YouTube channel Digital Foundry printed a brand new unique video with an in-depth evaluation of Intel’s new XeSS AI picture reconstruction upscaler. Within the evaluation, XeSS was a surprisingly potent competitor to barely older variations of DLSS model 2, that includes comparable or higher gaming efficiency and picture high quality than the Nvidia counterpart.
For a deep-dive clarification of XeSS, take a look at our earlier protection right here. However to briefly clarify: XeSS is Intel’s reply to Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR clever upscaling applied sciences. XeSS upscales pictures from a decrease native decision to the next decision with as little degradation as doable to picture element.
Internally, XeSS capabilities very equally to Nvidia DLSS; upscaling depends on the assistance of a temporal AI algorithm that intelligently provides element into the upscaled picture, the place there’s none, with the assistance of beforehand recorded picture information. Nonetheless, in contrast to DLSS, Intel’s counterpart has three totally different variations to assist all forms of GPUs. These embrace Arc Alchemist Intel GPUs, Intel built-in graphics, and non-Intel GPUs (sure, this implies XeSS will work on Nvidia and AMD GPUs).
For testing, Digital Foundry makes use of an Arc Alchemist A770 GPU operating a specialised Shadow of the Tomb Raider construct that helps Intel’s new AI upscaler. Resolutions examined embrace 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions.
Efficiency was excellent with XeSS with its implementation in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. In a best-case state of affairs, Digital Foundry noticed a 88% body fee enchancment with the A770 at 4K decision in XeSS’ efficiency mode. The features weren’t as vital in different modes, however they have been nonetheless excellent. Balanced sees a 66% efficiency enchancment, High quality mode 47%, and Extremely High quality 23%.
However it’s price noting that these great features primarily apply to greater decision targets akin to 4K, which places extra load on the GPU. For instance, when testing a much less demanding decision akin to 1440P, the utmost efficiency profit Digital Foundry noticed was 52% in XeSS’ efficiency mode. Nonetheless, a 52% efficiency increase nonetheless deserves consideration.
Picture high quality was simply as spectacular because the efficiency metrics. In comparison with DLSS model 2.3.2, which ships with Shadow of the Tomb Raider proper now, XeSS can go toe to toe with the Nvidia counterpart in all elements. XeSS outperformed Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s TAA implementation in some eventualities, regardless of the TAA check operating at native decision.
When you have been to place XeSS and DLSS aspect by aspect with out zooming in, you would not be capable to inform the distinction. You may solely discover the variations in picture high quality when zooming into the photographs. However even then, each AI upscalers look similar, with DLSS profitable out solely in a few conditions. Photographs with movement additionally share a wonderful high quality with XeSS, with no precise ghosting or artifacting.
The one exceptions to XeSS’s glorious picture high quality revolve round a few bugs that have to be ironed out by Intel. First, it contains uncommon flickering with vegetation and clothes, which might typically be intense. Some areas with water and dust will also be problematic with intense jittering that may be very distracting.
Moreover these obvious bugs, Digital Foundry’s evaluation reveals that Intel is now a critical contender within the AI upscaling market. However Intel is just not out of the woods simply but; it might want to garner as a lot adoption as doable if it hopes to compete in opposition to DLSS and FSR, each extensively adopted within the online game trade at present.
