SLI, choppy FPS on games

mysrh · **SLI, choppy FPS on games -** 08-12-2012, 11:22 | posts: 19

Hi everyone,
I built a new computer with GTX670 in SLI.
Everytime I play games ie. Diablo3, BF3, BF2:BC, the performance of the games reduces drastically, the frame rates becomes very slow not responsive. I use 2x Samsung 226bw 22" monitors

I've tried uninstalling and driver sweep the driver and install again but the slow FPS still occurs.

I haven't OC the CPU or video card or RAM.

Any suggestions or advice much greatly appreciated.

eagled1 · 08-12-2012, 15:34 | posts: 361

Are you sure that SLI is enabled? I know dumb question but had to ask. Try switching cards and see if there is any difference. Using NVCP turn on SLI indicator just to make sure. I had a bad SLI connector once so that's a consideration also.

GPU · 08-12-2012, 16:03 | posts: 329 | Location: Canada

also try msi-ab on screen display to monitor your cards mhz , both should be at the same speed when playing a game , if not look for why the second card is down clocking.
-I use the g13 lcd to monitor my cards.
-also use one monitor get that one sorted then add the second after everything works IMO

mysrh · 08-15-2012, 16:01 | posts: 19

I enabled SLI in Nvidia control panel under 3D settings-Configure SLI, Surround, PhysX-Maximise 3D performance.

PhysX settings is left at Auto-select.

im playing ard with msi-ab atm

mysrh · 08-15-2012, 16:21 | posts: 19

When I click Information, it tells me that GPU1 is the master and GPU2 is synchronized with master.

What should I look at in MSI_AB?

Is it possible having a dud bridge connector?

Haven't swapped slot with the two cards yet.

(.)(.) · *Last edited by (.)(.); 08-16-2012 at 18:23.*

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysrh

When I click Information, it tells me that GPU1 is the master and GPU2 is synchronized with master.

What should I look at in MSI_AB?

Is it possible having a dud bridge connector?

Haven't swapped slot with the two cards yet.

Yep, a dud SLI bridge can cause a few probs but so can a stick of ram, but what happens if you run games on just one screen - Single Display performance mode. And what Drivers are you using.

I dont know why i posted this screen.

mysrh · 08-16-2012, 16:00 | posts: 19

I haven't checked using msi_ab with single screen, but when I'm playing BF3 there's only 1 screen active for gaming, the second screen is either blank or showing desktop. Performance is always smooth, no problem with lagging frame rates.
My current driver is 301.42

mysrh · 08-16-2012, 16:23 | posts: 19

K, I played BF3 just now with only one screen active, it ran smooth first few minutes, then I could feel the frame rates slowing down, but not as bad when 2 screens were active.

(.)(.) · 08-16-2012, 18:14 | posts: 2,357 | Location: Logd n jst 2 change avatar

I have had a few blu screens with .53's but not with BF3 so give those a go, also are you sure the fps is dropping and not just a placebo effect coz your looking for it. Do you know how to use MSI Afterburner also.

Sorry for late reply dude.

mysrh · 08-17-2012, 08:52 | posts: 19

I compared the SLI with when using one card. When using one card the response is instant, and playing BF3 we always move around the crosshair all the time that you get to feel if it's lagging or not.

With msi_ab, I honestly don't know how to use it except that I know it's for overclocking and the graph is to look the performance of installed card. But I'm not 100% with what each graph is doing what

mysrh · 08-19-2012, 09:20 | posts: 19

I've updated the driver to .53. Trying BF3 I still find similar performance. I also notice that after I switch to SLI the game is very responsive no delay, but after around 10 minutes it started lagging to the point where the screen would go static for a few seconds.

I benchmarked with Heaven DX11, got score of 1500s for SLI one screen, half the score when I put two screens

Could this happen because I haven't OC the CPU and GPU?

Mufflore · 08-19-2012, 09:54 | posts: 9,833 | Location: UK

Its worth checking CPU use.
Open task manager and leave it open while you game.
When the game lags, let it lag for a few minutes, then quit.

You should be able to see the max cpu use for each core in task manager.
If any core gets above around 90% it can cause framerate loss.

Check your windows hard drive to see if it is running out of space.
ALT Tab out of the game when the problem occurs and check space left on C:

mysrh · 08-19-2012, 12:19 | posts: 19

Thanks for the suggestion. I just did what you said to do. I tried Sleeping Dogs on High setting, the first few minutes everything was okay, again toward the 10 minute playing, the gameplay became laggy.

CPU usage always showed around 20 - 30%, physical memory usage showed 3sGb.

My HDD still has 90Gb free of space.

