60fps vs 72fps cap on a 144Hz G-Sync monitor

[nasryus]

tl;dr: Should I use a 60fps or a 72fps cap on my 144Hz G-Sync monitor?

Hi all,

My specs relevant to this thread:

ASUS GTX 780
Acer XB270H G-Sync Monitor 1080p @144hz 1ms RT

Problem: I have heat issues when I let my FPS loose. The GPU easily reaches 95C (the GPU's max-rated temp according to Nvidia) when playing The Vanishing of Ethan Carter at ~130fps (highest settings). It not only worries me that the lifespan of the GPU would be slashed; when the temp is too high and throttling kicks in, the fps varies from 130fps to 50 or 30fps, stuttering the hell out.

So I figured I should cap the fps to something lower as to lower the temp, using Dxtory. I'm thinking maybe 60fps.

However, some say 60fps capping is only good for 60Hz or 120Hz displays and we should instead use 72fps for 144Hz displays, for some reason. I don't know any better.

Also, some people say that at 60fps or lower, there's no benefit at all from having a 144Hz display--it's exactly the same as 60fps @60Hz, putting my 144Hz monitor to waste. At this point, I'm stumped.

So experts, please give me some pointers here, especially regarding the last 2 paragraphs above. If those 2 statements are false, then I'll definitely cap at 60fps because it'd strain my GPU less than a 72fps would. I just need a 'go-ahead', and maybe some factual explanation. Also, it'd be great if you could let me in on any tricks to lower GPU temp too.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[JP7PlaysMC]

tl;dr: Should I use a 60fps or a 72fps cap on my 144Hz G-Sync monitor?

Hi all,

My specs relevant to this thread:

ASUS GTX 780
Acer XB270H G-Sync Monitor 1080p @144hz 1ms RT

Problem: I have heat issues when I let my FPS loose. The GPU easily reaches 95C (the GPU's max-rated temp according to Nvidia) when playing The Vanishing of Ethan Carter at ~130fps (highest settings). It not only worries me that the lifespan of the GPU would be slashed; when the temp is too high and throttling kicks in, the fps varies from 130fps to 50 or 30fps, stuttering the hell out.

So I figured I should cap the fps to something lower as to lower the temp, using Dxtory. I'm thinking maybe 60fps.

However, some say 60fps capping is only good for 60Hz or 120Hz displays and we should instead use 72fps for 144Hz displays, for some reason. I don't know any better.

Also, some people say that at 60fps or lower, there's no benefit at all from having a 144Hz display--it's exactly the same as 60fps @60Hz, putting my 144Hz monitor to waste. At this point, I'm stumped.

So experts, please give me some pointers here, especially regarding the last 2 paragraphs above. If those 2 statements are false, then I'll definitely cap at 60fps because it'd strain my GPU less than a 72fps would. I just need a 'go-ahead', and maybe some factual explanation. Also, it'd be great if you could let me in on any tricks to lower GPU temp too.

Many thanks in advance!

95ºC!? Something's wrong with the card, I think that's the problem you should worry about..... Do you live in the Sahara Desert or something?

 

[adamjosiah]

A lot of those statements make sense because the refresh rate (hz) of your monitor is basically the fps of your monitor. If your gpu and monitor fps don't match you get tearing, stutters, etc. Setting your gpu fps to multiples of your monitor refresh rate, such as 72 for 144 will avoid such issues.

Gsync technology forces your monitor to match your gpu fps. But perhaps you don't have gsync?

As for over heating, that should not happen regardless of fps. What kind of case cooling do you have?

 

[JP7PlaysMC]

tl;dr: Should I use a 60fps or a 72fps cap on my 144Hz G-Sync monitor?

Hi all,

My specs relevant to this thread:

ASUS GTX 780
Acer XB270H G-Sync Monitor 1080p @144hz 1ms RT

Problem: I have heat issues when I let my FPS loose. The GPU easily reaches 95C (the GPU's max-rated temp according to Nvidia) when playing The Vanishing of Ethan Carter at ~130fps (highest settings). It not only worries me that the lifespan of the GPU would be slashed; when the temp is too high and throttling kicks in, the fps varies from 130fps to 50 or 30fps, stuttering the hell out.

So I figured I should cap the fps to something lower as to lower the temp, using Dxtory. I'm thinking maybe 60fps.

However, some say 60fps capping is only good for 60Hz or 120Hz displays and we should instead use 72fps for 144Hz displays, for some reason. I don't know any better.

