The basic idea behind multisampling is to embed the intelligence behind antialiasing inside the core of the GPU, in hardware. This makes the GPU more complex, but rewards the user with higher quality and higher performance.

Multisampling works because the GPU itself is "aware" that multiple samples will be used to calculate the final pixel color. You can think of these extra samples as extra "virtual pixels." The GeForce3 GPU has wider data paths internally so it can handle these extra virtual pixels without slowing down its standard rendering speed. In fact, the GeForce3 GPU can compute these “virtual pixels” or additional samples at full speed, with no reduction in engine performance whatsoever. These wider data paths enable GeForce3 to use the same texture data for all of the samples in the pixel and significantly reduce the memory bandwidth required to texture all of the AA samples. Memory bandwidth can be the performance bottleneck for high-resolution display modes and becomes even more constraining when antialiasing is used.

Quoted from NVIDIA Corporation

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