A driver update from AMD is already available and should be downloaded from their website. In addition BenQ will be releasing a firmware update for the monitor itself to fix this issue. Current stocks in distribution are being recalled and updated with retailers so future purchases should already carry this new firmware. This is expected to apply for stock purchased AFTER 1st July, as V002 firmware screens should be shipped by BenQ to distributors in late June.
For those who already have an XL2730Z if you want to, you can return it to BenQ for them to carry out the firmware update for you. This only applies if the user is experiencing issues with the performance of the screen. There is no simple way for the end user to update the firmware themselves and it is not encouraged. Users should contact BenQ support through their relevant country website for more information on how to return their screen for the update.
As well, now that Gsync officially doesn't need special hardware to work (their laptop Gsync does it the same way as AMD's Freesync with tuning of overdrive timings in firmware to get it to work), hopefully Nvidia will support Adaptive sync sooner rather than later.
Since the G-Sync module isn't present, the GPU and driver software will combine to make sure these features work correctly. In fact, a GPU shader program will assist with LCD overdrive compensation, which Petersen told us is a "small amount of work for the GPU." Nonetheless, he claimed that the initial tuning of each LCD panel for the proper overdrive behavior in a variable-refresh setting is "a non-trivial effort," one for which Nvidia will continue to assume responsibility under the G-Sync banner.
http://techreport.com/review/28361/nvidia-g-sync-goes-mobile-adds-features
I wonder how FreeSync over HDMI works. Since, unlike DP, the pixel clock is directly derived from the TMDS clock. I guess though could just playing tricks (so the pixel clock is corresponding to the max pixel clock, but effectively the scaler uses its own independent clock, which it might do anyway). I guess in the end it doesn't matter all that much if the signel came from HDMI or DP if you do that.
On the Acer XR341CK the overdrive function does work when connected to a FreeSync system, but it behaves quite differently to when it's connected to an NVIDIA card or non FreeSync system (like an AMD card without FreeSync support, or even an AMD card with FreeSync but using HDMI instead of DP).
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If you use an AMD card without FreeSync, or break the FreeSync chain anywhere along the way (old driver, not using DP connection) then it will behave like the NVIDIA tests above.
I suggest you apply some reading comprehension.
The monitor should still work on a fixed refresh rate via HDMI right? I'd guess a substantial number of purchasers of this monitor will never use freesync on it for one reason or another.
Overdrive is a way to reduce the pixel response time by electrically driving the pixels using a voltage peak that is significantly higher (or lower) than the actual target voltage for a fraction of a millisecond.Dummy question incoming: WTF is overdrive?
On paper, but it isn't perfect and you can end up with overdrive inducing ghosting on its own by overshooting the value that was requested. Better monitor manufacturer's run into this less often than lesser known manufacturers but it usually still exists to some extent with them. That said, some find that minor ghosting better looking than non-overdrive ghosting.
Regards,
SB