Question on my ATI 9800 XT 256

[Zanatar]

I have a ATI 9800 XT 256.

I have a question on where I should be setting my AA and AF. Should it be on the ATI Control panel? Because currently on that ATI control panel, both AA and AF are set to something like : Let game control these settings.

Here`s why I ask. I have Max Payne (orginal) installed. In the game settings, for AA, I can set it to 6x there.

For filtering, I can only set it to either Bi-Linear, Tri-linear or AF. But for AF there is no 2x 3x ..16x setting for example, just those three choices. Bi-Linear, Tri-linear or AF.

I keep hearing people talking about setting AA to 8x and AF to 16x. So I am wondering if I should be setting the AA 8x and AF 16x on the ATI control panel?

But if that is the case, why then, doesn't the game allow me to choose 8x (it only allows 6x) and just AF, not AF 16x?

It it because this game doesn't support anything higher then AA 6x, and only supports AF not any 16x type thing with it?

Thanks,

Zanatar.

[Harsesis]

I think there are programs to change the aa higher, although I'm not too sure which ones. You can always try Powerstrip :)

[Suddenly_Dead]

Well, since you can't set AF in max payne, set it in the control panel. No harm in that.

As for which you should be using... many games don't have an option inside of them for AA or AF, or at least not varying levels. If you want to use either in any of these games, the control panel setting will override the settings you have in other games, so those settings will become pointless anyways.

Should you want per-game settings that only work with some games, then simply set the settings in the game and leave it to 'game controlled' or whatever i nthe control panel. Should you want a universal setting, or use AA/AF with other games, set it in the control panel.

And if a game has no slider for either (like AF in max payne), it is safe to set it in the control panel... the developers just didn't go far enough as to include the slider in the game. It will normally work just fine.

(personally i use the control panel, seeing as it's universal and the games I play don't have sliders for either... just buttons or nothing)

[Khujo]

I set my AA and AF to 4x and 8x and pretty much leave it for most games, the max supported by ATi currently is 6x AA and 16x AF. Your card has more video ram and higher core/memory clocks so you could probably get away with bumping the AA up to 6x in a lot of games and ATi's adaptive Anisotropic filtering 16x shouldn't be a problem there either, I just settled for mid ground and pretty much set it and forget it.