Nvidia Forceware Tweak Guide
[Page 7] Forceware Control Panel (Pt.2)
Set PhysX Configuration
This section allows you to configure the use of PhysX advanced physics processing. Nvidia has incorporated GPU-accelerated PhysX capabilities into all CUDA-ready GPUs - specifically that means all GeForce 8 and newer cards with 256MB or more of onboard memory; previously PhysX effects were only possible when using a standalone Ageia PhysX PPU. PhysX is only of benefit in games and software which support its use, such as those listed here. The use of PhysX allows more realistic physics-based effects in supported games, but depending on the specific models of your GPU and CPU, you may get higher or lower performance as a result.
Note that to successfully use GPU-based PhysX you should install the latest Forceware drivers (i.e. 177.83 Forceware or newer), and the latest PhysX drivers (i.e. 8.08.01 or newer) - the PhysX drivers are now incorporated into the Forceware package and install automatically as part of the graphics driver installation process, so you do not need to download and install them separately.
The PhysX options in the latest Forceware are as follows:
Depending on the option you select, the diagram displayed in this section will change to show which of your display(s) is utilizing what form of PhysX. In general I recommend choosing 'Auto-select' as this will allow the Forceware drivers to determine the best processing hardware on your system to use for any supported PhysX effects. Advanced users can then experiment on a game-by-game basis to see if forcing PhysX onto a specific graphics card or even shifting the load to the CPU improves their overall performance. Also keep in mind that the 'CUDA - GPUs' setting in the Forceware Control Panel (as covered on the previous page) determines whether PhysX is allowed to be used on a particular GPU on your system, as PhysX is a CUDA-reliant process.
To see if PhysX is correctly enabled and being used in a game, you can enable a PhysX Visual Indicator by selecting the setting of the same name under the '3D Settings' menu at the top of the Forceware Control Panel. When PhysX is available, the indicator will show whether it is running on the CPU or GPU.
If you don't have a PhysX-capable game to test and utilize the capabilities of GPU-based PhysX, you can download one of the free GeForce Power Packs which contain a range of demos and games that further demonstrate GPU-based PhysX effects. You can also view a range of PhysX videos on the main PhysX Site if you just want to see the types of effects which PhysX is capable of. When PhysX is enabled in a game which supports it, you will see enhanced physics effects such as additional debris, more detailed explosions and smoke (particle effects), greater destruction of the environment, better physics animations on objects, better water effects, improved cloth and paper effects, and so forth. However it is important to note that although GPU-based PhysX makes these additional effects possible with improved performance in many cases, in some cases it may also result in reduced framerates. What is happening is that your GPU is carrying an extra workload in calculating these additional physics effects, and depending on the game, your GPU, and the rest of your system, the FPS impact can be noticeable.
The bottom line is that for a system with a single PhysX-capable GPU, in some cases you will see a noticeable FPS rise, in other cases you may see a noticeable FPS drop. It all depends on whether the additional PhysX effects are set to be always on in the game, or whether they can be enabled or disabled. Furthermore the degree to which your FPS increases or falls also depends on how powerful your GPU is compared to your CPU. If you have a high-end CPU and a low-end GPU for example, then shifting the PhysX load to the GPU may have a negative impact overall.
On systems with multiple PhysX-capable Nvidia GPUs the story will be different - particularly on a non-SLI setup where you can set your most powerful Nvidia GPU as the primary graphics card, and add a second weaker Nvidia GPU and set it to just process the PhysX effects. In such a scenario you should usually get the benefit of both optimal FPS and additional PhysX effects. So for example if you have an unused GeForce 8 PCI-E card, you can slot it into a spare PCI-E port and utilize it for faster GPU-based PhysX in Multi-GPU (not SLI) mode.
In any case by default since most games do not support PhysX, this setting has no impact on performance or image quality. Even in games which do support PhysX, the 'Auto-select' option should be optimal unless you are troubleshooting or experimenting.
Performance
As noted on the previous page, this section may be in a category of its own, not under the 3D Settings category, if you've installed the nTune or System Tools Utility. Furthermore you can also enable a hidden Overclocking setting in this section - see the Overclocking chapter for details. The performance options won't be covered in this guide in detail, as technically they are not part of the regular Forceware Control Panel. Indeed you can access all the features in this section such as temperature monitoring by using GPU-Z and other handy free utilities listed in the TweakGuides Tweaking Companion.
Display
This section has settings which affect the way the image is displayed on your screen.
Change Resolution
This section allows you to change the screen resolution, color quality and refresh rate. These are detailed in the Windows Control Panel section of this guide and have exactly the same functionality.
Adjust Desktop Color Settings
This screen allows you to customize the brightness, contrast, vibrance and color balance of images on screen. For the first section ('Choose how color is set'), I recommend selecting the first option, which is 'Other applications control color settings' - this allows any application to set it owns colors if it needs to, which is usually best. If at any time you wish to override them and manually force your own color settings, select the second option ('Use Nvidia Settings'). In any case adjust the various settings as covered below, as at the very least these impact on the normal Windows desktop:
Color Channel: This drop down box lets you specify whether you want the changes you make on this screen to only be applied to a specific color, or to all colors. There is no reason to change this from its default of 'All Channels'. If for some reason you want to alter a particular color channel, for example if you want to make reds on your desktop a little brighter, select the Red color channel from the box. Now move the Brightness slider slowly to the right. You will notice that all reds on the screen will become brighter. This is useful for compensating for the way some displays over-represent a particular color by default.
There are a range of sliders you can select under the Slider tab here, or if you are more advanced you can use a graph to change the color curve. The Sliders are recommended to all but the most advanced users. Note that there are several images you can use to judge the impact of your changes while calibrating your settings here - click the 1, 2 or 3 options under the image to the right to select a different calibration Preview Image.
