Crossfire not doing anything?!

Jakerules77 · Sep 18, 2015

I'm testing out the R9 390x in crossfire and the FPS on most games only seems a tiny bit better if at all!
Running BF3 on ultra on a single card gives me an average of 100fps with crossfire enabled I'm only getting an average of about 100-110! Is this normal?

When using HWinfo64 it says that both GPU's are running on 50% load. It's 100% load one second and like 0% the next.

Other specs - None even reach 100% usage while playing.
I7 4770k @3.5Ghz
8GB RAM
1000w corsair PSU
MSI z87-G43 Mobo

Thanks in advance!

computers_are_freaky · Sep 18, 2015

Please run a stress test and tell us your results. Run each card separate, then both, however it is possible that bf3 isn't very optimized for SLI, try another game if you have it, preferably one that is more recent and should support crossfire.

computers_are_freaky · Sep 18, 2015

Another possibility is that you have a bottleneck, what resolution are you playing at? Are the cards on power efficieny mode? What are your temps like under load? How is your internet spead, because if that isn't fast enough yor cards won't even get enough data to max out. Try upping the resolution or setting and see what happens.

Jakerules77 · Sep 18, 2015

computers_are_freaky :

I tried running 3d mark, the Firestrike score with 1 GPU was 10,000 and with 2 GPU's 16,000 so it's definitely working. Under load temps get up to 75c. I am playing on 1080p and have tried loads of graphics settings but still no luck even on newer games such as dying light. My internet speeds are bad but surly that doesn't matter when on a local game?

The graphics driver occasionally crashes during games too, I'll try re-installing, hopefully that will fix the issue but not convinced!

Thanks for the help!

computers_are_freaky · Sep 18, 2015

You're right, internet speeds don't matter on local. I don't know, it seems that the configuration itself is working, but the cards.just aren't doing more. Maybe the game won't allow them to do more? Have you set the framerates to unlimited? Try going up a resolution, maybe compare the stats at 1440p (assuming you have a monitor that has enough pixels) otherwise I don't know what to tell you, maybe have a look on youtube, see if anyone knows anything about it? I'm really sorry I couldn't be more help, but if the reinstallig of the drivers fails, and you don't have a higher resolution monitor to test, then I'm afraid I can't help you.

really sorry

Jakerules77 · Sep 18, 2015

computers_are_freaky :

No problem thanks for the help anyway!
It's really odd, nothing changed when re-installing the drivers which sucks! I also tried playing Farcry 4, on a single card I was able to run the game on Ultra with an average of 55 fps but soon as I put it in fullscreen for crossfire it sinks down to 20...even with graphics on medium it's only just hitting 60!Sadly my monitor only supports 1080p so can't test further!

Something up but I have no idea what!

computers_are_freaky · Sep 19, 2015

Have you tried running each card separately, or only the top one, because maybe the second is faulty.

Jakerules77 · Sep 19, 2015

computers_are_freaky :

Yes, both cards perform almost exactly the same so at least nothing's broken! I forgot to mention my second card is running on and x4 PCI express port, not sure if this could be an issue?
When running the card my itself it seems to perform fine with maybe a small fps difference but nothing noticeable.
The image below shows the 2 cards settings and PCI ports, the left image being the second card. Could this be what's causing it?

computers_are_freaky · Sep 20, 2015

Thats that's your problem right there. Your motherboard should have 2 x16 slots next to each other, to run SLI or crossfire, the cards really should/need to be in x16 slots. Please post a pic of how you arranged the graphics cards, but if they aren't on the top slot and the one just below it, then you will see next to no benefit from the second card. If your board doesn't have another x16, then at least put it into a x8. That is the bottleneck holding you back.

computers_are_freaky · Sep 20, 2015

after another look at your data, I think that one of the x16 slots you used is set to be the same as x4. That isn't right. I think there might be a setting somewhere that lets you set it the same as the first, but I'm not sure, I've never used that motherboard before.

computers_are_freaky · Sep 20, 2015

Sorry, just did some research and found my previous info is faulty: sorry

The i7 4770k (your CPU) only supports 16 PCI express lanes, so that means that it isn't really registering and processing the second graphics card (16x @ 3.0 + (x4 @ 2.0 = x2 @ 3.0) > 16). I think that both graphics cards should be on 8x @ 3.0. This video should explain what I mean better than I can https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=rctaLgK5stA
All it really means is that when ypu took the first card out, the second card got set to x16, so it didn't show anything, but in there together, the second card is doing an eighth of the work as the other and then not being registered properly.
On the downside, I don't know how to set both cards to x8 @ 3.0
Try removing them both and reinstalling them together at around the same time (so one and then the other, don't try to push them in at the same time). If that doesn't work and you haven't overclocked, maybe removing the motherboard battery for a few minutes will make it forget about only having one card, but I don't think that will work. Good luck and I'm glad that I might be able to help you after all

maxalge · Sep 20, 2015

Jakerules77 :

computers_are_freaky :

No problem thanks for the help anyway!
It's really odd, nothing changed when re-installing the drivers which sucks! I also tried playing Farcry 4, on a single card I was able to run the game on Ultra with an average of 55 fps but soon as I put it in fullscreen for crossfire it sinks down to 20...even with graphics on medium it's only just hitting 60!Sadly my monitor only supports 1080p so can't test further!

