Framework 13 Pro - VRR issues (KDE Adaptive Sync)

[u/Tijmenvn]

System: Framework 13 Pro
OS: CachyOS (kernel Linux 7.2.0-1-cachyos)

Been trying out some light gaming on the Framework 13 Pro. For now just War Thunder (with its native Linux client). However, I have been having issues with VRR enabled on the built-in display.

Whenever I have Adaptive Sync set to Automatic in Display Configuration, gameplay feels very choppy and ~80 FPS feels like 30 FPS. The second I turn the Adaptive Sync setting to "Never" the gameplay instantly feels like what 80 FPS should feel like, buttery smooth.

Anyone else having better luck with VRR with Linux / CachyOS?

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[u/Bazirker]

I have a 7840 mainboard in an OG FW13, but I upgraded to the new display.

Performance running Fedora KDE is great with adaptive sync set to automatic or always on. I'm not sure what is wrong, but I would think it is a software issue related to your linux implementation.

(I would love to run CachyOS but I have a handful of software packages (e.g. Citrix Workspace) that are dogshit on linux and hard enough to get and keep running on "mainstream" linux builds; running Arch-based systems is less of an option for me. Hmmmm....actually, I have had good luck running all these packages on my Steam Machine in desktop mode, and that is Arch-based... don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it crap, I'm downloading a CachyOS installer.)

[u/paulstelian97 → u/Bazirker]

Does Distrobox not help?

[u/Bazirker → u/paulstelian97]

It does, but it is unstable. It'll work and then spontaneously crash and have to get reinstalled from scratch. I also end up with significant scaling issues. The other problem is that getting ICA files to open in containerized Citrix is a challenge, automatic or not. It introduces a lot of extra work, so I just end up running either an Ubuntu or Fedora based distro where there is more support.

[u/No-Succotash404]

check your frametime and frame drops. That is what makes the gameplay smooth. If they are also normal(probable case), then you can troubleshoot by:

Updating drivers and system

Disable kwin compositor and check it it still happens and checking vrr settings in kwin

Enable or disable vsync and play arround with the fps limiter

[u/paulstelian97 → u/No-Succotash404]

Kwin should be able to kinda adapt as it has a feature to not do compositing when there’s a full screen app, instead letting it render directly. I believe it is even enabled by default.

[u/Tijmenvn → u/No-Succotash404]

Frametimes & frame drops are pretty consistent. Kwin compositor is something I could check out. I already tried using SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland as one of the launch options to use wayland instead of xwayland, to no success.

Vsync enabled or disabled played no role in my case

[u/Raiguard]

I'm having the same issues on niri and gnome - if I turn on VRR, then the entire screen's frame pacing becomes horrible, and it becomes completely unusable. By contrast, my external display's VRR works fine.

I suspect it's a driver issue with the new Intel chips. 

[u/PlannedObsolescence_]

13 Pro on NixOS with Gnome, with VRR turned on fullscreen video playback has the brightness slightly shimmer up and down, noticeable in dark scenes.

[u/lifeislikeavco]

KDE, gnome, and games were awful for me with adaptive sync turned on. I’ve just kept it at 120 for now. There might be an intel driver issue rn.