Downsampling with AMD: Guide and Demonstration

So as mentioned... it isn't for EVERY game. I tried Batman AC benchmark and from using 8xFSAA at 92fps average and 57 min... I go down to 82fps average and 34 min with only downsampling and no FSAA... It's a big enough drop that is very noticeable in the sections that it dips really low. There's some areas too that it just dips WAY below that... maybe in the 20s.

This game still has issues with crossfire scaling correct? I just bought it during the Steam sale last week, so I haven't played it at all.

 

Is that FSAA or MSAA? because pure MSAA is not FSAA as it does not sample all textures (leaves out on alpha/transparent textures) therefor only SSAA is considered FSAA.

Having said that SSAA can be more performance consuming than MSAA8x, especially 2x2 (4x) SSAA therefor the performance you are having is probably similar to what would be expected when using a similar SSAA level for that game. So yes downsampling will not always provide better performance but will in most cases at least match SSAA for the given quality level.

Not sure about crossfire as I run a single card.

 

This mod does not work with DVI connectors correct? I am using a DVI to HDMI adapter from my video card to HDTV due to some games like Crysis not detecting 60 hz correctly with HDMI to HDMI connections.

It doesn't work for me so want to confirm everyone who has it working are indeed using HDMI to HDMI connections between video card and HDTV/monitors.

Lastly - anyone compared AA quality between DSAA vs SSAA? I know AMD uses SRGSSAA which looks great but the performance is killer.

 

I'm using DVI (as are most probably) and it works correctly. It also works correctly with HDMI for my HDTV. Have not tried with adapters so can not comment.

It should provide similar quality to SSAA, with varying degrees of slight blur between both depending on game etc. Overall not a substitute for proper SSAA but comparable and compatible with most games unlike SSAA.

I have not made any comparison shots but they would be helpful and might follow soon.

 

Yep, I meant FSAA as in SSAA... I didn't use any MSAA either.

SO!!!! It's a driver issue with the 12.7s and AC. I just installed the 12.4s and I am getting 124fps average and 84fps min. So it works perfectly fine with downsampling. It's a huge drop from no MSAA, FSAA or FXAA. Without them on and just simply 1920x1080 res, I get 242fps average and 127fps min.

 

hi, dose the down sampling still work if i chose for example 2560x1600 in windows and in game?

 

It should work fine whether you use the custom resolution from windows and games or only in games. I would recommend just using it in games as the much higher resolution will probably make it difficult to navigate the desktop.

 

Hey, thanks for the info. I was wondering something tho' - is it possible to run at 2560x1440 (16:9) on a 16:10 monitor? I don't see a way to do it. I've tried my monitor's aspect settings and they all result in my game stretching to fill the screen. The reason I ask is that I'm FRAPSing all my class quest stuff in SWTOR, and capturing 2560x1440 at one-quarter resolution would give me exactly 720p dimensions. If I go 2560x1600 I'd have to letterbox the sides or crop the top and bottom.

 

Try playing around with the HDisplay/VDisplay or Overscan Settings in the DownsampleGui.

 

You can easily take screen shots with any resolutions the game is running in, and it will stay that way no matter how your monitor displays it..because..

2560x1440 resolution in the game, with screenshots..will still be 2560x1440 outside the game. Because its just your monitor resizing the video link from your GPU.

 

Yep, last two posts nailed it.

If you must fill your screen without stretching then will need to use some form of over-scanning method (as mentioned by teleguy) to zoom in but then you lose the sides to the image (16:9 on a 16:10 display causes black bars at top). Other than that there is no way change to do this as it is based on the physical characteristics of your display.

The other method, as mentioned by Raiga, is to simply record at a 16:9 resolution and allow the black bars on the screen as it it's only temporary and when you are finished recording just revert to a 16:10 resolution. As the video was recorded at a 16:9 resolution it will fit the physical dimensions of a 16:9 display/hdtv and can be viewed normally.

 

excellent thread! funny, now i can play games on 2560x1440 >_<
oooo the holy power of 3gb Vram
thanks!!

