Does VSync Affect FPS? Can It Cause FPS Drop?

Does VSync Affect FPS? Can It Cause FPS Drop? Answered | cpugpunerds.com

If you’re an expert gamer or new to graphics settings, this article simplifies the complexity of VSync and its effect on FPS, their connection, and whether it may limit the refresh rate of the display, potentially reducing the overall performance and responsiveness of a game. 

Undoubtedly, VSync (Vertical Synchronization) affects the frames by limiting them to your monitor’s refresh rate. If you have a 60 Hertz monitor, this feature will limit your game frames to 60 frames per second, even if the frames are above 60.

Vertical Synchronization can also help to get rid of screen tearing and screen shuttering. Games running on higher frames sometimes cause high temperatures, making the screen shutter and tear. VSync can reduce frames to a limit that makes this problem disappear without making the game lag.

In case of higher refresh rates of the monitor, it will work the same but require a high-end GPU to work better because a high refresh rate would require much higher frames to limit. But limiting the frames on such systems that are made to gain more frames doesn’t make sense unless you’re dealing with screen tearing or shuttering issues.

Does VSync Affect FPS? Can It Cause FPS Drop? Answered | cpugpunerds.com

Games with the option to exceed the limit of 60 frames mark always have this Vertical Sync option in video settings that lock the frame rate to the fullscreen refresh rate of your monitor. This refresh rate can also be modified in the game video settings above.

Comparison

This comparison clearly shows a big difference: VSync affects the FPS. It reduces the frames to match the monitor’s refresh rate, which helps reduce glitches, but sometimes lowering the frames can cause lag and delayed gameplay.

VSync does something called double buffering and page flipping. It works very effectively to provide more information to the hardware. This information helps to synchronize and render stable frames. It processes the frames onto the monitor after completing a refresh cycle.

Sometimes, this process causes a delay but is dependent on your hardware. It is also the main reason why VSync is not recommended for competitive gaming because limiting causing delays can affect your gameplay because each and every millisecond counts in competitive competition.

Does VSync Affect FPS? Can It Cause FPS Drop? Answered | cpugpunerds.com

What Are The Disadvantages Of VSync?

The limitation of frames is the main disadvantage of Vertical Synchronization. The gaming experience may easily get affected. So, limiting it to your monitor can be disadvantageous if the monitor doesn’t support high hertz frequency. It can also cause input lag.

It can happen in almost all games, but competitive fighter and shooter titles get affected the most. That is why competitive gamers do not use or recommend this feature, and many serious gamers also dislike VSync, as everyone loves a few more frames.

The standard refresh rate of most monitors is 60 Hz. So, having a 60 Hz monitor and using this feature can be a real disadvantage to gamers because most titles now require more than 60 frames per second to run smoothly.

But in recent years, technological development in gaming has introduced new monitors ranging from 120 Hz to 360 Hz. You can easily check your display refresh rate in the Display Settings of Windows.

Does VSync Affect FPS? Can It Cause FPS Drop? Answered | cpugpunerds.com

 

Does VSync Increase CPU Load? 

VSync caps the frames reducing CPU and GPU utilization, which makes the system use less load. VSync synchronizes the game or software frame rates with the monitor refresh rate, helps prevent screen tearing, and increases visual smoothness.

CPU utilization also depends on your hardware and monitor’s refresh rate. A higher refresh rate requires more frames, which can be heavy for your CPU and GPU, but VSync will always reduce the frames, so you require more frames to limit and lock for it to work. This process can cause CPU load.

Moreover, to reduce the potential increase in CPU or GPU load caused by VSync, modern GPU manufacturers and game engines offer other adaptive sync technologies like G-Sync (NVIDIA) or FreeSync (AMD). These technologies are capable of adjusting the FPS to the hertz dramatically, reducing the CPU or GPU load.

Does VSync Affect FPS? Can It Cause FPS Drop? Answered | cpugpunerds.com

Is VSync Good Or Bad For Low-End PC?

Vertical Synchronization can help eliminate some factors of a low-end PC that causes screen tearing, screen shuttering, or FPS lag. But, sometimes, unstable frames can be a problem in low-end hardware leading to input lag and delays. Few more frames while gaming makes a huge difference in gameplay.

A new built-in feature called Fast Sync does a better job for low-end PCs and GPUs. It can lower the input lag much better than VSync, which makes Esports games like first-person shooters run even smoother by increasing the rendering speed of a GPU. Input speed is the main factor of competitive gaming.

Does VSync Affect FPS? Can It Cause FPS Drop? Answered | cpugpunerds.com

What Are Adaptive VSync and Fast Sync?

Adaptive VSync and Fast Sync are two technologies used in graphics processing to improve the synchronization between the GPU’s output with the monitor’s refresh rate to minimize issues like screen tearing and input lag. There is a slight difference in both technologies.

Adaptive VSync

Adaptive VSyn is developed by NVIDIA that dramatically adjusts the VSync settings based on the GPU’s rendering performance and the monitor’s refresh rate. It is responsible for synchronizing the GPU’s frame output with the display to prevent screen tearing.

In adaptive VSync, whenever the GPU frame rate drops below the monitor’s refresh rate, Vsync prevents the screen from tearing and gives you smooth visuals. Similarly, when the GPU’s frame rate exceeds the monitor’s refresh rate, VSync is disabled to avoid input lag.

Fast Sync

NVIDIA also introduces Fast Sync as an alternative to traditional VSync. The main purpose of Fast Sync is to minimize screen tearing without introducing significant input lag. Unlike VSync, Fast Sync allows the GPU to render frames at a higher rate than the monitor’s refresh rate. 

When the GPU produces multiple frames within one refresh cycle, Fast Sync discards the traditional frames, selecting only the most recent complete frame for the display. This phenomenon reduces screen tearing. 

Conclusion

VSync limits the frames causing the FPS to drop significantly. It can be a huge disadvantage to competitive gaming because each and every frame matters in ESports. The limitation of frames can cause delay and input lag. That is why it’s not a very recommended feature.

Vertical Synchronization can eliminate many hardware issues like screen tearing and shuttering by limiting the frames according to the monitor’s refresh rate. It can be beneficial for high-hertz gaming monitors but not advantageous for monitors with only 60 Hz.

Fast Sync works better than basic Adaptive Sync because it renders multiple frame cycles more quickly to help fight screen tearing and reduce input lag. Adaptive Sync can cause a lot of input lag in shooter titles because of the response rate.

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