AMD has always been a firm favorite for those that want incredible gaming ability paired with settings that can be tweaked to the max. When it comes to overclocking, they are the better of the two giants. They are usually cheaper than Intel too.
With AMD GPU's, you get AMD's amazing driver software. This is designed to give you the utmost control over your AMD drivers and hardware. Compared to their main competitor Nvidia and their Nvidia Control Panel, the AMD Radeon Settings software is superior in many ways. You can tune your in-game graphics with incredible detail, allowing overclockers to get the absolute maximum performance, frame rate, refresh rate, and global graphics from their cards.
In this article, we will explore the AMD Radeon Settings software, giving you tips on how to make the most of your card.
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What is AMD Radeon Settings?
AMD Radeon Settings is a user-based interface specifically designed to give users full control over their GPUs. You can make use of fan control, video profiles, GPU scaling, and even in-game graphics settings and refresh rate control.
When you want better frame rate settings and reduces input lag, as well as better GPU performance, this should be your first stop.
How Do I Optimize AMD Radeon for Gaming
Next, we will give you some simple tips to benefit everyone, from beginner to advanced user.
1. Boosting/Sharpening Graphics at the Click of a Button via Radeon Image Sharpening
One of the best features in the AMD Radeon Settings suite is the Radeon Image Sharpening option. This setting increases image sharpness without sacrificing performance. While the improvement is not a vast one, it has little to no effect on your CPU or GPU, essentially making it a free performance boost.
To activate Image Sharpening, simply head to the settings page, then through to the graphics tab.
Now you will have the option to either enable the settings for a single game or click the "Global" button, enabling it for everything.
After enabling this, you may need to restart your PC. When you log back in, you should notice a visible difference in any games you have enabled Image Sharpening for.
2. Overclocking for Dummies: The Easy Way
Overclocking can be an easy and safe way to improve your frame rate and image performance. You do need to know what you are doing, though.
If you want to overclock your card but don't have much knowledge regarding the process, you can apply a simple automatic overclock by heading to the "Performance" tab, then to the "Tuning" tab. From there, simply click on the box next to "Tuning Control" and click "automatic."
This will apply a smile overclock that is within the "Safe" parameters of your AMD card. This overclock will not require you to measure temps or voltages and will give you an immediate boost.
The Hard Way
If you already have some overclocking knowledge, you can click "Manual" instead of "Automatic." This will allow you to overclock your card manually.
WARNING: Do not try to do this if you are not an experienced overclocker. Changing your settings without the right knowledge could destroy your laptop.
3. High-End Monitoring
When you are pushing your laptop to its limits during a long gaming session, you will want to keep an eye on your system temperatures.
Luckily, AMD Radeon Settings has an overlay that you can access by pressing CTL+SHIFT+O. This will bring up a performance hub overlay that will allow you to monitor your temperature.
4. Control Input Lag
If you are using a monitor with a 60hz refresh rate, you should have a play around with the AMD Radeon Settings Anti Lag feature.
Anti-lag gives a massive boost in performance and frame rate in games that require split-second reaction time like E-sports games and FPS.
Anti-lag is found in the "Graphic" settings tab.
5. Streaming and Content Creation
One of the reasons why AMD Radeon Settings is such a popular interface is due to the instant ability to record your last minute of gameplay.
When something goes wrong, when the boss your fighting turns into a giant banana or your friend is hilariously killed by a low-level monster, this ability is worth its weight in gold.
Using Ctrl + Shift + S, you can instantly command your computer to save your last minute of gameplay. Click the Settings box, head over to General, and you can configure the instant replay duration.
Remember that this is also where you make sure that Instant Replay is actually enabled, so check that before you miss out.
AMD Radeon Settings also allows you to press Ctrl + Shift + R to start and stop recording your gameplay.
6. Breathe Life Into Older Games
With the ability to adapt your graphics depending on the game you are playing, you can really make those older games sparkle.
