Recently two split Reddit threads brought an interesting topic to word: if y'all hook up your FreeSync monitor to an AMD GPU display output, while your main Nvidia GPU is still in your PC, it may be possible to apply your Nvidia graphics card and have advantage of FreeSync.

I of the threads centered on doing it with two discrete GPUs in the one PC – one from each vendor – while the other, more than widely circulated thread suggested all you lot need is an Nvidia GPU and an AMD APU like the Ryzen 3 2200G. If true, this is a big deal because Nvidia GPUs don't natively support FreeSync. Instead, Nvidia forces gamers who want adaptive sync into ownership a G-Sync monitor, which are usually around $200 more expensive than their FreeSync alternatives.

Getting FreeSync working on Nvidia GPUs would hateful gamers can buy cheaper displays and get the exact same experience, or those that already have FreeSync displays with Nvidia GPUs would be able to unleash the benefit of adaptive sync.

And then let's talk most the APU method offset, because this i seems to have been vigorously tested and proven to piece of work at this point. Basically, if your arrangement has an AMD Raven Ridge APU like the Ryzen 3 2200G, and an Nvidia graphics card, getting FreeSync to work is quite simple. Just unplug your FreeSync monitor from the Nvidia GPU, then plug it into your motherboard instead. This makes the integrated Vega GPU the chief display output.

Then all you accept to do is a few software side tweaks: you have to enable the integrated graphics in your motherboard's BIOS if information technology's disabled by default; and then you simply caput into the Nvidia Command Console, and ready the games yous plan on playing to utilise the Nvidia GPU. Alternatively you can use Windows 10'south new graphics settings feature to fix games to use the Nvidia GPU.

What this does is render games on the Nvidia GPU, then but pass the rendered data to the integrated Vega GPU which sends it to the brandish. Every bit Ryzen APUs support FreeSync, adaptive sync information is packed upwards into the brandish stream even though the Nvidia GPU is actually rendering the game. Elementary, easy solution to enable FreeSync while still harnessing the power of your Nvidia GPU.

Of form, not anybody has a system with a Ryzen APU and not everyone wants to build a Ryzen APU system, after all in that location are plenty of CPUs much faster than the Ryzen 5 2400G that gamers want to use. So this APU method for getting FreeSync support is a bit limited.

But it does open upwards the question: could current Nvidia GPU owners simply add in a discrete AMD GPU to their system, rather than an APU, plug their display into the AMD card, and get FreeSync support while still using the Nvidia GPU to render games?

This could be a pretty dandy workaround for those with expensive FreeSync monitors and powerful Nvidia GPUs, every bit you could add together in something like a $100 Radeon RX 550, giving you lot FreeSync support for less than the typical $200 cost of the G-Sync module in competing monitors.

Even if only for the sake of experimentation, this is definitely something worth looking into, so I decided to give information technology a try. I whipped out my Intel Cadre i7-8700K test system, and gear up about installing both an Nvidia and AMD GPU.

On the Nvidia side nosotros're using the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Windforce, which volition be the primary rendering GPU. And so the idea would exist to pair it with the RX 550 because it'south the cheapest AMD GPU you can purchase correct now that supports FreeSync. I don't have an RX 550 on hand, but I exercise have another FreeSync-capable graphics carte so I used that instead, the Radeon RX Vega 64.

The setup process is pretty easy. Both GPUs are installed in the system, my FreeSync display is hooked up to the AMD GPU'due south display outputs via DisplayPort, and both Nvidia and AMD drivers are simultaneously installed. And of course, FreeSync is enabled in Radeon Settings.

Subsequently doing all of this, I immediately noticed a few issues. Unlike with the APU method, at that place is no way to ready in software what GPU is to be used by default. You can't launch the Nvidia Control Panel when your display output is an AMD GPU, and when the brandish is plugged into the Nvidia GPU, the Nvidia Command Panel doesn't give whatsoever option to set up the Nvidia GPU every bit default. Windows 10 besides doesn't distinguish between the two GPUs in its graphics settings screen; it volition merely allow you to employ the GPU the brandish is hooked up to.

The reason for this difference compared to the APU method is simple: the APU's integrated graphics is listed as a 'ability saving' selection, so both the Nvidia Control Console and Windows 10 settings allow you to prioritize a 'loftier performance' GPU instead. But when yous have any two discrete GPUs in your system, both are classed equally 'high functioning', and so the option to choose a GPU disappears.

And this makes sense, virtually users don't have two unlike graphics cards in their system and if they did and wanted to game, they'd simply plug their monitor into the highest performing one. Exterior of niche hacks like this, at that place'south no real reason for a GPU selection choice to exist.

But this doesn't mean this FreeSync on Nvidia GPUs hack is dead in the water. Some games accept a built-in selection option allowing y'all to choose which GPU is used for rendering. And it'south with this pick that you tin get it working in some circumstances.

