AMD FreeSync And LG 34UM67 Widescreen Monitor Review
Introduction and Specifications
Soon after NVIDIA unveiled its G-SYNC technology, AMD announced that it would pursue an open standard, dubbed FreeSync, leveraging technologies already available in the DisplayPort specification to offer adaptive refresh rates to users of some discrete Radeon GPUs and AMD APUs. AMD’s goal with FreeSync was to introduce a technology that offered similar end-user benefits to NVIDIA’s G-SYNC, that didn’t require monitor manufacturers to employ any proprietary add-ons (like NVIDIA’s G-Sync module), and that could be adopted by any GPU maker.
Though there were some technologies already available within the existing embedded DisplayPort specifications to support adaptive refresh rates, AMD still had to dedicate the resources necessary to enable FreeSync with its GPUs. AMD also had to help develop the software and hooks necessary for display manufacturers to enable FreeSync in their monitor firmware, which is what AMD has been up to since the initial FreeSync announcements were made.
But now AMD is ready to release its first FreeSync capable set of drivers, and we’ve had the chance to play with them for a little while using a sleek, ultra-widescreen display from LG. The LG 34UM67 features an IPS panel with a native resolution of 2560x1080 and a max refresh rate of 75Hz. The monitor’s full list of specifications are below, but we’ll dig into it—and AMD FreeSync—a little deeper on the pages ahead...
At first glance, the LG 34UM67’s ultra-wide, 21:9 aspect ratio immediately stands out. A display like this one, with its 2560x1080 resolution, offers significantly more pixels than today’s common 1920x1080 (standard 1080p) displays on its horizontal axis. Though it’s not quite like having two displays, the additional pixel real-estate of an ultra-widescreen like the 34UM67 is easily appreciated.
In terms of features, the LG 34UM67 has a little something for everyone—an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, built in speakers, multiple display inputs, thin bezels, and easy to use controls. Of course, there’s also support for FreeSync, which is what you gamers are probably most interested in. More on that in a just a bit.
Though there were some technologies already available within the existing embedded DisplayPort specifications to support adaptive refresh rates, AMD still had to dedicate the resources necessary to enable FreeSync with its GPUs. AMD also had to help develop the software and hooks necessary for display manufacturers to enable FreeSync in their monitor firmware, which is what AMD has been up to since the initial FreeSync announcements were made.
But now AMD is ready to release its first FreeSync capable set of drivers, and we’ve had the chance to play with them for a little while using a sleek, ultra-widescreen display from LG. The LG 34UM67 features an IPS panel with a native resolution of 2560x1080 and a max refresh rate of 75Hz. The monitor’s full list of specifications are below, but we’ll dig into it—and AMD FreeSync—a little deeper on the pages ahead...
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In terms of features, the LG 34UM67 has a little something for everyone—an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, built in speakers, multiple display inputs, thin bezels, and easy to use controls. Of course, there’s also support for FreeSync, which is what you gamers are probably most interested in. More on that in a just a bit.
