7950 GX2 101

jc179

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Nov 21, 2007
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Hi All,

I currently have upgraded to a 7950 GX2 (from a former 6600 GT). Initially it seemed somewhat faster, but not really on a wow scale. I think that is in part because I could not remove certain parts of the MSI driver. Anyways I've since reloaded the machine with xp pro, newest 945P chipset drivers, newest (and 91.xx nvidia drivers), dx9c, etc.

My problem is for example games seem to underperform compared to benchmarks on tomshardware. I have played both of the newer tomb raiders, and for example in tomb raider legend I experience hickups during gameplay with nextgen graphics enabled. I get an fps of about ... 60-65 top, 35 avg, but it just jumps for no reason (read: short pause then resumes normal play - but the fps don't drop, it just seems to hang then resume).

Edit: sorry 60-65 fps top, usually around 35 fps.

In that case I just stopped using that and ran under without it and gave up. I now want to play unreal tournament 3, and its really sucking. At 1280 x 1024 resolution I get 60 fps average, but it jumps so much when I first get into the level. I've turned detail up / down, resolution down to 800x600 and low / low details and experience the same problem. I have checked the temps on the GPU while playing and CPU #1 is about 80c and the other is about 70 - no more. They both idle at about 63c.

What I'm really wondering is if I am only running off one GPU. And the other is heating up due to proximity of the other. I've setup the MultiGPU config to use both gpus instead of dual display, and configuring it otherwise (to use each gpu per display) iirc didn't change anything.... I don't see any errors in my event viewer and I don't experience and restarts or other problems, just really low par performance - the jumping / slowdowns.

I have also updated the system bios, but my mobo does not show on nvidia GX2 listing. From what I understand its not a requirement of the mobo to support sli, or is it ?

Anyone have anything that could help ! Please this is driving me crazy!

Thanks,

Jonathan
 

deranged

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Nov 17, 2007
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I don't think your running half yur card as you wouldn't be getting close to 60 fps in unreal 3 with just 1 gpu workinig. What driver are you useing? My buddy has the exact same card and he can fly through cod4
If your running old drivers with the next gen. games thats prob. why your having problems.
 

jc179

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Nov 21, 2007
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Hey

I should have been more specific with that statement, I get 60-65 tops fps, 35 usually.

I'm currently using 162.18 , but in the past had also tried 93.71. 162.18 is pretty new, around september 2007.

Anything there help shed some light on my problem ?
 
I am not intimately familiar with cards with multi-GPU's on them, but it seems to me that you need to enable SLI (even though you physically only have one card) because there are two GPU's. This is true even if you don't have a motherboard that supports SLI. More than one GPU, you have to enable SLI.

Also remember not all games benefit from SLI. Check to see if there is a game specific profile for SLI. Hope this helps.
 

jc179

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Nov 21, 2007
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Hi Guys

thanks for the info. I have set up SLI (configured it ) to use both gpus on a single monitor. This is telling the driver to use both gpu's to render to one monitor, giving the performance increase...

I've setup the MultiGPU config to use both gpus instead of dual display

Any other thoughts ? Maybe I need some tweaked drivers, or perhaps the two games I've tried are just coincidentally not so well written. I'd expect the tomb raider game to run properly, however the ut3 beta demo could have problems... but is SLI compat.

Jonathan
 

jc179

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Nov 21, 2007
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Hi Guys

I made some progress, I put my videocard in another machine with a 965 chipset, guess what, problems are gone! So I think the issue must be something specific to that chipset or my mobo. I'll have to do some more testing before I can say for sure. If I deem it as the cause perhaps intel can correct the issue in the bios <- wishful thinking....

Jonathan