G-Sync leads to video playback lagging on the second screen.
G-Sync leads to video playback lagging on the second screen.
I've been looking for answers over the years, sifting through numerous topics and comments. In the year of our lord, 2023, this issue still exists in Gsync. My system is powerful: x470, 3900x, RTX 3700, 64GB storage, packed with SSDs. It runs at 144hz on the main display and two 60hz secondary screens. The problem is that when I play a game on the primary screen, any video from a second monitor using GPU decoding matches its frame rate. This works smoothly if the game runs at 8 million FPS, but during endgame strategy sessions or loading screens, my FPS drops to 15, and so does the video's performance. It also affects YouTube, which automatically lowers quality to 360p when it loses half the frames. The games run perfectly without issues, while videos suffer from frame drops. Gsync is functioning as expected. I've tried everything: updated drivers, fullscreen windows, disabling hardware acceleration (except in browsers), adjusting power profiles, and even using a Reddit thread's video profile inspector to enable multi-monitor mode. Disabling Windows Game Mode helped temporarily, but it breaks other browser features. The only fix seems to be turning off G-Sync. If I do that, video playback becomes flawless without frame drops. It’s frustrating having invested in a display that supports this feature but can’t be used as intended. Have I missed a solution that others have found? I’ve searched extensively for years, maybe my search terms aren’t reaching the right answers on forums or Reddit.
Consider an older solution that might still function, but results are uncertain. Open Nvidia Control Panel → 3D-settings → Manage 3D-settings → Program Settings. Include your game in the list if missing. Set preferred refresh rate to Highest, V-Sync off, and Monitor Technology to Fixed Refresh Rate. Save changes. Switch back to global settings and reboot to test.
Hello, this discussion is a bit outdated, but downloading NVIDIA Profile Inspector (Advanced Control Panel) should help. Navigate to section 5 - common and select multi-display/mixed GPU acceleration, then choose Multi Display Performance Mode. It resolved the video stutter on the second monitor while using GSync on the first one. Thanks!
The update in 2025 partially resolved the issue, but it has changed again. I’m considering abandoning the 144hz setting. Edit note: finally fixed. It’s resolved. After years, the situation shifted. Increasing the refresh rate on my original 144hz screen makes YouTube almost impossible to use in Chrome. The player freezes, takes 10-15 seconds, and frames drop, breaking sync with audio. This continues every minute or so, even without 3D apps. Running games makes it worse. Hovering over the seek bar exacerbates the problem. It persists through a fresh Windows 11 install and a new RTX 4070. Only Firefox works perfectly with YouTube. Turning off plugins doesn’t help. At this point, the only option is to turn off 144hz completely in the control panel—it’s deteriorated beyond repair.