Built for DirectX11
Tessellation
The last innovation that fundamentally altered
3D realism was pixel shading. The next great breakthrough is
tessellation. The central feature of DirectX 11 and used in
critically acclaimed games like Metro 2033 and Civilization V,
tessellation allows the game designer to pack an enormous amount of
geometry in the scene without sacrificing performance. Tessellation
enables a wide range of visual effects that have previously been
out of reach, such as:
- Organic characters with perfectly smooth
curves
- Super fine surface detail such as thorns, nails,
and skin aberrations
- Vast terrain rendering with complex geometric
detail
- Dynamic level of detail with seamless
transitions
Based on NVIDIA’s revolutionary Fermi
architecture, GeForce GTX 400/500 series GPUs handle tessellation
unlike any other GPU. Instead of using a single serial unit for
tessellation, Fermi based GPUs perform tessellation across up to 16
parallel engines. The result is a breakthrough in tessellation
performance—up to 2 billion triangles per second, or 8x faster
versus competing GPUs.
Tessellation makes it possible to create vast
cities with almost unlimited detail as shown in the Endless City
Demo.
PhysX
PhysX is the only physics engine that taps into
the power of the GPU for physics computation. Used by the
ubiquitous Unreal Engine, PhysX has been at the forefront in
bringing physically simulated effects to games. In Mafia II, PhysX
was used to create fluid flowing character clothing. In Batman:
Arkham Asylum, PhysX introduced interactive smoke, GPU rigid
bodies, and debris. In Dark Void, PhysX modeled the complex
turbulence effects of the jetpack.
Behind PhysX is the power of the GPU. With
Fermi, we set out to push the boundaries of GPU physics further.
Not only did we double the number of CUDA cores over the prior
generation, we designed a new cache architecture that provides
enormous bandwidth on-chip. The result is greatly improved
performance and efficiency. Physics simulations with over a hundred
thousand particles can be achieved in realtime. Physics intensive
titles like Dark Void perform up to twice as fast as previous
generation GPUs.
PhysX simulates smoke using detailed fluid
dynamics models. Complex effects such as turbulence are depicted
with incredible finesse and
accuracy.
NVIDIA 3D Vision
Surround
NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround dramatically expands
both the width and depth of the gaming experience. NVIDIA 3D Vision
combines high-tech wireless 3D glasses and advanced software that
automatically transforms over 400 PC games into full stereoscopic
3D. The added third dimension breathes new life into classic titles
such as Unreal Tournament 3 and completely transforms new, 3D
optimized titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops and Battlefield
Bad Company 2.
When NVIDIA 3D Vision is extended to surround
mode, the game can be played across three monitors, enabling a vast
field of view. In first person shooters, enemies on the flanks can
be spotted ahead of time. In flight simulators, a full virtual
cockpit with side windows can be experienced. With a combination of
3D and surround, NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround provides the most
immersive gaming experience of any platform to
date.
NVIDIA Surround combines multiple displays to
act as one larger display to create a panoramic view
in 3D games.
Realtime Raytracing
Considered by many as the holy grail of
graphics, ray tracing produces images with perfect reflections and
refractions, accurate shadows, and photorealistic lighting. It is
the rendering technique of choice for graphics professionals, but
up until now, it has been limited to non-realtime applications.
Thanks to Fermi’s advanced compute architecture, GeForce GTX
400/500 GPUs are able to perform raytracing in realtime, at up to
15 frames per second. For even higher visual realism, the GPU can
also perform pathtracing for true global illumination. The results
are images so refined that they are indistinguishable from scenes
in computer generated films.
A Bugatti Veyron rendered with path tracing
using NVIDIA OptiX technology. OptiX integrates easily with game
engines, allowing racing games to leverage ray tracing for
near-photorealistic glamour shots in gallery
mode.