Tap into your
videocard’s hidden
power with this
detailed look at ATI’s
and nVidia’s videocard
control software
Whether you’re using an ATI or an nVidia videocard, one of the
easiest ways to improve the look of the games you play is to tweak
the amount of antialiasing and anisotropic filtering work the card
performs. As with many of the adjustments we’ll show you here,
this will entail a tradeoff between performance and visual quality:
Increasing the level of antialiasing and anisotropic filtering will
decrease frame rates. Of course, the faster your videocard, the less
of a tradeoff you’ll experience. Check out these screenshots to see
what we’re talking about.C
ome on, admit it: The last time you paid any attention to your video-
card’s display utility was when you first installed the card (or updated
to the latest driver) and changed the card’s default resolution and
refresh rate. If that’s the case, you’ve barely scratched the surface of your
hardware’s capabilities. There’s a reason why ATI and nVidia employ so many
software engineers: They’re not only coming up with low-level tricks to make
the hardware run faster, they’re also developing tools that make your PC more
attractive and easier to use. Whether you’re a GeForce enthusiast or a Radeon
disciple we’ll show you how to tap into some of the most useful tools you might
have never known existed.Master Your Videocard’s Control Panel
1 ANTIALIASING AND ANISOTROPIC FILTERING
BY MICHAEL BROWN
TIME HOURS:MINUTES00 :17
OCTOBER 2005 MA XIMUMPC 51
In this close-up
shot, the video-
card isn’t applying
any antialiasing
to the scene.
As a result, the
lines depicting
the gun’s handle
have very jagged
edges.This time, we’ve
instructed the vid-
eocard to apply 8x
antialiasing to the
scene. Notice how
much smoother
and more realistic
the edges of the
gun’s handle ap-
pear.With the card set to
use 8x anisotropic
filtering, the water
texture maintains its
integrity all the way
to the beach across
the bay.Anisotropic filtering
corrects a texture’s
perspective when
the object on which
its applied stretches
deep into a scene. In
this shot, we’ve set
the card to use only
1x aniso. Notice how
the water blurs as it
extends to the other
beach.IMPROVING YOUR PC EXPERIENCE, ONE STEP AT A TIME how 2