SSAA vs MSAA

T

TwistedAegis

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Oct 7, 2009
Messages
8,958
I guess I'm getting nitpicky here, but I'm just wondering if there is any consensus around the best use of GPU power - is less AA, but super-sampling, a better IQ than a higher level of MSAA (+ perhaps CFAA)?

Currently I can run most of my games (ME2, DA2, BC2) using 4xSSAA and it is stable enough I can have Vsync on with a steady 60 FPS. I can run a much higher level of MSAA; I notice that the H in their reviews maxes out MSAA first and then goes for edge-detect or super-sampling.

Just looking for opinions on how others max their IQ out.
 
SSAA theorhetically AA's the whole screen and would give a much more consistent AA. MSAA simply is limited to edges.

So best IQ based on that would be SSAA at a high value for textures to be smoothed as well. but edge detect and coverage run differently than MSAA and can run at much higher sample values over normal 8x.

So they are just going from least intensive/low sample to most intensive/high sample. Nothing really special about it.

I wish Nvidia had a supersample option. I plan on getting two 580's and would love to have the supersample option.
 
Depends on the game. Between MSAA, transparency AA, mipmapping and AF, the only things I can think of that aren't getting supersampled are shader effects. So unless there's a significant amount of shader aliasing, there's probably not much to gain from SSAA.

Crest said:
I wish Nvidia had a supersample option. I plan on getting two 580's and would love to have the supersample option.
Click to expand...
http://nvidia.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/nvidia.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2624.

Also, http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1611627#3.
 
LuminaryJanitor said:
Depends on the game. Between MSAA, transparency AA, mipmapping and AF, the only things I can think of that aren't getting supersampled are shader effects. So unless there's a significant amount of shader aliasing, there's probably not much to gain from SSAA.


http://nvidia.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/nvidia.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2624.

Also, http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1611627#3.
Click to expand...


Awesome, Awesome, Awesome, That was something I was hoping for. Thanks.
 
Why can't they just add the option back where normal people can find it, grr.
 
The downside to SSAA is an overall bluriness to the image that gets worse the more SS you apply.
 
The downside to SSAA is an overall bluriness to the image that gets worse the more SS you apply.
Click to expand...

Only if you don't adjust the LOD bias on ati cards or don't adjust the AA comp. bits on nvidia cards. This problem can be very easily fixed on either brand if you know what you're doing. It's a common misconception (a leftover remnant from the old days of voodoo's SSAA) that this is an inherent problem with SSAA rather than a problem caused by games not being designed to work with hardware SSAA.
 
NaturalViolence said:
Only if you don't adjust the LOD bias on ati cards or don't adjust the AA comp. bits on nvidia cards. This problem can be very easily fixed on either brand if you know what you're doing. It's a common misconception (a leftover remnant from the old days of voodoo's SSAA) that this is an inherent problem with SSAA rather than a problem caused by games not being designed to work with hardware SSAA.
Click to expand...

With newer AMD drivers, LOD is adjusted automatically now. I don't know exactly when the change was made, but it's been a few months. It only took them over a year, but it's there.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=30972380&postcount=32
 
Balthazor said:
The downside to SSAA is an overall bluriness to the image that gets worse the more SS you apply.
Click to expand...

My plan is using SSAA for some recording in some engines, blurriness doesn't affect me usually as I tend to "fog" the video somewhat. Aliasing is my biggest concern.
Thought obviously for most people performance is a concern.
 
Last edited:
With newer AMD drivers, LOD is adjusted automatically now. I don't know exactly when the change was made, but it's been a few months. It only took them over a year, but it's there.
Click to expand...

You know what I've always been curious about (but don't have a modern ATI card on hand to test with)? I understand that on nvidia cards SSAA tends to conflict with post-processing shaders which causes blurring in most modern games without a specific set of AA comp. bits being enabled to hack around it. Yet ATI cards don't appear to have this problem, usually it's just the LOD bias that causes this issue. So my question is this. For all of you ATI users out there are there any games you know of that have blurring issues with SSAA even with a proper LOD bias? I'm willing to bet there are SOME games where ATIs SSAA causes post-processing shader issues, just less of them compared to nvidia.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top