Skip to main content

Nvidia’s G-Sync is coming to laptops, won’t require hardware module

nvidias g sync coming laptops wont require hardware module nvidia
Nvidia
Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, which synchronizes frame refresh times with the refresh rate of a compatible monitor, is a must-have for serious gamers. It provides a much smoother experience than typical, ironing out the miniscule hitches that often plague PC gamers. It comes at a price, though, because G-Sync only works with monitors have special hardware inside.

That apparently won’t be true for the mobile incarnation, however. PC Perspective investigated an Nvidia driver leak and discovered it enables G-Sync on the ASUS G751, an excellent laptop released late last year without a G-Sync display module. This means the green team will be able to roll out driver updates that bring the feature to already produced laptops.

Related: What is G-Sync and how does it work?

Further digging by the site revealed the ASUS G751 is in fact capable of refresh rates as high as 100Hz, which makes the 1080p panel quicker than some desktop G-Sync desktop monitors. PC Perspective took the entire laptop apart to ensure no prototype or hidden G-Sync module was stuffed inside the ASUS notebook.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!

While the leaked driver did enable G-Sync, a couple problems occurred. The flicker that commonly appears with G-Sync monitors at low frame rates was encountered with the G751, and the laptop also suffered occasional “dropouts” which caused the display to go entirely blank.

Nvidia’s response to the findings has mostly confirmed them. The company has stated the driver was provided to OEMs “to begin the process of validating and troubleshooting” mobile G-Sync. It’s not clear if official support for the G751 is intended, but the green team has confirmed that mobile hardware will not require the G-Sync module found in desktop monitors. Whether that means retroactive updates will bring official support to old devices is unconfirmed.

Editors' Recommendations

Matthew S. Smith
Matthew S. Smith is the former Lead Editor, Reviews at Digital Trends. He previously guided the Products Team, which dives…
Samsung’s first flat mini-LED gaming monitor doesn’t come cheap
Samsung's 2023 Odyssey Neo G7 sitting on a table.

After announcing 2023's Odyssey Neo G7 earlier this year, Samsung finally revealed the price for the display. The 43-inch mini-LED monitor runs $1,000, and listings are live now. Unfortunately, it has some stiff competition from the best gaming monitors.

It's a significant size increase over last year's version, jumping from 32 inches to 43 inches while maintaining a 16:9 aspect ratio. Samsung says the panel has a 144Hz refresh rate and 1 millisecond response time, as well as DisplayHDR 600 certification from VESA and Samsung's own HDR10+ certification.

Read more
ROG Flow X13 (2023) vs. ROG Zephyrus G14 (2023): compact gaming laptops
rog flow x13 vs zephyrus g14 asus 2023 front

Asus announced updates to two of its most portable gaming laptops at CES 2023. The 13.4-inch ROG Flow X13 has been slimmed down and powered up, making it an even more viable portable gaming option. Meanwhile, the 14.o-inch ROG Zephyrus G14 has received its own updates and is an incredibly powerful machine given its smaller chassis.

Both are solid offerings for anyone who wants a powerful gaming laptop they can easily carry around. The Flow X13 is slower by itself, but much faster with its XG Mobile add-on, while the Zephyrus G14 looks more like a gaming laptop and carries more power around with it. Which is the right portable gaming solution for you?
Specs

Read more
We now know the eye-watering price of Nvidia’s RTX 4090 gaming laptops
XMG Neo 16 gaming laptop over a green background.

Nvidia's upcoming mobile GPU range is on the way, and soon, laptops equipped with an RTX 4090 will be out in the wild. Unfortunately, they won't be cheap.

We've just spotted one such laptop, and the price is downright terrifying. If not for the portability factor of laptops, you might be better off just buying a desktop graphics card instead.

Read more