G-SYNC vs FreeSync: what matters for compatibility
Updated 2026-09-03
G-SYNC, "G-SYNC Compatible", FreeSync, FreeSync Premium, VESA Adaptive-Sync - the variable refresh rate (VRR) branding is a mess. Here's what actually has to line up between your graphics card and your monitor.
The short answer
Almost every current gaming monitor and every current NVIDIA / AMD GPU can do VRR together over DisplayPort, and most over HDMI too. The branding mostly describes who certified it, not whether it will function. If the monitor supports Adaptive-Sync / FreeSync and your GPU is recent, turn it on in the driver and in the monitor's menu.
What the terms mean
- VESA Adaptive-Sync - the open DisplayPort standard underneath most VRR. FreeSync and "G-SYNC Compatible" are both built on it.
- AMD FreeSync - AMD's certification program over Adaptive-Sync (and HDMI VRR). Tiers: FreeSync, FreeSync Premium (adds low-framerate compensation and >=120Hz at 1080p), FreeSync Premium Pro (adds HDR requirements).
- NVIDIA G-SYNC (hardware) - monitors with a dedicated NVIDIA module. Full feature set, higher cost.
- NVIDIA "G-SYNC Compatible" - a standard Adaptive-Sync monitor NVIDIA has tested and validated. Not a different signal - just a passed test.
- HDMI VRR / HDMI Forum VRR - VRR carried over HDMI 2.1.
What has to match
- Connector. VRR works on DisplayPort for both vendors. Over HDMI it needs HDMI 2.1 VRR support on both ends (older AMD FreeSync-over-HDMI is a separate case).
- Refresh range. The monitor has a VRR range (e.g. 48-240Hz). Below the floor, low-framerate compensation matters - FreeSync Premium and hardware G-SYNC guarantee it.
- Driver setting. Enable it in NVIDIA Control Panel (Set up G-SYNC) or AMD Software (FreeSync), and in the monitor's OSD.
- An uncertified monitor can still work as "G-SYNC Compatible" if you enable it manually; it just wasn't formally tested.
NVIDIA GPUs have supported VESA Adaptive-Sync VRR since driver 417.71 (January 2019) on Pascal (GTX 10-series) and newer.
How the checker treats VRR
A result shows the monitor's stated VRR support and certifications, and flags it when the certification status is unclear or conflicting across sources rather than asserting it.