVIDIA and AMD like going back and forth with competition, this might be a nice push since NVIDIA is forcing hardware on people vs the software that AMD is offering.

As for NVIDIA needing an exit strategy?? If AMD had the resources that NVIDIA has, I'd be willing to bet they would be trying to charge closer to NVIDIA prices.

AMD Announces FreeSync (free g-sync alternative)

Janus67

Benching Team Leader

iLoki

Member

madhatter256

Special Member

anthonyg45157

Member

SF101

The Printer Guru

sobe

Unscathed Member

Similar threads