Our Monitor Motion Tests

Refresh Rate

As of Test Bench 1.2, there are two separate test boxes that we evaluate, and they are tested at the same time. The first is the Refresh Rate box to determine the display's native and max refresh rate depending on its connection type and the signal sent. We test it with a test PC using an NVIDIA graphics card, usually an RTX 3000 Series card, and the test is done at the monitor's native resolution.

As of Test Bench 1.2, there are two separate test boxes that we evaluate, and they are tested at the same time. The first is the Refresh Rate box to determine the display's native and max refresh rate depending on its connection type and the signal sent. We test it with a test PC using an NVIDIA graphics card, usually an RTX 3000 Series card, and the test is done at the monitor's native resolution.

The max refresh rate denotes the maximum frequency the monitor can refresh the image, as supported by the manufacturer. It includes the factory overclock that comes with many gaming monitors. Note that this only looks at officially supported overclock modes; it may be possible to overclock most monitors through overclocking tools and custom resolutions, but we don't check for this.

We check this max refresh rate with both DisplayPort and HDMI connections, and this is done by sending an 8-bit color depth signal. For many monitors, you can only achieve the max refresh rate over a DisplayPort connection because DP 1.2 and 1.4 connections have higher bandwidth than the older HDMI 2.0 bandwidth, which is still found on many monitors.

Learn more about the differences between DisplayPort and HDMI

We repeat the same tests to determine the max refresh rate, but by sending a 10-bit signal. It's important for HDR games as HDR requires 10-bit color depth, so with this test, you can see the max refresh rate at which you can play. Due to HDMI 2.0's bandwidth limitations, many monitors have a limited refresh rate over HDMI, and once again, you'll likely need to use the DisplayPort connection to use the monitor to its full potential.

The second test we do is to determine the VRR formats and the range at which it works. We use PCs with RTX 3000 Series and RX6600 XT graphics cards to test the G-SYNC and FreeSync support, and we also use NVIDIA's G-SYNC Pendulum Demo and check games to make sure VRR is working properly across the refresh rate range of the display. The Pendulum Demo can be used to test any VRR format supported by the PC and monitor. We look to see if there's any screen tearing or other unusual artifacts in the demo.

Unfortunately, we don't officially test for HDMI Forum VRR support like with TVs, but you'll know if the monitor supports HDMI Forum VRR if the VRR feature works with the PS5 in the PS5 Compatibility Box.

Learn more about FreeSync vs G-SYNC

We check for FreeSync compatibility with a PC with an AMD Radeon graphics card, usually RX6600 XT. This test is important if you're planning on using the variable refresh rate feature with an AMD Radeon graphics card or with an Xbox One S/X or Xbox Series S|X. There are three possible results for this test:

No: The FreeSync doesn't work on the monitor, and there's screen tearing.

Yes: The VRR works, and most monitors that work with AMD graphics cards fall under this result. As long as the manufacturer advertises FreeSync support, or if AMD has it on their list of supported monitors, then the monitor gets a 'Yes'. We don't specify whether it's FreeSync, FreeSync Premium, or FreeSync Premium Pro certified, we just know that it works.

Compatible (Tested): If the VRR support works with an AMD graphics card, but it isn't advertised on the manufacturer or AMD's websites, then it's considered 'Compatible'. Not many monitors are like this now, and as long as the VRR works, there isn't a difference in performance versus a monitor that has the certification from AMD.

Like the above test, we check for G-SYNC compatibility with a PC that has an RTX 3000 Series graphics card. This test is only important if you're planning on using the monitor with an NVIDIA graphics card. Unlike with FreeSync support, the different results can have an impact on the monitor's performance with an NVIDIA graphics card, and NVIDIA is tighter with their certifications.

No: Some displays simply aren't compatible with NVIDIA's G-SYNC technology as there's screen tearing. This is becoming increasingly rare, as most monitors at least work with G-SYNC.

