I've been using Linux Mint for almost three months now, and I've noticed that G-Sync or Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) doesn't seem to be working for me. I mainly play rogue-lite games, so I usually get about 165 fps and didn't think there was an issue until now. While I enjoy using Mint and I prefer its GUI options over the terminal, I'm considering switching to a different distro just to get G-Sync fully functional. I find the choices overwhelming because it feels like there's always some imperfection to deal with. VRR seems like a nice feature, though. I'm here to sort my thoughts and would appreciate any tips or recommendations regarding this. By the way, my specs are an AMD Ryzen 5800X3D CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce 3060 Ti GPU, and a 165 Hz G-Sync monitor.
3 Answers
If you're looking for a more straightforward setup, it might be worth trying Kubuntu or PikaOS KDE Edition, which are built on the same base as Mint but include better support for gaming features like VRR and HDR. These distros are also user-friendly and stable, especially if you're looking to switch to KDE.
You should check if you can enable G-Sync in your Nvidia settings; it usually works well there. However, keep in mind that for some setups, especially with Cinnamon, VRR can be a bit iffy if you're not playing in fullscreen. If you want a smoother experience, switching to Wayland might help.
You can actually enable VRR on Linux Mint since it uses X11. Just make sure your monitor is connected via DisplayPort, as not all HDMI outputs support VRR properly. If your G-Sync monitor is validated, it should allow VRR automatically. You can check this in the Nvidia settings under the GPU section. If it's unvalidated, you may need to enable VRR manually in the settings under Display Configuration. Just keep in mind some monitors may only support VRR at certain refresh rates, like 144Hz instead of 165Hz.
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