Also, some people say that at 60fps or lower, there's no benefit at all from having a 144Hz display--it's exactly the same as 60fps @60Hz, putting my 144Hz monitor to waste. At this point, I'm stumped.

So experts, please give me some pointers here, especially regarding the last 2 paragraphs above. If those 2 statements are false, then I'll definitely cap at 60fps because it'd strain my GPU less than a 72fps would. I just need a 'go-ahead', and maybe some factual explanation. Also, it'd be great if you could let me in on any tricks to lower GPU temp too.

Many thanks in advance!

They told you to cap it at 72 because that's effectively half the refresh rate of your monitor, thus giving you a better experience (which it would do anyways since it's a higher refresh rate) as it allows the frames to sync up.

 

[nasryus]

tl;dr: Should I use a 60fps or a 72fps cap on my 144Hz G-Sync monitor?

Hi all,

My specs relevant to this thread:

ASUS GTX 780
Acer XB270H G-Sync Monitor 1080p @144hz 1ms RT

Problem: I have heat issues when I let my FPS loose. The GPU easily reaches 95C (the GPU's max-rated temp according to Nvidia) when playing The Vanishing of Ethan Carter at ~130fps (highest settings). It not only worries me that the lifespan of the GPU would be slashed; when the temp is too high and throttling kicks in, the fps varies from 130fps to 50 or 30fps, stuttering the hell out.

So I figured I should cap the fps to something lower as to lower the temp, using Dxtory. I'm thinking maybe 60fps.

However, some say 60fps capping is only good for 60Hz or 120Hz displays and we should instead use 72fps for 144Hz displays, for some reason. I don't know any better.

Also, some people say that at 60fps or lower, there's no benefit at all from having a 144Hz display--it's exactly the same as 60fps @60Hz, putting my 144Hz monitor to waste. At this point, I'm stumped.

So experts, please give me some pointers here, especially regarding the last 2 paragraphs above. If those 2 statements are false, then I'll definitely cap at 60fps because it'd strain my GPU less than a 72fps would. I just need a 'go-ahead', and maybe some factual explanation. Also, it'd be great if you could let me in on any tricks to lower GPU temp too.

Many thanks in advance!

95ºC!? Something's wrong with the card, I think that's the problem you should worry about..... Do you live in the Sahara Desert or something?

Ikr. Idk what the problem is, because it's now cold here in New York. I even adjusted the fan profile to be more aggressive and reduced the min voltage of my GPU, not that it's likely to help anyway. But that's that. It's this model btw

 

[JP7PlaysMC]

tl;dr: Should I use a 60fps or a 72fps cap on my 144Hz G-Sync monitor?

Hi all,

My specs relevant to this thread:

ASUS GTX 780
Acer XB270H G-Sync Monitor 1080p @144hz 1ms RT

Problem: I have heat issues when I let my FPS loose. The GPU easily reaches 95C (the GPU's max-rated temp according to Nvidia) when playing The Vanishing of Ethan Carter at ~130fps (highest settings). It not only worries me that the lifespan of the GPU would be slashed; when the temp is too high and throttling kicks in, the fps varies from 130fps to 50 or 30fps, stuttering the hell out.

So I figured I should cap the fps to something lower as to lower the temp, using Dxtory. I'm thinking maybe 60fps.

However, some say 60fps capping is only good for 60Hz or 120Hz displays and we should instead use 72fps for 144Hz displays, for some reason. I don't know any better.

Also, some people say that at 60fps or lower, there's no benefit at all from having a 144Hz display--it's exactly the same as 60fps @60Hz, putting my 144Hz monitor to waste. At this point, I'm stumped.

So experts, please give me some pointers here, especially regarding the last 2 paragraphs above. If those 2 statements are false, then I'll definitely cap at 60fps because it'd strain my GPU less than a 72fps would. I just need a 'go-ahead', and maybe some factual explanation. Also, it'd be great if you could let me in on any tricks to lower GPU temp too.

Many thanks in advance!

95ºC!? Something's wrong with the card, I think that's the problem you should worry about..... Do you live in the Sahara Desert or something?

Ikr. Idk what the problem is, because it's now cold here in New York. I even adjusted the fan profile to be more aggressive and reduced the min voltage of my GPU, not that it's likely to help anyway. But that's that

Could your case be causing the issue by having bad airflow? The heatsink might not be properly aligned for some reason, so would an RMA be an option? Has the card always had this problem?

