Nvidia has released new GeForce Game Ready 417.71 WHQL drivers with support for GeForce RTX 2060 graphics cards and monitors recently tested and approved to support G-Sync.
The RTX 2060 is a mid-tier option for people who want some of the features introduced with Nvidia’s latest GPUs, like ray tracing, but who don’t want to drop $1,000 on a higher-end card like the RTX 2080. Nvidia is set to release the RTX 2060 Founders Edition today, January 15, so it’s not surprising that the company released accompanying drivers as well.
The other feature introduced with the GeForce Game Ready 417.71 WHQL drivers is support for "G-Sync Compatible Monitors." With the new drivers installed, both RTX 20-series and GTX 10-series graphics cards will be able to enable G-Sync for monitors that weren’t specifically built for the variable refresh rate (VRR) utility. But there are some caveats to this support. Nvidia tested 400 monitors and confirmed that 12 of them would automatically support G-Sync when connected to one of its graphics cards, it announced during the CES 2019 trade show in Las Vegas last week. For the many other FreeSync monitors, Nvidia said it might be possible to enable G-Sync via the Nvidia Control Panel. But the company didn’t exactly inspire confidence, saying, “it may work, it may work partly, or it may not work at all.”
Of course, Nvidia still thinks people would be better off buying true G-Sync monitors. Note that expanding G-Sync support to FreeSync monitors doesn’t mean Nvidia no longer cares about how well monitors designed specifically for use with its GPUs perform. This is Nvidia extending an olive branch, not waving a white flag.
Yet, it’s not hard to imagine many people who own Nvidia-powered graphics cards buying FreeSync monitors now that they support G-Sync at least a little bit. G-Sync monitors typically cost a lot more than their FreeSync counterparts, and for people who don’t care about anything other than VRR, it makes sense to save money by purchasing a so-called G-Sync Compatible Monitor.
The GeForce Game Ready 417.71 WHQL drivers are available now via Nvidia’s website and the GeForce experience app.
