Month: March 2020

For the past seven years or so, the best gaming monitors have enjoyed something of a renaissance. Before Adaptive-Sync technology appeared in the form of Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, the only thing performance-seeking gamers could hope for was a refresh rate above 60 Hz. Today, not only do we have monitors routinely operating at 144 Hz and some going even further, Nvidia and AMD have both been updating their respective technologies. In this new age of gaming displays, which Adaptive-Sync technology reigns supreme, G-Sync or FreeSync? 

For the uninitiated, Adaptive-Sync means that the monitor’s refresh cycle is synced with the rate at which the connected PC’s graphics card renders each frame of video, even if that rate changes. Games render each frame individually, and the rate can vary widely depending on the processing power of your PC’s graphics card. When a monitor’s refresh rate is fixed, it’s possible for the monitor to begin drawing a new frame before the current one has completed rendering. G-Sync, which works with Nvidia-based GPUs, and FreeSync, which works with AMD cards, solves that problem. The monitor draws every frame completely before the video card sends the next one, thereby eliminating any tearing artifacts. 

Today, you’ll find dozens of monitors, even non-gaming ones, boasting some flavor of G-Sync, FreeSync or even both. If you haven’t committed to a graphics card technology yet or have the option to use either, you might be wondering which one is best. And if you have the option of using either, will one offer a greater gaming advantage over the other?

Fundamentally, G-Sync and FreeSync are the same. They both sync the monitor to the graphics card and let that component control the refresh rate on a continuously variable basis. 

Can the user see a difference between the two? In our experience, there is no visual difference when frame rates are the same.

We did a blind test in 2015 and found that when all other parameters are equal between two monitors, G-Sync had a slight edge over the still-new-at-the-time FreeSync. But a lot has happened since then. Our monitor reviews have highlighted a few things that can add or subtract from the gaming experience that have little to nothing to do with refresh rates and Adaptive-Sync technologies.

The HDR quality is also subjective at this time, although G-Sync Ultimate claims better HDR due to its dynamic tone mapping. 

It then comes down to the feature set of the rival technologies. What does all this mean? Let’s take a look.

G-Sync Features

G-Sync monitors typically carry a price premium because they contain the extra hardware needed to support Nvidia’s version of adaptive refresh. When G-Sync was new (Nvidia introduced it in 2013), it would cost you about $200 extra to purchase the G-Sync version of a display, all other features and specs being the same. Today, the gap is closer to $100.

There are a few guarantees you get with G-Sync monitors that aren’t always available in their FreeSync counterparts. One is blur-reduction (ULMB) in the form of a backlight strobe. ULMB is Nvidia’s name for this feature; some FreeSync monitors also have it under a different name, but all G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate (not G-Sync Compatible) monitors have it. While this works in place of Adaptive-Sync, some users prefer it, perceiving it to have lower input lag. We haven’t been able to substantiate this in testing. Of course, when you run at 100 frames per second (fps) or higher, blur is a non-issue, and input lag is super-low, so you might as well keep things tight with G-Sync engaged. 

G-Sync also guarantees that you will never see a frame tear even at the lowest refresh rates. Below 30 Hz, G-Sync monitors double the frame renders (and thereby doubling the refresh rate) to keep them running in the adaptive refresh range.

FreeSync Features 

FreeSync has a price advantage over G-Sync because it uses an open-source standard created by VESA, Adaptive-Sync, which is also part of VESA’s DisplayPort spec. 

Any DisplayPort interface version 1.2a or higher can support adaptive refresh rates. While a manufacturer may choose not to implement it, the hardware is there already, hence, there’s no additional production cost for the maker to implement FreeSync. FreeSync can also work with HDMI 1.4. 

Because of its open nature, FreeSync implementation varies widely between monitors. Budget displays will get FreeSync, at a 60 Hz or greater refresh rate and little else. You won’t get blur-reduction, and the lower limit of the Adaptive-Sync range might be just 48 Hz, compared to G-Sync’s 30 Hz.

But FreeSync Adaptive-Sync works just as well as any G-Sync monitor. Pricier FreeSync monitors add blur reduction and Low Framerate Compensation (LFC) to compete better against their G-Sync counterparts.

G-Sync vs. FreeSync: Which Is Better for HDR? 

To add even more choices to a potentially confusing market, AMD and Nvidia have upped the game with new versions of their Adaptive-Sync technologies. This is justified, rightly so, by some important additions to display tech, namely HDR and extended color. 

On the Nvidia side, a monitor can support G-Sync with HDR and extended color without earning the “Ultimate” certification. Nvidia assigns that moniker to specific monitors that include 1,000 nits peak brightness, (which all the currently certified monitors achieve via the desirable full-array local dimming (FALD) backlight technology). There are many displays that are plain G-Sync (sans Ultimate) with HDR and extended color. 

