NVIDIA Publishes Official G-Sync HDR System Requirements, Releases VBIOS Updater for DisplayPort 1.3 & 1.4
by Nate Oh on June 8, 2018 7:00 PM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
- GeForce
- NVIDIA
- G-Sync HDR
As the first week of June winds down, the long-awaited and even longer delayed G-Sync HDR monitors are just about here. For Acer's Predator X27, units are starting to finally make their way into the hands of consumers, while ASUS' ROG Swift PG27UQ is slated for late this month.
In preparation for these new displays, towards the end of this week NVIDIA quietly published official G-Sync HDR System Requirements, which links to the newly-released Graphics Firmware Update Tool for DisplayPort 1.3 and 1.4 Displays. The latter applies to a range of Maxwell and desktop Pascal products, but more importantly is there to provide G-Sync HDR capability for older Pascal cards that shipped without an HDR-supporting VBIOS.
The G-Sync HDR system requirements themselves are described rather minimally:
- Windows 10
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 or higher (desktop GPUs may need firmware upgrade)
- R396 GA2 driver or higher (presumably 397.64 and higher)
- DisplayPort 1.4 driven directly by the GPU
None of these prerequisites are particularly surprising, but it does formally confirm the requirements that so far only manufacturers have detailed. A Windows 10 version was not specified, but presumably refers to the latest April 2018 Update, while the "GTX 1050" presumably includes the new GTX 1050 3GB with 96-bit memory bus.
As for the VBIOS update tool (32-bit and 64-bit), it will detect whether a VBIOS update is needed or not before prompting the user to flash to the latest firmware. Beyond compatibility with G-Sync HDR, the new VBIOS will resolve hanging on boot or blank screening until the OS loads, on systems connected to DP 1.3 or 1.4 monitors. The release notes also mention supporting the latest DP1.3 and 1.4 features, though specifics were not provided. To be clear, it is not intended for user customized VBIOS, and as far as Pascal goes the tool appears geared towards early Founders Edition models.
Off the back of their 398.11 WHQL driver optimizations for HDR G-Sync, NVIDIA has also released a 398.18 hotfix, resolving black screening when booting to Windows after installing 397.93. And the support instructions for sending logs of display issues (DispDiag) has also been updated.
Related Reading
- ASUS’ ROG Swift PG27UQ G-Sync HDR Display Due in Late June For $1999
- Acer’s Predator X27 G-Sync HDR Display Listed in the USA, to Ship on June 1
- NVIDIA Updates on G-Sync HDR: 4Kp144 Monitors On Sale at End of May, Other Models Coming Later This Year
- Acer and ASUS G-Sync HDR Displays Listed & Priced In Europe
- NVIDIA Expects 4K 144 Hz G-Sync HDR Displays to Launch in April
- Acer and ASUS Delay Their 4K 144 Hz G-Sync HDR Displays to 2018
- ASUS Demonstrates ROG Swift PG27UQ: 4K, 144 Hz, HDR, DCI-P3 and G-Sync
- Acer Announces Predator X27 Monitor: 4K@144 Hz with DCI-P3, HDR10, & G-Sync
Source: NVIDIA
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ZeDestructor - Saturday, June 9, 2018 - link
Just a headsup: the tool reads your existing vBIOS, patches in the new UEFI GOP, then flashes it, which lets it work with any card: it patched my 1080 Ti FTW3 just fine.It did, however, cause a system hang on my first attempt while still gathering info about my system. Probably related to having been in and out of sleep for about 3 weeks straight... power management so fun... Second try went flawlessly, so I recommend people reboot their computers before running the tool, for good measure
ozzuneoj86 - Sunday, June 10, 2018 - link
I probably would have had a stroke if my system froze during any part of the BIOS update process on a 1080 Ti...Death666Angel - Saturday, June 9, 2018 - link
The x64 version tells me an update for my GTX 960 is needed, but it doesn't update after going through the process. Probably because I have modified my BIOS to reduce voltages to 1.075V and increase the boost clock a bit. Oh well, my 4K DP monitor is fine.JTWrenn - Saturday, June 9, 2018 - link
And they still don't support Freesync and I still hate them for it....even when I grudgingly buy their cards because they are better for gaming.Apple Troll Master - Saturday, June 9, 2018 - link
They will never support Freesync, its their competition and its "free"sync. They want you to pay the "G" premium after buying their card. Its like asking Mercedes to have an option for an BMW engine.Spunjji - Sunday, June 10, 2018 - link
It really, really isn't - that analogy is deeply flawed. It's more like asking them to let you use the same damn fuel as every other car, but you can't because it doesn't have the right "special ingredients".Nvidia already support the underlying Freesync technology - it's what they insist on calling G-Sync in laptops and puts the lie to their claims that the experience is somehow inferior and/or impossible to achieve with their cards.
Flunk - Sunday, June 10, 2018 - link
At some point, implementing VESA adaptive sync on monitors will be so cheap that they'll all support it. Nvidia will have to give up on this eventually.Ket_MANIAC - Sunday, June 10, 2018 - link
G-Sync is a joke. And it will remain that way, no matter the number of BFG Displays NVidia launches. Its for rich kids with deep papa pockets.FreckledTrout - Monday, June 11, 2018 - link
We are already seeing TV's get firmware updates to support Freesync. I suspect by end of 2019 pretty much any monitor or TV will support VESA adaptive sync.Impulses - Monday, June 11, 2018 - link
Hopefully, with the way GPU releases have slowed down it would suck if VESA AS does become widespread and NVidia still won't support it for whatever reason... It's made a mess out of the display market but GPUs have almost turned into just as much of a long term investment for the user.