A new dithering filter introduced by Intel is Smooth Sync, which helps to minimize screen tearing on displays without Adaptive-Sync or V-Sync active, reports Michael Larabel of the website Phoronix. The VESA Adaptive-Sync certification for Arc Graphics is supported by Intel’s line of graphics cards, as readers will recall.
Smooth Sync – Overview
Intel’s Smooth Sync display refresh-rate technology is intended for laptops and desktops that don’t support VESA Adaptive Sync, but do have fixed-refresh rate displays. By allowing gamers to turn off V-Sync in their games, the feature will counteract screen-tearing caused by GPUs that display frames at a higher speed than the display’s refresh rate, which causes screen-tearing.
In order to blur off the screen-tear zone on the display, Smooth Sync will allow the GPU to output maximum frame rate, and then a lightweight dithering filter will be used. With a budget laptop with a fixed refresh-rate, gamers with low-latency gaming can now enjoy it without screen wear, because there will be much less latency than with V-Sync.
As part of Intel’s Arc graphics drivers, the technology will work alongside the Arc Alchemist graphics processors, and will be a software-based feature. Since it is software-based, it is promising that it will be improved over time, but it will only be seen as a potential improvement over time for gamers with budget PCs.
Despite the introduction of more laptops with Arc GPUs and the upcoming release of Arc desktop cards, Intel’s first generation discrete GPU’s future remains uncertain in the near future. In addition to Smooth Sync, Deep Link and other advantages, we are looking forward to experiencing and learning more about that future.
To limit screen tearing, Intel is introducing Smooth Sync, a dithering filter
Readers will recall that Intel’s graphics cards support the VESA Adaptive-Sync certification for Arc Graphics when using a display that does not support Adaptive-Sync or V-Sync is not active.
Support for Intel Smooth Sync has been added to the Linux graphics driver to assist in reducing screen tearing
Smooth Sync for Windows support has been advertised by Intel over the last few months, removing some tears that occur during gameplay and streaming content. To achieve increased frame rates on displays that do not support Adaptive-Sync, Intel advised users to deactivate V-Sync. Intel had remained silent on Linux compatibility until today, when it added initial patches to support open-source.
