FreeSync is AMD's adaptive refresh rate technology designed to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering in video games and fast-moving content. It works by allowing a compatible monitor to change its refresh rate dynamically to match the frame rate your graphics card is producing, rather than forcing the card to match a fixed monitor refresh rate.
The technology is royalty-free and open-standard, which means manufacturers can implement it without paying licensing fees to AMD. This has made FreeSync cheaper to add to monitors compared to rival technologies, helping it become widely available across budget, mid-range, and premium displays.
How it works in practice: Suppose your AMD graphics card outputs between 60 and 144 frames per second during a game. A FreeSync monitor will adjust its refresh rate within that range to stay synchronised. This eliminates the visual glitching that happens when the monitor and card get out of step.
FreeSync requires both a compatible AMD Radeon GPU (graphics card) and a FreeSync-certified monitor. The monitor must support the feature via DisplayPort or HDMI 2.1 (depending on model). Nvidia graphics cards do not support FreeSync natively, although some newer Nvidia cards can use variable refresh rate over HDMI with certain monitors.
When shopping for a gaming monitor, check whether the FreeSync range (for example, 48, 144 Hz) covers the frame rates your system typically produces. A monitor with a wide range is more useful than one with a narrow range. FreeSync also works best when your graphics card can sustain frame rates above the monitor's minimum refresh rate, so pair your choice with your actual hardware performance.