Here is a simple breakdown of two video modes:
Here is a simple breakdown of two video modes:
Does standard windowed mode v-sync really give way less input lag than regular v-sync? Will you always get the windowed version of v-sync no matter what settings are picked, and what exactly happens when you turn on v-sync inside a windowed game? Is it possible for windowed v-sync to be forced over by something else? Would playing in windowed mode with v-sync turned off actually give the smoothest experience if you want the least input lag and zero tearing? I also noticed that when I play DBZ Fighters, my combos stutter a tiny bit on borderless windowed mode, but once I switch to fullscreen with v-sync, the stutters disappear. This made me wonder if fighting games on PC sometimes glitch like this unless they are running in exclusive full-screen mode. Could this be an issue with how Windows handles things or just not enough resources for the game?
Windows does V-Sync and triple buffering for all windows, including fullscreen ones. This lets the graphics card work at full speed, but it only uses the last picture instead of a whole series. Fullscreen with V-Sync usually means double buffering V-sync, which stops the video card from drawing until the screen shows the frame. Microstutters might just be about timing frames differently because having both V-Sync and triple buffering doesn't always make things flow smoothly.
Windows makes sure that every window has V-Sync and triple buffering, even if it's a fullscreen borderless one. This lets the video card draw things as fast as it can, but it only uses the very last frame. Fullscreen with V-Sync usually means double buffering, which stops the card from drawing anything until the screen shows that frame. Microstutters might just be because of how frames are timed; V-Sync plus triple buffering isn't always sure to keep things smooth.
I understand now. If Windows' V-Sync makes the graphics card do three things at once instead of two when it's in fullscreen and V-Sync is on, then there would be more delay between your actions and what happens on the screen. This means you'd get worse input lag with that setting because everything has to happen twice as much time for those extra steps.