 

[nasryus]

A lot of those statements make sense because the refresh rate (hz) of your monitor is basically the fps of your monitor. If your gpu and monitor fps don't match you get tearing, stutters, etc. Setting your gpu fps to multiples of your monitor refresh rate, such as 72 for 144 will avoid such issues.

Gsync technology forces your monitor to match your gpu fps. But perhaps you don't have gsync?

As for over heating, that should not happen regardless of fps. What kind of case cooling do you have?

I do have gsync, it's turned on in the Nvidia Control Panel and all, but there's really no way for me to confirm that it actually works in my games. As for the case cooling, I have an NZXT Phantom 410, with 5 case fans (2 front intakes, 2 top exhausts, 1 back exhaust)

 

[JP7PlaysMC]

Case with good cooling and cold weather? Yeah, the problem must be your card. As I asked above, could you possible RMA it and/or confirm if the heatsink is properly aligned?

 

[nasryus]

tl;dr: Should I use a 60fps or a 72fps cap on my 144Hz G-Sync monitor?

Hi all,

My specs relevant to this thread:

ASUS GTX 780
Acer XB270H G-Sync Monitor 1080p @144hz 1ms RT

Problem: I have heat issues when I let my FPS loose. The GPU easily reaches 95C (the GPU's max-rated temp according to Nvidia) when playing The Vanishing of Ethan Carter at ~130fps (highest settings). It not only worries me that the lifespan of the GPU would be slashed; when the temp is too high and throttling kicks in, the fps varies from 130fps to 50 or 30fps, stuttering the hell out.

So I figured I should cap the fps to something lower as to lower the temp, using Dxtory. I'm thinking maybe 60fps.

However, some say 60fps capping is only good for 60Hz or 120Hz displays and we should instead use 72fps for 144Hz displays, for some reason. I don't know any better.

Also, some people say that at 60fps or lower, there's no benefit at all from having a 144Hz display--it's exactly the same as 60fps @60Hz, putting my 144Hz monitor to waste. At this point, I'm stumped.

So experts, please give me some pointers here, especially regarding the last 2 paragraphs above. If those 2 statements are false, then I'll definitely cap at 60fps because it'd strain my GPU less than a 72fps would. I just need a 'go-ahead', and maybe some factual explanation. Also, it'd be great if you could let me in on any tricks to lower GPU temp too.

Many thanks in advance!

95ºC!? Something's wrong with the card, I think that's the problem you should worry about..... Do you live in the Sahara Desert or something?

Ikr. Idk what the problem is, because it's now cold here in New York. I even adjusted the fan profile to be more aggressive and reduced the min voltage of my GPU, not that it's likely to help anyway. But that's that

Could your case be causing the issue by having bad airflow? The heatsink might not be properly aligned for some reason, so would an RMA be an option? Has the card always had this problem?

I've had the card for well over a year now, and it's always been running pretty hot. But I didn't really care about it since I only ever play Fifa, a relatively light game. It's not until now that I notice it as a big problem. Idk about an RMA and honestly, I wouldn't wanna go that route. I think the case is okay. Um how do I check the heatsink?

 

[bystander]

As long as G-sync is working, I'd set the FPS cap to 130 if you can get your temps under control. Otherwise, just experiment with FPS caps that are lower until you are happy.

What FPS are you getting? If it is beyond 144, then your G-sync isn't working. If you see tearing, G-sync isn't working.

 

[nasryus]

As long as G-sync is working, I'd set the FPS cap to 130 if you can get your temps under control. Otherwise, just experiment with FPS caps that are lower until you are happy.

What FPS are you getting? If it is beyond 144, then your G-sync isn't working. If you see tearing, G-sync isn't working.

I'm getting fluctutations between 130 and 30 or 50, and this gives me mad stutters. But mostly it's 130fps, at least for the Vanishing of Ethan Carter. There's no tearing too, so I'm pretty positive that G-sync is working. Actually I'm already thinking of lowering the cap to 60 vs 72, thus this thread lol

 

[JP7PlaysMC]

tl;dr: Should I use a 60fps or a 72fps cap on my 144Hz G-Sync monitor?

Hi all,

My specs relevant to this thread:

ASUS GTX 780
Acer XB270H G-Sync Monitor 1080p @144hz 1ms RT

Problem: I have heat issues when I let my FPS loose. The GPU easily reaches 95C (the GPU's max-rated temp according to Nvidia) when playing The Vanishing of Ethan Carter at ~130fps (highest settings). It not only worries me that the lifespan of the GPU would be slashed; when the temp is too high and throttling kicks in, the fps varies from 130fps to 50 or 30fps, stuttering the hell out.

