New Nvidia driver 344.48 - WHQL

[SteveW 1,792]

Another problem one might experience is the NI Profile must be recreated. I've explained the best way to get a fresh NI Profile in the link below. For those that are interested in AA techniques, the NVidia Control Panel does not include SGSSAA because it's not normally required. For Sparse Grid implementations we have to use NVidia Inspector to set that configuration on the GPU. The application of DSR, AA, Sparse Grid, Filtering, and VSync is confusing and tricky. Here I've broken it down into sections of the most important bits. I've hopefully shed some light on the proper use of NI, and SGSSAA. More about using NI for DX9, DX10, and DX11

[Zgredd 4]

Did you get it going? You have to switch modes with ALT+ENTER after making changes to the custom resolutions.

Ye ye, just x2 didn't worked, x4 about 15-20 fps drop when in fog weather, NGX and busy airport and "smooth" looks terribly.

I've got 24'' LCD and in 1080p P3D looks well enough to lose another FPS.

[SteveW 1,792]

x4 about 15-20 fps drop

hey Frank, I found with increases in resolution, P3D degrades more readily than FSX. Worth a try though, and still useful for switching in for screenshots. 

[HUSSAR 272]

What about the desktop screen resolution, have you matched that to what the resolution in P3D/FSX is set to?

[jjjallen 37]

Except for basic AA driver level settings, I've found that DSR yields such good IQ that NI is not required.  Will keep experimenting however.

 

Regards

jjs 

[SteveW 1,792]

I've found that DSR yields such good IQ that NI is not required

Unfortunately SGSSAA is still required for some models in DX10 and DX11. Please checkout my earlier posts.

 

 

What about the desktop screen resolution, have you matched that to what the resolution in P3D/FSX is set to?

Yes, but it's only really required for FSX Window Mode to get the higher resolution. FSX fullscreen game mode and P3D fullscreen window mode switch in with the ALT+ENTER key combination.

[SteveW 1,792]

DSR uses a starting resolution and compresses it into a smaller resolution for what might appear to be superior anti-aliasing, but in fact is superior downscaling - fitting into a smaller window. The graphics quality will be lost without the application of texture filtering or anisotropic modes. Pre-rendering of AA and filtering modes are required before the application of DSR. DSR will reduce the image accurately and so we will see a smaller implementation of the original image. When we get crumpled instruments in some planes we apply SGSS with NI, we only get that in DX10 and DX11, and still need to apply it before DSR.
 
Here's a sample of DSR in action:

...technically that's less detailed than the original because it's a 75% .jpg. The sampling is equivalent to 4xSSAA and 4xDSR. The application of SGSSAA would make the tiny writing harder to read.

[Richard Sennett 2,499]

DSR uses a starting resolution and compresses it into a smaller resolution for what might appear to be superior anti-aliasing, but in fact is superior downscaling 

 

Exactly thats why I dont use it - I have found no benefit due to my monitor quality and resolution 

[denali 74]

 

 

Keep in mind that DSR is not implemented if you have multiple monitors.

 It does. You just select the oversize with each monitor within P3D.

[fulcrum_64th 9]

Does DSR works with nVidia surround and 3 monitors?

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

What DSR factors and smoothness settings are folks landing on? And in-sim AA / FXAA settings?

 

I'm currently running DSR @2X, smoothing at 33%, FXAA off and MSAA @2X. Loving it!

Same here...simply amazing...and no drop in FPS!!!   This really has given users the full juice that was always in their card...but could not see it at their native resolution. Simply amazing... 

[gmoneyprs 2]

Ye ye, just x2 didn't worked, x4 about 15-20 fps drop when in fog weather, NGX and busy airport and "smooth" looks terribly.

I've got 24'' LCD and in 1080p P3D looks well enough to lose another FPS.

 

That would appear to be normal. Just to make sure we're all on the same page (I think DSR was covered significantly in another thread): you're asking the program-in-question to render at x times your "normal" resolution. Regardless of how the program looks--monitors, other nVidia settings, placebo, etc. aside--the hardware is doing x times the number of work for what may be a marginal improvement.

 

A topic rarely covered here in the FS community, at least to me, is how different hardware and [driver] configurations actually pan out in benchmarks. I'm an avid Futuremark user and, benchmark criticisms aside, such benchmarks show that, indeed, 4x DSR nets about 1/4 of the video performance. Likewise with the other multipliers.

 

These reason that folks aren't seeing performance degredation in many cases--especially with high-end GPUs--is because FSX and P3D rarely ratchet your GPU up to 100% utilization. Except in the case above, e.g. fog, clouds, precip and any and all sorts of bad weather.

 

Also keep in mind that your GPU memory will go up in a ~ 75% commensurate rate: e.g. if you set to 4x DSR, you can expect GPU memory to increase by 3x. I still need to do some more testing to exact these figures...

