gtx 680 sli gpu usage % issue

hyperst · 22 Jan 2013 at 12:21

I do feel that some games are badly optimized as well, I was only seeing 50-60% SLI usage with a 3570k at 4.5Ghz but the cpu usage was not maxed out, it was only about 50% used in BF3.

*Rich* · 22 Jan 2013 at 13:21

Not sure i understand bottlenecking completely in BF3 so can some please tell me how mine looks.

3770k @ 4.4 = 60% use
680 sli @ 1200/1600 = 99% use on both cards

310.70 drivers.

Thankyouplease

Gregster · 22 Jan 2013 at 13:35

*Rich* said:
Not sure i understand bottlenecking completely in BF3 so can some please tell me how mine looks.

3770k @ 4.4 = 60% use
680 sli @ 1200/1600 = 99% use on both cards

310.70 drivers.

Thankyouplease

I can't grasp how I can't get my GPU's at 99%. Maybe it is triple screen gaming and the bus of the 680's isn't man enough to let the GPU's get to 99% or maybe something is wrong in my computer.

I have no idea and even putting my CPU at 5Ghz still doesn't let my GPU's hit 99%. iirc, 90% is the most I have seen them get to but other games are different and I have no problem getting 99% on both GPU's.

I gave up in the end, as it was playable enough and I couldn't find an answer.

*Rich* · 22 Jan 2013 at 13:43

gregster said:
*cut*

Well i'm running a single monitor of what you have, all ultra settings and fps is often sitting between 100-140fps at a really intense moment i can see it drop to around 85-90.

What drivers you have?

My 680's are also 4gb phantoms.

whyscotty · 22 Jan 2013 at 13:45

gregster said:
I can't grasp how I can't get my GPU's at 99%. Maybe it is triple screen gaming and the bus of the 680's isn't man enough to let the GPU's get to 99% or maybe something is wrong in my computer.

I have no idea and even putting my CPU at 5Ghz still doesn't let my GPU's hit 99%. iirc, 90% is the most I have seen them get to but other games are different and I have no problem getting 99% on both GPU's.

I gave up in the end, as it was playable enough and I couldn't find an answer.

I know you don't play at Ultra settings so as to maintain playable frame rates,
but if you max your settings do your Gpu's still not reach 99%

Random Guy · 22 Jan 2013 at 13:47

@Gregster: I am experiencing your issue with a different CPU and a single 2560x1440 monitor. I honestly don't think its a CPU or GPU limitation thing (but will run more tests tonight).

*Rich* · 22 Jan 2013 at 13:47

What is your Vram usage as well gregster? Given that your using surround.

Gregster · 22 Jan 2013 at 15:15

@ all, I tried running with all different settings and with full ultra, it still made no difference and VRAM usage was 2012MB at the highest. Average frames was around 60 but it never felt that smooth. I tried many drivers and the best results were 306.23.

I am quite picky on smoothness, and after knocking down AA, it was superb and never dropped below 60.

*Rich* · 22 Jan 2013 at 15:26

Have you tried just running with one monitor to see if you get better gpu usage?

Gregster · 22 Jan 2013 at 15:40

*Rich* said:
Have you tried just running with one monitor to see if you get better gpu usage?

I think I did but so long ago, I can't remember. Maybe I will have a look tonight after work.

*Rich* · 22 Jan 2013 at 16:22

Got to be worth a try, at least it may give you some other idea

Did you ever have a build thread?

Oh and added you on battlelog too

Crezzlin · 22 Jan 2013 at 18:07

gregster said:
No Tones. I am talking 5760*1080 res...I am struggling to get a constant 60fps at that res let alone 200

1 Monitor will not help, it will up the FPS but the GPU usage is still low.

I run 3Way 680'S @ 7680x1440 and the game play is pants, my usage is between 60-90% from memory, but if I remove one card and run Sli it goes to 95/99% and the game play is smoother like this.. even with the fps increase with 3 cards it will not scale very well :S I’ve only used Win7/8 on the latest drivers so i will do some testing with older ones at the weekend..

