How to Turn DSR Factors Off and Restore Native Resolution
To turn DSR factors off, open NVIDIA Control Panel, go to Manage 3D settings → Global Settings → DSR – Factors, clear the selected factors, and apply the change. Then check that the game and desktop use your intended native resolution and refresh rate.
I would return the game to a valid native mode before removing a resolution it currently uses. That makes the change easier to verify and reduces confusion if the old, higher-resolution option disappears from the menu.
01First identify what changed
DSR makes higher-than-native render resolutions available on supported NVIDIA configurations. If a game suddenly offers a much larger resolution, the desktop becomes awkwardly scaled, or performance falls after an optimization change, check the actual resolution before assuming a driver is damaged.
A factor being selected and a game actually using the resulting resolution are separate facts. An unused factor does not prove that the running game is doing more pixel work. Look at the game's current resolution, internal scale, and display mode to establish whether DSR is relevant.
Older MSI DSR troubleshooting notes describe optimization settings enabling DSR and recommend checking the game's return to native resolution. The document is historical and game-specific; its unrelated operating-system or driver-reset advice is not required for this simple change.
I would record the existing factor selection and the original display mode before proceeding. A screenshot makes rollback simple if you later decide that a particular downsampled mode was useful.
02Disable the factors through the supported control
Close the game or open its video settings first and select the monitor's intended native resolution. Apply that setting and confirm that the picture is usable. Then exit the game before changing the driver's available resolution list.
Open NVIDIA Control Panel from its normal shortcut or the desktop context menu where available. On Windows 11, the desktop context menu may place older entries under Show more options. You can also search for NVIDIA Control Panel rather than changing unrelated Windows display controls.
Under 3D Settings, choose Manage 3D settings and open Global Settings. Find DSR – Factors, open the factor selector, and clear the checked values. On versions that list both legacy DSR and deep-learning scaling factors, clear the applicable checked values if your goal is to remove all DSR/DLDSR-created modes.
Confirm the selection and click Apply. The factor setting should show that no factors are active, commonly as Off. The exact layout can vary by driver and supported hardware, so follow the meaning of the control rather than matching an old screenshot pixel for pixel.
Do not use Restore Defaults for the whole panel when you only need to disable DSR. A broad reset can alter unrelated synchronization, power, filtering, or application preferences. Make the smallest relevant change and keep the rest of the configuration stable.
03Restore game and desktop resolution deliberately
Reopen the game and verify its video settings. Select the intended output resolution and refresh rate if the old higher mode remains cached or the game has fallen back to another choice. Apply the setting and relaunch if the game requires it.
Check Windows display settings if the desktop was also using an unusual resolution. Use the display's intended native mode and verify the refresh rate separately. A correct width and height do not guarantee that the expected refresh rate remained selected.
If text still looks too small or large, check Windows scaling rather than turning DSR back on as a guess. Resolution and interface scaling are different controls. Change only the one that explains the remaining symptom.
If a game reports an unsupported resolution after the driver change, use its supported launcher or configuration-reset procedure. Back up the relevant configuration before editing it, and do not delete saves or the whole game folder. Many titles have their own recovery route for a bad display mode.
When a resolution-confirmation screen appears and the result is unusable, let the application's normal timeout revert the change where available. Avoid repeatedly accepting a mode you cannot read just to dismiss the dialog.
04What if DSR Factors is missing or the modes remain?
A missing control can reflect the display configuration rather than a fault. Laptop GPU routing, unsupported scaling combinations, or particular multi-display modes can change which options are exposed. Check the exact hardware and display path before reinstalling anything.
If an unwanted high resolution remains, first confirm that the DSR change was applied and restart the affected application. Then identify whether the remaining mode comes from DSR, a manually created custom resolution, the monitor's accepted timing, or a game's own internal supersampling. Those are different sources.
I would not remove a custom resolution simply because it is large unless you have established that it is unwanted and know how to restore it. Likewise, an in-game render scale above 100 percent may continue to create extra work even with driver DSR factors disabled.
If a profile optimizer reapplies the old resolution, inspect that profile before using its Optimize action again. Otherwise the next optimization pass can undo the manual choice. Record the before-and-after settings so you can tell whether the value was reapplied or never changed.
Only investigate driver repair after the ordinary setting and compatibility checks point to a real driver problem. A missing or cached resolution option alone does not justify a complete reinstall.
05Confirm the result and keep a rollback path
Compare the same game scene at the restored resolution. If DSR had been increasing the active render workload, returning to native can reduce that work. Do not promise a fixed FPS gain; another bottleneck or frame-rate cap may limit the visible change.
Inspect edges and fine geometry too. Disabling downsampling can make some aliasing more visible. If you prefer the original quality and have enough headroom, you can re-enable a recorded factor and deliberately select that higher game resolution again.
Leave DSR off when the benefit is not useful, when the interface scales poorly, or when native performance is the priority. There is no penalty for not using an optional quality feature.
My stopping point is specific: no unwanted factors selected, the game at the intended resolution, the desktop at the intended mode, and the expected refresh rate verified. Once those conditions are met, investigate any remaining softness or low FPS as a separate problem instead of resetting the whole graphics stack.
Frequently asked questions
Does setting DSR Smoothness to zero disable DSR?
No. Smoothness changes filtering behavior. Disable the selected factors if you want to remove the DSR-created resolution choices.
Should I reset all NVIDIA settings?
Not for a normal DSR change. Disable the relevant factors and restore the intended game mode while preserving unrelated preferences.
Why did the higher resolution come back?
An optimization profile may have reapplied it, or the mode may come from another source such as a custom resolution or in-game scaling. Check which source is responsible.