Resolution Scale Calculator (render resolution from scale % or upscaler mode)

Understanding the resolution scale calculator — concept and principle

Games often render at a lower internal resolution and then upscale to your screen to raise frame rates. This calculator finds the actual render resolution from your output resolution and either a custom scale percentage or a common upscaler mode, and shows how many pixels are rendered compared with the output.

How it is calculated

Scale per axis k = custom % ÷ 100, or 1 ÷ factor for upscaler modes

Upscaler factors per axis: Quality 1.5×, Balanced 1.7×, Performance 2.0×, Ultra Performance 3.0×

Render width = ⌊output width × k⌋; render height = ⌊output height × k⌋

Pixels rendered = width × height; share = rendered ÷ output pixels

The principle

A resolution scale applies to each axis separately, so the number of pixels changes with the square of the scale. Rendering 75% of the width and 75% of the height produces only 56.25% of the pixels; 50% per axis produces 25%. Since the graphics card's work grows roughly with the number of pixels shaded, lowering the scale can raise frame rates substantially. Temporal upscalers then reconstruct a full-resolution image using information from previous frames.

Worked example

Default inputs: output 3,840 × 2,160 (4K), upscaler Quality (1.5× per axis).

1. Scale per axis = 1 ÷ 1.5 = 66.7%.
2. Render width = 3,840 ÷ 1.5 = 2,560; height = 2,160 ÷ 1.5 = 1,440.
3. Render resolution = 2,560 × 1,440.
4. Pixels rendered = 2,560 × 1,440 = 3.69 megapixels.
5. Share of output pixels = 3.69 ÷ 8.29 = 44.4%.

How to read the result

4K Quality mode renders at 1440p internally, less than half the pixels of native 4K. Performance mode (2.0×) would render 1920 × 1080, a quarter of the pixels. Lower internal resolutions give more frame rate but can blur fine detail, especially at lower output resolutions. Other upscalers use similar but not always identical factors, so check your game's settings.

Common mistakes

• Thinking 50% scale means half the pixels; it means a quarter.
• Assuming all upscalers use the same factors for the same mode names.
• Expecting the same image quality at 1080p output as at 4K with the same mode.

Frequently asked questions

What resolution does 4K Quality mode render at?

About 2,560 × 1,440 with a 1.5× factor.

Why does 75% scale feel like a big change?

It renders only 56.25% of the pixels.

Is upscaling always worth it?

It usually raises frame rates, but image quality depends on the upscaler and output resolution.

What happens above 100%?

The game renders more pixels than the screen and downsamples, which sharpens but costs performance.

Sources: AMD GPUOpen, "AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2" documentation (quality mode scaling factors)