Bank check out the video in a higher place for a visual showcase of how this works (or doesn't)

Then kickoff, allow's evidence the baseline with the Nvidia GPU hooked upwardly directly to the FreeSync monitor. The game I'm showing is Middle-earth Shadow of War, because it'southward i of the titles that has a GPU selector, in but the basic benchmark tool. In the top left we take the GPU utilization of each title, on the pinnacle is Vega 64's utilization, and on the bottom is the 1070 Ti's utilization. Keep that in mind for later.

Then in the upper right corner, I've enabled a feature of this FreeSync monitor that shows the current refresh rate. Note this isn't the frame rate, merely the bodily refresh rate of the panel. It's as well why I'm videoing the monitor rather than using a capture card. When FreeSync is active, the refresh rate fluctuates and you lot'll see no screen tearing. When FreeSync is not agile, the refresh rate will stay static at 144 Hz and you'll meet some tearing.

In this first case of the Nvidia GPU hooked up direct to the FreeSync monitor, you'll observe simply the Nvidia GPU is being utilized, just crucially the monitor's refresh rate is stock-still at 144 Hz and there's some screen trigger-happy every bit the frame rate output is beneath 144 FPS. This shows, every bit expected, that Nvidia GPUs don't support FreeSync.

Then we accept the same benchmark beingness run on the AMD GPU, with the AMD GPU hooked up to the monitor. Yous'll see in the top left corner that the Nvidia GPU isn't being used, and the refresh charge per unit is fluctuating, then FreeSync is working.

Lastly, nosotros go to the good stuff. This is the AMD GPU hooked up to the FreeSync monitor, but the game has been gear up to use the Nvidia GPU for rendering. Yous'll see in the acme left corner that the Nvidia GPU has the highest utilization, and the AMD bill of fare is being utilized a little fleck every bit well. Merely the magic is actually happening with the refresh rate number.

It's fluctuating in line with the render rate, indicating FreeSync is working. There's no tearing either. Just all the rendering is beingness washed on the Nvidia GPU.

So it definitely works. In fact, it works quite well. The Nvidia GPU handles the rendering, and the AMD GPU handles FreeSync. Now of grade in my situation using a 1070 Ti for rendering and Vega 64 for FreeSync makes little sense because Vega 64 could only practice both, but this verbal same process should work with the much cheaper and slower RX 550. And then owners of something like the GTX 1080 could add in an RX 550 for a small-scale cost and get FreeSync support.

You're probably wondering, is there a performance affect from sending information from the Nvidia GPU to the display through an additional AMD GPU? The answer to that is yes. This nautical chart shows the difference in Hitman's benchmark using DirectX 12 Ultra settings. Both boilerplate framerates and one% lows take a hit of most 4 percent. This was also the margin in Shadow of State of war'due south boilerplate framerates reported by the criterion.

Just at that place are a number of problems with this Nvidia FreeSync hack. In fact, there are so many problems I tin can't see anyone actually using this pull a fast one on in practice.

For starters, without the ability to select the primary rendering GPU in Windows or in the Nvidia Control Panel – which is possible with the APU method, but not with 2 GPUs – y'all are limited to games that accept built-in GPU selectors.

Out of the collection of games we regularly benchmark with, just four accept that feature: Shadow of War, Hitman, Far Cry five and Scout Dogs 2. Enough of other popular games, including Fortnite, Battleground 1, GTA 5 and so on, don't have a GPU selector, so this FreeSync play a trick on won't work in those games.

And and so on top of that, the GPU selector didn't work in Far Cry 5 and Lookout man Dogs 2. Attempting to switch to the Nvidia GPU and restarting the game just left me with a blank screen on launch. This was with both the latest Nvidia drivers, and drivers from well earlier people uncovered this workaround, so I think it's just a bug rather than Nvidia blocking the workaround for those games.

So far I haven't found a way to globally select to use the Nvidia GPU like is possible with the APU method. If y'all do have a neat play a joke on to enable GPU selection, permit united states know, simply otherwise we're stuck with this Nvidia FreeSync hack in a very limited selection of games. If information technology worked across the board, the way it does with the APU method, that would make the fox somewhat worthwhile, but not as information technology stands.

Then in that location's the issue of Nvidia potentially blocking this. I tested with the latest 399.07 drivers, but I'thousand confident Nvidia volition exist looking to patch and disable this FreeSync workaround if it gains any traction. Surely they want to keep their graphics cards just compatible with G-Sync monitors and lock people in their ecosystem. So I wouldn't exist rushing out to buy a inexpensive Radeon to utilize this FreeSync hack for the fourth dimension being.

The APU method is more functional, but once more, you run the risk of Nvidia blocking the workaround, and you are too forced into using an AMD APU, so information technology's non practical for hardcore gamers. For now let'south call this a proof of concept more than than annihilation else, but it's a cool hack that certainly got people talking.

Shopping Shortcuts:
  • FreeSync monitors on Amazon
  • GeForce RTX 2080 on Amazon, Newegg
  • GeForce GTX 1070 on Amazon, Newegg
  • GeForce GTX 1080 on Amazon, Newegg