Does Antialiasing / Transparency create input lag?

Discussion in 'Videocards - NVIDIA GeForce Drivers Section' started by Fabulist, Jan 6, 2014.

  1. Fabulist

    Fabulist Member

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    I have been trying to find a solid source about this, or even a couple of technical opinions, but I was not able to find anything but a few bits in regard to Supersampling on which some people claimed it increases their input lag and even less information connecting to MSAA (from Google).

    So lets assume we have the same amount of FPS (e.g. 300 / 125 / 120) regardless of whether we use Antialiasing, Transparencies, both or none.

    Would enabling MSAA 4x in a game create any kind of input lag?

    Would enabling MSAA 4x and 4x SuperSample create any kind of input lag?

    Would enabling a specific Antialiasing / Transparency setting or enabling both of them simultaneously create any kind of input lag?

    If anyone can give me some insight into these questions, whether it is a technical source or just their opinion, I would very much appreciate it.

    As for me, this question has been giving me headaches, as I could say it does give input lag sometimes, and others I am questioning myself (assuming stable and equal FPS). But if there is some input lag, it is so small that it makes me doubt myself enough that I think that I have fallen into the placebo void.

    Thanks to anyone who responds in advance!
     
  2. Pill Monster

    Pill Monster Banned

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    No
    No
    No
     
  3. bishi

    bishi Master Guru

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    No, but any perceived increase in input lag is likely due to lower / fluctuating framerates because of enabling these.
     
  4. Terepin

    Terepin Guest

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    Dude has gaming beast and asking this kind of questions? I wonder how much stupid can one be...
     

  5. Pill Monster

    Pill Monster Banned

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    Dude comes onto a tech forum asks a perfectly reasonable question, this is how you reply? I wonder how much more of a douche you can be....:3eyes:
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2014
  6. RealNC

    RealNC Ancient Guru

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    Yes, it can increase input lag in some games in combination with V-Sync. This is due to the amount of time needed to render the frame. In games that try to reduce V-Sync input lag by waiting until the last moment to prepare the frame before rendering it, so that they can read player input as late as possible, an increase in rendering time means that input has to be read earlier. Note that the overall frame latency stays the same (at a V-Synced 60FPS, that would be 16.6ms), but with the rendering time getting higher, the input is read further away from that 16.6ms mark (when the vblank signal happens in the monitor) in order to have enough time to render the frame before the 16.6ms pass. The further away input is read, the more input lag there is.

    However, some games do not try to decrease input lag at all and instead read input as early as possible; they are not waiting until the last moment to do so. MSAA will not increase input lag in those games (their input lag is already at the worst maximum value; it can't get any more worse than that.)

    With V-Sync off, frame latency will increase, which will also result in more input lag, but it's very minor compared to V-Sync on, because without V-Sync the vblank signal is ignored.
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2014
  7. Pill Monster

    Pill Monster Banned

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    Can I just point out that anything under 50ms rendering time is not noticeable as input lag by the user....... Vsync is noticable, because the mouse cursor updates the screen position a whole lot slower......:)
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2014
  8. Terepin

    Terepin Guest

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    As much reasonable as asking if rain is causing bad texture quality...
     
  9. RealNC

    RealNC Ancient Guru

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    Er... not sure about that :p 16.6ms sure is lower than 50...
     
  10. CalinTM

    CalinTM Ancient Guru

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    AA creates mouse input lag. You need a very high fps with AA on to not feel that input lag.
     

  11. Fabulist

    Fabulist Member

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    Pill Monster thank you for all your input.

    RealNC thank you for your input too. However, I would prefer we do not mix Vsync into this, it is irrelevant to the question and it could bring implications in regard to clarifying my inquiry - I am really only worried about Antialiasing.

    So since I am stupid and your basis of your mature and educated argument is the fact that I own a "gaming beast", why don't you provide us with your infinite technical insight on the matter, you obviously possess it, since you correspond to this question as if it is something that is globally known and understood.

    Don't you have something better to do but being rude and non-constructive?

    -

    To the rest, thank you for your responses, I will be looking forward to receiving more, hopefully.

    Please remember; the example is that we are having stable FPS in all alternatives, so the perceived input lag from frame drops should not be an assumption.
     
  12. Pill Monster

    Pill Monster Banned

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  13. RealNC

    RealNC Ancient Guru

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  14. Terepin

    Terepin Guest

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    Sure: http://bit.ly/19MzbYl
     
  15. jbmcmillan

    jbmcmillan Guest

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    Sure that's a lot more constructive.Asking this question on a tech forum that especially geared towards this kind of thing is lot more useful than just googling it.That's what the forum is designed to do.
     

  16. Terepin

    Terepin Guest

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    I would agree with it if his question was complex. But this is essential knowledge, therefore Google will do just fine.
    Besides, this kind of thinking of contra productive. If I dont know what AA is causing, I wont start asking about every possibility I can think of. I will ask what it can do, what are pros and cons.
    Not only answers, but question needs to be constructive as well.
     
  17. Pill Monster

    Pill Monster Banned

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    Read again, it's about rendering time (frame latency).
     
  18. Corbus

    Corbus Ancient Guru

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    I never experienced input lag from AA unless i had under 20 fps after activating AA but thats "everywhere lag" territory. If you have high fps there shouldnt be any reason for input lag to occour unless you activate V-sync...and even then not always.
     
  19. Terepin

    Terepin Guest

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    Frame lag, not input lag.
     
  20. Fabulist

    Fabulist Member

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    The only one here being contra productive is you and I do not see the reason why, are you trying to prove something?

    For starters, providing a Google search of something that I already stated that I did search in my main post does not really answer anything, review what I wrote on my primary post before bloating the thread with useless posts.

    Secondly, you claim this is essential knowledge. However, I see that you are providing zero technical proof on the matter - I know exactly what AA is, but since no actual information in regard to such a side effect exists, I wanted to seek a technical or opinion oriented answer here.

    If you feel my question is being non-constructive, why bother answering by being rude / spamming / trying to start a flame war?

    Since you know something definite about it and since it is "essential knowledge" provide us with your in-depth technical justification about it, otherwise you are just embarrassing yourself with your behaviour.
     

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