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Graphics & Optimisation Settings For Beginners (Part 2)
Providing a brief explanation to more advanced graphical settings featured within games, part 2 will explore and simplify what these technologies mean and how they effect performance
As with Part 1, this article will be targeted towards optimisation & improving image quality on Low - Mid-range graphics cards.
This guide is suitable for modern games as well as older titles, although most will be featured in the newest titles.
As this is the final part to this guide, I encourage all who read to apply what they have learned, teach to others and speak with one another to share their results. I hope this will benefit your performance and image quality within your games.
Tessellation
Tessellation is a rendering technique designed to improve the detail of models and geometry within a game. It works by braking down the polygons of an object in to smaller pieces so that it appears more intricately detailed and refined in comparison to the real-world object it seeks to imitate. These feature was introduced with DirectX11 and was most prominently featured in Crysis 2. Enabling tessellation saw improvements to brick complexity, road surfaces, rubble depth and water movement.
Textures such as those applied to bricks and harsh surfaces received a bumpy and layered look, with an enhanced level of 3D surfaces, as opposed to the flat appearance in its standard appearance. For objects which consists of simulated movements such as water, destructible geometry, and Batman's cape in the Arkham series of games, tessellation adds a noticeable improvement and brings a level of enrichment to the environment as a whole. For certain titles and the implementation it may have received, it may not be all so noticeable and may not be worth the performance hit, if any.
What Should You Do?
As this setting is applied on a game by game basis and may not be have the available option to turn On or Off, the effect it can have on performance will vary greatly. If the game does provide the option for tweaking there's a slight chance it will have a noticeable effect on performance. Should the effect be to impactful with no real improvement to the level of detail within the game then it may be best to leave it Off. Should the title already receive the rendering technique – implemented as standard, then there's a strong chance it scales alongside the other graphical settings in the game, which means improvements will already be balanced in how well the graphical settings are applied as a whole.
Dynamic Resolution Scaling
Allowing the player to maintain a high frame rate, Dynamic Resolution Scaling is a process of rendering the in-game environment on a basis which scales detail, textures, lighting and resolution in a manner which is dynamic to the amount of performance the graphic card is able to provide. Where most games may simply just scale the resolution, other graphical settings can be taken in to account. In some instances, the effect may not be all too noticeable within its visual scaling even though the frame rate is still being sustained.
An example of this technique would be Rise of the Tomb Raider which is available to the PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and the PC. Set as default on the Xbox One and not available on the other three platforms, the game renders at 1920 x 1080p at 30fps during gameplay, along with reduced levels of graphical quality in comparison to the PC, this is something which remains true on the PS4 and the Xbox 360. The difference between these console versions resides in the cut-scenes, which sees the resolution on the Xbox One scaling down towards 1440 x 1080p.
This implementation allows the game to hold its frame rate with only a minor adjustment being made to its visual quality. As this technique works on a game by game basis, the effect of graphical settings being reduced in order to maintain the framerate is also specific to the game. This setting is applied to the majority of console games available, and the option on PC allows greater control of visual settings and the experience being delivered by the game. Titles which currently use this effect on the PC include Forza Motorsport 6: Apex, Titanfall 2, Gears of War 4, and Forza Horizon 3.
What Should You Do?
Proving to be the most beneficial in less-capable GPUs, the impact of a lower resolution isn't entirely all that noticeable depending on the amount of scaling that the game is being given to work with. Gears of War 4 allows gamers to set a scale of how far they're willing to allow the resolution to change in order to maintain the high frame rate. As the game will remain at the highest resolution during less-demanding scenes and adjust when it has to should the graphical rendering techniques be too demanding, it's best to apply this technique in regards to personal preferences, as well as the amount of options which are available to adjust.
Where Gears of War 4 allows for scaling of resolution, Forza Motorsport 6 allows each individual setting to be dynamic or set entirely together for the best possible performance. As with all games, the gamer should apply the graphical settings to an extent which they believe is possible with their PC's performance, then adjust as needed until they're pleased with their experience. The main benefit of this feature is the element of being dynamic, which in itself delivers the best implementation of graphical scaling as it will always prioritise the frame rate while attempting to keep visual settings at their best.
