frame rate issues with new GTX 660 in starcraft

[random betrayal]

My recent install of the gtx 660 has not produced the increase in performance I was expecting based on what I see in the bench's for the card. Anand shows that the gtx 660 at 1920 x 1080 resolution should be in the range of 95 frames/sec in starcraft at ultra settings.

I have had to drop to med or high settings for most graphic sub-categories for the game to be playable. I have an i5 cpu and have lowered all settings pertaining to it in the graphic sub-categories down to medium to help any issues it may be creating in a bottleneck.

I have toggled between widowed and full screen modes as the games states that this can affect performance and had no discernible difference in performance.

Any ideas on what could be happening or things I can troubleshoot?

 

[willomz]

What is it like in other games?

What type of i5?

 

[2timer]

Are the drivers you've installed off the CD, Nvidias website, or the manufacturers website?

 

[KingFatty]

Watch out, are you using the identical replay that Anand used?

Depending on how many units are on screen, your FPS could drop very low. Especially depending on the CPU, even at lowest settings.

So try to use the exact same replay to perfectly duplicate the type of objects and situations rendered.

 

[KevinH]

Watch out, are you using the identical replay that Anand used?

Depending on how many units are on screen, your FPS could drop very low. Especially depending on the CPU, even at lowest settings.

So try to use the exact same replay to perfectly duplicate the type of objects and situations rendered.

Yeah. Multiple 200 armies will crush most computers.

 

[willomz]

Anandtech used a very very demanding replay, a GTX660 ought to be total overkill for SC2 in normal circumstances.

And really any i5 should give you playable frame rates in normal circumstances.

I mean I used to play on an i3 530 with iGPU and still made master league! It's not exactly a demanding game.

 

[random betrayal]

I was having the frame rate issues right from the start of the game.

I installed the drivers from the nvidia website.

I am at work so don't have the version of the i5 on me, but it is about 3-4 years old.

I don't play other games so don't know.

I agree Willomz i thought the 660 would blow the game out of the water for a few years to come. Which is why i am so stumped why it is not.

 

[dguy6789]

There's definitely something wrong somewhere. A graphics card half that powerful can run SC2 at max settings perfectly fine.

 

[bystander36]

Starcraft 2, with large fights, is very demanding, and more likely an issue with the CPU keeping track of all the AI of those armies.

 

[guskline]

Funny, I just looked the Sandy Bridge up and it came out in January 2011. If you computer is 3 or 4 years old would it be an I-5? Perhaps the cpu is older. What video card was in it prior to the 660? CORRECTION! The I-5 predates Sandy Bridge

 

[bystander36]

This benchmark is likely similar to what you should see (when looking at the top two CPU's): http://www.techspot.com/review/305-starcraft2-performance/page13.html

Overclocking your CPU should help. A 480, the GPU used in the review, may still be a bit faster than your 660, or at least close.

 

[notty22]

Funny, I just looked the Sandy Bridge up and it came out in January 2011. If you computer is 3 or 4 years old would it be an I-5? Perhaps the cpu is older. What video card was in it prior to the 660?

I run a I5 750 since 11/2009, and there are dual core I5 530 /540 that came out around the same time. 2.93 GHz
http://ark.intel.com/products/46472/Intel-Core-i3-530-Processor-4M-Cache-2_93-GHz

edit: oops I linked a I3

It was the I5 650, I was thinking of http://ark.intel.com/products/43546/Intel-Core-i5-650-Processor-4M-Cache-3_20-GHz

 

[BallaTheFeared]

Really depends on what you're doing, single player, 1v1, custom, 4v4??

 

[guskline]

I run a I5 750 since 11/2009, and there are dual core I5 530 /540 that came out around the same time. 2.93 GHz
http://ark.intel.com/products/46472/Intel-Core-i3-530-Processor-4M-Cache-2_93-GHz

edit: oops I linked a I3

It was the I5 650, I was thinking of http://ark.intel.com/products/43546/Intel-Core-i5-650-Processor-4M-Cache-3_20-GHz

You are correct notty22, my fault!

 

[willomz]

He is saying he has issues right from the beginning, i.e. when there are next to no units on the map.

If you haven't got any other games try just running a benchmark like Unigine Heaven to test whether your card is working properly or not.

 

[Keysplayr]

This benchmark is likely similar to what you should see (when looking at the top two CPU's): http://www.techspot.com/review/305-starcraft2-performance/page13.html

Overclocking your CPU should help. A 480, the GPU used in the review, may still be a bit faster than your 660, or at least close.

A GTX 660 is in between a GTX570 and GTX580 in performance. The GTX570 is faster than a GTX480.

 

[notty22]

I thinks starcraft II only uses 2 cores. I never played the game. I remember that AA forced takes a big performance hit.

 

[willomz]

It uses 3 cores, but only hits one core heavily.

You should only use the in-game AA.

 

[bystander36]

Anyways, the OP has never told us his actual FPS, and he might be forcing AA or other settings on in the control panel.

 

[random betrayal]

Looked up my order history on new egg and the CPU is
Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W

I did set up AA in the nvidia control panel, I should not do this? I think I also set it up in the games graphics settings.

I don't know where it shows the actual frames per second in the game. All I know is that from the start of the multiplayer game it is stuttering so bad you can't hardly play on anything above medium to high settings.

 

[willomz]

Yeah, what is your actual FPS?
(Control+Alt+F to show FPS)

Is your CPU still at stock clocks?

Did you play SC2 before you had your 660? What GPU did you have before?

 

[notty22]

Looked up my order history on new egg and the CPU is
Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W

I did set up AA in the nvidia control panel, I should not do this? I think I also set it up in the games graphics settings.

I don't know where it shows the actual frames per second in the game. All I know is that from the start of the multiplayer game it is stuttering so bad you can't hardly play on anything above medium to high settings.

Reset your NV control panel, that forced AA , is killing performance, (most likely)

As you can see in the diagram, this game isn’t compatible with SLI technology, just as it’s not compatible with the Radeons when antialiasing is turned on.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/graphics/display/geforce-gtx-670-sli_3.html#sect3

 

[willomz]

You can use the in-game AA, but DO NOT force AA from control panel.

Let SC2 handle the AA without any 'help' from Nvidia.

 

[random betrayal]

Yeah, what is your actual FPS?
(Control+Alt+F to show FPS)

Is your CPU still at stock clocks?

Did you play SC2 before you had your 660? What GPU did you have before?

Cpu is stock
previous gpu was radean 4850, and it played with about the same setttings as the 660.

 

[nenforcer]

Something isn't right, I was running the game at nearly all Ultra settings (single player) on my GTX 460 768MB with a Core 2 Duo E8400 and now a Core 2 Quad Q9550. Disable AA entirely and then start increasing each settings one by one.