Manage 3D Settings

The Manage 3D Settings page enables you to

Global Settings

From the Global Settings tab, you can select from a list of pre-installed global settings (for workstation products) or create your own custom settings to use when running 3D applications.

See Setting the Preferred Graphics Processor for information about a change in functionality in newer Windows 10 operating systems regarding setting the preferred graphics processor..

Notes:

Program Settings

From the Program Settings tab, you can create a set of 3D settings to use when running a particular game or application.

See Setting the Preferred Graphics Processor for information about a change in functionality in newer Windows 10 operating systems regarding setting the preferred graphics processor.

Notes:

    • Programs and videos that launch on external displays that are driven by the NVIDIA GPU will always use the NVIDIA GPU rather than the integrated graphics processor.

    • When you modify the "Preferred Graphics Processor" setting, programs that are already running will continue to use the same graphics processor uninterrupted. To allow the "Preferred Graphics Processor" settings to take effect, you must restart the program.

Features and Settings

The Global Settings and Program Settings tabs include a list of features that you can set. The actual features that appear depend on the graphics card and application.

Ambient Occlusion enhances depth perception and adds realism to 3D scenes by providing a soft shadow effect to objects based on their placement in the scene. Select the level that provides the best balance between realistic effects and graphics performance.

This feature is not supported on all applications. Refer to this feature from the Program Settings tab to see if it is supported with your application.

NOTE: This feature requires the following minimum OS, API, and hardware:

Anisotropic filtering is a technique used to improve the quality of textures applied to the surfaces of 3D objects when drawn at a sharp angle. Enabling this option improves image quality at the expense of some performance. You can choose either to let the application determine the anisotropic filtering settings, turn anisotropic filtering completely off, or select from a number available settings. Higher values yield better image quality while reducing performance.

Antialiasing - Mode allows you to control how NVIDIA antialiasing is applied in your 3D applications. See also Tips for Setting Antialiasing.

NOTE: This feature is available only with GeForce 8 Series and later GPUs.   

Antialiasing - Setting allows you to set the antialiasing level to use in your 3D applications. You can choose either to let the application determine the antialiasing settings, turn antialiasing completely off, or select from a number of available settings.

NOTE: This feature is available on all GPUs. However, for GeForce 8 Series and later GPUs, this item is read-only if Application-controlled or Off was selected under Antialiasing - Mode.

Antialiasing - FXAA improves the image quality of programs with less of a performance impact than other antialiasing settings.  While this setting can be used in conjunction with other antialiasing settings, it is especially useful for programs that do not support hardware-based antialiasing.  

Antialiasing line gamma improves the color and quality of 3D lines in OpenGL programs.  

Antialiasing - Gamma correction allows you to enable or disable gamma correction antialiasing to improve the color and quality of 3D images in OpenGL programs.

Antialiasing - Transparency allows you to minimize the visible aliasing on the edges of images with transparent textures.

Background Application Max Frame Rate sets the maximum frame rate that the GPU will render a game or 3D application running in the background. This helps reduce power consumption or fan noise when switching to an application while leaving another game or application running in the background. Range: 20-200

Buffer-flipping mode determines how the video buffer is copied to the screen in OpenGL programs.

CUDA - GPUs lets you specify one or more GPUs to use for CUDA applications. GPUs that are not selected will not be used for CUDA applications.

NOTE: At least one GPU must be selected in order to enable PhysX GPU acceleration.

CUDA - Double precision lets you select the GeForce GPUs on which to enable increased double-precision performance for applications that use double-precision calculations. Available on GeForce GPUs with the capability for increased double-precision performance.

NOTE: Selecting a GPU reduces performance for applications that do not use double-precision calculations, including games. To increase game performance, do not select any GPUs.

Deep color for 3D applications allows OpenGL 3D applications to be displayed in a color depth higher than what is supported by the Windows desktop. The application and the monitor must be capable of rendering deep color content.

Dynamic Boost maximizes system performance by dynamically shifting power between the GPU and the CPU. Available with R445 and later drivers.

Enable overlay allows use of OpenGL overlay planes.

Exported pixel types determines the overlay pixel format to export so that OpenGL applications can use overlays. Format options include color-indexed (8-bpp), RGB555, or both color-indexed (8-bpp) and RGB555 format.

Image Scaling (GeForce GPUs - introduced in R495 drivers) boost application frame rates and lets you increase the level of sharpness, detail, or clarity of images in games and applications.

Image Sharpening (Quadro GPUs - introduced in R440 drivers) lets you increase the level of sharpness, detail, or clarity of images in games and applications. This and the GPU Upscaling feature are introduced in R440 drivers.

Low Latency Mode reduces latency by limiting the number of frames the CPU can prepare before the frames are processed by the GPU.  This feature was introduced in R435 drivers.

Max Frame Rate lets you set the maximum 3D game or application frame rate that the GPU will render. Limiting the frame rate can be useful for extending battery life or for reducing system latency in certain scenarios. Introduced in R440 drivers.

Monitor Technology selects the technique used to control the refresh policy of the connected monitor.

Multi-display/mixed-GPU acceleration.  Determines advanced OpenGL rendering options when using multiple displays and/or graphics cards, based on different classes of NVIDIA GPUs.   

Note: When this mode is in effect, OpenGL renders in "compatibility" mode for all displays. In this mode, when different classes of GPUs are in use, the lowest common feature set of all active GPUs is exposed to OpenGL applications. The OpenGL rendering performance is slightly slower than in single-display mode.

Note:  When this mode is in effect, OpenGL renders in "performance" mode for all displays. As in "compatibility" mode, when different classes of GPUs are in use, the lowest common feature set of all active GPUs is exposed to OpenGL applications. However, the rendering performance is "faster" than in compatibility mode, although switching or spanning displays may result in minor transient rendering artifacts.

