Nvidia G-Sync modifies the refresh rate of your monitor to provide a smooth, seamless gameplay experience. If you have one ofthe best monitors, it probably has G-Sync so you’ll need to know how to enable G-Sync on a PC. And in this guide, we’re going to show you how.
Got an AMD graphics card or a Freesync monitor instead? Here’show to enable Freesync.
How to enable Nvidia G-Sync on PC
Before getting to how to enableG-Sync, you need to make sure you have a G-Sync monitor. Nvidia has a few different G-Sync categories. G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate monitors come with dedicated hardware inside that handles the variable refresh rate, and they’re typically more expensive than other monitors. There are also G-Sync Compatible monitors, which don’t have dedicated hardware but still support Nvidia’s adaptive refresh feature.
You also need an Nvidia graphics card. As long as you have everything you need, hook up your monitor,update your graphics card drivers, and install thelatest version of Nvidia Control Panel. From there, enabling G-Sync is simple:
Step 1:Open the Nvidia Control Panel.
Step 2:Expand theDisplaytab and selectSet Up G-Sync.
Step 3:CheckEnable G-Sync, G-Sync Compatible.
Step 4:Select eitherEnable For Full Screen ModeorEnable for Windowed and Full Screen Modedepending on what you want.
Step 5:ClickApply.
Using multiple monitors with G-Sync
If you have multiple monitors, you’ll see a few more settings on the page. You can apply G-Sync settings to a specific display if you choose, which can be useful in a few different situations. If your primary display supports G-Sync, for example, but your secondary display doesn’t, you can apply the setting only to a single display.
If that’s what you want to do, follow these additional steps:
Step 1:Select the display you want to update.
Step 2:CheckEnable Settings for the Selected Display Model.
Step 3:ClickApply.
You also need to make sure the display you’re applying the settings to is your primary display. To do that, head toSystem > Displayin Windows, select your primary display, and then checkMake This My Main Display.
Enable G-Sync for your monitor
After you’ve done that, you’ll want to double-check that your monitor is set to use G-Sync instead of a fixed refresh rate. In the Nvidia Control Panel, take these steps:
Step 1:Expand the3D Settingstab and selectManage 3D Settings.
Step 2:Under theGlobal Settingstab,find theMonitor Technologysetting.
Step 3:Change the setting fromFixed Refresh RatetoG-Sync.
Step 4:ClickApply.
That’s it. Whenever you load up a game, you’ll be able to use variable refresh rate as long as you have a compatible display. In most cases, you don’t need to do anything on your monitor. However, some displays come with a toggle in the settings for G-Sync, so make sure to turn that on, as well.
Still weighing up the best option for your graphics and display solution? Check ourcomparison of G-Sync and FreeSync.