A certified G-SYNC Compatible display - MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD

Compatible (NVIDIA Certified): NVIDIA officially certifies some monitors to work with their G-SYNC compatible program, and you can see the full list of certified monitors here. On certified displays, G-SYNC is automatically enabled when connected to at least a 10-series NVIDIA card over DisplayPort. NVIDIA tests them for any compatibility issues and only certifies displays that work perfectly out of the box, but they lack the G-SYNC hardware module found on native G-SYNC monitors.

The simplest way to validate that a display is officially G-SYNC compatible is to check the 'Set up G-SYNC' menu from the NVIDIA Control Panel. G-SYNC will automatically be enabled for a certified compatible display, and it'll say 'G-SYNC Compatible' under the monitor name. Most of the time, this works only over DisplayPort, but with newer GPUs, it's also possible to enable G-SYNC over HDMI with a few monitors and TVs, but these are relatively rare.

Like with the FreeSync support, we use the Pendulum Demo and check games to see if there are any issues or oddities that are noteworthy.

An unofficial G-SYNC Compatible display - Gigabyte AORUS FI32U

Compatible (Tested): Monitors that aren't officially certified but still have the same 'Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible' setting in the NVIDIA Control Panel get 'Compatible (Tested)' instead of 'NVIDIA Certified'. However, you'll see on the monitor name that there isn't a certification here. There really isn't a difference in performance between the two sets of monitors, and there could be different reasons why it's not certified by NVIDIA, including NVIDIA simply not testing it. As long as the VRR support works over its entire refresh rate range, that means the monitor works with an NVIDIA graphics card.

A native G-SYNC Display - Dell Alienware AW2721D

Yes (Native): Displays that natively support G-SYNC have a few extra features when paired with an NVIDIA graphics card. They can dynamically adjust their overdrive to match the content, ensuring a consistent gaming experience.

Like with certified G-SYNC compatible monitors, G-SYNC is automatically enabled on Native devices. Instead of listing them as G-Sync Compatible in the 'Set up G-SYNC page', Native monitors are identified as simply 'G-SYNC Capable' below the monitor name. Like with FreeSync, we don't specify if it has a standard G-SYNC certification or G-SYNC Ultimate, as both are considered the same for this testing.

For this test, like with the two previous ones, we make sure G-SYNC is enabled from the NVIDIA Control Panel and use the NVIDIA Pendulum Demo to ensure G-SYNC is working correctly. If we have any doubts, we'll also check with a few games to make sure it's working with real content as well.

This test represents the maximum frequency at which the variable refresh rate feature can be enabled and work properly. We test this using the NVIDIA Pendulum Demo, and most of the time the 'VRR Maximum' is just the same result as the 'Max Refresh Rate', but there are some cases where the overclock causes some issues with the VRR.

Our VRR Minimum test checks for the minimum frame rate at which the VRR feature is still working properly. Like the previous test, we check this using the NVIDIA Pendulum Demo, gradually reducing the frame rate until the screen starts tearing. If a monitor supports both FreeSync and G-SYNC, we also check the range of each. If there's any difference between them, we put the widest range as the result and note the difference in the text.

LFC

Because we test for the effective frame rate and not the actual refresh rate of the display, our minimum refresh rate is frequently lower than the minimum reported by the manufacturer. It's because many monitors support a feature known as Low Framerate Compensation (LFC). If the framerate of the source drops below the minimum refresh rate of the display, the graphics card automatically multiples frames to bring the framerate back within the refresh rate range of the display. Since we look at the effective VRR range, we don't differentiate between monitors that use LFC and monitors that can reduce their actual refresh rate.

We repeat the tests above over both DisplayPort and HDMI connections and list which connections the VRR feature works on. Most of the time, the VRR works over both connections, but because the maximum refresh rate can be different over HDMI, we also include in the text if there are differences in the range. Also, we'll include in the text which connections you need for the G-SYNC or FreeSync VRR to work, as many G-SYNC compatible displays only work over DisplayPort connections, but higher-end monitors with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth now support G-SYNC over both connections.