 

Lastly, the placebo (strictly and only with regard to performance, not quality) seems to be alive and well: all driver releases since 337.88 have performed slightly worse (roughly 1% or so). I'm sure that nVidia figures few will notice given the incentive to upgrade drivers for new title/game support and new features (e.g. DSR). I have not test the famed laptop driver, which apparently gets good performance marks although I've seen no related data to back that up.

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

That would appear to be normal. Just to make sure we're all on the same page (I think DSR was covered significantly in another thread): you're asking the program-in-question to render at x times your "normal" resolution. Regardless of how the program looks--monitors, other nVidia settings, placebo, etc. aside--the hardware is doing x times the number of work for what may be a marginal improvement.

 

A topic rarely covered here in the FS community, at least to me, is how different hardware and [driver] configurations actually pan out in benchmarks. I'm an avid Futuremark user and, benchmark criticisms aside, such benchmarks show that, indeed, 4x DSR nets about 1/4 of the video performance. Likewise with the other multipliers.

 

These reason that folks aren't seeing performance degredation in many cases--especially with high-end GPUs--is because FSX and P3D rarely ratchet your GPU up to 100% utilization. Except in the case above, e.g. fog, clouds, precip and any and all sorts of bad weather.

 

Also keep in mind that your GPU memory will go up in a ~ 75% commensurate rate: e.g. if you set to 4x DSR, you can expect GPU memory to increase by 3x. I still need to do some more testing to exact these figures...

 

Lastly, the placebo seems to be alive and well: all driver releases since 337.88 have performed slightly worse (roughly 1% or so). I'm sure that nVidia figures few will notice given the incentive to upgrade drivers for new title/game support and new features (e.g. DSR). I have not test the famed laptop driver, which apparently gets good performance marks although I've seen no related data to back that up.

I doubt that very much regarding your PLACEBO comment. I commented in another post on this thread, on a sprite out upon the spit of land at Belle River, Ontario, Canada, that before I went to 2 times my native resolution of 1920x1200, was just a sort of colored blob. Now...on the same monitor, it is exactly square, and looks like the foundation of the building, with colors that approximate the roof shingles. I see pools in their backyards from OBRX Global,, and their shape so clearly (at 3,500 feet AGL) that you could imagine where the steps lead into the shallow end. No sir...no placebo "er..well, I think I see an improvement!"   As long as my FPS and smoothness stays the same, and so far with only testing this out on P3D v2.4 (both stated..are maintaining), I can't see ever, where I would need to migrate beyond my present GTX 680 for present post-DSR graphics output  I would only have to, for an increase in on-board video memory, but certainly, no longer to get real-world clarity out of the graphics. No sir!   Orbx Global simply looks amazing....and yes...I am wearing out the word; 'amazing'...but what other word could describe my jaw-dropping, head-shaking...disbelief, that from what I HAD...pre DSR...to now what I see, post-DSR, on the same 1920x1200 native monitor....is anything other.....  H.S.!

 

Mitch

[gmoneyprs 2]

Woops. Let me back up: it's late and I omitted a key word in the context of "placebo" (thanks Mitch for pointing this out): I exclusively meant performance-related placebo. I can't speak to any quality advantages as of yet as I haven't run any titles and don't currently have P3D installed (changed out some hardware and wiped Windows). So sorry for that. I'll edit my prior post to make that clear.

 

Just ran a set of 3DMark11 benchmarks so everyone can see what happens to your GPU capability at the various multiplers (all of which were run with 33% smoothing). I'm sure the GPU (780 Ti) almost baked in the process:

 

Multipler       Score       % of Base

Base             5291             n/a

1.20x            4308            81.4%

1.50x            3594            67.9%

1.78x            3129            59.1%

2.00x            2819            53.3%

2.25x            2541            48.0%

3.00x            1949            36.8%

4.00x            1440            27.2%

 

These are only the graphics scores since we're obviously not concerned with my CPU or memory.

 

I will say that in staring at the benchmarks, I didn't exactly notice much difference in the quality but I'm certainly waiting until I get P3D back on in order to pass judgment with an actual non-benchmarking title.

 

Have not verified GPU memory usage in the same manner.... yet...

[vbazillio 2,242]

 

 

You mention you have used both drivers but do not mention the upside of going to the official driver - can you elaborate please - thanks 

 

After only 2 hours of IVAO flying, it's too short to conclude anything. Roughly I see no difference and at least I'm with official driver.

 

I wanted to make a quick test in real situation : IVAO, real weather with BKN layer, TrackIR. So far, with what I considere as minimum settings I'm pleased with overall performance and image quality. 

 

I was pretty reluctant to be force to check "Back-out desktop" and have my second monitor black but all in all it's not a big deal. The switch between fullscreen highrez and my regular native resolution is quite fast.

 

I was suprised to have very much less shimmering even without SGSS set (my favorite planes are Carenado C337 and Alabeo c172RG).

 

Next step is to monitored the performance impact with MSAA and SGSS set and try something bigger than DSR 2.00x for fun.

 

Let's see.