Something up but I have no idea what!

there is no issue, you should have looked at the motherboard's specs

it is limited to x4 speeds on the second slot, so yeah you are performance capped on the second 390x thanks to your motherboard.

Jakerules77 · Sep 20, 2015

maxalge :

Jakerules77 :

there is no issue, you should have looked at the motherboard's specs

it is limited to x4 speeds on the second slot, so yeah you are performance capped on the second 390x thanks to your motherboard.

I get what you're saying but surly when I test the 2nd card on it's own the result would come back different? The fps are almost identical to the x16 port.

computers_are_freaky · Sep 21, 2015

Its the cpu pci lanes that are.the bottleneck. (I think)
The OPs cpu has.only 16, and on the photos it showed they where all allocated to cpu 1. This isn't normal or right. X8 is more than enough for these cards, but x2 is nowhere near. The second slot is turning into a x16 when there is no other card because it can, it is not limited. So please set both slots to x8 and it should be problem solved

Jakerules77 · Sep 21, 2015

computers_are_freaky :

Yes you're right! I had no idea the CPU had a factor in the PCIE speeds! Do you know how I can change the two ports to x8? Thanks for all the help btw!

maxalge · Sep 22, 2015

Jakerules77 :

you cant, your motherboard is limited to x4 on the other slot

look at your mobo's guide

most good mobo's will do 8x, 8x

some cheaper ones compromise with x4 on the second pcie

buyer beware

Jakerules77 · Sep 22, 2015

maxalge :

Jakerules77 :

you cant, your motherboard is limited to x4 on the other slot

look at your mobo's guide

most good mobo's will do 8x, 8x

some cheaper ones compromise with x4 on the second pcie

buyer beware

Ah thought that might be the case! Thank you for all your help, Guess a new motherboard it is then!

RobCrezz · Sep 22, 2015

Jakerules77 :

maxalge :

Ah thought that might be the case! Thank you for all your help, Guess a new motherboard it is then!

I would say its unlikely to be the problem though, many people SLI/Crossfire on PCI-E 2.0 8x which is the same speed, with no problem.

computers_are_freaky · Sep 22, 2015

Look at the pics, one is x16 @ 3.0 and the other is x4 @ 2.0 I know that two cards at x8 @ 3.0 is fine, that is what we are trying to achieve, but I though it was standart and automaticcaly set to the best possibility. Looking in the bios might be a good idea, but if it really is the motherboard, then I'm afraid I can't help you, sorry.

RobCrezz · Sep 22, 2015

computers_are_freaky :

AMD supports 4x for Crossfire.

Anyway, unless you click on the question mark on GPU-Z to actually test the connection ,its probably just guessing.

computers_are_freaky · Sep 22, 2015

This is x4 @ 2.0 though, so the equivalent to a theoretical x2 @ 3.0
That is much too slow. Between x16 and x8 both at 3.0 there is next to no difference because GPUs are not that fast yet, but this is 4 times slower than x8, so if we divide the normal crossfire gain by 4, we get a very little amount of improvement, which is what the OP is experiencing. I would recomend, as the guy before me said, to test this theory, but I think that this is what is happening.

RobCrezz · Sep 22, 2015

AMD supported 2.0 x4 also. But anyway i doubt it is 2.0 x4, usually its just GPU-z reporting incorrectly.

computers_are_freaky · Sep 22, 2015

Please read another persons post carefully.
I merely said it was a THEORY and to CHECK IT OUT ON!! That does not imply I am right, merely that I thought it COULD be the problem. If GPU-Z shows something else after the test, we will have more data, but voting down my answer without any knowledge of the results of gpu z is a bit hasty. If it's not the problem, it's something we know for sure is fine, if it where to be the problem, then we would be one step closer to solving it

RobCrezz · Sep 22, 2015

computers_are_freaky :

I'm voting down your answer because I believe it has no credibility.

I'm just trying to avoid the OP wasting money by purchasing another motherboard, when its likely it isn't the problem. Even IF it was running at PCI-E 2.0 x4, that is still a supported configuration by AMD. Saying its "much too slow" for crossfire isnt correct.

computers_are_freaky · Sep 22, 2015

I understand, and I'm not upset, if it helps reach a conclusion, it's fine. However, for the record, I never said anything about it being a mobo problem, I think that it might be a BIOS or other configuration problem, but again, it may not be. I understand that crossfire runs at x4 @ 2.0, however I was thinking that might be bottlenecking a r9 390X. I am merely checking everything, so please don't hate on me.

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