HD Texture Packs
Where graphical options will feature a selection of texture settings each improving on one and other through the means of higher resolutions be deployed across each of the settings, HD Texture Packs differ from such implementations in that their intentions are focused towards a certain minority. Where only a small number of gamers contain high-end graphics cards and monitors that are capable of displaying 4K resolutions and high frame rates, these texture packs see the most improvement when being experienced in this resolution as that's what they're developed for. While there are noticeable benefits on a 1920 x 1080p display, and even those of 2560 x 1440p, these texture packs hold their benefits in the game maintaining a high visual quality in the years that follow.
While some games such as The Witcher 3 or Ryse Son of Rome already contain a level of graphical quality which already incorporates a high enough amount of textures that will allow them to remain visually stunning for the years that will follow, others such as Gears of War 4, Watch Dogs 2, DOOM, or Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor take advantage of HD Texture Packs. The difference in how this feature is integrated resides to the layout of the graphical settings menu. When enabling the highest graphical setting, the textures option will not enable the HD textures unless the gamers chooses to do so manually.
The requirements for this feature isn't solely down to the amount of VRAM that's present on the GPU. It's also down to the speed of the memory, bandwidth, and clock speed of the GPU cores. A GPU may contain a high amount of VRAM but if the clock speed is unable to process the data fast enough, lacks the necessary bandwidth to store the data, or it just doesn't have the number of cores that's needed to meet the demands of the data, then the GPU will fall to maintain a high frame rate, which often results in stuttering due to the large amount of data that it's being asked to render. This graphical feature can best be thought of as "Future Proofing". It's the developers attempt to keep their games of a high visual quality, so that GPUs of the future will able to provide the required performance that the game calls for.
An example of this is the original Crysis, released in 2007. While the game is undoubtedly unoptimised, evident in fact since modern GPUs still have a hard-enough time trying to render the game, it still looks visually incredible, shaming a great number of current titles which fall short of its graphical quality. While the modern high-end graphics card are able to render such features and do so without having to compromise performance, it's the mid-range and the lower-spec GPUs of the future that will provide these games with an extended relevance, allowing them to continue their sales and still be visually remarkable.
What Should You Do?
Where textures are one of the many features that provide the most benefits for the graphical qualities of a game, as stated in Part 1 of this guide, it's best to balance this feature with other graphical settings and to do so while attempting to maintain the highest level of performance. Should the difference between a HD texture pack and the game's default highest texture setting not be apparent then it's best to leave it turned Off, as it will only interfere with the game's performance should the GPU lack the power to render other graphical settings at higher qualities. If a higher display is to be used and the visual difference is improved, then leaving it enabled will improve the experience, meaning the feature has met its intended purpose.
Subsurface Scattering
Functioning as a means to simulate the way light is absorbed by translucent objects, Subsurface Scattering provides a level of realism that appears natural within its approach. Surfaces such as skin, paper, glass and grass all contain a level of translucency which causes the surfaces to change colour when light shines through them. This can be most noticeably seen on elements such as ears, vases and certain materials in clothing. This also effects the textures of these objects as the colour will differ depending on the distance and the intensity of the light that's shining on them.
Without Subsurface Scattering, surfaces can appear stiff, hardened or solid, as though there's no flesh or internal structure to their models. This feature can be seen in titles such as Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Dues Ex: Mankind Divided, and Quantum Break. Depending on how well this effect has been implemented, the effect of enabling feature will differ for each specific game. The visual difference that this feature has is one that's clearly noticeable, in many instances not being so demanding.
What Should You Do?
As this feature isn't that demanding in the majority of titles, enabling it shouldn't see a major drop in performance. If it is available for adjusting then it's best to enable it while lowering other graphical settings which aren't that visually noticeable. This feature brings exceptional levels of detail when balanced with Texture Quality, Lighting Quality and Shadow Quality.
Temporal Filtering
Using a similar technique to the Checkerboard Rendering method being implemented on the PlayStation 4 Pro, Temporal Filtering is an upscaling technique that works by rendering the game at half the resolution of the display and combines it with X2 MSAA, then upscales it to accommodate the display. This rendering method of working with half the amount of pixels frees up performance from the GPU, along with MSAA which is less demanding than rendering the full resolution can provide an image that's still visually incredible.
