[1.1.74] Screen flickering with 144 Hz FreeSync monitor

[YanTS]

Hi.
I have an ultrawide 144 Hz Freesync monitor, and I play Factorio windowed without it taking full screen (usually my window ratio is 16:9 or something).
Graphics card is RTX 4070 Ti

When Factorio is in focus, the whole screen flickers, both factorio and browser with this forum on, when G-Sync is enabled in NVidia Settings.
When Factorio is out of focus, I am not so sure. From the first glance it does not flicker, but it might start flickering after a while.

If I disable G-Sync, screen does not flicker.

[Rseding91]

Given that we don't do anything with freesync or g-sync; this sounds like a bug with either freesync or g-sync or the nvidia drivers. Something that you will need to contact Nvidia, AMD, and or your monitor manufacturer about.

[lyvgbfh]

Freesync 2 has flickering issues if the game framerate is significantly below the monitor refresh rate. If you're playing games at 60fps, like factorio, either switching the monitor to FreeSync 1 or disabling adaptive sync completely is your solution.

[YanTS]

Thank you everyone for your inputs!

[Tertius]

Works for me without flickering.
- 120 Hz monitor with Freesync 2, the model not officially supported as gsync-compatible by Nvidia, but works
- GTX 1070

Playing Factorio windowed, it inherits the desktop fps, no matter if it focused or not: 120 Hz, very constant according to the monitor UI
Playing Factorio fullscreen, with vsync disabled, it goes to 60 Hz, and the actual Hz changes through 50-70 very fast according to monitor UI. Image still smooth without flickering.

If you get flickering, it's something with the monitor. Freesync and even certified Gsync is not a 100% solution - there are always glitches and small issues now and then. On paper, it's all a rock solid monitor protocol extension, but in real life, it seems much less stable.

I do get flickering, by the way, but not caused by the monitor. It's occurring while moving, caused by zooming and the game not anti-aliasing or smoothing details with the size near 1 pixel. Such details vanish and reappear while moving, and sometimes there is a moire effect. Wires, for example are flickering while moving.

[sPENKMAN]

Windowed mode worked for me as well but alternatively you can open the nvidia control panel, go to "manage 3d settings", select Factorio from the dropdown and look for the option "Monitor technology". Changing it to "Fixed refresh" solved my flickering issues (vsync on or off in game has no impact, my monitor sticks to 165Hz instead of jumping around 58-62 Hz)

Hopefully this helps others enjoy full screen gaming without flickering as well!