The only thing that gives me hope is Heaven Bench will use all 3 cards at 95/99% so it could just a setting or driver and not a hardware problem as I run at 16-8-8 pcie 2.0 I was starting to think the 2,0 was the problem as my middle card is in a none sli lane.. Asus Rampage Extreme IV lanes 1-4-7

Crezzlin · 22 Jan 2013 at 18:09

Sorry Gregster i just noticed your on 2 cards?? i have no problem with that with the same board+cpu as you im only at 4.4Ghz most the time and its 95/99% usage all the time on 2 cards :s

Rusty0611 · 22 Jan 2013 at 18:49

I noticed something similar on 306.97 (just before I swapped). Usage had started to mess up from a locked 99%/99% to jumping around.

I clean installed drivers and rolled back to 306.23 and it was 99% for a couple of maps then, again, it was all over the place. This was in BF3 MP.

I surmised it was a combination of me not using maximum settings (as being in Surround with only 2 GPUs); the game engine perhaps changing; driver optimisations slipping....

Random Guy · 22 Jan 2013 at 20:41

Quick update - enabling 4x MSAA seems to have helped substantially in BF3 - much higher usage all round and finally seeing FPS like I would expect

HOWEVER, some maps (Caspian Border) still have some strange problem where usage is very low...

CPU-wise I am below 80% most of the time on BF3, so make of that what you will. It looks like you need to feed these cards to make them work

Gregster · 22 Jan 2013 at 20:48

Crezzlin said:
Sorry Gregster i just noticed your on 2 cards?? i have no problem with that with the same board+cpu as you im only at 4.4Ghz most the time and its 95/99% usage all the time on 2 cards :s

Yes bud, 2 GPU's.

Rusty0611 said:
I noticed something similar on 306.97 (just before I swapped). Usage had started to mess up from a locked 99%/99% to jumping around.

I clean installed drivers and rolled back to 306.23 and it was 99% for a couple of maps then, again, it was all over the place. This was in BF3 MP.

I surmised it was a combination of me not using maximum settings (as being in Surround with only 2 GPUs); the game engine perhaps changing; driver optimisations slipping....

This in bold I agree with 100%. I did a fresh install of drivers when I first set my new PC up and I am sure I was getting 99% on both GPU's. Next time I checked, usage was down to ~85%-80% and I have been that way since.

I still use AB 2.2.3 (for bumping up the volts) and maybe it is being reported wrong. I did a check with advice from Whyscotty to check with GPU-Z and I now remember that it was reporting 99% on both GPU's.

My memory is poor but I believe my AB could be reporting wrong. I will check again shortly to confirm.

Crezzlin · 22 Jan 2013 at 21:06

Did you try any older drivers :s

Gregster · 22 Jan 2013 at 21:12

Crezzlin said:
Did you try any older drivers :s

I have tried and tested every driver since release

I wanted top scores in 3DMark11 and so tried them all to see which gave the best results.

Just to add, I am a melt

I just checked usage in operation swordbreaker and it was saying 85% in AB but when I checked with GPU-Z, it said 99%.

One of them is reporting wrong and I will say it is AB.

whyscotty · 22 Jan 2013 at 21:24

@Gregster
Remember, we did a test a while back on a similar theme,
I'm sure you was getting 99% on both but then it dropped off to 80-85%
when we went to a single screen

edit - it was when we proving i7's(hyperthreading) benefits BF3

Gregster · 22 Jan 2013 at 21:31

whyscotty said:
@gregster
Remember, we did a test a while back on a similar theme,
I'm sure you was getting 99% on both but then it dropped off to 80-85%
when we went to a single screen

edit - it was when we proving i7's(hyperthreading) benefits BF3

Yer it was and that is what jogged my memory. Deffo me just being a doughnut.