While this method of rendering is by no means an improvement over rendering the image in its true resolution, it can provide a noticeable performance benefit when GPU resources aren't able to deliver. This technique is usually combined with a number of effects in post-processing that aids in improving the image, so that it's not blurry or suffering from pixel crawling. Games which currently incorporate this technique include Rainbow Six Siege, Watch Dogs 2, and Quantum Break.
What Should You Do?
In the situation where the graphics card lacks the necessary performance to render the game in its true resolution, applying this technique will certainly provide an incredible improvement to the experience. Halving the resolution provides the GPU with twice the amount of additional performance, which then gives way for the anti-aliasing method and post-processing to clean the final image.
PhysX
Where a large number of games utilise a Precompute technique in order to simulate the physical properties of certain objects within a game, which is effectively using identical animations for a given situation in order to portray the idea of physical simulation, PhysX technology takes a dynamic approach to calculating the physical properties of a given object in real-time. This is achieved by performing calculations on the GPU, which, unless implemented by the developer, was traditionally performed on the CPU.
As the PhysX technology is owned by Nvidia, the feature is part of the GameWorks technology suite is not available to those who own an AMD GPU. The benefits that PhysX can provide are on a game by game basis and how well the developers have chosen to implement the feature. PhysX works as a middle-layer for producing special effects, which in some ways can save the developers time as they will not have to create the same effects within their game engines. The downside to this however is that direct access to the code which the software has been developed on can prove to be limiting, meaning they don't have full control over how well the technology can be optimised to suit the effects they're looking to implement. An example of PhysX technology would be the use of physical simulations in Batman: Arkham Origins.
Making use of a feature known as Turbulence, environmental aspects such as fog and steam use GPU-accelerated PhysX in order to deliver a more realistic and natural formation to the behaviour of how these effects move and react in regards to their physical properties. Other aspects such as dust, dirt, and rubble that results from explosions and objects colliding with other environmental objects all receive simulation based calculations, performed by the GPU. Being the most prominent use of the feature in the game, Dynamic Snow stands to be the most complex of all the effects that's been mentioned – taking in to account the footsteps of characters within the game, the effects of wind coming in to contact with it, and the quantity of snow flakes, ice particles and the deformation that takes place between different levels of solidity and depth that naturally occurs with the behaviour of snow.
Other objects within the game that also receive PhysX based calculations include cloth, paper, smoke, banners and street litter that all form part of the game's world in order to be more immersive and enriching. While it is possible for games to make use of their own propriety based physical-simulations, which are built and optimised directly by the developer's in their game engines – as mentioned previously, PhysX does have it uses. Games such as Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 1 – created on EA's Frostbite engines, all make use of their own simulation-based physics, giving way for impressive displays of explosions, smoke simulation, flame effects and the destruction of objects within the game's environments. The benefit to this method is the universal support of all graphics cards being able to render the effects.
What Should You Do?
As the technology is only available to gamers using Nvidia GPUs, the following information will be of no use to those using an AMD graphics card. Within the graphics options of a PhysX-supported game, there will be a list of PhysX-based effects available to tweak or turn On and Off. Batman: Arkham Origins for instance allows the player to adjust PhysX on a scale of "Off, Low, Normal, High" – with each adjustment detailing what's effected within the game. As this is a Nvidia technology, the use of a second graphics card being used solely for PhysX is an option. Unlike the standard methods of SLI which requires the use of identical GPUs, PhysX can make use of any Nvidia GPU.
Functioning on a game by game basis, the effect on performance is largely dependant upon the game and how well it's been implemented. While the visual improvements that PhysX is able to deliver can be quite stunning, there are a few games which do not take full advantage of it, and in some instances proving to be a detrimental effect on performance. For those who own lower-tier and mid-tier modern GPUs, and also those who own high-end past GPUs such as Nvidia 600 Series – the effects of PhysX in modern games which are graphically demanding can cause performance impacts. It's recommended to either lower their settings or turn them Off entirely. For older games, GPUs of these stature should have no problem setting these to their full implementation.
