Running games at higher res than monitor?

beany_bot · 24 May 2016 at 11:53

I've heard this is good, but I just cant get my head around how it works??

I'm thinking I can use this for Rust. Even on fantastic graphics i'm always well above 60fps. So should I run it at 1440p on my 1080p monitor? I just can't fathom how it would look any better but willing to give it a try if I have the frames to do it.

Scottland · 24 May 2016 at 11:57

In your graphics settings you need to enable DSR (nVidia) or VSR (AMD). This will allow you to select higher resolutions in game as it basically tricks windows into thinking the monitor is capable or a higher resolution. The GPU will render the game at the higher resolution and then downsample the image before it goes to the monitor.

The trade off is that text is smaller and will have an amount of blur present.

foster grant · 24 May 2016 at 11:58

Well I sometimes run my games @2560x1400 on a benq 27" monitor via DSR, ie ETS and also sometimes BF4, Star Wars Battlefront , Hardline, Titanfall, ...I do lose some FPS but I'm usually hitting around 85 or so

Although I dont get any blur that I'm aware of

beany_bot · 24 May 2016 at 12:39

But does it improve the graphics? and if so how?

Scottland · 24 May 2016 at 12:46

It increases the resolution, that's all.

If you think 1440P over 1080P is improved graphics, then that's how.

beany_bot · 24 May 2016 at 12:50

Scottland said:
It increases the resolution, that's all.

If you think 1440P over 1080P is improved graphics, then that's how.

It doesnt increase the resolution though. My monitor is still 1080. Game settings can't manufacture more pixels onto the screen.

Scottland · 24 May 2016 at 12:52

It does, it increases the resolution at which the game is being rendered by the GPU. The image is then downsampled to display at 1080P on the monitor.

The game effectively doesn't know the difference, the 'trick' by DSR/VST is letting the display drivers fool windows into thinking it has higher resolutions to display at.

beany_bot · 24 May 2016 at 13:21

Im still really confused though. If you are seeing the same number of pixels on the screen. How can it look better?

james.miller · 24 May 2016 at 13:25

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/dsr/technology

AMD VSR = same thing. The answer is, yes you're seeing the same number of pixels on the screen but you aren't seeing the same image being rendered.

beany_bot · 24 May 2016 at 13:36

james.miller said:
http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/dsr/technology

AMD VSR = same thing. The answer is, yes you're seeing the same number of pixels on the screen but you aren't seeing the same image being rendered.

Thanks that's clearer, so because there are more sample points in the image being drawn inthe GPUs mind, it can make a more accurate judgment as to what pixels to lay down at 1080p. I see!

ttaskmaster · 24 May 2016 at 14:03

Just enable DSR? That's it?
I might have to try this... assuming my 780 doesn't explode!

Rroff · 24 May 2016 at 14:04

It doesn't really increase the resolution - it does render at higher resolution but is then processed down to native resolution via algorithms that work a little different for DSR and VSR - VSR tries to use the extra detail primarily to improve the edges of objects giving the impression of more detail in a similar manner to anti-aliasing while DSR primarily tries to preserve a representation of detail that would normally be averaged into non-existence with indiscriminate downsampling/downsizing.

EDIT: One way to sort of think about it is that DSR tries to represents a higher resolution by preserving the details that stand out at the expense of details that don't while VSR uses the extra detail to try and enhance the original lower resolution.