At the launch of GeForce GTX 680 we discussed many of the discussions that would come later. In new drivers from NVIDIA we find FXAA and Adaptive VSync that will work with cards all the way back to the old GeForce 8 series.
With the launch of the Kepler architecture NVIDIA is preparing one of the biggest updates for is drivers in a very long time. Besides supporting the architecture officially it comes packed with new features. NVIDIA GeForce 301.24 Beta is now available for download for those who are interested.
Adaptive VSync remedies stuttering
We mentioned Adaptive VSync briefly in our review, but the technology is now available in the new drivers. VSync is used to counter what we call tearing, and locks the frequency to a certain value. If the graphics card can’t maintain 60 FPS but drops slightly below, the frames ares forced down to 30 FPS, which can cause stuttering. NVIDIA Adaptive VSync simply works so that VSync is turned off when the FPS drops below 60.
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NVIDIA Adaptive VSync is a new function that also works on older graphics cards. All CUDA graphics cards support the new function, which means all graphics cards from the GeForce 8 series and up.
FXAA brings better image quality and performance
The focus is also on various AA functions, including FXAA that is not a new technology, but it is introduced with these new drivers. According to Nvidia FXAA will offer better image quality and better performance, than 4xMSAA.
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Also FXAA can be activated in the new driver for graphics cards that support CUDA, just like Adaptive VSync mentioned above. We have not heard of the new TXAA technology it was boasting, but the company said it would take a while since it was still in the development stage when it was shown to us.
Besides these functions the drivers bring performance otimizations, updated PhysX, new SLI and 3D Vision profiles, and more functions for NVIDIA Surround. The driver can be found here, and NVIDIA has published a long article on the 301.24 Beta drivers. We want to remind you that these are in beta stage and those who don’t like experimenting and random errors might want to wait for the final version.
Source: NVIDIA