Other features of GameWorks include HairWorks, HBAO+, PCSS, Soft Shadows, WaveWorks, VXAO and TXAA.
TressFX
Allowing for the simulation of hair and fur which is processed directly by the GPU, TressFX calculates the behaviour of these objects by examining physical collision, the effects of wind, the properties of surrounding objects as well as external forces such as gravity, then it treats each and every strand of hair or fur as single or grouped objects, in order to deliver an accurate portrayal of physical movement. Functioning in a similar way to Nvidia's solution – HairWorks, this technology allows characters to look more realistic and visually impressive. Where TressFX differs from HairWorks resides in its requirements for GPU performance, as well as its availability to the GPUs it can be rendered upon.
Where Nvidia technologies are programmed to run only on Nvidia Graphics cards, TressFX is a technology developed by AMD, which has has been given full compatibility for both AMD and Nvidia graphics cards. As the technology is developed with an "Open" nature – giving developers full control over the use of the feature within their games, optimisation is greatly enhanced in comparison to HairWorks – delivering less of a performance hit regardless of the GPU being used. Games which make use of TressFX include Tomb Raider, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and Rise of the Tomb Raider.
What Should You Do?
Proving to be a substantial improvement over HairWorks, TressFX delivers in being more visually impressive and less demanding on the GPU. For games which incorporate this feature, it's worth enabling, lowering the quality of other graphical settings within the game if performance is effected.
Those with graphics cards of the Low to Mid-Range variety as well as those from previous generations will find the most benefits from reading this guide. As a reference, take a look below at the listed graphics cards.
Nvidia:
-GTX 560Ti
-GTX 570
-GTX 660Ti
-GTX 670
-GTX 680
-GTX 750Ti
-GTX 760
-GTX 770
-GTX 950
-GTX 960
-GTX 1050
-GTX 1050 Ti
AMD:
-Radeon 7750
-Radeon 7770
-Radeon 7790
-Radeon 7850
-Radeon 7870
-Radeon 7950
-Radeon 7970
-R7 260X
-R9 270X
-R9 280
-R9 280X
-R9 360
-R9 370
-R9 380
-R9 380X
-RX 460
-RX 470
Providing a brief explanation to more advanced graphical settings featured within games, part 2 will explore and simplify what these technologies mean and how they effect performance
As with Part 1, this article will be targeted towards optimisation & improving image quality on Low - Mid-range graphics cards.
This guide is suitable for modern games as well as older titles, although most will be featured in the newest titles.
As this is the final part to this guide, I encourage all who read to apply what they have learned, teach to others and speak with one another to share their results. I hope this will benefit your performance and image quality within your games.
Tessellation
Tessellation is a rendering technique designed to improve the detail of models and geometry within a game. It works by braking down the polygons of an object in to smaller pieces so that it appears more intricately detailed and refined in comparison to the real-world object it seeks to imitate. These feature was introduced with DirectX11 and was most prominently featured in Crysis 2. Enabling tessellation saw improvements to brick complexity, road surfaces, rubble depth and water movement.
Textures such as those applied to bricks and harsh surfaces received a bumpy and layered look, with an enhanced level of 3D surfaces, as opposed to the flat appearance in its standard appearance. For objects which consists of simulated movements such as water, destructible geometry, and Batman's cape in the Arkham series of games, tessellation adds a noticeable improvement and brings a level of enrichment to the environment as a whole. For certain titles and the implementation it may have received, it may not be all so noticeable and may not be worth the performance hit, if any.
What Should You Do?
As this setting is applied on a game by game basis and may not be have the available option to turn On or Off, the effect it can have on performance will vary greatly. If the game does provide the option for tweaking there's a slight chance it will have a noticeable effect on performance. Should the effect be to impactful with no real improvement to the level of detail within the game then it may be best to leave it Off. Should the title already receive the rendering technique – implemented as standard, then there's a strong chance it scales alongside the other graphical settings in the game, which means improvements will already be balanced in how well the graphical settings are applied as a whole.
Dynamic Resolution Scaling
Allowing the player to maintain a high frame rate, Dynamic Resolution Scaling is a process of rendering the in-game environment on a basis which scales detail, textures, lighting and resolution in a manner which is dynamic to the amount of performance the graphic card is able to provide. Where most games may simply just scale the resolution, other graphical settings can be taken in to account. In some instances, the effect may not be all too noticeable within its visual scaling even though the frame rate is still being sustained.
