Supercharge your GeForce GPU with these 6 must-use features

From higher frames per second to more visual flair, enhance what your GeForce GPU can do.

- THIAGO TREVISAN

If graphics performance matters to you, you should never settle for your GPU’s out-of-the-box state. The real power comes from the tweaks and “extra” features you enable on your GPU. You just need to know where to look. We’ll point you to six must-use features for wringing more from your Nvidia GeForce graphics card. If you crave better performance or more eye candy, one or more of these tweaks is for you. (To learn more about today’s graphics hardware, see our roundup of the best GPUs for PC gaming [fave.co/3DOEuWk].)

RAY TRACING

Nvidia GPUs are tailor-made for ray tracing in many modern games, bringing lighting effects to the next level. If you want realistic light rendering in your supported title, you’ll have the option to activate ray tracing in the game menu. Cyberpunk 2077 is a great example of how ray tracing can bring a game world to life, with shimmering water and reflective light effects.

It’s not all sunshine and glistening vistas, however. Ray tracing also comes with some performance penalties. Even on lower settings, it can be taxing on even the latest RTX 3000 GPUs. First, to take full advantage of what ray tracing has to offer, you’ll want the beefiest GPU you can get a hold of. With the current vast shortages, that’s easier said than done—but you can expect the best performance from the RTX 3090, 3080 Ti, and 3080 with second-gen RT cores. Don’t worry—even some older 20-series GPUs can benefit from ray tracing, but you’ll be more constrained performancewise. Check out Brad Chaco’s article on ray tracing for more information (fave. co/3ebGQ6M).