Custom upscaling scale FPS estimator
Many games now offer a render scale slider instead of fixed modes. Enter your native frame rate and the scale you want to try. See the internal resolution, the pixel saving and a realistic frame rate.
How render scale turns into frames
Upscalers such as DLSS, FSR and XeSS draw the game at a lower internal resolution and then rebuild the image at your screen size. The render scale is the share of your width and height that is actually drawn. Because pixels grow with both axes, a 50 percent scale draws only a quarter of the pixels, and a 67 percent scale draws about 44 percent. Fewer pixels means less work for the graphics card, so frame rates rise.
The saving is never perfect. The upscaler takes its own time on every frame, post-processing and some effects run at full resolution, and the processor does not get any faster. The efficiency setting in this tool models that: at 85 percent, you keep 85 percent of the ideal pixel saving as real frames.
Render scale reference
Pixel saving is one minus the square of the scale. These values apply to any screen resolution.
| Render scale | Pixels drawn | Pixels saved | Ideal speed-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | 100% | 0% | 1.0x |
| 77% | 59% | 41% | 1.7x |
| 67% | 45% | 55% | 2.2x |
| 58% | 34% | 66% | 3.0x |
| 50% | 25% | 75% | 4.0x |
| 33% | 11% | 89% | 9.2x |
Choosing a scale that looks good
The best scale depends on your screen size and the quality of the upscaler. At 4K, even a 50 percent scale gives a 1080p internal image, which modern upscalers handle very well. At 1440p, 67 percent is a popular balance. At 1080p, the internal image is already small, so lower scales soften the picture more noticeably and many players stay near 67 percent or higher.
Fixed modes such as Quality, Balanced and Performance use set scales, but many games also add sliders or a native anti-aliasing mode at 100 percent. Use the presets above to jump to the usual values, or type your own. For the exact numbers behind each named mode, see our guide to DLSS render resolutions.
Limits of the estimate
This calculator assumes your game is limited by the graphics card. If the processor, memory or a frame cap is the limit, lowering the render scale will not raise the frame rate, and the estimate will be too optimistic. Ray tracing and heavy shader effects often scale better with resolution, so they can gain more than the default efficiency suggests.
Treat the result as a starting point. Change the scale in your game, watch the frame rate, and adjust the efficiency figure until the estimate matches what you see. After that you can predict other scales on the same game with good accuracy.
How to use the custom upscaling scale estimator
- Measure your frame rate with upscaling off.
- Choose your screen resolution and enter the render scale you want to try.
- Keep the efficiency near 85 percent, then compare the estimate with a real test.
- Adjust the efficiency until the estimate matches your measurement.
- Use the table to pick the highest scale that still reaches your target.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Expecting the ideal pixel saving. The upscaler has its own cost.
- Lowering the scale on a CPU-limited game, which changes nothing.
- Judging image quality from screenshots instead of moving footage.
Related tools and guides
Keep going with these: render resolution calculator, DLSS and frame generation estimator, CPU and GPU bottleneck checker, best graphics settings generator, DLSS 4 explained simply.
Frequently asked questions
What render scale does DLSS Quality use?
DLSS Quality renders at about 67 percent of your screen width and height. At 1440p that is roughly 1707 by 960 pixels. Balanced is about 58 percent, Performance is 50 percent and Ultra Performance is about 33 percent. Games can offer custom values as well.
Why is my FPS gain smaller than the pixel saving?
The upscaler takes time each frame, some effects run at full resolution and the processor does not speed up. Together these mean a real gain is smaller than the pixel saving. Lower the efficiency setting in the calculator to match what you measure.
Can I use a render scale above 100 percent?
Some games allow super sampling above 100 percent, which renders more pixels than your screen and then scales down for a sharper image. It costs a lot of performance, so it is mainly for very powerful cards. This calculator covers 20 to 100 percent.
Does upscaling help if my CPU is the bottleneck?
Very little. A lower render scale reduces graphics card work, but if the processor already limits the frame rate, the frame rate will barely change. In that case try frame generation or lower CPU-heavy settings such as crowd density. Test before and after to be sure.
Which scale should I choose at 1080p?
Quality, around 67 percent, is usually the safest choice at 1080p because the internal image is already small. Lower scales can look soft. If you need more frames, try 58 percent first and compare the image to native before going lower.
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