I'm running an Athlon64 3500+ @2500mhz and an X1800XL 512mb at 650/650. I've always played Oblivion at 1600x1200 with High Quality 8xAF and 0xAA, with everything maxed and no grass and I get very playable framerates. I decided to do a few tests tonight and lower my AF down to 2x and see if I could notice the visual quality or framerate difference. I made four saved games, with all being outside in different parts of the world. Here's what I observed:
8xAF 2xAF
SG1 - 34fps 38fps [+12%] (Outside, up high, looking over a waterfall)
SG2 - 23fps 29fps [+26%] (Outside, by a pond, facing an imp with lots of folliage visible)
SG3 - 37fps 37fps [+0%] (In one of the fire boards, outside, looking at a tower)
SG4 - 20fps 22fps [+10%] (At a statue with 3 NPCs)
Overall, a 12% increase. If you neglect the 0% increase one, which we really don't need a boost in framerate as 37fps is fine, then we gain an average of 16% speed, which is pretty significant and very noticable in areas where a lot of filtering is taking place.
I took screenshots at 1600x1200 and loaded them in Photoshop and did A/B comparisons and they're actually quite similar, granted, the 8xAF does look better. However, using 2xAF looks plenty good in my book, and that will be the setting I'll be using from now on. I did some quick 4xAF framerate tests and they proved to be around 10% faster on the three slower framerate scenes, compared to the 16% speed increase we see from going from 8xAF to 2xAF.
Just thought I'd post my observations and try to help some people out that could use a 10-15% speed boost and not sacrifice much IQ.
8xAF 2xAF
SG1 - 34fps 38fps [+12%] (Outside, up high, looking over a waterfall)
SG2 - 23fps 29fps [+26%] (Outside, by a pond, facing an imp with lots of folliage visible)
SG3 - 37fps 37fps [+0%] (In one of the fire boards, outside, looking at a tower)
SG4 - 20fps 22fps [+10%] (At a statue with 3 NPCs)
Overall, a 12% increase. If you neglect the 0% increase one, which we really don't need a boost in framerate as 37fps is fine, then we gain an average of 16% speed, which is pretty significant and very noticable in areas where a lot of filtering is taking place.
I took screenshots at 1600x1200 and loaded them in Photoshop and did A/B comparisons and they're actually quite similar, granted, the 8xAF does look better. However, using 2xAF looks plenty good in my book, and that will be the setting I'll be using from now on. I did some quick 4xAF framerate tests and they proved to be around 10% faster on the three slower framerate scenes, compared to the 16% speed increase we see from going from 8xAF to 2xAF.
Just thought I'd post my observations and try to help some people out that could use a 10-15% speed boost and not sacrifice much IQ.
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