On high of saying their new Radeon RX 5600 XT graphics card and a bunch of latest third Gen Ryzen 4000 laptop computer processors yesterday, AMD additionally introduced some modifications to their numerous FreeSync requirements at this yr’s CES. Until now, we had common FreeSync and FreeSync 2 HDR, the latter providing precisely the identical variable refresh charge tech for tremendous clean, tear-free gaming as common FreeSync however with added HDR assist.
Now, nevertheless, FreeSync 2 HDR has been canned in favour of two new requirements, FreeSync Premium and FreeSync Premium Pro. Confused? Here’s all the things it’s essential know concerning the new tiers.
FreeSync remains to be FreeSync
At the underside of AMD’s new variable refresh charge tech tier, we’ve nonetheless received common outdated FreeSync. This is identical because it’s all the time been. Pair an AMD graphics card with an AMD FreeSync monitor and also you’ll get a clean, tear-free gaming expertise throughout the monitor’s specified FreeSync vary (usually 48fps as much as no matter its most refresh charge is) and low latency assured.
Regular FreeSync additionally works in case you’ve received an Nvidia graphics card, however the expertise is usually a bit hit or miss. To completely be certain that your Nvidia GPU can benefit from a monitor’s variable refresh charge tech, you’ll in all probability need to go for one of many formally licensed G-Sync Compatible monitors, which have been internally examined by Nvidia. Otherwise, you may discover your games topic to bizarre visible defects, corresponding to blinking, tearing, stutter, or brightness pulsing.
FreeSync Premium is a brand new commonplace for prime refresh charge screens
Next up we’ve received FreeSync Premium. This is a brand-new tier that sits between FreeSync and FreeSync Premium Pro and successfully clarifies among the murkiness that surrounded the outdated, common FreeSync commonplace. You nonetheless get low latency and a variable refresh charge for tear-free gaming, however FreeSync Premium screens will now provide the next options as properly:
- Low body charge compensation (LFC)
- At least a 120 Hz refresh charge at minimal FHD decision
LFC improves how a monitor performs beneath their minimal body charge threshold. It does this by primarily duplicating the variety of frames being proven onscreen when the body charge drops too low, bringing 30fps as much as 60fps, for instance. A handful of normal FreeSync screens used to have this characteristic in-built, however most didn’t, so no less than that’s one factor that’s been cleared up by this new Premium commonplace.
The 120Hz refresh charge bit, in the meantime, signifies that a FreeSync Premium monitor should even have a refresh charge of no less than 120Hz if it’s received a 1920×1080 decision. Dell’s Alienware AW2518HF falls into this class, for instance, as does our best gaming monitor champion the AOC 24G2U and its curved sibling, the AOC C24G1. For a full listing of FreeSync Premium screens, try AMD’s website.
FreeSync Premium Pro is the brand new FreeSync 2 HDR
Lastly, we’ve received FreeSync Premium Pro, which is just about the brand new title for FreeSync 2 HDR screens. Monitors with a Premium Pro sticker on it is going to embrace all the things you get on a traditional Premium monitor (the LFC and no less than a 120Hz refresh charge at 1080p), however can even embrace the next:
- Support for HDR “with meticulous colour and luminance certification”
- Low latency in SDR and HDR
Helpfully, AMD nonetheless haven’t elaborated on what “meticulous colour and luminance certification” really means (it’s at present thought to sit down someplace between VESA’s DisplayHDR 400 and 600 specifications, however nobody is aware of for positive), however from the seems to be of issues, this new tier is just about only a easy title change. As a consequence, you’ll in all probability nonetheless see quite a lot of VESA DisplayHDR stickers seem alongside AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro badge on a monitor’s product web page relying on its HDR capabilities.
There have been additionally a handful of games that had particular FreeSync 2 HDR assist on the previous, and these will proceed to perform as regular on FreeSync Premium Pro screens, AMD have mentioned. These embrace Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Borderlands 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Devil May Cry 5, Far Cry 5, Far Cry 5: New Dawn, Resident Evil 2, Strange Brigade, Ghost Recon Breakpoint and The Division 2.
That’s just about your lot. Personally, I’m unsure these new requirements make it any simpler to know what you’re really getting on any given FreeSync monitor. While it’s good to lastly have a extra outlined commonplace for AMD’s LFC tech, eradicating the phrase “HDR” from the Premium Pro tier title simply confuses issues additional in my eyes. It’s rather a lot much less clear than Nvidia’s G-Sync and G-Sync HDR requirements in my eyes, though no less than you’ll in all probability nonetheless get VESA’s numerous DisplayHDR stickers plastered all over to assist make up for it.
Still, the most important disappointment is the very fact we nonetheless don’t actually know what AMD’s HDR specs really entail. This might have been the second we lastly received some concept about what sort of minimal brightness ranges, color accuracy and black ranges a FreeSync Premium Pro monitor has to have with a purpose to qualify as an AMD-certified HDR monitor, however alas not. Instead, we’ll should proceed to make do with VESA’s numerous requirements as our predominant information and muddle on by. Maybe subsequent time…
For extra information from this yr’s CES, try our CES 2020 tag.
