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AMD FreeSync
AMD has officially launched its FreeSync technology, with new monitors and a new driver now available to enable the monitor refresh-controlling feature.
The driver will enable FreeSync for all users that have both a compatible graphics card and monitor. While the former includes most of the AMD graphics cards from the last couple of years the latter only includes those monitors that have a new controller that's compatible with the new VESA Adaptive-Sync standard.
Some of the models that support Adaptive-Sync include the new Acer XG270HU, BenQ XL2730Z, LG 29UM67 and 38UM67, Nixeus NX-VUE24, Samsung UE590 and UE850 and the VIewsonic VX2701mh.
Theoretically some existing monitors should be upgradeable to support the new feature but no monitor manufacturers have yet committed to releasing any new firmware that will enable it.
Related: Learn more about how AMD FreeSync works
Adaptive-Sync is actually a completely open standard that AMD suggested be added to DisplayPort 2.1a, allowing any monitor or display output manufacturer to implement the technology for free. As such FreeSync is just an AMD-approved stamp that will be applied to monitors that the company has tested and verified. Also, FreeSync is only currently supported by AMD graphics cards.
FreeSync aims to tackle the same problem solved by Nvidia's recent G-Sync innovation, which is the elimination of visual tearing and stuttering while gaming by tying the refresh rate of the monitor to the framerate of the graphics card. However, where G-Sync uses a proprietary monitor controller to achieve this, AMD proposed an open standard.
By using an open standard the costs of producing a FreeSync monitor are lower than for creating a G-Sync model. FreeSync also fully supports all the other usual features you get in a standard monitor controller such as audio, OSD, scaling and colour processing.
FreeSync also has the advantage that it can be turned off above a certain framerate, reducing mouse latency in certain scenarios. AMD is also claiming a slight performance advantage with FreeSync but it's only in the range of about 1%.
The FreeSync monitors so far available are not directly comparible to G-Sync models so the cost savings of the lack of a license fee aren't immediately obvious. However, pricing is clearly aggressive and it's expect new models will be arriving soon.