Lucidlogix Virtu software is famed for its ability to combine the performance of Intel's Quick Sync media encode/decode capabilities with a 3D-performance boosting add-in GPU. When its I-mode configuration, which saw all display output run through processor graphics to cut power consumption from the discrete GPU, resulted in small performance and game compatibility issues, the firm added D-mode to let the graphics card operate natively. And all was well in the world of gamers with a penchant for converting their favorite video files to more easily digestible sizes and formats.

MVP retains the familiar Virtu GPU-tasking capabilities, while adding a couple 3D features: Virtual Vsync to reduce screen tearing and HyperFormance to increase frame rates.

Screen tearing is a phenomenon where more than one frame is displayed within a single draw on the screen. Traditional v-sync addresses this by aligning each frame’s output to a single draw cycle, reducing the maximum frames per second to the refresh rate of the monitor (typically 60 Hz). All frames are first completed by the GPU, and those that aren’t synchronous to the display refresh are removed from the output after completion. A frame must be displayed multiple times whenever the GPU’s output capability drops below 60 FPS, resulting in stuttering.
Virtual Vsync attempts to accomplish a similar task without the 60 FPS cap by analyzing rendering time, then instructing the GPU not to start the process on frames that might be later dropped. Preemptive frame elimination reassigns the rendering time that would have been spent on a dropped frame to the next frame, theoretically reducing stuttering. Yet, because this isn’t actual v-sync, it’s still possible to send two frames in a single refresh cycle, and the monitor only displays the first, resulting in an image that appears synced at 60 FPS, even though an app like Fraps will report performance greater than 60 FPS. In fact, this is the test scenario Lucidlogix prefers, reminding us that games that run slower than 60 FPS won't see any benefit from Virtual Vsync.
HyperFormance goes a little further than Virtual Vsync by attempting to preemptively remove any frames that wouldn’t be finished before the next frame is scheduled, again reassigning that rendering time to the next frame. Ideally, average FPS should be increased since partial frames don't tie up rendering resources. The only potential problem with this technology is game compatibility.

While the majority of games are HyperFormance-capable, a few notable exceptions include Battlefield 3 and Metro 2033. HyperFormance can still be enabled in those unvalidated titles by checking the “H” column box next to the game in Virtu MVP Control Panel.
- Z77 Express: USB 3.0 And Enhanced Manageability
- MVP Is Much More Than Virtu
- Test Settings And Benchmarks
- Benchmark Results: Z77 Versus Z68 In 3D Games
- Benchmark Results: Z77 Versus Z68 In Applications
- Power, Heat, And Efficiency
- Overclocking
- HyperFormance, Virtual Vsync, And 3DMark
- HyperFormance And Virtual Vsync In Games
- Z77 Is Only Half Of The Story
poppycock, even high end cards can't even come close to saturateing a 8x slot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFMzRZqFh-w get learned yo
Could you guys provide a video showing the differences between a run with the MVP and without? With V-Sync on also.
Nice review, BTW. Thanks for it 8)
Cheers!
IB and z77 VS. IB and z68?
Made me do a double take!
Don't expect them to tell you, they're still under Intel's NDA.
No, the Z77 and all Panther Point chipest are indeed 8x lanes of PCIe 2.0, so Thomas's article is correct. Don't confuse GPU PCIe lanes with Chipset PCIe lanes. However, Thomas knows that I too 'wish' the LGA 1155 was PCIe 3.0 clean, it sure would help with other chipset 'sharing' issues (bottlenecks).
What's up with that? Do the z77's require the Ivy Bridge CPU to take full advantage? Sounds like possible driver and/or most likely BIOS issues as others have pointed out elsewhere on page 2 of the z77 Motherboard Discussion thread.
poppycock, even high end cards can't even come close to saturateing a 8x slot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFMzRZqFh-w get learned yo
Makes no sense NOT to have PCIe 3.0. Makes all the new cards useless on all but the boards with third party PCIe 3.0 controllers???
In a few months, I'm sure most of these bugs will be ironed out.
They got a 9177 on the z77 from gigabyte... with a 680...the standard 680 P score is 9458.
You guys topped out in that same bench with a 580 at 8728!
The normal 3dmark 11 P score with a 580 is 6619 (commensurate with the score for no VVS)
That HyperFormance and Virtual Vsync are really helping! At least in 3dmark LOL! Cant wait to see what score you get with a 680 combined with HF and VVS!
still...i would rather have 2 pcie lanes at 16X just in case i want to install two nvidia gtx 590 in sli...get the point?....why settle for something less when you can have the cake and eat it too