What is Double Buffering?
One way to reduce stuttering caused by V-Sync is to use a technique called double buffering. This technique uses two back buffers, so the graphics card can process two images simultaneously. When one back buffer has been processed, it is exchanged for a front buffer, while the other back buffer is processed. Thus, the graphics card can continue to work without having to wait for the swap buffer.
Double buffering can increase the frame rate, as the graphics card can take advantage of the time it has to process the next image. However, double buffering also has disadvantages. If the graphics card processes images too quickly, then buffer swaps can occur more frequently than the screen refresh rate. This can cause tearing, as buffer swaps can occur in the middle of a screen refresh.
What is Triple Buffering?
To solve the tearing problem caused by double buffering, there is a technique called triple buffering. This technique uses three back buffers, so the graphics card can process three images simultaneously. When one of the back buffers has been processed, it is exchanged for a front buffer, while the other two back buffers are processed. Thus, the graphics card can continue to work without having to wait for the swap buffer.
Triple buffering can eliminate tearing, as buffer swaps won’t occur more often than a screen’s refresh rate. This is due to the presence of a third back buffer, which serves as a backup buffer. If the graphics card processes images too quickly, buffering swap will not occur until the vertical blanking interval. If the graphics card is too slow to process images, then the swap buffer will use a third back buffer, which may have been pre-processed. Thus, the displayed image will always be intact and not cropped.
Triple buffering can also reduce stuttering, as the graphics card can select the most recent image from three back buffers. This can make the image look smoother and more responsive because the image displayed will always match the user’s input. Triple buffering can also increase frame rates, as the graphics card can take advantage of the time it has to process the next image.
How do I enable triple buffering?
To enable triple buffering, you need to change the settings on your device. There are two ways to enable triple buffering: through system settings or application settings.
Through System Settings
This applies to all apps that use graphics, such as games, videos, or browsers. You need to change the settings on your graphics card control panel, be it NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel. Here are the steps:
- Open your graphics card control panel. You can do this by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting the appropriate option, or by searching for the name of your graphics card on the Start menu.
- Select the option related to 3D Settings, Gaming, or Graphics. The name of this option may vary depending on your graphics card.
- Look for options related to Vertical Sync, V-Sync, or Wait for Vertical Refresh. The name of this option may also vary depending on your graphics card.
- Change the value of this option to On, Enabled, or Use the 3D application setting. This value can be a drop-down option, checkbox, or slider.
- Search for options related to Triple Buffering. The name of this option is usually the same for all graphics cards.
- Change the value of this option to On or Enabled. This value is usually a checkbox.
- Click Apply, OK, or Save to save your changes.