A monitor must support HDR and extended color for it to list FreeSync Premium on its specs sheet. If you’re wondering about FreeSync 2, AMD has supplanted that with FreeSync Premium. Functionally, they are the same. 

Here’s another fact: If you have an HDR monitor that supports FreeSync with HDR, there’s a good chance it will also support G-Sync with HDR (and without HDR too). We’ve reviewed a number of these. We’ll provide a list at the end of this article with links to the reviews. 

And what of FreeSync Premium Pro? It’s the same situation as G-Sync Ultimate in that it doesn’t offer anything new to core Adaptive-Sync tech. It simply means AMD has certified that monitor to provide a premium experience with at least a 120 Hz refresh rate, LFC and HDR. There is no brightness requirement nor is a FALD backlight part of the spec. Many FreeSync panels will qualify for Premium Pro status simply by supporting HDR and extended color. 

Running G-Sync on a FreeSync Monitor 

We’ve covered this subject in multiple monitor reviews and in this article on how to run G-Sync on a FreeSync monitor. It’s pretty simple, actually. 

First, you make sure you have the latest Nvidia drivers installed (anything dated after January of 2019 will work) and hook up a FreeSync monitor. Chances are that the FreeSync monitor will run G-Sync with your Nvidia graphics card — even if Nvidia hasn’t officially certified the monitor as G-Sync Compatible. And if the monitor supports HDR, that will likely work with G-Sync too. 

A visit to Nvidia’s website reveals a list of monitors that have been certified to run G-Sync. Purchasing an official G-Sync Compatible monitor guarantees you’ll be able to use our instructions linked above. 

FreeSync Monitors We’ve Tested That Support G-Sync 

The monitors in the list below were all tested by Tom’s Hardware on systems with both Nvidia and AMD graphics cards, and all of them supported both G-Sync and FreeSync without issue. This includes monitors that Nvidia hasn’t officially certified as being G-Sync Compatible and, therefore, aren’t on Nvidia’s list. Additionally, the ones with HDR and extended color delivered Adaptive-Sync in games that support those features. 

Acer Nitro XV273K

Acer XFA240

Alienware AW5520QF

AOC Agon AG493UCX

Dell S3220DGF

Gigabyte Aorus CV27F

Gigabyte Aorus CV27Q

Gigabyte Aorus FI27Q

Gigabyte Aorus KD25

HP Omen X 25f

Monoprice Zero-G 35

MSI Optix G27C4

MSI Optix MAG271CQR

Pixio PXC273

Razor Raptor 27

Samsung 27-Inch CRG5

ViewSonic Elite XG240R

ViewSonic Elite XG350R-C

Conclusion

So which is better: G-Sync or FreeSync? Well, with the features being so similar there is no reason to select a particular monitor just because it runs one over the other. Since both technologies produce the same result, that contest is a wash at this point.

Instead, those shopping for a PC monitor have to decide which additional features are important to them. How high should the refresh rate be? How much resolution can your graphics card handle? Is high brightness important? Do you want HDR and extended color? If you’re an HDR user, can you afford a FALD backlight?

It’s the combination of these elements that impacts the gaming experience, not simply which adaptive sync technology is in use. Ultimately, the more you spend, the better gaming monitor you’ll get. These days, when it comes to displays, you do get what you pay for. But you don’t have pay thousands to get a good, smooth gaming experience.

Ready to hit the water? This Raspberry Pi boating project was created by a developer known on Reddit as bearthesailor. Bareboat Necessities is a DIY Pi-powered computer designed with all of your boating needs in mind.

This project houses a Raspberry Pi 4 below deck, so waterproofing your Pi isn’t necessary. The Bareboat Necessities has a panel of interfaces on the front and back with a wide selection of features. You’ll find USB ports, voltage meters and power switches for different components. There are even RF connectors to use with antennas.

The maker has the Pi running the Pi’s Raspbian operating system, along with OpenPlotter 2.0, an open-source sailing platform. Because the project uses a Raspberry Pi 4, you can use Wi-Fi to set up the software remotely and even access the boat computer using a smartphone or tablet.

Bearthesailor provided a big list of recommended software on the project Github page. You can find applications to display weather predictions, a compass, plus temperature and barometric readings. There are even marine-specific applications, like SailGuage to help monitor things such as speed over ground, course over ground and depth below transducer. 

Tuktuk Chart Plotter and KIP Dashboard interface with Signal K—an open-source self-described universal marine data exchange. And, of course, you can add a music player because boats absolutely need kicking tunes. 

Visit the official Bareboat Necessities Github page for an intricate breakdown of the project and how to create one yourself.

Huawei has a new sporty smartwatch it’s announcing alongside its flagship P40 smartphone series. The Huawei Watch GT 2E includes 100 workout modes, like rock climbing, skateboarding, and parkour, and has storage for up to 500 songs, Huawei says. The red and green versions of the device feature a similar design to the Nike Editions of Apple’s smartwatches, with a rubber watchband covered in small holes.

