What limits frame rates?

[cav58d]

Max frames I get is 60, yet I've seen another with 120.  What is the limitation to max frames?  Monitor?

[Skuzzy]

The monitor refresh rate, when vertical sync is enabled (and it should be enabled).

[Bizman]

Yepp, monitor.

Or, rather the refresh rate of the monitor combined with Vertical Synchronization (v-sync), a technology to not show the drawing of the next frame until it's finished. I.e. the drawing happens between the frames in layman's  terms.

You can disable v-sync for testing how far your video card can go, but in the game it's not recommended because the monitor might show parts of two different frames, making it hard to determine where the enemy is.

There's 120Hz, 144Hz and even higher refresh rate monitors available and if your video card is up to the task, you can set the max frame rate accordingly.

There's also new technology to prevent the tearing with v-sync disabled, but it's hardware dependent.


[Edit] Skuzzy the Lighning Finger beat me again! 

[Skuzzy]

I have a lot of practice at the art of brevity.  You learn that when you have to answer 100 questions, at the same time.

[Bizman]

Agreed. Add to that a foreign language and the tech terminology they don't teach at school in any language.

The fifth post in this thread and already the second one on a side track! Yay! 

[TequilaChaser]

Y'all did not mention that running your video card with vsync turned off can damage Monitors that have a lower refresh rate like 60 Hz, if you continue to run it with vsync disabled for any extended periods of time

Also, some Monitor Manufacturers put out their own Monitor/Display Drivers, which is recommended to use rather than the Microsoft Generic driver if one is available for your Monitor


TC

[BoilerDown]

Y'all did not mention that running your video card with vsync turned off can damage Monitors that have a lower refresh rate like 60 Hz, if you continue to run it with vsync disabled for any extended periods of time.

That's the first time I've heard that from anyone. Citation needed.

[TequilaChaser]

That's the first time I've heard that from anyone. Citation needed.

I first heard about it back when we used CRT type Monitors in the 90's playing Air Warrior. I heard about it again on these very AH message boards, years back, in this "Hardware & Software Forum"....

here is just one of many references about it, that can be found all over the World Wide Web...

Anonymous  Sep 19, 2005, 5:48 PM

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.n vidia (More info?)

On Sun, 18 Sep 2005 16:30:34 -0700, "DaveW" <nowhere@dot.org> wrote:

>The higher you set the refresh rate, the harder your monitor has to work.
>Set it to the lowest refresh rate that prevents you from seeing any flashing
>of the screen. Usually that's around 75 or 85 Hz. Running it at 100 Hz
>will shorten the monitor's life.


Very very true, I have always use 72 Hz but now with a LCD its set at
60 Hz as a LCD is not scanned and does not really need the higher (75Hz)
rate from my observations .

original source of quote: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/134243-33-refresh-rate-100hz     &    http://www.tomshardware.com/s/does%20higher%20refresh%20rate%20shortens%20life%20span/


Also, as I mentioned earlier, if your Particular Monitor Manufaccturer offers a Driver for your Monitor, I recommend you use it instead of using Microsoft's Generic monitor/display driver

EDIT: If I am wrong or way off base with what I originally posted, that BoilerDown quoted/questioned me on, please post a correct answer, I am forgetting things these days with my memory/dementia issues


TC

[Bizman]

TC, I may very well be wrong here, but I understand the quote a little differently.

First, it talks about pushing the CRT tubes to the limits. As I recall, they used to have a sweet spot - a certain resolution with a refresh rate of 75 or even 85 Hz. Tighter resolutions could be used with the cost of the refresh rate. However, you could bypass the recommended settings without getting the "out of range" black screen familiar with LCD screens.

Second, since disabling V-sync doesn't drive an LCD monitor out of range, I believe it's not stressing the screen too much. The high frame rate without V-sync counts partial frames, not fully drawn images.

Again, I may be terribly wrong here. This is just my understanding and logical thinking.

[Skuzzy]

The concept of vertical refresh is very different for an LCD monitor.  If you try to drive an LCD monitor with the incorrect refresh rate signal, the monitor will either not light up at all, or it will.  LCD panels are pretty much all digital.

The old CRT monitors could be easily damaged if the incorrect refresh rate was chosen, being analog devices, they simply responded to whatever vertical sync signal was being generated.

[save]

My 27" Benq is over -clocked to 70hz.
Flying high rolling planes it makes a difference, even if it's small.