New 3D Graphics Card Features in 2006

HDR Rendering

High Dynamic Range (HDR) rendering produces better lighting and filter effects; for example, mirrored surfaces reflect very strong light sources incredibly brightly. HDR supports the graphics features of games like Splinter Cell 3 - Chaos Theory, and Serious Sam 2.

If your system has a Geforce 6 or 7, or a Radeon X1x00, Splinter Cell 3 opens the graphics menu for PixelShader 3, which allows you to activate effects like parallax mapping and HDR rendering.

HDR rendering produces brighter light sources, and stronger reflections from the wall.

HDR rendering in "Serious Sam 2" ranges from additional light reflections to a brighter sheen on reflective surfaces.

In extreme cases, strong sunshine is so bright that objects are depicted as being dazzling to behold.

Without HDR rendering the environment is bright, clouds obscuring the moon are almost opaque, and the basketball basket looks somewhat flat.

With PixelShader 3, HDR rendering can be switched on. The ambient light becomes somewhat darker, clouds covering the moon are transparent, and the basketball basket now reflects the sunlight.