Brightness: This slider determines the overall level of light or dark for the display. 50% is the neutral and default point. You should ideally adjust your monitor's Brightness setting first if you feel it is too dark, then use this slider for fine tuning as required.
Contrast: This slider determines the difference between light and dark. The higher the contrast the whiter whites will be and the darker blacks will be in relation to them. Some display types actually benefit from a slight reduction in contrast as this reduces glare and harshness, while others require a slight increase in contrast to reduce a muddy washed out greyness. Set to suit your taste.
Gamma: This slider determines the brightness of most images, but in a more subtle way than Brightness. It requires a bit more experimentation to reach an appropriate level which does not result in a washed out screen image, but also doesn't make the screen look too dark.
The settings below apply to all 2D and 3D graphics regardless of their own settings, so be aware that changing them will affect all your graphics:
Digital Vibrance: This slider can increase color richness in an image so that all images - including 2D, 3D, and video - appear brighter and crisper. The use of Digital Vibrance depends on your particular tastes and your particular display device(s). For most people I recommend only a slight increase if you want to use this slider, otherwise everything will appear neon bright and highly unnatural. There is no performance impact from using Digital Vibrance, so find a level which suits you and you can see the impact of any changes immediately on your Desktop and in your games, so experiment to find the right color level.
Hue: This setting controls the overall hue of colors, namely how saturated and the general tone of colors the image on screen appears to take. In general it shouldn't be altered - if you find your monitor's color is too warm, or too blue-tinged, or too pale, then consider changing the monitor's own 'Color Temperature' (or similar) setting instead.
Once done adjusting these, click the Apply button to save them.
Adjust Desktop Size and Position
If you have a digital flat panel - most commonly an LCD display - connected via a digital connection like DVI or HDMI, then this section allows you to determine how various resolutions appear on your screen. Basically since an LCD display consists of a fixed number of separate pixels, it has a 'native' resolution at which images display at their sharpest. This native resolution (e.g. 1920x1200) is the number of pixels in width x number of pixels high in the panel, and any time your software resolution is different to this native resolution (e.g. when a movie or game is using a different resolution) the LCD panel will do one of the following depending on your choice:
Switching between these modes will not damage your monitor so try them all out and see which suits you best. The 'Nvidia Scaling with fixed-aspect-ration' option is recommended. In Windows XP remember to also use ClearType to help smooth out text in scaled images for best results. Under Vista enable ClearType under Control Panel>Personalization>'Window Color and Appearance'>'open classic properties for more color options'>Effects. Under Windows 7 go to Control Panel>Display and select the 'Adjust ClearType text' link in the left pane.
Rotate Display
This section allows you to rotate the onscreen image through a series of preset angles. If you want to rotate the onscreen image through a set angle of either 90 degrees right or left, or 180 degrees (upside down), use one of the relevant options at the bottom of this box. Alternatively you can use one of the small arrow icons to the left and right of the small screen representation, or the one inside it. Once you've chosen the angle of rotation you require, click the Apply button and the change will be immediately visible. Note that only games or 3D applications which support rotation will work in rotated modes. Also note that rotation requires additional video memory, and as such if you have one or more displays rotated, you may experience reduced performance.
View HDCP Status
HDCP is the High-Bandwidth Digital Content protection system designed to ensure that copyrighted content streamed over a digital connection cannot be altered or copied without permission. This section allows you to see if your graphics card, digital connection, OS and monitor all support HDCP. If you see the fact that your graphics card and display are HDCP capable, you will be able to view HDCP-protected content such as Blu-Ray movies. If they are not HDCP capable you may not be able to play back such content or may face certain restrictions. Check your hardware specifications and cabling to ensure they all comply with HDCP requirements. see the Digital Rights Management section of the Windows Media Player chapter of the TweakGuides Tweaking Companion for more details.
Set up multiple displays
If you have two or more display devices connected to system, this section allows you to configure how they are used.
Video
The settings under this section only apply to video and TV playback on your PC. They do not affect your Desktop or games. Therefore it's recommended that you play a video while adjusting these settings to see the impacts of any changes you make.
Adjust Video Color Settings
You can choose whether to adjust video playback settings using the settings in your default media player, or select the 'With the Nvidia Settings' option to allow access to a range of settings which can override the media player:
Color: The sliders under this tab include Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation. Most are already described above, but to add to these descriptions, the Hue slider determines the particular shade that colors take, while Saturation determines the richness of colors.
Gamma: You can adjust the overall gamma using the top slider, or if you select the second option, you will then have access to separate Red, Green and Blue sliders you can use to individually adjust colors to correct any color flaws or over/under saturation of a particular color on your screen, or certain video sources.
Advanced: Under this section, there is a Dynamic Range setting which can be accessed if 'With the Nvidia Settings' option is selected. You can switch between Limited and Full range, and the setting will affect the richness and detail in dark scenes. The 'Full (0-255)' setting should be optimal for seeing greater detail in blacks, but experiment to see how it looks on your display.
Adjust Video Image Settings
This section provides additional video playback image enhancement/adjustment options:
Edge Enhancement: Here you can set the level of 'Edge Enhancement', which is a form of image sharpening that can help make blurry videos seem sharper. It can however also increase ghosting, so it needs to be used in minimal amounts.
Noise Reduction: The 'Noise Reduction' slider can be used to remove film grain and other forms of 'visible noise' in the image, but can make the picture appear more blurry as a result.
When done, click the Apply button, and once again, these changes only apply to Video/DVD playback.
There will be other settings under this section depending on the device you've hooked up to your graphics card. They cannot all be covered here, most should be self explanatory.
The next page looks at the nView functionality of the Nvidia Forceware Control Panel under Windows XP.
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