Railworks America

My new laptop with a 4GB GTX 850M arrives on Dec. 22nd now (a week earlier than expected). I've been an AMD user for a long time. Last time I owned a computer with an Nvidia card was just over 10 years ago. But since it is now darn near impossible to find a laptop with an AMD discrete GPU card installed for under $1000 (not a lot of AMD laptops in general now...period), this was my only reasonable option.

So what settings or overrides in the Nvidia control panel work to improve things in TS2015 without funky problems (like black skies)? Things like filtering options.... or does Adaptive V-sync work with this sim? Things like that. I'm asking you guys so it helps save me the grief and time of tinkering with it myself.

Here is the GTX 850M's Nvidia page with the specs and features if that helps. I know it uses Nvidia's latest Maxwell architecture.....

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/noteboo ... e-gtx-850m

The advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

GSkid
It will depend if you use Dynamic Lighting/Clouds ON or OFF.
The NVidia Control Panel now has an entry for TS2015
In both cases I always use in the NVidia Control Panel "Enhance the application setting".
In the new NVidia CP there is a "Downsampling" setting called DSR and if you use that (particularly at 4K) you can turn off any AA settings in TS2015.
Use 10 - 25% for DSR smoothness
I also use NVidia Inspector (NVI - unlocks the "hidden" NVidia settings) and enhance everything AA that is multisampling.
CSAA is no longer supported but in NVI you can use MFAA which is a better option.
Use "adaptive" vsync if necessary or use the borderless mode in TS2015 - vsync not needed, plus pre-rendered frames at 6 in NVI can help (max 4 in NVidia control panel)
In NVI, I still have to find the AA compatibility bit for TS2015 wrt NVI to ensure all AA settings are used but use the steam bit for TS2015 ie decimal 24010 Hex 0x00005DCA under AA compatibility.

If you use Dynamic stuff OFF then in TS2015 AA settings you do not need to use anything higher than FXAA+8xMSAA and in NVI - AA Setting - use 32xS if the video card can handle it.

it does depend a lot on your cpu/gpu combination but the trick is to get the clearest image that is smooth on the screen.
Don't forget to make sure you are using the discrete video card on not the onboard Intel Graphics. This may be difficult on battery or if no external monitor is fitted.
pH

Thanks for the response pH!

According to the Nvidia website.... MFAA is ONLY available on their new top-of-the-line GTX 970 & 980 desktop cards and the GTX 970M & 980M mobile versions. Also.... DSR is NOT supported by ANY of their mobile cards.... it's a desktop card ONLY feature. So both those options aren't available to the GTX 850M.

I'll try out your other advice and let you know how it went.

Gskid
That is a great pity!
Can you still use CSAA?
In the new year should be getting a GSync monitor so I will see how effective that is!
Good luck with the card!
pH

I don't know if CSAA is useable on my card or not. My best guess is no. Any references to it on Nvidia's website looks like a legacy page explaining the tech and making the comment about it's introduction in the GeForce 8 Series GPUs.... which were debuted in 2007. My card claims TXAA as a feature, but a game must be written or patched specifically to use it. It can't be forced globally by the user onto all games like some other filtering methods.

Gskid
It might be worth trying the DSR option if you have it for that card?
Then you don't need any AA settings in TS2015 and the video card is more efficient at rendering the image than the settings in TS2015.
Good Luck
pH

Also.... DSR is NOT supported by ANY of their mobile cards.... it's a desktop card ONLY feature.

Read my posts Peter....the information is there. Use the force Luke!

DSR is not available on their mobile cards. Not even their top-of-the-line 980M....

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technol ... orted-gpus

I don't know why they don't support DSR! Both the GTX 970M & 980M are being hailed as Nvidia's first TRUE desktop gaming replacement mobile GPUs. This is the first time that their performance isn't a generation behind their top desktop GPUs.

The performance gap is surprisingly small! Here's the GTX 980 VS the GTX 980M....

http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-980 ... ce-GTX-980

The numbers don't lie. Mobile GPUs are no longer 2nd class.... they now mean business! I mean... 8GB of GDDR5 on a mobile GPU card? Crazy stuff! It's a great time for laptop gaming.

Blame it on poor eyesight! or reading too many posts and not simming on TS2015!!
I am amazed its not on the latest "M" series - bad omission!
Thanks
pH