Framegen + Freesync frametime spike due to monitor jumping to max Hz for a single frame

[hellypi]

Game name and version:

Cyberpunk 2077 (GOG), Witcher 3 Next Gen (GOG)

Mods and mod versions used

OptiScaler_v0.7.7-pre8_20250418 + Fakenvapi 1.2.1 + Nukem 0.130

GPU

RX 9070XT

OS

Win 11

Used automated or manual install?

• [X] Automated
• [ ] Manual

If on AMD/Intel and Automated, used DLSS inputs?

• [X] Yes
• [ ] No

In witcher 3, used DLSS input and in Cyberpunk I have FSR 3 selected in game. DLSS frame gen selected on both.

Did you check the Wiki?

• [X] Yes, and I could not find any info about this problem
• [ ] No

Please describe the issue and steps to reproduce it

With Frame Gen enabled, freesync does not work correctly because for a single frame the monitor jumps to max hz. My monitor is 165 Hz and I can notice the stutter whenever it jumps to 165 or close to that, I have also recorded two videos in slow motion of this phenomenon happening in witcher 3 and cyberpunk 2077. It cannot be low frame compensation because the monitor goes as low as 48fps before that kicks in, and I have made sure that the base framerate is above that.

I have attached

• [X] 2 slow motion video files showcasing the problem. The big number is the monitor refresh rate, while the small number is the optiscaler overlay

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0856b918-6c69-4e8f-a7d8-414c3073dcf1 https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/880a1402-a58d-47b7-8294-27b61c047249

[aufkrawall]

I suspect something with HAGS is broken with RDNA4 and/or current drivers. On RDNA3 some months ago, it used to improve frame pacing with FSR FG. Seems to be the opposite now with RX 9070. In case of regular FSR 3.0 FG, this is also visible in RTSS frame time graph (gets bold with HAGS on).

[hellypi]

I suspect something with HAGS is broken with RDNA4 and/or current drivers.

I tried turning off HAGS and I don't think it made any difference in my situation unfortunately. It might be better but I wouldn't be able to tell you if it's placebo or not. I will test it better when I have time to play videogames again and let everyone know

[FakeMichau]

If you are sure it's caused by a frame having a really low frametime then you could try using an external fps limit to make those frames wait. It's important that it's not trying to use reflex to limit fps, that you can already do in Opti, and that doesn't guarantee the correct frametime.

[AEAD1337]

I also had this in Witcher 3 Next Gen with DX12 when using FSR3 framegen on a 9070 XT. Limiting the FPS in Opticaler solved it.

[deennyy]

Same issue for me on a 9070, I made a reddit post about it some time ago to no avail, here it is if you want to read my symptoms: https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDHelp/comments/1kyi7n0/fsr_frame_generation_breaks_vrr/

Although what I ended up doing was, I made some slow-mo videos with my phone where I played a game with FSR FG enabled in two scenarios - with VRR enabled and VRR disabled. The VRR disabled one had screen tearing, the VRR enabled one, even though the OSD of my monitor showed a refresh rate that was out of sync with the game's fps, didn't have screen tearing, so I concluded that VRR is probably working correctly, just my monitor's OSD is not reporting the refresh rate correctly for whatever reason.

This isn't really even an optiscaler issue, it's an AMD issue it seems, but I thought I'd post my 2 cents here to bring attention that multiple people have this issue.

[aufkrawall]

I suspect this isn't necessarily caused by FG, but FG and HAGS can make the symptoms far more severe. Even without FG and without HAGS, Talos Reawakened could cause bad VRR flicker on my IPS monitor on the 9070, albeit not too bad frame time variance. I switched to RTX 3060 and then 5070, and there has been zero VRR flicker on both cards with and without FG and HAGS. OptiScaler + NukemFG works just fine on both cards too, totally smooth camera panning at 99% GPU load. So my best guess would be that something with VRR is just broken in general on RDNA4, and some GPU loads/frame time variances, HAGS and FG can make it worse, especially at ~100% GPU load.

[AEAD1337]

For me on a 120hz VRR screen it was like this:

Witcher 3 Next Gen 4.04 with Opti + nukems + fakenvapi

• Opti: fine
• Opti + nukems: huge periodic frame time spikes, basically unplayable
• Opti + nukems + frame rate limit in Optiscaler, set just below 120 FPS: fine

In Adrenalin I always have the frame rate target control enabled at 118 FPS and (of course) VRR enabled.