If you plan on investing in the best gaming monitors from AMD, you’ll be pleased to know that their performance and quality will be massively improved as a result of new certification requirements.
AMD has recently overhauled its FreeSync technology certification process, meaning that 40-60Hz refresh rate gaming monitors will no longer be the standard, with the best high refresh-rate monitors continuing to expand the market share.
Now, in order to gain FreeSync certification, a gaming monitor will need to have a 144Hz refresh rate, which applies to monitors with a horizontal resolution below 3,440 pixels. FreeSync Premium’s requirement has also increased, from 120Hz to 200Hz, with the same horizontal resolution requirement.
Oguzhan Andic, AMD Product Marketing Manager for AMD Radeon graphics and AMD FreeSync technology, explained the reasoning behind the changes. Back in 2015, 60Hz was considered great for gaming, and, says Andic: “AMD Gaming monitors at 120Hz were a rarity in 2015; today the majority of gaming monitors are 144Hz or higher. AMD FreeSync technology certification is a guarantee of a great experience and we want to keep it that way.”
It’s important to note that these spec changes only apply to TV and gaming monitors, with the current refresh rate requirements still applying to laptop displays.
AMD should target gaming laptop displays next
The next step should be increasing the required refresh rate for gaming laptops as well. Portable machines have evolved by leaps and bounds over the years, with stronger components, better ventilation, improved tech, and more. But displays in general seem to be the most inconsistent part of many gaming laptops.
If AMD updated its FreeSync certification standards to match the new ones for monitors and TVs, it would allow for a much-improved gameplay experience; not only by ensuring smoother and less stutter-filled visuals, but also because it would work in closer harmony with AMD’s FreeSync.
If an AMD laptop has FreeSync, it synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the GPU’s frame rate output, preventing tearing artifacts from appearing; however, if the display’s refresh rate is too low, this can interfere with the syncing. But if every gaming laptop had a 144Hz refresh rate display, it wouldn’t hold back the higher-end GPU’s frame rate output nearly as much.
Seeing its chief competitor doing this could even inspire Nvidia to up its own standards – a little competition is always a good thing after all, and it would be great news for gamers.
