Software vs. In-game controls

appler · 03-08-2006, 12:23 PM

What's the difference between changing the display properties in the software provided with the video card and changing them in a game's display options? Does 2xAA in-game and 2xAA in the card's software make a total of 4xAA? Please explain why there are 2 different ways to change display properties, and which way is better.

peterdiva · 03-08-2006, 01:38 PM

The video card's setting takes precedence over the in-game setting, so if you set the video card to 2xAA and the in-game setting to 2xAA you still end up with 2xAA.

Up until recently most games didn't have an in-game setting, as an example, UT2004 doesn't have one, so you have no choice but to use the video card's setting. The best way is to turn off the video card's setting and use the in-game setting, this way you don't have to keep changing it if you use different levels of AA for different games.

If you do play older games without an in-game setting, instead of changing it manually, you can use Ati Tray Tools. This has a game profile manager where you can set the game up how you like it and then the settings will be removed when you exit the game, I use this for UT2004.

ebackhus · 03-08-2006, 01:47 PM

I keep mine at "Use software settings" as opposed to using the drivers to override. In Guild Wars I can choose from 2x, 3x and 4x easily and it enables without needing to start the game over.

appler · 03-08-2006, 07:00 PM

Thanks guys, that helped a lot. I set mine to "Let application decide"

03-08-2006, 12:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
appler Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 85 OS: Vista Home Premium My System	Software vs. In-game controls What's the difference between changing the display properties in the software provided with the video card and changing them in a game's display options? Does 2xAA in-game and 2xAA in the card's software make a total of 4xAA? Please explain why there are 2 different ways to change display properties, and which way is better.

03-08-2006, 01:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
ebackhus Manager, Design Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: SATX Posts: 14,353 OS: WinXP Pro SP3/Windows 7 RTM My System Blog Entries: 28	I keep mine at "Use software settings" as opposed to using the drivers to override. In Guild Wars I can choose from 2x, 3x and 4x easily and it enables without needing to start the game over. __________________ ----------------------------- There are no dumb questions, unless a customer is asking them. Help in the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses.

03-08-2006, 01:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
peterdiva Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Western Australia Posts: 455 OS: WinXP	The video card's setting takes precedence over the in-game setting, so if you set the video card to 2xAA and the in-game setting to 2xAA you still end up with 2xAA. Up until recently most games didn't have an in-game setting, as an example, UT2004 doesn't have one, so you have no choice but to use the video card's setting. The best way is to turn off the video card's setting and use the in-game setting, this way you don't have to keep changing it if you use different levels of AA for different games. If you do play older games without an in-game setting, instead of changing it manually, you can use Ati Tray Tools. This has a game profile manager where you can set the game up how you like it and then the settings will be removed when you exit the game, I use this for UT2004.

03-08-2006, 07:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
appler Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 85 OS: Vista Home Premium My System	Thanks guys, that helped a lot. I set mine to "Let application decide"