Should I be using D3DOverrider for games

[shotgun50]

Hi.

I'm new to pc gaming just recently built a high end pc. From what I understand it's better to have vsync on for games because there's no screen tearing, however it's better to have it off for FPS because of input lag.

Now what I don't understand is this whole triple buffering/D3DOverrider thing, so if anyone could explain to me in simple terms what this program does and if I need to use it that would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Cerb]

Basically, Direct3D does not have a triple buffering feature, like OpenGL. A specific Direct3D game may implement triple buffering, but the API itself tries to give the programmers a bit more control. D3DOverrider works around that, by doing the job of swapping buffers that the game won't.

It helps some games, makes others worse, and does nothing for others. But, it doesn't hurt anything to try it with any given game, either.

Vsync basically comes in 3 forms:
1. Single buffer
2. Double buffer
3. Triple buffer

With a single buffer, the current frame must be rendered before the next frame is started. This is almost never seen, today (it was only common way back with old computers and 2D consoles).

Double buffering refers to refreshing the buffer you see (front), then starting to draw the next frame (back). However, that means that if that frame is drawn, the next frame after that can't be drawn until the buffers are swapped. That is, the front buffer goes to be shown on the monitor, the back buffer gets drawn, and then it has to wait again, just as if it only had a single buffer.

Triple buffering uses two back buffers, and allows drawing frames as fast as possible (though some games allow a cap, usually 60FPS). So, when one screen is drawn, if the monitor isn't to be refreshed, it draws yet another frame. If that frame is done before the monitor needs it, instead of stopping, yet another frame is rendered. If that frame gets done before the monitor refreshes, it replaces the oldest of the two back buffers, and so on and so forth. You generally shouldn't need tons of buffers, like that, but it helps prevent jerkiness that double buffered vsync can have.

 

[BrightCandle]

There is no triple buffering on DirectX at all. You can have 3 buffers but unfortunately it doesn't actually work they way you described because Microsoft are idiots. DXOverrider can't fix that. There was a really really long post I made about 1-2 months ago in regards to DXOverrider where I explained how it worked based on the code they published years ago with the original tool release.

If you don't notice the problems with vsync then leave it on and have fun. The best image quality is achieve with vsync on and that is the way to go. Almost everyone notices tearing associated with vsync off and you only go to it once you start getting competitive and noticing the latency associated with vsync on.

But DXOverrider should be ignored, it doesn't do what most people believe it does.

 

[FalseChristian]

There is no triple buffering on DirectX at all. You can have 3 buffers but unfortunately it doesn't actually work they way you described because Microsoft are idiots. DXOverrider can't fix that. There was a really really long post I made about 1-2 months ago in regards to DXOverrider where I explained how it worked based on the code they published years ago with the original tool release.

If you don't notice the problems with vsync then leave it on and have fun. The best image quality is achieve with vsync on and that is the way to go. Almost everyone notices tearing associated with vsync off and you only go to it once you start getting competitive and noticing the latency associated with vsync on.

But DXOverrider should be ignored, it doesn't do what most people believe it does.

Microsoft are idiots if they don't put triple buffering in DirectX 12. This is a must-have feature and is why OpenGL is preferable over Direct 3D.