Whether you are still trying to finish the campaign in Warcraft 3, or you like a bit of Time Crisis, these games are automatically boosted to a point where they look beautiful. With anti-aliasing and enhanced sync, they look better than ever before—better frame rate, better performance, higher resolution; what's not to love?
Were they this beautiful when you used to play them? Probably not, but who cares.
If you really want to squeeze every single drop of graphical performance from those old games, head to the "Gaming" tab, through to "Games," pick your game of choice and then look at the "Advanced" options. This is where you will find the anti-aliasing and anisotropic settings.
Anti-aliasing level and Anisotropic Filtering can both be maxed for added graphical performance and frame rate, fueled by your modern gaming GPU.
7. VSR - Virtual Super Resolution
If you are rocking a top-end high-performance graphic card, then this next one is for you.
The Virtual Super Resolution option allows you to use a higher resolution display on a lower resolution screen. This will enable you to use 4k, for example, on a 1080p screen. This works particularly well when paired with FreeSync, boosting resolution.
8. Utilizing FreeSync and Enhanced Sync Correctly
This step is only important if you have a FreeSync monitor with a high refresh rate.
To get the most from your monitor, you absolutely must head to the AMD Radeon Settings menu and turn on FreeSync.
If you have a monitor that does not have FreeSync, then AMD has you covered. With their Enhanced Sync, your frame rate should stabilize, preventing screen-tearing.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
How can I improve my AMD Radeon performance?
The best way to improve your AMD performance is to apply an overclock. If you do not have the knowledge to do this, the automatic overclock setting we mentioned earlier works extremely well. Working with the anti-aliasing and enhanced sync settings can also give you a massive boost in frame rate and reduced input lag.
Is AMD good for CS GO?
The original E-sport game, Counter Strike Go is one of the most popular titles in the world. This means the game is extremely optimized and will play really well on any modern AMD GPU.
Is AMD Radeon HD 5450 good for gaming?
The HD 5450 might not be the strongest card, but it should be more than enough for some light gaming.
Is AMD good for Fortnite?
Luckily, the incredibly popular gaming sensation that is Fortnite thankfully comes with very low tech spec requirements. As long as your AMD GPU is from the last 3-4 years, you should have no problem getting an adequate level of performance from your AMD card.
Is AMD good for League of Legends?
One of the biggest E-sports in the world right now, League of Legends is only going from strength to strength, selling out massive arenas and offering lucrative prize pools. League has always been a simple game, designed to be played by all, regardless of their computing power. Most AMD GPU's will be able to play LOL with high settings.
How do I set my AMD graphics card settings to get max performance?
By following the tips in this article, your AMD Radeon Settings should be perfectly optimized for performance. Make sure you look into anti-aliasing and enhanced sync control.
Is AMD Radeon graphics good for gaming?
AMD is one of the best gaming parts manufacturers in the world. The only other company that comes close in terms of Graphic Cards is Nvidia. AMD Radeon Graphics is the second biggest graphics card company, and their products have been firm favorites for gamers for years. Their products offer exceptionally high performance.
How do I get the best resolution on my screen?
Freesync is one of the easiest ways to improve your screen resolution. By heading to the "Display" tab of the software, you can activate FreeSync, instantly providing better screen resolution.
How To Reset Your AMD Radeon Settings
When you start playing around with your AMD Radeon Settings, it can take some trial and error to find the perfect adjustments. If you find that the settings you have chosen are causing problems, you might want to reset your AMD Radeon Settings back to factory reset.
This is really easy to do, simply head to the top right corner of the global graphics menu and click "Reset."
Conclusion
There we have it. We hope that these tips and tricks are helpful to you and we wish you the best of luck on the battlefield, on the race track, or fighting through a zombie apocalypse.
Related: How Long Does A GPU Last?
Andrew White is the founder of TechGearoid, a leading technology review & information website that is designed to help consumers make better decisions when it comes to their IT purchases. As a specialist tech writer (nerd) with over 10 years of experience, he enjoys writing about everything there is to do with modern technology & the newest market innovations. When he isn’t providing value for his readers, he’s usually drinking coffee or at the beach. Andrew lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and family.