Is Freesync on windowed applications available on AMD graphics cards?

[ZodaEX]

I picked up an AMD RX5700 so my Linux experience wouldn't suck balls anymore. However, I immediately noticed that with the AMD graphics card, that Freesync does not engage anymore in fullscreen apps or from windowed-mode -fullscreen applications in Windows 7.
Is Freesync in windowed-app-mode simply not supported on AMD graphics cards, or is there a hidden setting that needs to be enabled in order to enable it? Thanks in advance.

 

[Strange bird]

If you have a monitor that supports some form of freesync, then it should work, I forgot how it looks in amd drivers because now I'm on nvidia, which also supports freesync (the name is gsync, which is the same).
If I'm not mistaken, Freesync turns on only in games or some kind of rendering (either full screen or windowed).
I have no idea how it all looks on Linux, since I've never used it.

 

[Nobu]

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Variable_refresh_rate

Some of this may be outdated or not apply to your distro, but it should be generally informative.

I didn't see anything about windowed apps, only that you should disable the compositor if you are in an X11 environment (not necessary on wayland), and multimonitor breaks freesync -- except on the main monitor if they are cloned.

 

[ZodaEX]

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Variable_refresh_rate

Some of this may be outdated or not apply to your distro, but it should be generally informative.

I didn't see anything about windowed apps, only that you should disable the compositor if you are in an X11 environment (not necessary on wayland), and multimonitor breaks freesync -- except on the main monitor if they are cloned.

My question is actually regarding Windows 7. I apologize for even mentioning Linux. I only brought it up because I knew if I didn't that most of the posts in this thread would be grilling me about why I would replace a 3080 with a 5700. Just trying to get that out of the way before my thread gets overtaken by that.

But yeah, everything in Linux is working perfectly.

On Nvidia I used to be able to have Freesync enabled in windows mode apps. On AMD, I don't.

I just need to know, if anyone here has any experience with using Freesync, if this is an Nvidia exclusive feature that AMD can't do, or is there a setting for it somewhere that I haven't been able to find after hours and hours of searching?

It's soo easy to turn on with Nvidia. Is this something AMD cards are able to do too, or can only Nvidia cards do this?

 

[Nobu]

My question is actually regarding Windows 7. I apologize for even mentioning Linux. I only brought it up because I knew if I didn't that most of the posts in this thread would be grilling me about why I would replace a 3080 with a 5700. Just trying to get that out of the way before my thread gets overtaken by that.

But yeah, everything in Linux is working perfectly.

On Nvidia I used to be able to have Freesync enabled in windows mode apps. On AMD, I don't.

I just need to know, if anyone here has any experience with using Freesync, if this is an Nvidia exclusive feature that AMD can't do, or is there a setting for it somewhere that I haven't been able to find after hours and hours of searching?

It's soo easy to turn on with Nvidia. Is this something AMD cards are able to do too, or can only Nvidia cards do this?

Looks like it is supposed to work on windows, supposedly announced with some ReLive driver update but I haven't found it. You may need to change some settings to get it working, maybe add the game to the xbox thing or look in amd's driver settings for that game.

 

[SmokeRngs]

There are options in AMD's control panel which if enabled will disable Freesync. Make sure you don't have any of those enabled. The Freesync toggle should be pretty obvious and included in all of the other settings.

 

[DogsofJune]

I just need to know, if anyone here has any experience with using Freesync, if this is an Nvidia exclusive feature that AMD can't do, or is there a setting for it somewhere that I haven't been able to find after hours and hours of searching?

It's soo easy to turn on with Nvidia. Is this something AMD cards are able to do too, or can only Nvidia cards do this?

FreeSync was developed by AMD and first announced in 2014 to compete against Nvidia's proprietary G-Sync. How old is the monitor? Not all monitors that are G-sync ready can support Freesync as well. Using the display port I assume? Not all HDMI's were compliant.

 

[ZodaEX]

There are options in AMD's control panel which if enabled will disable Freesync. Make sure you don't have any of those enabled. The Freesync toggle should be pretty obvious and included in all of the other settings.

Oh Freesync is absolutely working. Except for windowed-mode apps. (meaning not exclusive-fullscreen apps.)

The thing I need help with is how to enable Freesync in windowed-mode with an AMD graphics card. Nvidia has a setting for this right upfront in your face in the Nvidia control panel. You literally can't miss it if you're looking for it.

But in the AMD driver panel, I'm not seeing any such option.

Are only Nvidia graphics cards capable of this and AMD and Intel graphics cards aren't?

I'm just really surprised how much more advanced Nvidia's software is over the competition if that's the case.

There doesn't seem to be anything about this written on AMD's website unfortunately. Chat GTP can't tell me the answer either.

 

[DogsofJune]

Some say that FreeSync works in windowed borderless mode if the frame rate is 65 FPS or higher. Others say that FreeSync can work in windowed mode for some games, but only in fullscreen mode for others.

 

[pendragon1]

A 5700 on w7? are there even proper drivers for it?
quickest thing i could test with was manor lords, i do not get freesync in windowed mode. i only get it in borderless full screen or reg full screen. doesnt work with pga 2k23 either.
google says the monitor has to be connected via DP for it to work with windowed mode. i cant test that... and reddit says to "disable fullscreen optimization".

 

[ZodaEX]

A 5700 on w7? are there even proper drivers for it?
quickest thing i could test with was manor lords, i do not get freesync in windowed mode. i only get it in borderless full screen or reg full screen. doesnt work with pga 2k23 either.
google says the monitor has to be connected via DP for it to work with windowed mode. i cant test that... and reddit says to "disable fullscreen optimization".

Yes, The Radeon Windows 7 driver is better than the Windows 10 driver (the current version at least.). It works on Nvidia without disabling fullscreen optimizations. I figure if Nvidia can do it with FSE on, AMD probably would be able to as well, right?

One of the neatest use cases of Freesync in windowed mode, is using it on Virtualbox in order to have freesync on Windows XP and Windows 98 games. As far as I know, this is the only way to get working V-sync in any old game.

Some say that FreeSync works in windowed borderless mode if the frame rate is 65 FPS or higher. Others say that FreeSync can work in windowed mode for some games, but only in fullscreen mode for others.

That almost certainly has to do with the specific Freesync range of people's monitors. If your Freesync range is on the lower side, your LFC (low framerate compensation) Won't kick in at 65 FPS.
While Nvidia can do Freesync in Windowed mode, it can't do LFC Freesync in Windowed mode. It needs FSE mode in order to LFC to kick in at only 65 hertz if your monitor's Freesync range is relatively low. My Freesync range before LFC mode is 40hz to 165hz. What is the the Freesync range before LFC on these people's monitors that you are referencing?

 

[Nobu]

One of the neatest use cases of Freesync in windowed mode, is using it on Virtualbox in order to have freesync on Windows XP and Windows 98 games. As far as I know, this is the only way to get working V-sync in any old game.

Well, there's dosbox, if it's old enough and doesn't crash.

 

[ZodaEX]

Well, there's dosbox, if it's old enough and doesn't crash.

Well, Dosbox is actually available with native FSE via it's Retroarch emulation core. So Freesync in windowed mode isn't needed for Freesync in Dosbox like it is for Freesync in Virtualbox.