What is vsync for?

[The Strategy-Player]

What is v-sync for? Should I have it enabled or disabled? I have wondered about this since rtw. Does it increase stability or something? Negative benefits, positive benefits?

[crashxdjp]

I believe it puts a cap on your FPS. I always turn off vsync in any game.

[dearmad]

It times your refresh rate to the refresh rate of the monitor, "vertical synchronization."

While capping your output to no more than the refresh rate is a part of it, the synchronization part is the more important part- it holds the image until the split second your monitor is refreshing rather than beginning a new image halfway through displaying the old one and tearing the screen in half.

I always turn it on so that the images don't tear and look computery. It does not slow down frame rate unless you are getting framerates above the refresh rate of your monitor (60 fps minimum, I would think- more likely 75).

Enable triple frame buffering on your card to keep the fps higher with vsynch on as well.

In this game, if you are getting 60 fps at all times, you are lying, so...

I get 60 fps at times during small battles, but once the AI starts moving and flaming arrows are in the sky or during large battles it drops to 20 or so.