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MFAA (Multi-Frame Sampled Anti-Aliasing) is an NVIDIA driver-assisted anti-aliasing option introduced with Maxwell GeForce GPUs. It uses changing sample patterns to target higher anti-aliasing quality than a selected MSAA level alone, with a lower performance cost in NVIDIA’s stated comparison. To try it, enable MFAA in NVIDIA’s 3D settings and choose 2x or 4x MSAA in a game that supports it. A GTX 970 is among the cards NVIDIA identified for MFAA, but the setting’s availability and results depend on the driver and game.
How MFAA works
Traditional anti-aliasing methods on earlier GPU generations used fixed sample patterns stored in ROM. With Maxwell, NVIDIA introduced programmable rasterization sample positions stored in RAM. The driver or application can vary those positions spatially, within a frame, and temporally, between frames.
MFAA uses that flexibility to alternate sample patterns across frames and within the image. NVIDIA’s September 18, 2014 explanation said that “4xMFAA has the performance cost of 2xMSAA, with anti-aliasing properties equivalent to 4xMSAA.” That is NVIDIA’s technical comparison, not a guarantee that every game or PC will deliver the same image quality or frame rate. NVIDIA’s MFAA explanation
How to enable MFAA
- In NVIDIA Control Panel: open Manage 3D Settings, find Multi-Frame Sampled AA (MFAA), set it to On, and apply the change.
- In the game: select 2x or 4x MSAA in a title that exposes a supported MSAA setting. NVIDIA’s documented method is to let the driver apply MFAA on top of that selection.
In NVIDIA’s historical Assassin’s Creed Unity guide, the stated comparisons were 2x MSAA with MFAA for quality comparable to 4x MSAA, and 4x MSAA with MFAA for quality comparable to 8x MSAA. Treat these as the manufacturer’s documented guidance for supported configurations, not a promise for all games. NVIDIA’s Assassin’s Creed Unity guide
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Finding the setting in the NVIDIA app
NVIDIA’s app guidance places MFAA in legacy settings. Open Graphics, choose the game’s Driver Settings or the global settings, scroll to the bottom, and select Show Legacy Settings. NVIDIA lists Multi-Frame Sampled Anti-Aliasing among the options there. App labels and placement may change with updates. NVIDIA app guidance
Does MFAA work on a GTX 970?
Yes, the GTX 970 is one of the Maxwell cards NVIDIA identified in its MFAA documentation; the GTX 980 was also named, including mobile examples in the setup guide. NVIDIA’s January 22, 2015 GeForce 347.25 WHQL driver release described MFAA support as extended to “nearly every DX10 and DX11 title.” That historical statement is not a current, exhaustive game compatibility list. The game must also expose a suitable MSAA setting, and your driver must provide the MFAA option. NVIDIA GeForce 347.25 WHQL release notes
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Does MFAA improve FPS?
It can reduce the performance cost relative to a higher MSAA level for comparable anti-aliasing, according to NVIDIA, but it does not guarantee a higher frame rate than using no anti-aliasing or another AA method. The result depends on the game, GPU, driver, and settings.
| Example | NVIDIA’s reported result | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin’s Creed Unity | 10–30% frame-rate improvement; 21% on NVIDIA’s featured system | NVIDIA’s 2014 guide, using GeForce Game Ready Driver 344.75 WHQL or newer; specific to that game and test context. |
| Grand Theft Auto V | 10–30% faster | NVIDIA’s 2015 guide, in the GTA V context; not a general benchmark for other titles or systems. |
| Rainbow Six Siege | 2x MSAA with MFAA described as near-identical to 4x MSAA for a small performance cost | NVIDIA’s game-specific guidance; no universal frame-rate figure was stated. |
These are manufacturer-published examples, not an independent, broad benchmark of MFAA. Check frame rate and frame-time stability on your own system before deciding which setting to keep.
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What to check before using MFAA
- Game support: verify that the game offers MSAA. MFAA is not a replacement for a game’s other anti-aliasing modes.
- Image quality: compare edge smoothness with the game’s alternatives; different AA methods can affect temporal shimmer, blur, and other artifacts differently.
- Performance: compare both frame rate and frame-time stability with the settings you actually use.
- Configuration: check the game and driver settings together. NVIDIA’s 2015 GTA V guide said MFAA was compatible only with single-GPU systems “at the time of writing”; that contemporaneous limit should not be treated as a verified universal rule for all current configurations.
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