The smartwatch features broadly similar specs to last year’s Watch GT 2. It’s got a 1.39-inch OLED touchscreen with a resolution of 454 x 454, 4GB of memory, it uses the company’s Kirin A1 chipset, and Huawei says it should last 14 days on a single charge. However, new for this version of the device is blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring via a dedicated IR sensor. The watch is water resistant up to 50m, supports GPS, and has two physical buttons on the right-hand side of its watchface. As well as the red and green, the watch is also available with black and white straps, while the watchface itself is available in silver or black.

Alongside the new Huawei Watch GT 2E, Huawei has also announced a new gold variant of its existing 42mm GT 2 smartwatch, which maintains the same overall design of the previous smartwatch but with a new gold finish on its steel casing.

The new Watch GT 2E will retail for €199 in Europe, while the gold edition of the Watch GT 2 will be priced starting at €229 for a version with a white strap or €249 for a red strap. Huawei says the watches will be available in April.

As time moves forward and we get farther and farther from the events of CES 2020 nearly three months ago now, it becomes easy to forget or simply mis-remember things that were so exciting at the time. For instance, just a month ago I could remember quite clearly how enamored I was in my time with the very excellent Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook. If I think about it hard enough, I can remember how excited I was about its announcement and how excited I was to know that it would be coming in just months from that show in Vegas.

Fast forward to today, and though I know it is on the way pretty soon (May is the release window), it is easy to forget about that and get wrapped up in the things going on right in front of my face. For a few weeks now, the upcoming devices of 2020 have begun to feel a bit like vaporware even though I know that isn’t the case. I know these devices are on the way, but I really needed a spark to get me excited about them again. That spark came for me in the form of the ASUS Flip C436 showing up on Tuesday, and with it all the memories of what we saw out at CES 2020 a few months ago.

You see, a few weeks ago I was tempted by the new pricing structure on the Pixel Slate. At $499 as a starting price for the very capable Core m3 version, there was part of me that considered getting one for myself. We have one here in the office, but I was really considering one for the house. With all the new and upcoming changes to tablet mode for Chrome OS, I’m very excited about a Chromebook I can really leverage as a tablet. I even took to the Slate in the office for a few days to see what I really thought of trying out a tablet again.

And, yet again, I found that a tablet of that size just isn’t right for me. I’ve been told by many readers, viewers, and listeners that I’m wrong to feel this way, but I still think the Slate is too large and heavy to be a good tablet. And, with the folio style keyboard, it is only a decent laptop. It feels like a compromised experience on both ends: not great at anything and, by extension, only mediocre at everything.

Yet, I still want a Chrome OS tablet. I want one for reading, for watching videos, for running down to the coffee shop (once I can again), for weekend getaways: I want a consumption device I can get some work done on when I need to. And that is why I’m holding off on buying a tablet for now. With the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet just weeks away, I’m continuing to just wait it out. I’ve learned I’m not against having a tablet in my daily workflow; I’m just against having a tablet around that isn’t good at being a tablet first.

I think the IdeaPad Duet will be good at being a tablet, and I think there’s a real chance it will be the first Chrome OS tablet that pulls it off, too. Tablets that have come before it were too cheap feeling, too slow, too clunky, or too expensive. The Duet nails size, weight, speed, screen, and build quality while giving you an insane value (keyboard included starting at $279 for the whole thing) and quite possibly the most versatile experience possible.

This tablet will be small enough to read with on the couch or in bed but fast enough to dock at the office with an external monitor, keyboard and mouse to do a full day’s work. That has simply never been the case with a tablet running Chrome OS up to this point. So, if you want a larger tablet with great speakers, fast internals, a great screen, go get a Pixel Slate. The price is honestly insane for that hardware. For me, I’m waiting on what I feel will be a better overall tablet experience at a fraction of the cost. While I could end up eating my words, I tend to feel like this tablet will start something new and important in the Chromebook world, and I’m ready to wait for it.

When you’re in the middle of a Zoom video meeting at home and your cat suddenly decides to start bawling for its dinner, you’ll want to mute your audio in a hurry. In that case, you have a choice: you can either reach for your mouse or touchpad and start searching for the “Mute” button or you can use a quick keyboard shortcut to cut off that noise immediately.

Zoom has a long list of keyboard shortcuts that you can use before or during a videoconference. By using these shortcuts, you can quickly join a meeting; mute and unmute the audio; start, pause, and stop recording; switch views from Speaker (a large image of the person speaking) to Gallery (several equally sized images, no matter who is speaking); and perform a variety of other tasks.

You can easily find a list of those tasks, and the shortcuts that you can use, in your Zoom app:

Go to Zoom’s settings by clicking on the gear in the upper right-hand corner

In the left-hand menu, select “Keyboard Shortcuts”

Of course, the keys you press on a Mac or a Windows PC will be different, but no matter which platform you use, those shortcuts can be really useful when you’re on a laptop Zoom call.