[2019 Update] Best G-SYNC & FreeSync Monitors List | DisplayLag

For those seasoned with this website, you’ve no doubt become accustomed to our input lag database. This new database is designed to help you find the best G-SYNC or FreeSync monitor for your gaming needs.

• These monitors produce very low input lag
• Buy a G-SYNC monitor if you have a NVIDIA GeForce graphics card
• Buy a FreeSync monitor if you have a AMD Radeon graphics card, or Xbox One S/X
• PlayStation 4 will work on these models, but it does not support G-SYNC/FreeSync’s added benefits

Click the model number (highlighted red) in the database below to view the monitor on Amazon. We receive a small commission from purchases made through this link. Your support is very appreciated!

G-SYNC/FreeSync/FreeSync 2:

G-SYNC and FreeSync are essentially two different flavors when it comes to variable refresh rate support, depending on the type of graphics card you have in your PC. If you have a recent NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, it supports G-SYNC, whereas AMD Radeon graphics cards support FreeSync. Monitors that support variable refresh rates (VRR) eliminate screen tearing, while also minimizing display stutter and input lag that’s traditionally caused by V-SYNC.

FreeSync 2 adds additional features over original FreeSync, namely HDR performance above 400 nits and lower input latency. It also guarantees that the display supports low framerate compensation (LFC). Several FreeSync 1 monitors don’t support LFC, typically ones with a max refresh rate of 60hz or 75hz. This is explained in more detail in the LFC section below. FreeSync 2 is compatible with all existing FreeSync hardware, so don’t worry about compatibility problems.

NOTE: Xbox One S and X models support AMD FreeSync, as well as 120hz refresh rate. PlayStation 4 Slim and Pro models do not support these extra features. All of these monitors still function as normal monitors though, so there’s no downside for console gaming if they are within your budget.

G-SYNC Compatible:

In 2019, NVIDIA launched a driver update that allowed GTX 1070 and higher GPUs to enable variable refresh rate (VRR) support in non G-SYNC monitors. These monitors typically support adaptive-sync/FreeSync, and have a narrower VRR range when compared to native G-SYNC monitors.

If you’re someone that switches between AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards, you want to look into monitors listed as “G-SYNC Compatible” in our database above, as they will allow you to use VRR with both AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards.

Refresh Rates/Input Lag:

Most monitors in this database have higher refresh rates beyond 60hz, many of them around 144hz or greater. The refresh rate determines the max frames per second that the monitor can produce. Higher frame rates result in much smoother motion during fast action, and reduce your input lag significantly when compared to a 60hz display. Some monitors reach their max frame rate when overclocked.

To change your refresh rate, go to your PC graphics card’s control panel (right click on the desktop). Currently, the only console that can output 120hz refresh rate is the Xbox One. The vast majority of monitors in this database produce very low input lag, and should suit serious gaming requirements.

Response Time:

Response time governs how long a display takes to display a full pixel from black to white. Manufacturers usually provide this specification through their product brochures and general pages, however they measure it as the amount of time it takes to go from “gray-to-gray” instead.

This is typically shown as ‘1ms’, ‘2ms’, etc on product packaging and information pages. This is NOT input lag, but based on experience, a fast response time (1-2ms) usually does tie into a monitor having low input lag in terms of specs. This GTG number governs the amount of ghosting/motion blur a monitor has, accounting for time it takes for pixels to transition.

A new measurement for measuring motion blur has been introduced in the last few years, called Moving Picture Response Time (abbreviated MPRT). This isn’t the same as GTG response time, as it measures the visibility of a pixel, rather than simple transition time. It’s widely considered to be a more accurate form of measuring motion blur, which is why manufacturers like AOC, Acer, LG, MSI, and Samsung have adopted this measurement. While you will see several monitors in this database with a “1ms MPRT” response time, please keep in mind that this low number is usually accomplished by enabling a strobing backlight.

Anti-Motion Blur (Strobing Backlight):

In order to remove the highest amount of motion blur from modern LED displays, a strobing backlight is utilized. This became popular several years ago by using NVIDIA Lightboost, which evolved into Ultra-Low Motion Blur (ULMB) as time went on. This technology reduced motion blur significantly during fast motion, providing a very similar look to CRT displays.

However, this comes at a cost: it cannot be enabled together with G-SYNC/FreeSync, and your peak brightness is usually reduced. Nowadays, manufacturers have created their own versions of strobing backlight tech, which function similarly to NVIDIA’s ULMB. They are listed in the database under the “Anti-Motion Blur” filter. Some manufacturers don’t have an official name for it, so we’ve typically abbreviated it as “MBR” (motion blur reduction). If the monitor says “None”, that means it uses standard overdrive techniques to reduce motion blur, which is common in every monitor.

VRR Range/LFC:

This range determines the frames per second (FPS) required to take advantage of G-SYNC/FreeSync’s benefits. When your FPS drops below the minimum requirement, FreeSync is disabled on monitors without LFC. While this isn’t normally an issue for G-SYNC users, as all G-SYNC monitors provide LFC support, FreeSync monitors have all kinds of different ranges, with varying LFC support, making it a headache to find the right monitor. This database should help with that!

Low framerate compensation (LFC) was implemented by AMD to combat the shortcomings of poor FreeSync ranges. When your FPS dips below the display’s minimum VRR range, it will multiply frames to meet the VRR range, enabling the benefits of FreeSync again. LFC requires a display to support at least 2x its minimum FreeSync refresh rate. This means FreeSync monitors with FreeSync ranges like 48-75hz and 40-60hz do not support LFC. We do not recommend buying these displays for this reason. Our LFC filter will help you weed out these displays.

Panel Types:

Monitors come in a variety of panel types, depending on what you prefer the most out of your monitor. Several years ago, many IPS and VA panels were designed primarily as graphic design monitors, and had relatively high input lag. This isn’t really the case anymore, and many IPS and VA panels have similar input lag to fast TN panels.

For most gamers, we recommend sticking to IPS/VA panels as they offer a much more pleasant picture. However, those who require the absolute lowest amount of input lag and motion blur should stick to TN panels (professional gamers). Currently, only TN panels are capable of 240hz refresh rate, which offers the smoothest image and lowest input lag. The differences are summed up below: