I'm trying to grasp how delay works in online gaming. Is it as straightforward as adding my ping (like 15ms) to my monitor's refresh rate (say 120Hz, which is 8ms), giving me a total of 23ms delay? If that's not the case, what's the right way to calculate total delay? Just a heads up, I'm trying to take full advantage of my 120Hz monitor!
3 Answers
Just to clarify, a 15ms ping while gaming doesn’t directly relate to your refresh rate—it’s more about the data traffic and the server's load. 15ms is pretty solid and indicates smooth performance! If you're experiencing lag while playing, it’s likely a system issue.
It's a lot more complicated than it seems, especially when online gaming is included. Tools like Presentmon can help you measure your PC latency, which combines game and render queue latency. With online games, the delay will depend on the netcode they use. If you want a simpler look, for games that use non-predictive netcode, then adding your ping can work, but it’s really just scratching the surface!
Also don’t forget about perceived latency! It can really mess with your experience.
And keep in mind, different games can have very different latencies, even at the same framerates. Tech like Reflex, AntiLag, and others might help too!
You can’t just add those two numbers together! Online sync delay is often viewed separately from system latency. Just adding your monitor's refresh interval to system latency usually gives you the worst-case scenario. Remember, system latency includes a lot more than just that.
Everything seems to be running smoothly for me; I was just really trying to understand how it all works. Getting old, I guess!