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Comment by bogwog | Hacker News Reader

I have a 165hz display that I use at 60hz. Running it at max speed while all I'm doing is writing code or browsing the web feels like a waste of electricity, and might even be bad for the display's longevity.

But for gaming, it really is hard to go back to 60.

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Mine supports variable refresh rate, which means for most desktops tasks (I.e when nothing is moving), it runs at 48Hz.

Incredibly, Linux has better support than windows for it on the desktop: DWM runs full blast, while sway supports VRR on the desktop. Windows will only enable it for games (and games that support it). Disclaimer: Wayland compositor required.

It’s not enabled by default on e.g. sway because on some GPU and monitor combos, it can make the display flicker. But if you can, give it a try!

I use KDE + Nvidia, and last I looked into it, it only worked if you had one monitor enabled. That's fine for gaming, not for working.

But it has been a while since I've tried it, maybe I should look into it again

AFAIK it’s very compositor-dependent. Works fine with disparate monitors on Sway + NVIDIA (1x144 VRR, 2x60 no VRR + 1x120 VRR when the TV is on).

The state of Wayland compositors move fast, so support may be here. Last thing I’m waiting for is sway 1.12 that will bring HDR.

Windows 11 idles at around 60 Hz in 120 Hz modes on my VRR ("G-SYNC Compatible") display when the "Dynamic refresh rate" option is enabled, and supports VRR for applications other than games (e.g., fullscreen 24 FPS video playback runs at 48 Hz* via VRR rather than mode switching, even with "Dynamic refresh rate" disabled).

* The minimum variable refresh rate my display (LG C4) supports is 40 Hz.

Ah, then Windows 11 has at least one improvement compared to Windows 10 as far as user experience goes. Good to know, as I never made the jump

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