AMD FSR: All You Need to Know

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Dayan Shahid

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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With the growing popularity of frame generation technologies to boost performance in single-player gamers, it is hard to ignore to words: FSR and DLSS.

Let’s focus on FSR for a moment; AMD FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) increases FPS while maintaining visual quality. What is it, how does it work, and why is it becoming popular? Let’s get to know.

Key Takeaways

• AMD FSR renders images at a lower resolution and upgrades them to a higher resolution, giving a smoother gameplay.
• AMD FSR technology uses a dedicated algorithm to analyze, predict, and reconstruct low-resolution images.
• FSR is more accessible than NVIDIA’s DLSS technology. DLSS requires tensor cores, which are available in NVIDIA’s GPU.

What Is AMD FSR?

AMD FSR is a technology developed by AMD that renders the frames at a lower resolution and then upscales the image to a higher resolution.^[1]

FSR is part of AMD’s FidelityFX suite, is open-source, and provides smoother gameplay even in demanding scenarios.^[1] This super cool technology is compatible with various GPUs, including AMD and NVIDIA.

How Does It Work?

FSR technology uses a dedicated algorithm that analyzes and reconstructs the low-resolution image at a high resolution.^[2] The reconstruction process involves edge detection, sharpening, and temporal stability, reducing the GPU load.

The FSR offers multiple quality modes, including Ultra Quality, Quality, Balanced, and Performance.^[3] In performance mode, you get higher frame rates, while in ultra-quality mode, you get the highest image fidelity. 

FSR Vs DLSS

FSR is a widely compatible upscaling technology, but it is often compared with its competitor, NVIDIA’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling). The main difference between the working of these technologies is as follows:

• NVIDIA DLSS: DLSS uses a neural network trained on high-resolution images to generate higher-quality frames. The AI approach of DLSS requires dedicated hardware, which is present in RTX GPUs as Tensor Cores.^[4] DLSS provides highly accurate and detailed image quality.
• AMD FSR: FSR also provides a smoother gaming experience but doesn’t need dedicated hardware. FSR offers a good balance of performance and accessibility as it can also run on a wide range of GPUs from other companies and older models.

Evolution Of FSR

AMD has continuously improved FSR technology since its initial release. They addressed user feedback and refined the technology for better image generation and quality. AMD’s adaptability has made FSR remain at the top of the gaming experience battle.

GPUs That Support AMD FSR

The latest version of FSR is FSR 3.0, which was recently released and iterated from previous versions. According to AMD, FSR 3.0 supports AMD Radeon RX 590 and above from the AMD lineup and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series and above with upscaling only.

However, AMD recommends using their latest FSR 3.0 with upscaling and frame generation on AMD Radeon 6000 series and above from AMD and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series and above from NVIDIA. 

Helpful Resources by Tech4Gamers:

• Ray Tracing
• Tensor Cores
• Hyper-Threading

References:

Dayan Shahid

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

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