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Monitor refresh rates - a call for feedback
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Liam Dawe Nov 7, 2020
Hi all, I'm going to be adding a monitor refresh rate question to our PC Info stats system.

I currently have these:
'50Hz','60Hz', '75Hz', '120Hz', '144Hz', '240Hz'

Are any common / used refresh rates missing? Those are all the usual I could find.
CatKiller Nov 7, 2020
Do FreeSync/G-Sync monitors have a nominal refresh rate, or is it simply a range? If they don't have a refresh rate then they should get their own option.
Liam Dawe Nov 7, 2020
So "VRR" as an option then? (Variable refresh rate). Would that suffice?
Anarus Nov 7, 2020
I've seen some odd rates like 165Hz and 100Hz, but these appear to be somewhat rare.
Quoting: Liam DaweSo "VRR" as an option then? (Variable refresh rate). Would that suffice?
As there is still a difference of the maximal (and likely average) refresh rate, it would perhaps be better as an additional checkbox?

Last edited by Anarus on 7 November 2020 at 1:17 pm UTC
CatKiller Nov 7, 2020
Quoting: Liam DaweSo "VRR" as an option then? (Variable refresh rate). Would that suffice?
That's the kind of thing I was thinking of, but only if they wouldn't be seen to have a "natural" refresh rate. I don't have any personal experience of using them.
Liam Dawe Nov 7, 2020
Hmm, this is a tricky one. Maybe just as an additional "do you have a variable refresh rate?" option then.
Xpander Nov 7, 2020
165hz is not rare at all, many earlier G-sync monitors used to have it.

there are few more odd ones like 180hz and 200hz and ofc the 360hz monsters

so i would go with

'50Hz', '60Hz', '75Hz', '90Hz', '100Hz', '120Hz', '144Hz', '165Hz', '180Hz', '200Hz', '240Hz', '360Hz'
Anarus Nov 7, 2020
Quoting: CatKillerDo FreeSync/G-Sync monitors have a nominal refresh rate, or is it simply a range?
Indeed they do, and if they receive frames slower than this rate then they wait until they receive the next frame and display that immediately after. Some have a minimum range where, if the rate of images sent from the GPU is too slow, they will behave as an ordinary fixed-rate monitor and display the same frame multiple times.
Ehvis Nov 7, 2020
Quoting: Liam DaweHmm, this is a tricky one. Maybe just as an additional "do you have a variable refresh rate?" option then.

Should do it. Might even word it as "use" instead of just have since it seems a lot of people don't use it even though they have it. As someone who will not accept gaming without gsync, I also know there are plenty of DEs that simply don't support it due to having a bad compositor.

There is always a refresh rate to the mode though. That would be the maximum (or in case of bad freesync monitors, the fallback when it switches off due to fps being to low).

Do make sure your question is clear though. I have a 100 Hz GSYNC monitor, but 99% of the time I'm on a 60 Hz mode. This is due to higher modes using the overdrive feature, which isn't really that good for picture quality.
Liam Dawe Nov 7, 2020
Okay so.

"What is your monitor refresh rate?" -> '50Hz', '60Hz', '75Hz', '90Hz', '100Hz', '120Hz', '144Hz', '165Hz', '180Hz', '200Hz', '240Hz', '360Hz'

"Do you use VRR (Variable refresh rate)?" -> 'Yes', 'No'.

Thoughts?

Last edited by Liam Dawe on 7 November 2020 at 2:56 pm UTC
Xpander Nov 7, 2020
yeah looks ok.. maybe
"Do you use VRR (Variable refresh rate)?" -> 'Yes', 'No', 'Sometimes'.

cause for example i use it super rarely. 2 reasons, i dont actually like the feeling of refresh rate changing with the FPS in game... makes it feel odd, specially in racing games.... and secondly... i have to turn of one of my monitors to have it :(
GustyGhost Nov 7, 2020
I am tempted to write a script that just goes through an polls for all of the information to upload to the stats. xrandr can probably supply the refresh rate.
Liam Dawe Nov 7, 2020
Okay, the new questions are live now.

Let me know of any issues.

Monthly cron has been updated for chart generation, charts for each question will appear December 1.

Last edited by Liam Dawe on 7 November 2020 at 8:15 pm UTC
CatKiller Nov 7, 2020
I think you added a reminder to the reminder articles that you'd added extra questions when you added the X11/Wayland ones; you'll want to remember to do that again, too.
Liam Dawe Nov 7, 2020
Quoting: CatKillerI think you added a reminder to the reminder articles that you'd added extra questions when you added the X11/Wayland ones; you'll want to remember to do that again, too.
I'll hopefully remember, either way the way it shows current info automatically notes if you've got missed questions.
Shmerl Nov 8, 2020
Quoting: Liam DaweSo "VRR" as an option then? (Variable refresh rate). Would that suffice?

VRR is HDMI name for it. Vesa/DP call it adaptive sync. But it's the same thing in essence.

Quoting: Liam DaweHmm, this is a tricky one. Maybe just as an additional "do you have a variable refresh rate?" option then.

Yep, that would be a good option to add.

Last edited by Shmerl on 8 November 2020 at 3:13 am UTC
Linas Nov 8, 2020
VRR situation is completely frustrating right now. There are so many different "standards" out there incompatible with each other. My TV should support HDMI 2.1 VRR, and my graphics card should support Freesync, but only through DP, because it only has HDMI 2.0b, but the TV has no DP ports.

At the time of purchase there was literally not a single option guaranteed to work. And I am still not sure there is now.
Shmerl Nov 8, 2020
HDMI is proprietary, so not really something you can even call a standard. DisplayPort is open, so its adaptive sync is a standard.

The fact that TVs don't have DP is caused by HDMI cartel which collects money on HDMI patents. HDMI is simply a worse technology.

In general, avoid devices which are HDMI only.

Last edited by Shmerl on 8 November 2020 at 8:31 am UTC
Liam Dawe Nov 8, 2020
Okay so no one has issues with the current questions and answers I assume since this has gone completely off the topic. Will leave open for a bit to see if anyone does otherwise will consider it done.
Linas Nov 8, 2020
Quoting: ShmerlIn general, avoid devices which are HDMI only.
That's exactly why it's so frustrating. All I wanted was a decent TV that I could also use for gaming from the sofa. They can put both HDMI and DP ports on regular minitors just fine, but as soon as it's a teevee then somehow it's mission impossible all of the sudden.
Shmerl Nov 8, 2020
Quoting: LinasThat's exactly why it's so frustrating. All I wanted was a decent TV that I could also use for gaming from the sofa. They can put both HDMI and DP ports on regular minitors just fine, but as soon as it's a teevee then somehow it's mission impossible all of the sudden.

Yeah, it's pretty corrupt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#History
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