So I figured I should cap the fps to something lower as to lower the temp, using Dxtory. I'm thinking maybe 60fps.

However, some say 60fps capping is only good for 60Hz or 120Hz displays and we should instead use 72fps for 144Hz displays, for some reason. I don't know any better.

Also, some people say that at 60fps or lower, there's no benefit at all from having a 144Hz display--it's exactly the same as 60fps @60Hz, putting my 144Hz monitor to waste. At this point, I'm stumped.

So experts, please give me some pointers here, especially regarding the last 2 paragraphs above. If those 2 statements are false, then I'll definitely cap at 60fps because it'd strain my GPU less than a 72fps would. I just need a 'go-ahead', and maybe some factual explanation. Also, it'd be great if you could let me in on any tricks to lower GPU temp too.

Many thanks in advance!

95ºC!? Something's wrong with the card, I think that's the problem you should worry about..... Do you live in the Sahara Desert or something?

Ikr. Idk what the problem is, because it's now cold here in New York. I even adjusted the fan profile to be more aggressive and reduced the min voltage of my GPU, not that it's likely to help anyway. But that's that

Could your case be causing the issue by having bad airflow? The heatsink might not be properly aligned for some reason, so would an RMA be an option? Has the card always had this problem?

I've had the card for well over a year now, and it's always been running pretty hot. But I didn't really care about it since I only ever play Fifa, a relatively light game. It's not until now that I notice it as a big problem. Idk about an RMA and honestly, I wouldn't wanna go that route. I think the case is okay. Um how do I check the heatsink?

Without actually disassembling the card I really don't know. You could try to visually compare it to other cards, but now that I think about it the problem must be on the thermal compound placement, like we've seen with the EVGA GTX 970. Go on youtube or any reputable site to search how you can replace the thermal compound of your GPU, and if you don't want to go that route then I don't know. If you have a system you gotta take care of it, it's just like a pet .

 

[adamjosiah]

Make sure the heat sink and fan assembly on your gpu is not loose at all. You can remove it, clean the thermal paste off the gpu and reapply some more. Doing this does require some care to avoid damaging the gpu, but there are videos online for almost every card.

 

[nasryus]

Thanks @adamjosiah and @JP7PlaysMC! I will look for videos and try applying the leftover thermal paste of my CM 212 Plus.

Now back to the original question. Based on the replies so far, I think it's established now that even with G-Sync on, if 60 and 72fps are on equal footing temperature-wise, it's best to pick 72fps if it's a 144Hz monitor?

 

[JP7PlaysMC]

Thanks @adamjosiah and @JP7PlaysMC! I will look for videos and try applying the leftover thermal paste of my CM 212 Evo.

Now back to the original question. Based on the replies so far, I think it's established now that even with G-Sync on, if 60 and 72fps are on equal footing temperature-wise, it's best to pick 72fps if it's a 144Hz monitor?

The answer to that is: Yes, the higher the refresh rate the smoother movement will be perceived, no matter if the monitor is 60Hz or 120Hz. 72Hz on that monitor also has the benefit that it is perfectly synced up, displaying 1 frame where you'd be able to see 2. 72 X 2 = 144

 

[nasryus]

Thanks @adamjosiah and @JP7PlaysMC! I will look for videos and try applying the leftover thermal paste of my CM 212 Evo.

Now back to the original question. Based on the replies so far, I think it's established now that even with G-Sync on, if 60 and 72fps are on equal footing temperature-wise, it's best to pick 72fps if it's a 144Hz monitor?

The answer to that is: Yes, the higher the refresh rate the smoother movement will be perceived, no matter if the monitor is 60Hz or 120Hz. 72Hz on that monitor also has the benefit that it is perfectly synced up, displaying 1 frame where you'd be able to see 2. 72 X 2 = 144

Thank you sir

 

[bystander]

72Hz on that monitor also has the benefit that it is perfectly synced up, displaying 1 frame where you'd be able to see 2. 72 X 2 = 144

Don't forget he is using G-sync, so it is always synced up as long as the FPS are between 30 and 144.

 

[nasryus]

72Hz on that monitor also has the benefit that it is perfectly synced up, displaying 1 frame where you'd be able to see 2. 72 X 2 = 144

Don't forget he is using G-sync, so it is always synced up as long as the FPS are between 30 and 144.

