AMD showcasing FreeSync at Computex

AMD first talked about FreeSync in this year’s CES; it’s the company’s take on variable refresh monitors, utilizing some variable refresh functionality first designed for embedded DisplayPort (eDP). In Computex, a first prototype of the technology was presented.

Anand (of Anandtech fame) was on the spot and was briefed on the first prototype and the advantages FreeSync has against G-Sync, which is NVIDIA’s solution. Here’s a part of the article:

Here at Computex AMD is showing off the first prototype monitor that is FreeSync capable, which interestingly enough is based on a retail monitor that was hardware capable and could be converted with updated firmware. AMD’s actual demo hasn’t changed – they’re still running the fan blade demo we saw at CES 2014 – but it’s now running on external monitors. The monitor in question operates with a fairly narrow range of rates of just 40Hz to 60Hz, which for the purposes of a prototype is good enough to showcase that the technology works, though it is narrower than the refresh ranges AMD is expecting for retail monitors.

At this point AMD is emphasizing that while they were able to get FreeSync up and running on existing hardware, owners shouldn’t be expecting firmware updates as this is very unlikely to happen (though this is ultimately up to monitor manufacturers). Instead AMD is using it to demonstrate that existing panels and scalers already exist that are capable of variable refresh, and that retail monitors should not require significant/expensive technology upgrades.

You can watch the video above with the whole interview, plus read Anandtech’s article on the subject. The video gives you a pretty good idea about the technology, as it eliminates tearing once FreeSync is activated.