Very often, you may want to play an old game on your new display screen. But the game has been programmed to work on a specific aspect ratio, which is most of the time 4:3. You want it to work and display the same visual quality on your new monitor as it did on your old one. So, you need to adjust the settings.
And this, my friends, is what we call GPU scaling. But that's not it.
What exactly is GPU scaling and how does it work?
It is a feature that is pre-installed on your computers. With the help of this feature, you can scale the image size in both directions, i.e., vertically and horizontally, through AMD graphics cards.
Some games support scaling while others don't. It depends on the developer if they utilize this feature or not. If a game doesn't provide you with any option to scale, then it is most likely locked in a specific aspect ratio. In such cases, you can choose black bars or borders as your choices for downscaling instead of stretching the image.
So, let's assume that you want to play one of those older games on a system designed to cater to modern aspect ratios like 16:9 or 21:9.
But, the game under consideration is intended to be played at 5:4 or 4:3. In that case, GPU scaling will give you three options, and you can choose either one of them:
- Stretch the image to match the system's aspect ratio
- Display black bars at the sides
- Display a black border along with the screen
Now, what to choose is your own choice and preference. Those who want to hit more precise targets in FPS-based games can go for stretching the image. Those who wish for a more accurate focus can choose black bars or borders. But one thing that is to your advantage is that you have the technology, and you have the option to use it.
It is most helpful in games designed on a fixed aspect ratio like 5:4 or 4:3. Through this feature, you can alter these fixed aspect ratios to calibrate and synchronize with a newer and more popular aspect ratio like 16:9.
AMD refers to GPU scaling as "Aspect Ratio Correction"
You can do so through AMD's Catalyst Control Center. You can also change the display mode of your games, like, Fullscreen (Windowed) mode, Fullscreen (Exclusive), Windowed, etc.
For Nvidia graphics cards, GPU scaling is called "Scaling Mode" and you can adjust this setting using the NVIDIA control panel.
The best part about this concept is that it not only works with older titles but also brand new games. Even SLI (Scalable Link Interface) configurations support GPU scaling. On multi-display setups, if one monitor supports GPU scaling and another does not, then the game will automatically shrink down on the monitor without this feature. The other monitor will get the original scaled-up image, which is normal.
The only difference is that the non-scaling monitor will have black bars on its sides while playing a 16:9 game.
If your GPU scales down your games to weird aspect ratios or you find GPU scaling options in the control panel but they are grayed out, then chances are that you might be logged in to an account with administrative privileges. To adjust GPU scaling settings using these tools, please log in to an account without them and then attempt to change it. You can also try updating drivers or reducing overall computer performance for better results.
Types of GPU Scaling
There is a special mode that exists in this technology. It is called "scaling mode." This mode allows you to choose how to scale a given image. It works in the following three ways:
'Preserve Aspect Ratio' - allowing you to keep the original aspect ratio by adding black bars on two opposite sides
'Full Panel' - allowing you to stretch the image to fill the whole screen
'Center' - enabling you to fix the image in the center of the screen with black bars surrounding it from all sides.
Which is the best scaling mode?
It depends on personal preference. However, if you want an experience similar to that of a monitor with a different aspect ratio, then go for "preserve aspect ratio." But most people go with 'full panel' and 'center.' Particularly in shooters and racing games where details and precision mean everything. Shooting or racing requires better focus than usual.
You might find yourself confused without GPU scaling options enabled since the original graphics appear stretched out with black borders all around them instead of simply filling up your screen entirely at 16:9 ratios.
For gamers who do not like the idea of playing their favorite games at 4:3 or 5:4 ratios, there is always one available- no matter what type of game you are playing. GPU scaling helps in all cases.
The only time in which gamers might feel slightly uncomfortable with this feature is when different resolutions appear with no black bars around them. This has happened to me multiple times, personally. You get something that looks exactly the same as the original graphics, but since they fit entirely on your screen without any black borders or letterboxing, you tend to feel "unusual" looking at it instead of being able to see everything else just fine.
It is even more preferable for people who prefer playing their games full-screen and not windowed mode because it adds a twist of fun while having an experience similar to reality. For example, imagine yourself sitting on a couch in front of your TV. This is how it would feel to play your favorite game in fullscreen mode.
Effect of GPU scaling on input lag
Input lag is the time taken by your computer to process how much pressure you are applying on your button(s) while playing games. It is usually very high when playing FPS games or any game in general with default graphics settings, so GPU scaling helps reduce input lag in every possible way.
There will be a slight increase in the input lag because GPU Scaling requires a little more processing. It happens for no more than specific fractions of a second, which doesn't significantly differ in videos. But it can still be observed in games.
GPU scaling in games is also very helpful in bringing your graphics to the front of your screen with no black edges around them. Many people have wondered this, but it does make a difference. Instead of spending hours upon hours changing graphics settings for individual games, you can spend minutes enabling GPU scaling and get better results than you bargained for!
How to enable GPU scaling
It's pretty simple to enable this feature on your AMD Crimson (or later) system. First of all, make sure that your system has a compatible AMD graphics card installed into it. After that, follow these simple steps, and BOOM, there you go!
- Open your system's AMD Radeon settings.
- Click on "display."
- Enable GPU Scaling in the options available in the drop-down menu.
As for Nvidia cards, follow this:
- Open your system's NVIDIA GeForce Experience settings.
- Click on the arrow to open additional options.
- Enable GPU scaling from the options that appear in the drop-down menu.
- Click on "okay." That's it! You have now enabled GPU scaling using this method as well.
Conclusion
Once know about the way GPU scaling works, you can enable it to enjoy this technology on your AMD-installed systems. You can also disable it when you feel like playing in windowed mode or when you want to apply different graphics settings for all games.
GPU scaling in games is a great technology brought by both Nvidia and AMD together because it allows gamers to play full-screen without having black bars around their images. You can enable GPU scaling whenever needed, but it is recommended to enable it always if you are interested in maximizing your gaming experience!