Should I use BOTH MSAA and FXAA in BF3?

[Achilles97]

I wasn't sure if this should be in the Video/Graphics section or Games section. Please move the post if it's in the wrong area.

I just ordered an nVidia 770 for my 2500k @ 4.5ghz rig.

In BF3, I previously used FXAA with my 6970. Should I now use 4xMSAA and NO FXAA? I hear that FXAA blurs the image. Is FXAA necessary with 4xMSAA? Are MSAA and FXAA redundant or are they complimentary?

I would test this out myself but the card hasn't arrived yet.

Thanks!

 

[Yuriman]

Test it out for yourself and decide what you like best. I prefer FXAA off in the games I've tried it in due to the blurring, but it's your call.

 

[BallaTheFeared]

No reason to use FXAA in BF3 in conjunction with MSAA with that card.

 

[Jaydip]

FXAA indeed blurs as it is a shader based post-processing AA method.Use MSAA.

 

[Achilles97]

Thank you for the replies. I gather that FXAA is redundant with MSAA as opposed to being complementary.

I'll be sure to test this myself when my card arrives.

Thanks!

 

[Dankk]

FXAA looks atrocious in BF3, in my opinion. Try to use only MSAA if possible. It's more resource-intensive but your card can certainly handle it.

I know some games have better FXAA implementations than others; but in BF3, the image quality just looks awful with it turned on. It's like a poor man's AA. Just muddies the picture.

 

[Durvelle27]

I just use ultra settings with 4x MSAA and it looks pretty good at 1080p

 

[toyota]

MSAA has always given me issues in BF 3 as I always end up with some flickering. and that's on various drivers and various cards. FXAA is good enough anyway but I still dont like when things dont work as they should.

 

[MrK6]

I don't use either TBH. BF3 seems to be one of those games: FXAA blurs the heck out of the image and MSAA doesn't do much.

 

[Silverforce11]

I don't use either TBH. BF3 seems to be one of those games: FXAA blurs the heck out of the image and MSAA doesn't do much.

MSAA improves IQ a tiny bit, but things are still aliased badly though... but these days, new cards run it fast with 4xMSAA so it doesn't matter to leave it on.

 

[Spike]

MSAA improves IQ a tiny bit, but things are still aliased badly though... but these days, new cards run it fast with 4xMSAA so it doesn't matter to leave it on.

Not at 5760x1200, my 7970 can barely handle that

 

[Will Robinson]

MSAA has always given me issues in BF 3 as I always end up with some flickering. and that's on various drivers and various cards. FXAA is good enough anyway but I still dont like when things dont work as they should.

That's a "feature".
Try an AMD card if you want to pwn BF3 IQ.:thumbsup:

 

[It's Not Lupus]

Fxaa is too blurry.

 

[omeds]

MSAA + Transparency SSAA. I'd rather use that at 2x than straight MSAA at 4x if needed. At least everything gets a dose of AA that way, especially trees and grass, of which there is lots of in BF3. This is why most scenes still look jaggy with straight MSAA, because they're full of trees and grass that MSAA doesn't touch.

FXAA is too blurry I would avoid it.

Your other option is the SMAA injector, does a pretty decent without the blur of FXAA.

 

[toyota]

is there a technical reason SMAA is not included in more games? I think Crysis 3 is the only game I have played where its included. I do use the injector for Borderlands 2 though but most other games I have not fooled with. to me SMAA seems like the best compromise from all the different forms of AA.

 

[bystander36]

It is a new AA technique, or it would seem so. Perhaps in time more games will use it, but it won't catch on as fast as FXAA did, because it doesn't have Nvidia pushing it.

 

[UaVaj]

just crank everything to the max and enjoy.

 

[felang]

is there a technical reason SMAA is not included in more games? I think Crysis 3 is the only game I have played where its included. I do use the injector for Borderlands 2 though but most other games I have not fooled with. to me SMAA seems like the best compromise from all the different forms of AA.

I use an SMAA injector (Sweet FX) for BF3 and I feel it gives a better image than FXAA (a lot less blur) and it is not resource intensive at all.

 

[Grooveriding]

is there a technical reason SMAA is not included in more games? I think Crysis 3 is the only game I have played where its included. I do use the injector for Borderlands 2 though but most other games I have not fooled with. to me SMAA seems like the best compromise from all the different forms of AA.

The SMAA in Crysis 3 is not just a post filter method like you get with the SMAA injector. There is also some actual anti-aliasing taking place as well. It's the best use I have seen of post-AA in terms of not having obnoxious blurring.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/03/12/crysis_3_video_card_performance_iq_review/8#.UbC8i5yKGCg

SMAA is the new kid in town, and incorporates AMD's Morphological MLAA technology base, plus the traditional hardware technologies of MSAA and SSAA to improve image quality, with much less of a performance hit as traditional MSAA or SSAA. Since this is a shader + hardware technology, it means it does provide AA on alpha textures and specular aliasing, unlike traditional MSAA.

 

[toyota]

The SMAA in Crysis 3 is not just a post filter method like you get with the SMAA injector. There is also some actual anti-aliasing taking place as well. It's the best use I have seen of post-AA in terms of not having obnoxious blurring.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/03/12/crysis_3_video_card_performance_iq_review/8#.UbC8i5yKGCg

yead I read that before I played Crysis 3 to see about what settings to expect on my 660ti. lol TXAA is a joke.

 

[Face2Face]

I am a big fan of SMAA in Crysis 3. Very high with 2X SMAA is somewhat playable and looks amazing

 

[Final8ty]

Here we go. 4x MSAA vs 4x Adaptive MSAA vs 4x SSAA.

Click the pics for full res.

4x MSAA:

4x Adaptive MSAA:

4x SSAA:

http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33986046&page=5