A variable-refresh display changes its timing to meet a frame when it is ready. That simple idea sits behind FreeSync Premium and G-Sync Compatible, two routes designed around different graphics ecosystems. The R10,999 ASUS XG27AQDMG supports both on a QHD 240Hz WOLED panel, giving owners a choice that follows the connected computer.

Quick Answer

Adaptive sync reduces tearing by varying the monitor's refresh timing around completed frames. FreeSync Premium is the XG27AQDMG's AMD route and G-Sync Compatible is its NVIDIA route; at R10,999, the monitor provides both alternatives alongside 240Hz and 0.03ms response.

🧩 Understand the timing problem

A fixed-refresh monitor scans on a regular schedule. A game does not always complete frames at matching intervals because scene complexity, processor work and graphics load change. If the source switches frames during a scan, the screen can show sections from two different moments, producing a visible tear.

Adaptive refresh allows the monitor to wait within its supported behaviour and begin a scan around a completed frame. This coordinates presentation rather than rendering. The graphics card still creates the image, and the display cannot make a slow frame complete sooner.

Frame pacing matters alongside average rate. Two tests can average 120fps while one delivers each frame evenly and the other contains several long pauses. Adaptive sync can present variation more cleanly, but a processing stall remains visible because no fresh frame exists during the delay.

The gaming monitor category lets buyers compare variable-refresh support with resolution and maximum rate.

🔴 Follow FreeSync Premium on AMD

FreeSync Premium is the specified adaptive route for a compatible AMD system. Enable variable refresh on the monitor input, open the graphics controls and select the XG27AQDMG for FreeSync operation. Confirm the game uses the same QHD display.

Test a scene that moves from light to heavy rendering. A constant menu animation does not exercise the variable range. Watch for tearing during a camera pan and use a frame-time display if the motion still feels interrupted.

Avoid stacking several caps and synchronisation controls on the first attempt. Begin with FreeSync Premium, the intended 240Hz desktop mode and one deliberate game configuration. Add a frame cap only if testing shows it improves behaviour near the upper boundary.

🟢 Configure G-Sync Compatible on NVIDIA

G-Sync Compatible is the corresponding option for supported NVIDIA graphics. Select the monitor in the graphics software, enable the compatible mode and choose whether the setup should apply it to the screen mode used by the game.

Multi-monitor systems require care because a control can be applied to another display. Make the XG27AQDMG primary during diagnosis if necessary, restart the title and retest the same route.

Dual support does not mean the AMD and NVIDIA modes run together. They are alternative paths, which gives the monitor flexibility across future graphics changes. Owners can retain adaptive refresh after moving from one supported platform to the other.

The OLED monitor selection shows how sync flexibility can be paired with per-pixel black control and rapid transitions.

🔄 Tune the whole variable-refresh experience

Start from native 2560x1440 at 240Hz. Adaptive sync remains useful when the game sits below 240fps because it follows variable completion rather than requiring a constant maximum. A frame cap can help keep output away from a problematic ceiling, but the best value depends on the game and system.

Do not confuse the 0.03ms response with adaptive timing. Response describes how quickly WOLED pixels change state; adaptive sync determines when the next scan begins. Both can improve motion, but they solve different problems.

ROG Gaming A.I and picture controls should be evaluated only after timing is stable. A visual enhancement cannot remove tearing caused by frame presentation. Likewise, adaptive refresh does not calibrate HDR or alter the DisplayHDR 400 True Black tonal range.

If screen shape is also under consideration, Evetech's curved monitor range provides a separate ergonomic comparison.

Diagnose a recurrence methodically

When tearing returns, confirm 240Hz, the chosen game mode and the graphics-control setting in that order. Driver updates and display changes can reset one of them. Test without intermediate adapters and note whether the fault affects every title or only one.

Then review frame times. If large stalls coincide with the visual problem, adjust the game's workload rather than repeatedly toggling the monitor. A saved known-good profile makes this distinction much easier.

See tearing as a timing mismatch

A fixed-refresh display updates on its own schedule, while a GPU finishes frames according to the changing game workload. When a new frame arrives during a scan, parts of two frames can appear in one update, creating a horizontal tear. Adaptive sync varies the monitor's timing so supported frame delivery and display refresh coordinate more closely.

This mechanism does not increase frame rate. A slow scene remains slow, and a background process can still create a frame-time spike. Adaptive sync addresses presentation timing within its supported operation, while graphics settings and system performance determine how frames are produced. That distinction prevents tearing, low fps and stutter from being treated as one fault.

Configure the matching platform route

For an AMD system, use the monitor's FreeSync Premium path. Supported NVIDIA graphics can use its G-Sync Compatible route. Enable the display option and matching graphics control, select native QHD at the intended refresh and test a game whose output varies naturally. Dual support offers ownership flexibility; it is not a command to activate both brand names on one GPU.

If tearing returns, confirm the game opened on the correct monitor and mode. Check refresh after a driver change, remove an unnecessary adapter, and repeat the same camera pan through a direct connection. A frame cap or vertical-sync choice can interact with the wider setup, so change one control at a time and record the stable configuration.

At R10,999, the XG27AQDMG pairs variable-refresh flexibility with a 240Hz ceiling and extremely quick WOLED transitions. High refresh reduces the interval between update opportunities, pixel response keeps moving edges clear, and adaptive sync coordinates irregular frame completion. These technologies complement one another, but each solves a different part of motion presentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What problem is adaptive sync designed to address?

It addresses the timing mismatch between completed frames and display scans, reducing visible tearing during variable output.

How does variable refresh differ from a fixed 240Hz mode?

A fixed mode follows a regular scan schedule, while variable refresh adjusts timing to align with the source within supported behaviour.

What does FreeSync Premium indicate here?

It is the XG27AQDMG's AMD adaptive-sync route for an appropriate supported graphics system.

What does G-Sync Compatible mean for this screen?

It provides an NVIDIA-compatible variable-refresh path when the monitor is used with supported NVIDIA graphics.

Why might a display include both standards?

Dual support preserves adaptive refresh across either major graphics ecosystem and makes later platform changes more flexible.

Can variable refresh repair poor game performance?

No. It presents changing output more coherently, but it cannot create frames or eliminate processing stalls.

Why can tearing return after a graphics setting change?

The change may reset the display mode, move output near a timing boundary or disable the selected adaptive-sync path.

Ready to make variable refresh a tested path rather than a logo in a settings menu? Compare Evetech's adaptive-sync monitors, configure the route for your graphics platform and verify it across both light and demanding scenes.