An example of this technique would be Rise of the Tomb Raider which is available to the PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and the PC. Set as default on the Xbox One and not available on the other three platforms, the game renders at 1920 x 1080p at 30fps during gameplay, along with reduced levels of graphical quality in comparison to the PC, this is something which remains true on the PS4 and the Xbox 360. The difference between these console versions resides in the cut-scenes, which sees the resolution on the Xbox One scaling down towards 1440 x 1080p.
This implementation allows the game to hold its frame rate with only a minor adjustment being made to its visual quality. As this technique works on a game by game basis, the effect of graphical settings being reduced in order to maintain the framerate is also specific to the game. This setting is applied to the majority of console games available, and the option on PC allows greater control of visual settings and the experience being delivered by the game. Titles which currently use this effect on the PC include Forza Motorsport 6: Apex, Titanfall 2, Gears of War 4, and Forza Horizon 3.
What Should You Do?
Proving to be the most beneficial in less-capable GPUs, the impact of a lower resolution isn't entirely all that noticeable depending on the amount of scaling that the game is being given to work with. Gears of War 4 allows gamers to set a scale of how far they're willing to allow the resolution to change in order to maintain the high frame rate. As the game will remain at the highest resolution during less-demanding scenes and adjust when it has to should the graphical rendering techniques be too demanding, it's best to apply this technique in regards to personal preferences, as well as the amount of options which are available to adjust.
Where Gears of War 4 allows for scaling of resolution, Forza Motorsport 6 allows each individual setting to be dynamic or set entirely together for the best possible performance. As with all games, the gamer should apply the graphical settings to an extent which they believe is possible with their PC's performance, then adjust as needed until they're pleased with their experience. The main benefit of this feature is the element of being dynamic, which in itself delivers the best implementation of graphical scaling as it will always prioritise the frame rate while attempting to keep visual settings at their best.
HD Texture Packs
Where graphical options will feature a selection of texture settings each improving on one and other through the means of higher resolutions be deployed across each of the settings, HD Texture Packs differ from such implementations in that their intentions are focused towards a certain minority. Where only a small number of gamers contain high-end graphics cards and monitors that are capable of displaying 4K resolutions and high frame rates, these texture packs see the most improvement when being experienced in this resolution as that's what they're developed for. While there are noticeable benefits on a 1920 x 1080p display, and even those of 2560 x 1440p, these texture packs hold their benefits in the game maintaining a high visual quality in the years that follow.
While some games such as The Witcher 3 or Ryse Son of Rome already contain a level of graphical quality which already incorporates a high enough amount of textures that will allow them to remain visually stunning for the years that will follow, others such as Gears of War 4, Watch Dogs 2, DOOM, or Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor take advantage of HD Texture Packs. The difference in how this feature is integrated resides to the layout of the graphical settings menu. When enabling the highest graphical setting, the textures option will not enable the HD textures unless the gamers chooses to do so manually.
The requirements for this feature isn't solely down to the amount of VRAM that's present on the GPU. It's also down to the speed of the memory, bandwidth, and clock speed of the GPU cores. A GPU may contain a high amount of VRAM but if the clock speed is unable to process the data fast enough, lacks the necessary bandwidth to store the data, or it just doesn't have the number of cores that's needed to meet the demands of the data, then the GPU will fall to maintain a high frame rate, which often results in stuttering due to the large amount of data that it's being asked to render. This graphical feature can best be thought of as "Future Proofing". It's the developers attempt to keep their games of a high visual quality, so that GPUs of the future will able to provide the required performance that the game calls for.
An example of this is the original Crysis, released in 2007. While the game is undoubtedly unoptimised, evident in fact since modern GPUs still have a hard-enough time trying to render the game, it still looks visually incredible, shaming a great number of current titles which fall short of its graphical quality. While the modern high-end graphics card are able to render such features and do so without having to compromise performance, it's the mid-range and the lower-spec GPUs of the future that will provide these games with an extended relevance, allowing them to continue their sales and still be visually remarkable.