Multi-GPU performance mode determines the rendering mode used in multi-GPU mode. You can select single-GPU mode or one of several multi-GPU rendering modes.

OpenGL Rendering GPU lets you select which GPU to use for OpenGL applications. If one GPU from an SLI or Mosaic group is selected, then all GPUs in that group are used. Select Auto select to let the driver decide which GPU to use.

Note: This control is available only on Windows Vista and later Windows operating systems.   

Power management mode lets you set how your graphics card's performance level changes when running most DirectX or OpenGL 3D applications.

Note: This control is available only on GeForce 9 series and later GPUs.

Preferred refresh rate (<monitor name>) lets you override the refresh rate limitations imposed by the 3D application for the indicated monitor.  This is particularly useful when viewing games in 3D stereo.

Notes:

Shader Cache Size (introduced in Release 495) controls the maximum amount of disk space the driver may use for storing shader compiles.  Shader compiles are normally performed each time a game runs and are a common cause of game-play stuttering.  The shader cache stores these compiled shaders so that subsequent runs of the same game do not need to perform the shader compilation.

Note: Installing a new driver will delete the cache; you may experience game play stutters the first time you run a game after installing a driver.

SILK Smoothness reduces stutter in games caused by variations in CPU or GPU workloads. It does this by smoothing out animation and presentation cadence using animation prediction and a post-render smoothing buffer.

    • Off: Disabled

    • Low: (Default) Applies moderate smoothing. Eliminates most micro-stuttering.  

    • Medium: Removes some stuttering and hitching in most games.

    • High: Applies additional smoothing, but may result in observable input lag.

    • Ultra: Applies maximum smoothing and eliminates most stuttering and hitching in games. May result in unacceptable lag in some games.

Note: Selecting High or Ultra can increase lag during gameplay, and may not be appropriate for first person shooter or competitive gaming.     

SLI performance mode determines the rendering mode used in SLI mode. You can select single-GPU mode, one of several SLI rendering modes, or SLI antialiasing mode which combines the power of multiple GPUs to offer higher quality antialiasing.  Each of these modes are mutually exclusive.

Stereo - Display mode allows you to select the display mode for stereo glasses or other hardware. Refer to the hardware documentation to learn which mode to use. Applies to Quadro cards running OpenGL stereo programs, as well as DirectX consumer stereo when stereoscopic 3D is enabled.

Stereo - Enabled.  Turn on this option only if it is necessary. Some applications automatically choose a stereo format while other applications may not function properly in a stereo pixel format.  Applies to Quadro cards running OpenGL stereo programs, as well as DirectX consumer stereo when stereoscopic 3D is enabled. This option is turned off if variable refresh rate is enabled.

Stereo - Force shuttering.  This setting forces the toggling of the stereo signal when shutter glasses or other 3D stereo hardware are not detected.  Applies to OpenGL stereo programs.

Stereo - Swap eyes. Turn on this option to switch the left and right stereo images if the stereo effect does not appear correctly with the current setting. Applies to Quadro cards running OpenGL stereo programs, as well as DirectX consumer stereo when stereoscopic 3D is enabled.

Stereo - Swap mode.  For active, frame sequential stereo, select when each stereo eye is updated with the next frame.  

The maximum application frame rate is equal to the current display refresh rate. This setting is useful for applications that should run at the highest possible frame rate.

The maximum application frame rate is equal to half the display refresh rate. This setting is useful for stereo projectors that use a frequency doubling mechanism.

Texture filtering - Anisotropic filter optimization improves performance by limiting trilinear filtering to the primary texture stage where the general appearance and color of objects is determined. This improves performance with minimal loss in image quality. This setting only affects DirectX programs.

Texture filtering - Anisotropic sample optimization limits the number of anisotropic samples used based on texel size. This setting only affects DirectX programs.

Texture filtering - Negative LOD bias determines if a negative level of detail bias is used to sharpen texture filtering.

Texture filtering - Quality allows you to decide if you would prefer performance, quality, or a balance between the two. The NVIDIA Control Panel will make all of the appropriate 3D image adjustments based on your preference.

Texture filtering - Trilinear optimization improves texture filtering performance by allowing bilinear filtering on textures in parts of the scene where trilinear filtering is not necessary. This setting only affects DirectX programs.

Threaded optimization allows applications to take advantage of multiple CPUs.

Triple buffering allows you to enable or disable triple buffering in OpenGL applications.  Turning on this setting improves performance when Vertical sync is also turned on.  

Unified back/depth buffer.   Enabling this option allocates one back buffer and one depth buffer for applications that create multiple windows. Turn on this option to use video memory more efficiently and improve performance.

Vertical sync allows you to control Vertical Synchronization mode, where the application's frame rate is synchronized with the display refresh rate in order to eliminate tearing.

NOTE: The following Vertical Sync setting values are applicable only when a display is connected to the NVIDIA GPU.

Virtual Reality - Variable Rate Super Sampling improves image quality by applying super sampling selectively to the central region of a frame - the critical area for Virtual Reality headsets. Applies to NVIDIA-profiled applications on NVIDIA Turing GPUs when MSAA is enabled. The maximum super sampling applied depends on the MSAA level used in the application. Introduced in R440 drivers.

WhisperMode is an ultra-efficient mode that makes your plugged-in laptop run quieter while gaming. It works by intelligently pacing the game’s frame rate while simultaneously configuring the graphics settings for optimal power-efficiency. Available on GeForce GTX 10-series laptop GPUs or higher, on single-GPU configurations. To see the WhisperMode controls in the NVIDIA Control Panel on supported systems, you must first enable WhisperMode using GeForce Experience.

 

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