Should I Use FXAA or Not? An In-Depth Look at This Popular Anti-Aliasing Method

Hey there gaming friend! Have you noticed jagged edges or pixelated textures (aliasing) in your games, and wondered if you should turn on Fast Approximate Anti-Aliasing (FXAA) to help fix it? As a fellow gaming enthusiast, I‘ve done a deep dive into FXAA to help explain what it is, when it‘s useful, and how to optimize it for YOUR system.

What Exactly is FXAA?

FXAA is a post-processing anti-aliasing filter – meaning it smooths jagged edges after the main scene has been rendered. It works by identifying areas of high contrast between adjacent pixels, then applying a blur effect to soften that transition.

[diagram of FXAA process]

Unlike other anti-aliasing (AA) methods like MSAA that operate during rendering, FXAA has a much lower performance impact – typically just a 1-5% FPS drop! But this speed comes at the cost of reduced quality compared to "true" AA techniques.

Let‘s look at how FXAA compares to other common AA options:

Anti-aliasing Method	Performance Impact	Visual Quality
FXAA	Very Low (1-5% FPS)	Low/Medium
MSAA	High (depends on level)	High
SSAA	Very High (cuts FPS by 2x)	Very High
DLSS	Low-Medium	High (with tensor cores)
TAA	Medium	Medium

As you can see, FXAA trades some image quality for a big boost in performance. Now let‘s explore when it shines, and when some alternatives may be better.

When Does FXAA Help – And When Does It Fall Short?

FXAA excels at higher resolutions like 1440p or 4K where aliasing is less noticeable, so its minor blurring doesn‘t outweigh the performance benefits as much.

But at lower resolutions like 1080p, FXAA‘s blurring and loss of sharpness becomes more apparent. Here, a "real" AA method like MSAA 2x/4x still helps smooth edges without as much sacrifice in clarity.

Based on my testing, here are the resolutions where I‘ve found FXAA most useful versus where it falls short:

Resolution	FXAA Recommendation
1080p	Often still benefits from added MSAA 2x/4x
1440p	Very useful, blurring less noticeable
4K	Excellent, aliasing is minor so less need for AA
Ultrawide 1440p/1080p	Useful due to higher pixel density

Of course there are always exceptions, but this covers typical usage cases. FXAA is especially helpful on lower end GPUs that can‘t handle more demanding AA while maintaining 60 FPS.

Optimizing FXAA Settings for YOUR Setup

Nvidia Control Panel allows granular control over FXAA behavior, with three quality presets:

• Low – Least blurring, fastest performance
• Medium – Balances quality and speed
• High – More blurring, most smoothing
• Off – Disables FXAA

I recommend trying Medium first – High often causes excess blurring with diminishing returns on edge smoothing. Low may sometimes be too little.

Try disabling ambient occlusion and motion blur when FXAA is enabled, to avoid excessive blur stacking effects.

You can further tweak the contrast detection threshold that triggers FXAA‘s blur filter, with a lower setting applying it more aggressively:

[images of FXAA threshold settings]

Finding the sweet spot here for your preferences and GPU takes testing – start around 0.166 and adjust from there.

Optimizing FXAA Game By Game

Ideal FXAA settings can vary between games depending on factors like engine, textures, and existing AA implementation. Here are optimized settings for popular titles:

• GTA V – Enable in-game FXAA with Reflection MSAA off. Disable in-game MSAA.
• COD Warzone – Medium/Low FXAA with Filmic SMAA T2X for sharpness.
• Fortnite – Low/Off as post-process AA already exists.
• PUBG – FXAA Medium, with sharpening around 50% to compensate.

As you can see, balancing FXAA against existing AA and post-processing is key for the best image.

Using Reshade FXAA for Enhanced Control

Tools like ReShade allow applying customized FXAA in games that don‘t have it built-in. Benefits include:

• Tweaking edge detection threshold and smoothing amount
• Combining FXAA with SMAA and other filters
• Adding sharpening, lumasharpen, and clarity to offset blur

It takes trial and error to find the right combo for each game, but the results can be worth it!

When To Consider Disabling FXAA

• If you dislike any blurring and value maximum sharpness
• Running at lower FPS where FXAA latency could matter
• Pairing with stronger temporal AA like DLSS that reduces need for FXAA
• Playing older games not designed with post-process AA in mind
• Using a 1080p monitor, where MSAA/DSR may visually outweigh performance cost

Alternatives To Investigate

If you want to skip FXAA but still reduce aliasing, consider options like:

• SMAA – Advanced post-process AA with less blurring
• MSAA 2x – Still helps smooth edges with minimal FPS hit
• DSR – Downsample rendering from higher resolution
• DLSS – Uses AI to boost FPS while smoothing edges

I suggest experimenting to find what maximizes both visuals and FPS for your personal preferences!

The Verdict: Should YOU Use FXAA?

Based on my in-depth analysis, here is my recommended approach to FXAA for YOUR system:

Lower End GPU (1050 Ti, 1650):

• Enable FXAA Medium/High at 1080p for smoother edges
• Disable ambient occlusion/blurring effects to minimize artifacts
• Add MSAA 2x if FPS allows for increased sharpness

Mid Range GPU (2070, 5700 XT):

• FXAA Medium + MSAA 2x balances quality and speed at 1080p
• At 1440p, use FXAA Low/Medium to maximize performance
• Fine-tune FXAA settings per game

Higher End GPU (2080 Ti, 3080):

• FXAA Off or Low at 4K – little aliasing so minimal need for AA
• Enable at 1440p if desired, with sharpening to offset blur
• Focus on max settings and frame rate over FXAA

I hope these tips help you optimize FXAA for YOUR specific setup and games. Let me know if you have any other questions! Game on 🙂