**THE AMD DRIVERS THREAD**

[pgi947]

Ultra preset at 1080 on a 7970 you should be touching 60fps average quite easily.

Cpu does matter though, even 4 thread chips can suffer a little. What cpu are you using?

 

[chief barker]

It's an i7 920 @ 4.1 Matt, PG tips.

And 2 Windfart 7970s.

 

[LtMatt]

It's an i7 920 @ 4.1 Matt, PG tips.

Hmm that should be ok id have thought presuming you have Hyper Threading enabled. I find on single gpu that turning explosions down to High from Ultra can give me less fps drops below 60 when big explosions occur and you're looking right at them. What cpu usage are you getting?

 

[pgi947]

Ht enabled? A 4ghz 920 should be fine, no bottlenecks? Done a clean driver sweep?

2 7970's with a 3820 @ 4.75ghz I averaged over 150fps on swordbreaker on ultra preset.

 

[chief barker]

Yes HT is on and i'm getting about 65-75% usage from all threads. This is in Multiplayer.

 

[pgi947]

Hmm if I get chance tonight I'll roam some big maps and see what frames I get.

By how much do your frames plunge?

 

[Phage]

Related to the clean out of old drivers, I used the AMD utility and it did NOT return me to a VGA output. Driver Sweeper reported three files remaining which kept the display running at full res. When these were cleared and the machine restarted I got VGA output.

Is driver fusion better ?

 

[chief barker]

Going from medium to high it drops at least 20 fps mate. It's particularly bad on Gulf of Oman if you stand on top of the hotel and look over the whole map from there.

 

[LtMatt]

Yes HT is on and i'm getting about 65-75% usage from all threads. This is in Multiplayer.

Can't be a cpu issue then. Just did some googling.

Mesh Quality
Mesh Quality has a big impact on BF3’s visuals as, like Texture Quality, it adjusts the model detail depending on its proximity to the player. It’s a subtle effect, but you can see in the below images that, as the mesh detail drops, objects further way from the player become simpler. Most obvious is the tree in the middle of the screen and the chain link fence, both of which are much simpler at Low detail than they are at the Ultra setting.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2011/11/10/battlefield-3-technical-analysis/1

I usually play with everything on Ultra (apart from motion blur which is off) and AAx2 with my 7970 @1440p and i don't get fps drops with Mesh set to Ultra. Maybe PG will have some ideas.

Related to the clean out of old drivers, I used the AMD utility and it did NOT return me to a VGA output. Driver Sweeper reported three files remaining which kept the display running at full res. When these were cleared and the machine restarted I got VGA output.

Is driver fusion better ?

Yes see my thread here to get a copy. http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18431335

Going from medium to high it drops at least 20 fps mate. It's particularly bad on Gulf of Oman if you stand on top of the hotel and look over the whole map from there.

I can go and check my fps for you if you like on that map at that spot.

 

[chief barker]

Cheers for that, as always a credit to the forum

I've just loaded up Gulf of Oman and checked my fps on the hotel and my fps is 93 with mesh on medium and on high, it drops to 64 fps, both settings are a bit stuttery too, not quite fluid.

Motion blur is off, HBAO on and shadows on medium, all other settings on ultra.

 

[pgi947]

Related to the clean out of old drivers, I used the AMD utility and it did NOT return me to a VGA output. Driver Sweeper reported three files remaining which kept the display running at full res. When these were cleared and the machine restarted I got VGA output.

Is driver fusion better ?

Much better

Going from medium to high it drops at least 20 fps mate. It's particularly bad on Gulf of Oman if you stand on top of the hotel and look over the whole map from there.

I'll fire up that map when I get chance, does cpu usage change when dropping mesh levels?

 

[LtMatt]

Cheers for that, as always a credit to the forum

I've just loaded up Gulf of Oman and checked my fps on the hotel and my fps is 93 with mesh on medium and on high, it drops to 64 fps, both settings are a bit stuttery too, not quite fluid.

Happy to help.

Ok you better tell me what settings to use.

For now i just ran 1440p - Ultra, FOV 80, MSAAx2, Motion Blur off, 7970 @1200/1700 which is not my highest clock but a good balance between performance and temps.

EDIT

Just realised i only had my CPU at 4ghz but i did have Hyper Threading on.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

If you want me to run again using different settings lemme know.

 

[chief barker]

Cheers for taking the time to do that mate.

I'm using a 1080p monitor, 4X AA, motion blur off, HBAO on, shadows medium and a FOV of 90 and of course Mesh on medium. All else on Ultra.

If i drop to 2 X AA I get no framerate difference. Mesh detail is the killer for me. And I'm getting about 65-80% usage from both cards.

Perhaps I need a higher resolution monitor?

 

[LtMatt]

Cheers for taking the time to do that mate.

I'm using a 1080p monitor, 4X AA, motion blur off, HBAO on, shadows medium and a FOV of 90 and of course Mesh on medium. All else on Ultra.

If i drop to 2 X AA I get no framerate difference. Mesh detail is the killer for me. And I'm getting about 65-80% usage from both cards.

Perhaps I need a higher resolution monitor?

That is a strange one though. Is this with vsync and fps limiters off? It doesn't sound quite right to me, maybe PG can confirm.

Rather than drop settings ill just run 1080p with full ultra preset with x4AA and everything else on including motion blur and see what i get. BRB.

 

[LtMatt]

God damn the 7970 plows through this game at 1080p on full ultra now a days.

The lowest fps i get are when im on that building looking down at the whole map, otherwise its up and past 100 fps.

I also have no idea Chief how you can play with 90 FOV at 1080p. Fish eyed much? You should be at 75 FOV and no higher.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[chief barker]

Much better



I'll fire up that map when I get chance, does cpu usage change when dropping mesh levels?

Just tried it mate, no change it's about 75% in both instances.

God damn the 7970 plows through this game at 1080p on full ultra now a days.

The lowest fps i get are when im on that building looking down at the whole map, otherwise its up and past 100 fps.

I also have no idea Chief how you can play with 90 FOV at 1080p. Fish eyed much? You should be at 75 FOV and no higher.

I'm getting a lower framerate (62 lowest) with 2 7970s at those settings

Just tried a FOV at 80 and there is no difference to the fps.

This screams of a CPU bottleneck.

 

[LtMatt]

Just tried it mate, no change it's about 75% in both instances.



I'm getting a lower framerate (62 lowest) with 2 7970 at those settings

Just tried a FOV at 80 and there is no difference to the fps.

Driver Fusion time and a fresh install of 13.5 beta 2 plox, no further caps needed with that one. Might be worth reinstalling and or updating afterburner with it, if you use it or if you're on one of the older beta versions.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18431335

 

[chief barker]

This is a fresh install of the BETA drivers (used the AMD cleanup utility after). If I disable crossfire it get much lower frames.

Overclocking my 7970s yields no framerate gains.

I'm stumped

 

[LtMatt]

This is a fresh install of the BETA drivers (used the AMD cleanup utility after). If I disable crossfire it get much lower frames.

Overclocking my 7970s yields no framerate gains.

I'm stumped

Well im stumped as well then. Maybe you're cpu limited somehow i don't know. Can you overclock your cpu more? I see about 52-54% cpu usage on a full 64 man Gulf Of Oman server just now with my 2700k @4ghz and HT on.

Spoiler

 

[pgi947]

Do you have vsync or any frame limiters (as Matt mentioned) enabled? If so could you disable them, if they are disabled then something is holding the cards back, as they should be at 99% with no frame cap.