What are the differences between NVIDIA G-SYNC, AMD FreeSync and Intel Adaptive Sync?

All three technologies aim to prevent tearing and make image reproduction smoother. In practice, however, there are important differences in requirements, compatibility and feedback during operation:

GPU mode

G-SYNC only works when the image output runs directly through the NVIDIA GPU. This is either in ‘dGPU-only’ mode or with Advanced Optimus.

FreeSync requires NVIDIA Optimus to be enabled and the image output to be via the integrated AMD graphics. Intel Adaptive Sync also requires NVIDIA Optimus to be enabled, with the image output via the Intel graphics.

Game compatibility

G-SYNC is largely independent of the engine used. As long as the game is not limited to fixed frame rates, G-SYNC works reliably in most cases.

FreeSync and Intel Adaptive Sync are based on Windows standards. Support may vary depending on the engine or implementation in the game (see article).

Status display

G-SYNC and FreeSync provide a clear indication in their respective drivers (NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Software) whether the hardware requirements are met. Intel Adaptive Sync displays the status in the Intel Graphics Command Center, but without direct confirmation that all requirements are met.

G-SYNC displays a logo on the screen when it is active at the start of the game. FreeSync and Intel Adaptive Sync, on the other hand, do not provide any visual feedback. Whether the technology is active can usually only be determined by whether tearing occurs.

Overview

This table summarises the above information: