Vsync and Artifacts?

youcancallmeal

Whats all this then? I've got a 7800gt and playing games such as BF2, COD2 and other assorted games. Have noticed any problems when playing these games but I keep hearing these terms such as Vsync and Artifacts.
Anyone able to explain what these terms actually mean, i.e. should I turn vsync on or off?

KdjaCL

Artefacts are "marks" on the screen caused by an overheating Gpu or a bad driver/software. Usually lowering clockspeed or changing driver fixes them. But thay can be unfixable and kill yourr Gpu.

Vertical synchronization (abbreviated as vertical sync or V-sync) is a method used in computer games to only allow the game to draw to the screen starting at the beginning of a video scan. This limits the frame rate of the game to the monitor's refresh frequency and also prevents page tearing.

V-sync is often found in applications where frames forming a motion sequence are rendered in real time at a variable rate, including 2D/3D games and audio/data visualizations, but does not apply to video playback (as video has a fixed frame rate).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_synchronization

A lot of games have issues with vsync so best left off, also Drivers have issues with it. Try it and see what you think yourself.

kdjac

youcancallmeal

Cheers for the answer kdjac
Sometimes in BF2 I can see a lot of white specks in the distance which appear out place. This has only been happening since I overclocked my 7800, would this be known as artifacts?

Also is there actually any visual improvement with using vsync?

K.O.Kiki

Al, if you're seeing artifacts it's a sure sign you've gone too far!:eek:
Turn the clockspeeds on your card down ASAP (I'd suggest 470/1050-ish). Then, you can start OC'ing again in tiny increments -- are you using any programs for testing? (Wait until more hardcore OC'ers reply, maybe)

As for V-sync, IIRC its main use is for maintaining constant framerates, not improving visuals.