Edit:

Question: 2560x1440 on desktop gives me kinda fuzzy/blurry fonts. any fix ?

at this point, i am using 2560x1440 in games only. but i would love to have my Text on desktop fixed too!

 

Try disabling clear type/font smoothing.

 

I don't think there is a fix, because your monitor is always doing the scaling down to native res, which your PC isn't aware of with this trick. I only ever use it in games too because there's really no point in downscaling the desktop IMO.

 

Raster/bitmap images sometimes aren't going to be properly displayed if it follows perfect 1:1 pixel ratio without scaling/resizing on screen (like desktop GUI), but works fine if the same is actually scaled(rescaled) by any method as per resolution displayed on screen via overlay, renderer and such; like in games or flash etc...

Thats why the fonts and certain elements on desktop won't look properly..if I am not wrong.

Also this produces very minor artifacts sometimes in games, but its mostly unseen/trivial over the very positive aspects of overall screen scaling to improve visual quality. (I notice this in Skyrim, especially when the weapons come up during loading screen in ENB DOF. But in other games its perfectly fine)

 

I am using the AMDDownsamplingGUI since two months with my LG Flatron W2442PA (Standard 1920x1080)
First I´ve set the resolution for games and desktop to 2560x1440.
But now, since a few days, I test 2720x1530 (16:9) on the desktop.
For games,i use now 2880x1620 (16:9).
sorry for my bad english.

ablev

 

SO glad you guys are enjoying downsampling! I use it for practically every game I play now.

You can leave your desktop at 1920x1080 or whatever and only choose 2560x1440 in games, and it'll automatically resize when you start the game. No need to ever have your desktop at 2560x1440.

 

Cool, setting VDisplay to 1080 fixed it. The game runs letterboxed top and bottom now but I expected that. It's an acceptable tradeoff for FRAPS. Thanks!

Edit: spoke too soon. >_< Running SWTOR at 16:9 gives the correct ratio for the ingame UI, but the rendered models and textures and stuff are squashed vertically. I don't get it.

Could someone running at 2560x1440 on a 16:9 monitor give me the full list of numbers? For anyone that's curious, here's what I got running 2560x1600 at 16:10:

Code:

AdapterIndex: 0
DisplayIndex: 4
TimingStandard: 8
PossibleStandard: 15
(I'm guessing the lines above this should not be changed)

RefreshRate: 60
Width: 2560
Height: 1600
TimingFlags: 8
HTotal: 2080
HDisplay: 1920
HSyncStart: 1968
HSyncWidth: 32
VTotal: 1235
VDisplay: 1200
VSyncStart: 1203
VSyncWidth: 6
PixelClock: 15400
HOverScanRight: 0
HOverScanLeft: 0
VOverScanBottom: 0
VOverScanTop: 0

 

Your display might compensate by stretching it vertically to fit the screen but the actual video/images themselves will be 2560x1440 (16:9). Just follow the instructions in the guide and enter a 16:9 resolution for width/height, nothing else needs changing.

You might want to remove the old settings first though. To check the video images afterwards swap back to your displays native aspect ratio/resolution.


Couple of images I did on my 16:10 display.


2560x1440




Same image reduced to 1920x1080.




Edit.

If you really want to/need to view the 16:9 resolution without stretching (squishing?) then you will likely need to change the over scan numbers.

Code:

HOverScanRight: 0
HOverScanLeft: 0
VOverScanBottom: 0
VOverScanTop: 0

As you have a 16:10 display the only difference is the vertical resolution. IN this case (1600-1440) 160 pixels. So to add black bars and remove stretching you would likely need to compensate for this by adding 80 to both the VOverScanTop and VOverScanbottom entries.

In the case of squishing (which seems the complete opposite of what would be expected and what I experienced when running a 16:9 resolution) you would add the same 80 pixels but to the HOverScanRight and HOverScanleft fields.

The above is just what I would expect the entries to be. Though as stated there should be no need to make these changes just for temporary viewing.

 

I cant get it to work for me. My resolution is 2560x1600 so if I go anything higher I always get a black screen/crash.

Nice tool for other people.