Variable-Rate Shading (VRS) is a new feature in DirectX 12 that allows developers to improve performance by selectively reducing the level of detail in parts of the frame where there will be little noticeable effect on image quality.
Today, we're adding a new VRS feature test to 3DMark to help you compare differences in performance and image quality when using Tier 1 Variable-Rate Shading.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1zoGmhVB1U
What is Variable-Rate Shading?
Shading rate refers to the number of pixel shader operations called for each pixel. Higher shading rates improve accuracy but are more demanding for the GPU. Lower shading rates improve performance at the cost of visual fidelity.
With Variable-Rate Shading, developers can vary the shading rate within a single frame. Tier 1 VRS lets developers specify the per-draw shading rate, allowing different shading rates for each draw call. Tier 2 hardware can additionally support VRS within each draw call.
By using VRS to lower the shading rate for parts of the frame that are in deep shadow, far from the camera, or peripheral to the player's focus, for example, a game can run at a higher frame rate with little perceptible loss in visual quality.
3DMark VRS feature test
3DMark feature tests are special tests designed to highlight specific techniques, functions or capabilities. The 3DMark VRS feature test is designed to help you compare differences in performance and image quality when using Tier 1 Variable-Rate Shading.
The test runs in two passes. VRS is disabled on the first pass of the test to provide a baseline for comparison. Variable-Rate Shading is enabled for the second pass. The test then reports the average frame rate for each pass and calculates the performance gained with VRS.
The VRS feature test also offers an interactive mode that lets you change Variable-Rate Shading settings on the fly to see how they affect the frame rate and image quality.
Available now
The VRS feature test is available now as a free update for 3DMark. Please note that you need Windows 10 version 1903 or later and a DirectX 12 GPU that supports Tier 1 VRS, such as an NVIDIA Turing-based GPU or an Intel Ice Lake CPU, to run this test.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/223850/3DMark/