NVIDIA's new G-Sync variable refresh rate technology is slowly being rolled out to consumers in the form of new monitors and DIY upgrade kits that can be used to add G-Sync functionality to existing displays. The first G-Sync capable monitor to support the DIY upgrade kit path is the ASUS VG248QE which is a 24" 1080p 144Hz TN panel. The monitor itself costs around $270 and the you can now purchase a G-Sync DIY upgrade kit from NVIDIA for $199.
The upgrade kit comes with a replacement controller board, power supply, HDMI cable, plastic spudger, IO shields, and installation instructions. Users will need to take apart the VG248QE monitor, remove the old PCBs and install the G-Sync board in its place. According to NVIDIA the entire process takes about 30 minutes though if this is your first time digging into monitor internals it will likely take closer to an hour to install.
The NVIDIA G-Sync DIY kit below the ASUS VG248QE monitor.
For help with installation, NVIDIA has posted a video of the installation process on YouTube. If you find text and photos easier, you can follow the installation guides written up for PC Perspective by Allyn Malventano and reader Levi Kendall. Both DIY kit reviews stated that the process, while a bit involved, was possible for most gamers to perform with a bit of guidance.
You can order the DIY upgrade kit yourself from this NVIDIA page.
Alternatively, ASUS is also releasing an updated version of the VG248QE monitor with the G-Sync board pre-installed in the first half of this year. This updated G-Sync monitor will have an MSRP of $399.
With the G-Sync kit at $199, will you be going the DIY path or waiting for a new monitor with the technology pre-installed?
Read more about NVIDIA's G-Sync display technology at PC Perspective including first impressions, installation, and more!
Pay $200 and void monitor’s
Pay $200 and void monitor’s warranty, so that you can be one of the first to try G-Sync on a TN panel.
Sounds great…..
I would much rather save
I would much rather save money for a 27″ IPS 2560×1440 regardless how butter smooth this is. A bigger monitor will give you a better gaming experience.
Tom, please come back to
Tom, please come back to Kentucky and tell us how lucky we are that we can buy this for $200. I doubt you will sell enough at this price to make up for the cost of the bad publicity. Enjoy.
To be fair, this is a niche
To be fair, this is a niche limited supply product. That somewhat necessitates a higher pricetag unless NVIDIA was willing to eat the cost to subsidize it.
They should since they are
They should since they are requiring you to have a Nvidia GPU that is compatible in order to use it. Not many video cards came with DP connectors prior to last year.
People who bought the monitor are now loosing DVI, HDMI, Speakers and audio pass-through as well as voiding their warranty.
Tim, I meant Tom from nvidia,
Tim, I meant Tom from nvidia, not you in my post. And though their hardware might be niche, variable frame rates will be the norm in the future, with or without their hardware. I do appreciate their getting the ball rolling, I should add.
lol $200 ..that AMD FreeSync
lol $200 ..that AMD FreeSync is sounding better now
Sounds great “IF” it ever
Sounds great “IF” it ever arrives.
Nvidia is charging early
Nvidia is charging early adopters ~ $80 more and attempting to make the original $399 price tag seem more reasonable. Either way this will be the cheapest model as the only other 24inch screen from benq is $399 without G-sync and all the other models are 27inch. I could picture replacing my 22inch LG 60hz screen when the $399 is available at Frys Electronics and maybe replacing my gtx 670 with a 780 superclocked.
I expect ZERO price drops for
I expect ZERO price drops for a while excluding just cheaper monitors with it until there is some direct competition. Early adopters should not feel bad if they enjoy the tech because it will be a while before we see any price drops/competition.
We need more tape!!!
Nvidia
We need more tape!!!
Nvidia should have included a tape roll in the DIY Kit considering how cheaply these things are held together.
Nvidia G-Sync Tape $$$
Holds your monitor together with no tearing.
A $260 dollar monitor with a $200 G-Sync Kit being held together by tape.
LOL!!!
roflmao. nvidia meeting,
roflmao. nvidia meeting, worker: how should we mount this? Tom: tape baby, tape!
it should be obvious i’m not on the nvidia team. im a tech fan for sure and every year has some crazy desirable releases and this is brilliant really. the price does seems too high though.
if Nv holds to their standard “it’s our ball, you can’t play” attitude, the final impact on gaming as a whole will be no better than physx, marginal.
simple licensing of physx and gsync could have changed the PC gaming landscape, instead they will stick to a yard that is 58% clipped.
I dont know what nvidia plan
I dont know what nvidia plan with g-sync but nvidia has been licensing physx for years. They even mafe official statement offering AMD to license physx but AMD decline the offer back in 2009. Back then amd work with bullet physics engine to make gpu accelerated physics using opencl. Fast forward to 2014 i still haven’t seen a single game use gpu accelerated bullet in game. There are games use the bullet engine but none of them have gpu acceleration.
ahhh, forgot I had read that
ahhh, forgot I had read that before. so AMD is likely to take the same stance with gsync because of the freesync implementation they are pushing.
I can’t win for losing.
thanks for the insight.
That was the key.
AMD/ATI was
That was the key.
AMD/ATI was invested in OpenCL and Nvidia after buying Aegia PhysX incorporated it into CUDA. AMD/ATI would have had to support CUDA going forward if it was to support PhysX acceleration. It was more of a trick play from Nvidia to advance its agenda.
Nvidia before hand was using Havok. After they purchased Aegia they severed their relationship with Havok.
Nvida bought Aegia
Intel bought Havok
AMD stuck to OpenCL
I say, it cost just to much
I say, it cost just to much for now.
270$ for monitor, and 200$ for Kit, I rather buy 2nd monitor for these money…and also it removes all inputs except DP.
I know G-Sync is only through a DP, but I have other stuff cobled up to my monitors like for example a Console.
It’s a no, no for how little it brings and how much it cost….
Although DIY can be fun… in
Although DIY can be fun… in this case I’ll wait for all the companies to put out products and let competition bring that price down.
The thought of having smooth frame rates makes me weak in the knees, but I do not feel compelled to spend the 200 bucks on kit. 399 is not too bad for the price.
I would like to see manufacturers setting up demos in the Best Buys, J&Rs, Micro Centers, and other known chains that our crown might frequent to sell us on how awesome this is… this is a product where seeing is believing, no?
The Obamacare DIY
The Obamacare DIY appendectomy kit is only $300