I bought a 1080p 144Hz budget monitor (MSI PRO MP243L E14) for gaming, and it supports adaptive sync. However, I just realized it doesn't have a DisplayPort. My RTX 2080 has a DisplayPort, and I've heard mixed answers about whether I can use G-Sync or FreeSync through HDMI since the monitor only has HDMI 2.0 and a VGA port. Some say G-Sync could work over HDMI, while others insist it won't without DisplayPort. Can anyone clarify this for me? I'd hate to not be able to use the adaptive sync features I was looking forward to. Here's the [link to the monitor specs](https://www.msi.com/Business-Productivity-Monitor/PRO-MP243L-E14/Specification).
2 Answers
Adaptive Sync, FreeSync, and G-Sync are all variations of the same technology. Adaptive Sync is what DisplayPort 1.2a+ calls it, while VRR is the term for HDMI 2.1. Your 2080 only supports G-Sync through DisplayPort, and since your monitor has HDMI 2.0, it won't support G-Sync or FreeSync. So yeah, you might have a bit of a problem there with using VRR features on this monitor.
You can use FreeSync with an NVIDIA card since they added support in 2019, but only with monitors that have tested compatibility. Without DisplayPort, you’re out of luck with this setup. But your RTX 2080 does come with HDMI, so you can still use it for regular gaming, just not the VRR features.
I have a Zotac RTX 2080 too; it has multiple DisplayPorts and one HDMI. If you don’t want to return the monitor, just use the HDMI and forgo the adaptive sync.