What Should You Do?
Where textures are one of the many features that provide the most benefits for the graphical qualities of a game, as stated in Part 1 of this guide, it's best to balance this feature with other graphical settings and to do so while attempting to maintain the highest level of performance. Should the difference between a HD texture pack and the game's default highest texture setting not be apparent then it's best to leave it turned Off, as it will only interfere with the game's performance should the GPU lack the power to render other graphical settings at higher qualities. If a higher display is to be used and the visual difference is improved, then leaving it enabled will improve the experience, meaning the feature has met its intended purpose.
Subsurface Scattering
Functioning as a means to simulate the way light is absorbed by translucent objects, Subsurface Scattering provides a level of realism that appears natural within its approach. Surfaces such as skin, paper, glass and grass all contain a level of translucency which causes the surfaces to change colour when light shines through them. This can be most noticeably seen on elements such as ears, vases and certain materials in clothing. This also effects the textures of these objects as the colour will differ depending on the distance and the intensity of the light that's shining on them.
Without Subsurface Scattering, surfaces can appear stiff, hardened or solid, as though there's no flesh or internal structure to their models. This feature can be seen in titles such as Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Dues Ex: Mankind Divided, and Quantum Break. Depending on how well this effect has been implemented, the effect of enabling feature will differ for each specific game. The visual difference that this feature has is one that's clearly noticeable, in many instances not being so demanding.
What Should You Do?
As this feature isn't that demanding in the majority of titles, enabling it shouldn't see a major drop in performance. If it is available for adjusting then it's best to enable it while lowering other graphical settings which aren't that visually noticeable. This feature brings exceptional levels of detail when balanced with Texture Quality, Lighting Quality and Shadow Quality.
Temporal Filtering
Using a similar technique to the Checkerboard Rendering method being implemented on the PlayStation 4 Pro, Temporal Filtering is an upscaling technique that works by rendering the game at half the resolution of the display and combines it with X2 MSAA, then upscales it to accommodate the display. This rendering method of working with half the amount of pixels frees up performance from the GPU, along with MSAA which is less demanding than rendering the full resolution can provide an image that's still visually incredible.
While this method of rendering is by no means an improvement over rendering the image in its true resolution, it can provide a noticeable performance benefit when GPU resources aren't able to deliver. This technique is usually combined with a number of effects in post-processing that aids in improving the image, so that it's not blurry or suffering from pixel crawling. Games which currently incorporate this technique include Rainbow Six Siege, Watch Dogs 2, and Quantum Break.
What Should You Do?
In the situation where the graphics card lacks the necessary performance to render the game in its true resolution, applying this technique will certainly provide an incredible improvement to the experience. Halving the resolution provides the GPU with twice the amount of additional performance, which then gives way for the anti-aliasing method and post-processing to clean the final image.
PhysX
Where a large number of games utilise a Precompute technique in order to simulate the physical properties of certain objects within a game, which is effectively using identical animations for a given situation in order to portray the idea of physical simulation, PhysX technology takes a dynamic approach to calculating the physical properties of a given object in real-time. This is achieved by performing calculations on the GPU, which, unless implemented by the developer, was traditionally performed on the CPU.
As the PhysX technology is owned by Nvidia, the feature is part of the GameWorks technology suite is not available to those who own an AMD GPU. The benefits that PhysX can provide are on a game by game basis and how well the developers have chosen to implement the feature. PhysX works as a middle-layer for producing special effects, which in some ways can save the developers time as they will not have to create the same effects within their game engines. The downside to this however is that direct access to the code which the software has been developed on can prove to be limiting, meaning they don't have full control over how well the technology can be optimised to suit the effects they're looking to implement. An example of PhysX technology would be the use of physical simulations in Batman: Arkham Origins.
Making use of a feature known as Turbulence, environmental aspects such as fog and steam use GPU-accelerated PhysX in order to deliver a more realistic and natural formation to the behaviour of how these effects move and react in regards to their physical properties. Other aspects such as dust, dirt, and rubble that results from explosions and objects colliding with other environmental objects all receive simulation based calculations, performed by the GPU. Being the most prominent use of the feature in the game, Dynamic Snow stands to be the most complex of all the effects that's been mentioned – taking in to account the footsteps of characters within the game, the effects of wind coming in to contact with it, and the quantity of snow flakes, ice particles and the deformation that takes place between different levels of solidity and depth that naturally occurs with the behaviour of snow.