Mufflore · 08-19-2012, 12:44 | posts: 9,833 | Location: UK

Did you check for each CPU core individually, not the overall CPU use %?
For example, a CPU use of 25% can be from a single core running at 100% with the other cores at 0%.
If the game you tested makes most use of a single core, it could be near maxing out.

OK, its not hard disk space then.

mysrh · 08-19-2012, 15:09 | posts: 19

Well, in Task Manager-View-CPU History, I chose One Graph Per CPU, and it shows 8 graphs along the Task Manager window, and I got the % figure from the CPU Usage meter on the right side.
I'm not really sure how I should read the graph.

ADD: Wait, I just click 'Resource Monitor' button and there're graphs of each CPU, although a few of the CPUs say ie. CPU3 - Parked

UPDATE: Tried Sleeping Dogs again, again it went smooth first 5 minutes, and it becomes choppy and difficult to control. The CPU usage for each core had been around 50%-60% and they stayed the same from the start of the game until it gets choppy

UPDATE: Just played BF3, CPU did go up to 90% each, when I was deployed everything was responsive, a few minutes later it became very choppy, I died, when I was deployed again, gameplay was responsive again for 10 seconds then choppy again.

brendanvista · 08-19-2012, 21:03 | posts: 189 | Location: Oregon

I wonder if windows is messing up with core parking on your cpu. Maybe try this:
http://bitsum.com/about_cpu_core_parking.php

VultureX · 08-19-2012, 21:08 | posts: 2,031 | Location: Netherlands

Setting Power management Mode from 'Adaptive' to 'Prefer maximum performance' in the driver control panel fixed all my stutter issues.

Try it.

sykozis · 08-19-2012, 21:22 | posts: 13,636 | Location: US East Coast

I would test each card on it's own (completely remove the other card) and see if either card exhibits any problems. Also, try enabling OSD (on-screen display) for MSI-AB and watch the temperatures to see if either card might possibly be overheating.

mysrh · 08-21-2012, 12:43 | posts: 19

Setting Power management for BF3 to maximum performance didn't work.
When I started the game, things went so responsive, till after I detonated a tank, from then on the frame rates became slower and slower.

Will try testing each card on its own

Wagnard · 08-21-2012, 14:04 | posts: 111 | Location: Laval (Qc) , Canada

check PCI-E speed with GPU-Z just in case using the full screen renderer test.

angmar · 08-21-2012, 14:44 | posts: 1,040 | Location: Monmouth County, NJ

how many hz are your monitors and are you using v sync. If your using vsync try turning it off.

Also play bf3 again with afterburner open in the background. Play until the game bogs down really slow like you said it does and then go to afterburner and check gpu memory usage.

mysrh · 08-21-2012, 14:56 | posts: 19

I will try all the suggestion for sure, it's getting somewhere now =)
I tried using one card only, took out the card in slot 1, and used the slot 2 card only, and I found similar lagginess like in SLI setup, responsive for sometimes then became not responsive, although it varies sometimes the slow response really bad sometimes not too bad, but overall not smooth.
But I don't want to come to conclusion straight away if it's the second card that causes the slow frame rates, could it be the slot itself that causes it?
Going to try the card in slot 2 moved to slot 1, need to go bed now.

If it's indeed the second card causing the slow frame rates, but it's working, what can I do about it?

mysrh · 08-21-2012, 14:59 | posts: 19

Quote:

Originally Posted by angmar

how many hz are your monitors and are you using v sync. If your using vsync try turning it off.

Also play bf3 again with afterburner open in the background. Play until the game bogs down really slow like you said it does and then go to afterburner and check gpu memory usage.

Hi Angmar, my monitor is the old Samsung 226, it's 60Hz still. And regarding V-Sync i don't use it, but shouldn't SLI be able to support VSync well?
Thing is, this non-responsiveness happens to other games too (ie. Sleeping Dogs) even on old game BF:BC2

mysrh · 08-21-2012, 15:00 | posts: 19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wagnard

check PCI-E speed with GPU-Z just in case using the full screen renderer test.

Thanks Wagnard, I think that's something I need to check if it's the slot or the card, don't you think?

UPDATE: I looked at Bus Interface and it says PCI-E 3.0x16@x8 1.1
Seems that could be the problem?

Mufflore · 08-21-2012, 15:57 | posts: 9,833 | Location: UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysrh

UPDATE: I looked at Bus Interface and it says PCI-E 3.0x16@x8 1.1
Seems that could be the problem?

Thats correct for SLI.
See Gurus review:
http://www.guru3d.com/article/asus-s...h-z77-review/4

Quote:

the Sabertooth comes with 2 PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (single at x16, dual at x8/x8)

Try disabling your virus scanner to see if it helps, it could be being a bit overzealous.
You can add an exception if this works.