Nightmarishly low frame drops in games w/ i5 750 + 2X 5770

Forum Graphics & Displays : Graphics Cards Nightmarishly low frame drops in games w/ i5 750 + 2X 5770

Once again, title says all.

I finally built my dream rig on Sunday morning; a Core i5 750 with 4GB RAM and two HD 5770s in Crossfire. Gaming with it hasn't been as satisfactory as I had hoped, though. Weird problems have been happening.

In Source games like L4D2, TF2, and Vindictus, along with BFBC2 and MW2, I get well over 80-200 frames in near every situation--Vindictus has a built in 60 frame limiter.

In other titles, such as ME2, Borderlands, and A.V.A., I'll get a great 100+ fps, but sometimes it'll dip down to 20-30. It's completely random.

In Crysis and Crysis Warhead, it's much worse.

In the original Crysis I get a constant 20 frames in most places with wide open spaces; it's gone down to as low as 8 when at the top of the mountain in the Recovery level. Raising and lowering settings does nothing.

It's not as bad in Warhead, but I still tend to get 20-30 frames in places like the train stage and even the hovercraft chase.

When I'm in buildings and running around in most forests, I'll get 50 fps again and it usually stays like that. Bases in Warhead run at the expected 45-60 frames as well.

I'm using CCC 2.21 level 6 along with the Cel Shader, Realistic Foilage mod, and the Extreme Particles mod. I run all of my games at 1280x1024 in DX9.

The same frame drops occur even with these mods removed. Not only that, but I also get weird cloud flashing and blue blocks in the background with Crysis 1.

My 750 is at stock settings with the stock cooler. I used to run at 3.7 with 1.2v but was idling at 60-70C, and I hit up to 98C when trying 4GHZ at 1.3v. Stock settings idle at around 40-42C.

Only one core is ever reported truly loaded when I'm playing the two Crysis titles. I really wish it would use more cores.

I'm using the latest Catalyst drivers and my two 5770s, a Powercolor single slot and an XFX dual slot, are running at 850c and 1200m.

Card 1 idles at 47C with the fan on 100%, Card 2 idles at 42C with the fan on auto.

So what the hell am I doing wrong? I know for a fact my games shouldn't be running this bad. Any way I can fix this?

Any help would be appreciated.

Reply to sartorius

I just checked a bit earlier, and the frame drops occur even with just one card running.

Could it be because of something wrong with my processor?

Reply to sartorius

It could be. I have an AMD 955 BE, 4GB Tracer Ballistix, 5750 and I can get about 30fps constant with everything maxed out in 1080p on Crysis. I myself just ordered a 5770 to run in CF.

Reply to xerxces

Could possibly be a power problem if the PSU is rippling too much under load and not providing the right amount of power.

Message quoted 1 times

Griffolion wrote :

Could possibly be a power problem if the PSU is rippling too much under load and not providing the right amount of power.

Can't believe I forgot to consider that.

I'm using a Xigmatek GO GREEN 80+ Bronze 400 watt.

Two 5770s with an i5 750 use around 330-345 watts, so I assumed I would have been good.

I'll unplug my second card and see if it makes a difference, as I had only disabled Crossfire before.

EDIT: Just tried with one card unplugged. Zero change, whatsoever. Funny thing is that I'm getting worse frames with one card with the i5 than I did with my Pentium D 945.

Really starting to make me think I just wasted $400 on these parts.

Message edited by sartorius on 02-10-2011 at 08:35:39 PM

Reply to sartorius

A 400 Watt PSU for CF'd 5770's? Hell, that PSU would be hard tasked for ONE 5770, let alone two!

Reply to gamerk316

Actually, no it wouldn't.

My system with one 5770 uses roughly 260-270 watts. With two it's around 330-340.

I wouldn't have bought the PSU if I wasn't sure it could handle two cards. Not only that, but I doubt the PSU would be a problem if one card produces the same results.

It powered my PD 945 just fine, and the i5 750 runs so much cooler and uses way less power.

I'm thinking about formatting my XP partition on my HDD next time I come back home from college. I kept it from my old system, and I think the older drivers are what's screwing me up.

My internet connection is too slow here at MTSU to try and download my Steam games to my new Windows 7 partition, so I'll have to wait a good week or two.

I'm really hoping I can find a solution to this before then, though. My 80GB iPod just crapped out on me so I can only save my old files to my 16GB Nano and the 80GB W7 partition before I format.

This is all on a 500GB hard drive with only 90gb of storage left on the XP partition..

Message edited by sartorius on 02-10-2011 at 09:08:24 PM

Reply to sartorius

Nobody else wants to give any more input toward fixing this problem? Am I just screwed for the time being?

Reply to sartorius

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1105/14/

396W under load, if your PSU isn't new then it may not be able to still produce 400W continuous power.

Reply to omgitzfatal

I agree with omgitzfatal, that Xigmatek is hard pushed and it's not particularly a reputable brand.

I still suggest that the 12V rail/s may be struggling/faulty.

My PSU is pretty new. Bought it on Newegg two weeks after Christmas.

Also, the guy's review system is using an i7 975, which uses on average about thirty or so more watts than the 750.

Why would my PSU go bad all of a sudden? Why would it handle my Pentium D 945 just fine with my first 5770, but not my i5 with the exact same 5770?

And the main problem is just when running Crysis 1 and Warhead. Other games may get lower frames occasionally, but they're still very playable and above 70 most of the time. 3DMark06 runs perfect as well; scored 18699 with both cards and the i5 at stock.

It's just absolute murder in the two Crysis games if I trying looking around somewhere that isn't backed by a huge mountain.

Just tried the level where Prophet gets kidnapped by the exosuit (sorry for spoilers I guess), and was only getting 5 frames while he was talking.

I tried the demo to Metro 2033, and was getting 40-50 frames maxed. Once I get a better internet connection, I'll install both Crysis games to my Win7 partition and see if it makes a difference.

I'm really convinced that the problem is more driver based than anything.

Reply to sartorius

Just installed Crysis on my Win7 partition, and now I'm getting between 50-60 frames in the parts where I would normally get 20 in XP.

I knew it was something software wise going on.

Thanks anyways, guys.

Reply to sartorius

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