Nvidia has rolled out an improved Image Scaling feature that aims to provide DLSSBoost your in-game performance with style – as does ICAT, a new screenshot and video comparison tool that will let you see the difference for yourself.
Okay, so this new Image Scale feature – an update and upgrade on the Image Scale tool hidden in the Nvidia Control Panel since 2019 – isn’t quite DLSS Lite, as it lacks. any kind of AI/machine learning intelligence. With the new upscaling algorithm, however, it’s very similar to AMD’s rival FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR): a spatial upscaler that applies an adjustable sharpening filter in the same processing. . It still involves rendering the game at a lower resolution than the native resolution to improve performance, then upscaling the image until it looks like it’s running in native mode.
The biggest disadvantageous difference between Image Scaling a DLSS is that the former DLSS did not include its own anti-aliasing, instead upscaled the image using any of the AAs built into the game, and it does not. gets smarter when it comes to applying its effects over time. However, unlike DLSS – and indeed, FSR – Image Scaling works on any game, not just the ones that the developers have added support for. You don’t even need one of these best graphics card with all RTX gubbins – any Nvidia GPU from the Maxwell series on (basically GTX 745 and up) will work. Download the Gamer Ready 496.70 driver (launching today) and you can enable it as a global or per-game setting in the Nvidia Control Panel.
ICAT, or Image Analysis and Comparison Tool, is also free to download from Nvidia. You know those slider screenshot comparison widgets you see on sites with larger production budgets than RPS? Now you can have something like it on your own PC. I love it and heartily recommend installing it if you want to test different graphics settings yourself, but is Image Scaling worth it? Let’s find out with ICAT.
First, it should be noted that Image Scaling is specifically designed to help produce more frames per second at higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, your native resolution doesn’t really put enough stress on the GPU for any kind of upscaling to be worthwhile. Therefore, I tested the Image Scaling by setting the in-game resolution to 1440p and letting the Nvidia technology automatically upscale the picture to my monitor’s native 4K (another difference with DLSS and DLSS). FSR: they are best used when leaving the resolution setting at the native resolution).
In every game I tested, I ended up getting identical or only slightly lower performance than when using native 1440p with Image Scaling turned off – significantly more frames than using native 4K . The specific settings I’m using seem to be close to how FSR performs on its second-highest ‘Quality’ setting, but Image Scale far exceeds both that and ‘Balanced’ quality DLSS live Deathloop also.
Basically, if you want maximum smoothness but don’t want to reduce the resolution, then there is a good argument in favor of Image Scaling. In terms of fidelity, the Image Ratio is also more competitive than I expected, especially in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The DLSS’s built-in anti-aliasing looks better than the upgraded TAA, but you can see in the comparison below – taken during ICAT – that there isn’t much detail visible in Lara’s clothes or hair, so the sprites are not blurred by the more basic algorithm.
There are even some environmental details where Image Scaling’s built-in sharpness (I’ve set this to 67% as suggested by Nvidia, you can change it as you please) makes it appear even in more detail than DLSS, like on these ancient stairs. Overall sharpness and motion handling are still better on DLSS, but with its strength lying in its ability to maintain fine details through upscaling, you’d think it would beat Image Scaling is more comprehensive.
Image scaling is also consistent with native 4K at Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Not better, but close enough that I’d gladly get an extra 22 fps for it. It’s definitely a lot closer to native 4K than how the game looks at 1440p, which, remember, is the resolution it actually renders before upscaling.
At this point, it’s safe to say that if the game you’re playing doesn’t support DLSS and FSR, then Nvidia Image Scaling is at least worth a shot. But what if it supports both? In Deathloop, DLSS proved upscaling technology to beat – besides smoothing jagged edges more effectively than Image Scale, it shows a downside of reliance on sharpening filters . While this can help resolve blur caused by spatial upscaling, sharpening can also make object edges look too dark or make surfaces look oddly grainy. In Deathloop, the effect is not ruined, but certain details look more natural with DLSS. So does this Balanced DLSS, so the difference will be even more pronounced when using the premium ‘Quality’ setting.
To combat FSR, Image Scaling has more of a fair fight, although personally I’m a bit fond of AMD’s tech here. Again, Image Scaling seems to have the downside of anti-aliasing, and while some very distant details are easier to create with Image Scaling, excess aliasing is a significant trade-off.
Ultimately, I think if you have an RTX 20 series or newer graphics card, it’s best to stick with DLSS whenever it’s available. You can actually enable both the DLSS sharpening and Image Scaling components at the same time, although I’ve tried this in Deathloop and am not a fan of the added filter; with a few exceptions, like those Tomb Raider ladders, the DLSS is sharp enough as it is.
I don’t think this will kill the FSR, though it should give AMD’s upgrader some healthy competition (at least for Nvidia card owners; for AMD Radeon fans, FSRs, at least. is still the only option). If the sharpening filter looks too strong, you can also dim it – there’s both a slider in the Nvidia Control Panel and a GeForce Experience overlay, a slider that lets you adjust on the fly.
I should also note the only technical error I encountered when testing Image Scale. The optional ‘NIS’ overlay, which can be located in the corner of the screen in-game and color-coded to show the enhancement or just the sharpening filter in effect, did not appear in Forza Horizon 5. The effects themselves worked, I just didn’t get the overlay to confirm.
Don’t be afraid to try it, mind. A method agnostic upscaling was an ambitious idea in 2019, and with this update to Image Scaling Nvidia has made something as good as FSR – and certainly capable of speeding up. your frame rate quickly.
