The FreeSync 2 evolution from AMD has been a game-changer. Especially for the gamers out there. The concept was announced back in 2017 during the CES 2017. However, the actual development of the technology and its products has been visible only for the last few months. In fact, FreeSync monitors alone will not be enough to bring forth all the benefits associated with the FreeSync 2 technology. It also needs a capable and supported graphics controller. That is precisely why we set out to list the best FreeSync 2 graphics cards that support the new adaptive refresh technology.
FreeSync and FreeSync 2 – An Overview
Source: AMD
We have been focussing on the graphics cards with the 144 Hz refresh rate. If you are playing a heavy-on-resources game, you will need to have access to a graphics controller that maintains tear-free performance and eliminates the stuttering effects. Of course, your monitor needs to have a variable refresh rate and supports the LFC requirements, but it cannot handle it alone without the active support of a capable graphics card.
FreeSync is all about providing a variable refresh rate for the monitors and graphics controllers. Your game will not skip frames or experience tearing or stuttering effects when your game jumps the refresh rates. The FreeSync 2 is what would add another layer of additional premium features.
FreeSync is not an upgrade to FreeSync. It is just an add-on that improves the functionality of FreeSync compatible devices a little ahead. The significant differentiators that FreeSync 2 adds include high dynamic range performance, Latency, and low frame rate compensation.
Also Read: Best FreeSync 2 Monitors List
Best FreeSync 2 Graphics cards
With that background knowledge, let us foray into the best graphics cards with support for FreeSync 2. Please note that almost all graphics cards that support FreeSync also support FreeSync 2 features. Of course, they need to be hooked up to a FreeSync 2 capable monitor for efficiency.
AMD Radeon RX 550
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The AMD Radeon RX 550 one of the prime and best entry-level options among the best FreeSync 2 enabled graphics cards. With a base clock speed of 1100 MHz and a memory capacity of 7000 MHz, it can be one of the excellent choices if you have a FreeSync monitor.
A few features we found exciting to include.
- The best option for budget users
- It has DVI-D, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort ports.
- Recommended PSU would be 400 Watts.
- The VRAM rating of the graphics card is 2GB GDDR5
AMD Radeon RX 570
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Are you looking for cost-effective graphics cards for your needs? Then, the AMD Radeon RX 570 should be an ideal choice for you. The AMD 5xx series does support CrossFire technology.
Some salient features worth mentioning can be
- An excellent choice for 1080p/4K gaming and quite stable at that.
- You have access to 60+ FPS and high/ultra picture settings.
- It will support AMD CrossFire if your game supports it.
- A boost clock speed of 1310 MHz and a core clock speed of 1168 MHz.
- The ports include 2x DVI, HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
- A full range of designs at your disposal.
- A cooler performance
Even though the card is best for 1080p gaming, it can be an issue concerning higher resolutions; it can be a power hog if you are using it in an overclock mode.
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
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The Vega Series of AMD Radeon graphics cards is a strong competitor to the high-end GPUs coming from NVidia. However, the performance and pricing have given rise to speculations. It is one of the best options for a FreeSync 2 enabled monitor.
What made us include it in our list of best FreeSync 2 graphics cards? We assume these reasons should suffice –
- It can be your best companion for your high-resolution FreeSync monitors.
- The core clock speed of 1156 MHz and a boost clock speed of 1471 MHz.
- The ports include HDMI, 3x DisplayPort
- The VRAM capacity of the graphics card is 8GB HBM2
It works excellent with FreeSync monitors but appears to be a little heavy on power usage.
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
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An excellent high-performance Graphics controller offers you a higher bandwidth regarding memory. It uses HBM2 memory technology, thereby making it one of the best options for your needs in high-end gaming.
Some of the features that the graphics card offers you include
- It uses efficient HBM2 memory technology, ensuring higher memory bandwidth.
- You have access to a boost clock speed of 1546MHz and a base clock speed of 1247MHz
- It performs excellently in resource-hungry games.
- Buying it with a FreeSync enabled monitor will help you save money.
- The recommended power is 750 Watts making it a little power-hungry.
AMD Radeon RX 580
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The graphics card can play the latest versions of the games with the highest Full HD resolution settings. If you are looking for cost-effective options for the best FreeSync 2 enabled graphics cards, the AMD Radeon RX 580 should be your best option.
What are the features that make it one of the excellent choices? We found these –
- A tremendous Full HD performance and a decent option for 1440p resolution
- Excellent value for money option.
- Steady performance at 60+ FPS and maxed picture settings
- A base clock speed of 1366 MHz and a boost clock speed of 1386 MHz.
The graphics card can be your best option for full HD performance, but it is a power hog in most aspects.
MSI Gaming Radeon Rx 580
Get access to an enhanced experience in terms of the best immersive graphical performance ever if you are looking for a high degree of VR gaming and entertainment. Powered by the Polaris architecture, this is an excellent option among the FreeSync 2 (now renamed to FreeSync Premium and Premium Pro) graphic cards.
Some of the features offered by the platform would include
- 8GB GDDR5 memory support should ideally meet most of your requirements.
- It also offers you an enhanced powerful dual fan option.
- The considerable heatsink should be one of the excellent options for effective heat dissipation.
- It avoids the fan noise by stopping the fans at low load conditions.
MSI Gaming Radeon RX 5500 XT
The graphic card comes with the FidelityFX, which is a high-quality post-process effect ever. The graphic card dos offer you a better degree of thermal performance. The focussed airflow can be one of the best features that makes it an excellent choice for the best FreeSync Premium graphic card.
A few of the features would include
- The best possible Aerodynamics efficiency.
- The Airflow Control Technology ensures a direct airflow through the heat pipes.
- The Zero Frozr technology takes care of power requirements by turning off the fans in cases of lower loads.
- An efficient overclocking through the use of MSI Afterburner.
The Concluding Thoughts
Gaming has been taking over all other tasks that we have been working with while on a PC. The graphics cards we have featured above should fulfill most of your needs in making your gaming an enriching experience.
We assume we have helped you choose the best graphics cards if you are looking for FreeSync 2 compatibility. In fact, it should be understood that you need to invest in an equally capable monitor for the best experience regarding stutter-free gaming.
