First time pc builder question. Gsync vs normal 144hz moniter?

[Gartin]

Ok I've been researching whether or not to go with a standard 144hz benq xl2420z or the benq xl2420g gsync monitor when it comes out. I'm having trouble deciding between the two because of the problem with screen tearing. Coming from consoles, we don't really have to worry about screen tearing so much because of locked frame rates. I would hate to have screen tearing so I was gonna go with g sync. However I've heard from some places on the internet that with a 144 hz moniter screen tearing isnt really that noticible, if at all, during gaming. Being able to save around $300 seems great to me if this is true. So my question is which should I go for, gsync or a normal 144hz? If you already have a 144hz moniter I would appreciate it if you can tell me how noticible screen tearing is. Thanks guys!

 

[sla70r]

Personally I do not think the extra cost is worth it.

 

[Malli Karim]

You typically see screen tearing if you have over your monitor's refresh rate, which with a 144hz monitor and the newer games you wont, and in multiplayer games ( FPS games to be exact where 120hz really shines ) 120+ is more than enough. There are some rare cases of screen tearing when you are below your refresh rate but its usually game related rather than hardware, like how some people used to get screen tearing in Crysis 1 when they were below refresh rate.

I would say save money and get the 144hz without G-Sync. Now if you are loaded with cash and want to spend get the 144hz G-Sync monitor just because, but it's not necessary as tearing is not really noticeable on 144hz.

 

[bystander]

You typically see screen tearing if you have over your monitor's refresh rate, which with a 144hz monitor and the newer games you wont, and in multiplayer games ( FPS games to be exact where 120hz really shines ) 120+ is more than enough. There are some rare cases of screen tearing when you are below your refresh rate but its usually game related rather than hardware, like how some people used to get screen tearing in Crysis 1 when they were below refresh rate.

I would say save money and get the 144hz without G-Sync. Now if you are loaded with cash and want to spend get the 144hz G-Sync monitor just because, but it's not necessary as tearing is not really noticeable on 144hz.

Just to be clear, any time you do not have V-sync on (or G-sync), you are having screen tearing. It is most noticeable when your FPS are near a number that can evenly divide into your monitors refresh rate or multiple evenly. There are no exceptions. If V-sync is disabled, you get tearing.

Higher refresh rates can help make it less noticeable, as it does clear your tears off the screen faster, but if you have a FPS rate that evenly divides into your refresh rate or multiplies evenly by your refresh rate (or just flat 144), tearing is still very noticeable. Even when your FPS are lower than your refresh rate, it is there. Crysis 1 was not an exception, it is just like any other game. Perhaps the reason you recall the issue was that you didn't use V-sync do to FPS issues.

If you use V-sync, you may have stutter, or extra latency if you are reaching your refresh rate in FPS.

G-sync fixes all that, but it can be pricey, at least for the first few monitors. Is clean smooth images worth the cost to you? That is up to you.

 

[Malli Karim]

While you are not wrong, tearing is most noticeable when you have more fps than when you have lower than refresh rate.

 

[bystander]

While you are not wrong, tearing is most noticeable when you have more fps than when you have lower than refresh rate.

I beg to disagree.

Tearing is most noticeable when your FPS are near a dividend or multiple of your refresh rate. That means on a 144hz monitor, 288/144/72/46/36 FPS are all very noticeable. This is because the tear does not move much. Where at 200 FPS would hardly notice the tears, as they move around so randomly and only flash for a moment.

On 60hz, you probably don't play with 30 FPS all that often, but going back 10 years, people used to all the time, and tearing was VERY noticeable back when I played original Farcry with FPS near 30 on a 60hz monitor.