Other objects within the game that also receive PhysX based calculations include cloth, paper, smoke, banners and street litter that all form part of the game's world in order to be more immersive and enriching. While it is possible for games to make use of their own propriety based physical-simulations, which are built and optimised directly by the developer's in their game engines – as mentioned previously, PhysX does have it uses. Games such as Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 1 – created on EA's Frostbite engines, all make use of their own simulation-based physics, giving way for impressive displays of explosions, smoke simulation, flame effects and the destruction of objects within the game's environments. The benefit to this method is the universal support of all graphics cards being able to render the effects.
What Should You Do?
As the technology is only available to gamers using Nvidia GPUs, the following information will be of no use to those using an AMD graphics card. Within the graphics options of a PhysX-supported game, there will be a list of PhysX-based effects available to tweak or turn On and Off. Batman: Arkham Origins for instance allows the player to adjust PhysX on a scale of "Off, Low, Normal, High" – with each adjustment detailing what's effected within the game. As this is a Nvidia technology, the use of a second graphics card being used solely for PhysX is an option. Unlike the standard methods of SLI which requires the use of identical GPUs, PhysX can make use of any Nvidia GPU.
Functioning on a game by game basis, the effect on performance is largely dependant upon the game and how well it's been implemented. While the visual improvements that PhysX is able to deliver can be quite stunning, there are a few games which do not take full advantage of it, and in some instances proving to be a detrimental effect on performance. For those who own lower-tier and mid-tier modern GPUs, and also those who own high-end past GPUs such as Nvidia 600 Series – the effects of PhysX in modern games which are graphically demanding can cause performance impacts. It's recommended to either lower their settings or turn them Off entirely. For older games, GPUs of these stature should have no problem setting these to their full implementation.
Other features of GameWorks include HairWorks, HBAO+, PCSS, Soft Shadows, WaveWorks, VXAO and TXAA.
TressFX
Allowing for the simulation of hair and fur which is processed directly by the GPU, TressFX calculates the behaviour of these objects by examining physical collision, the effects of wind, the properties of surrounding objects as well as external forces such as gravity, then it treats each and every strand of hair or fur as single or grouped objects, in order to deliver an accurate portrayal of physical movement. Functioning in a similar way to Nvidia's solution – HairWorks, this technology allows characters to look more realistic and visually impressive. Where TressFX differs from HairWorks resides in its requirements for GPU performance, as well as its availability to the GPUs it can be rendered upon.
Where Nvidia technologies are programmed to run only on Nvidia Graphics cards, TressFX is a technology developed by AMD, which has has been given full compatibility for both AMD and Nvidia graphics cards. As the technology is developed with an "Open" nature – giving developers full control over the use of the feature within their games, optimisation is greatly enhanced in comparison to HairWorks – delivering less of a performance hit regardless of the GPU being used. Games which make use of TressFX include Tomb Raider, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and Rise of the Tomb Raider.
What Should You Do?
Proving to be a substantial improvement over HairWorks, TressFX delivers in being more visually impressive and less demanding on the GPU. For games which incorporate this feature, it's worth enabling, lowering the quality of other graphical settings within the game if performance is effected.
Those with graphics cards of the Low to Mid-Range variety as well as those from previous generations will find the most benefits from reading this guide. As a reference, take a look below at the listed graphics cards.
Nvidia:
-GTX 560Ti
-GTX 570
-GTX 660Ti
-GTX 670
-GTX 680
-GTX 750Ti
-GTX 760
-GTX 770
-GTX 950
-GTX 960
-GTX 1050
-GTX 1050 Ti
AMD:
-Radeon 7750
-Radeon 7770
-Radeon 7790
-Radeon 7850
-Radeon 7870
-Radeon 7950
-Radeon 7970
-R7 260X
-R9 270X
-R9 280
-R9 280X
-R9 360
-R9 370
-R9 380
-R9 380X
-RX 460
-RX 470