Actually this is what I thought all along. But just in case the G-sync doesn't work or whatever, I cap my FPS at 72 anyway

 

[adamjosiah]

If I spent the money on a gsync monitor I'd definitely want it to work, your set up is really made for gaming over 60 fps so as long as you're doing that you're doing it right. Also, fps does affect temperature, all we're saying is that your gpu should be able to operate at its maximum fps without overheating

 

[JP7PlaysMC]

72Hz on that monitor also has the benefit that it is perfectly synced up, displaying 1 frame where you'd be able to see 2. 72 X 2 = 144

Don't forget he is using G-sync, so it is always synced up as long as the FPS are between 30 and 144.

GSync? I really have to start reading these more carefully.... Then you'll be fine with either one, though my point remains the same: higher refresh rate = smoother gameplay.

 

[JP7PlaysMC]

Because you were unfortunate enough to get a card that *MIGHT* have some sort of defect, that doesn't make you the culprit and should not prevent you from enjoying games as you wish. With a G-Sync 144Hz monitor you'll be damned if you actually cap the fps in anyway shape or form (unless it's at 144), and the 780 still has more than enough power to deliver that in most of the games (not the newer ones as you might guess). I'd seriously recommend you to replace the thermal compound and check if the heatsink is well aligned (By the way, if you do end up doing this please post a picture of the disassembled card still with the old compound so that I can see if it was that bad of a placement).

 

[Karadjgne]

I'd replace the TIM and give the fins a good cleaning. You've had that card a year and so far not mentioned once that you've taken off the shroud and cleaned both the fans and heatsink.

There is a problem with cooling somewhere, I've pushed my 660ti OC with msi kombuster at 100% gpu usage and topped out at 78°C after 1 hr test at 1080p, your 780ti should easily be handling 1440p at a lot less than 95°C for just a game

 

[nasryus]

Because you were unfortunate enough to get a card that *MIGHT* have some sort of defect, that doesn't make you the culprit and should not prevent you from enjoying games as you wish. With a G-Sync 144Hz monitor you'll be damned if you actually cap the fps in anyway shape or form (unless it's at 144), and the 780 still has more than enough power to deliver that in most of the games (not the newer ones as you might guess). I'd seriously recommend you to replace the thermal compound and check if the heatsink is well aligned (By the way, if you do end up doing this please post a picture of the disassembled card still with the old compound so that I can see if it was that bad of a placement).

I have applied new thermal compund (some leftover from the CM Hyper 212 Evo), and also cleaned off some dust collecting on the GPU fan blades. Pics: http://imgur.com/a/WLIOG

I don't really know what you mean by whether the heatsink is 'aligned' though. As far as I can tell, it pretty much sticks to the die (or whatever the thing is, I'm not sure if it's called "die").

Results:

Amazing! Before this, I had to adjust the fan profile to put the GPU fan to 100% and it does nothing to stop the GPU temp from going to the maximum 95C, after not even 2 minutes of the Furmark stress test (the burn in test). I had to stop the test then and there.

Now, using automatic fan setting, it only goes up to 75% when the GPU temp is 88 C (which takes several minutes to reach), and the temp stays there for the 15 min of the stress test.

If I can just adjust the fan profile, I'd make the fan go 100% when the GPU reaches 80C, using Asus GPU Tweak. Unfortunately GPU Tweak crapped on me, refusing to run after one reboot.

 

[nasryus]

I'd replace the TIM and give the fins a good cleaning. You've had that card a year and so far not mentioned once that you've taken off the shroud and cleaned both the fans and heatsink.

There is a problem with cooling somewhere, I've pushed my 660ti OC with msi kombuster at 100% gpu usage and topped out at 78°C after 1 hr test at 1080p, your 780ti should easily be handling 1440p at a lot less than 95°C for just a game

I just did that, see my post above (How do I reply to multiple posts at a time?)

That temp tho.. 78C is awesome! What did you do that you think made that possible? Oh and I have a 780, not 780ti

 

[nasryus]

By the way, I'm starting to think the game, the Vanishing of Ethan Carter is the other problem, besides GPU temp. I said before that it stutters because of temp and throttling, but now I'm pretty sure it's not true.

Because it still stutters randomly, every few moments, and my temp is not even over 80C when capped at 72fps.
I did try capping it to 130fps (and the game does reach 130fps), but forgot to check the temp. It's all the same stutter-wise.

But what really settles it for me is that the game still stutters when on low graphics settings. Oh well..

Thank you all! God bless