SLI and Vsync

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CP5670

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Jun 24, 2004
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What's the latest word on this? Does it work everywhere with the current 81.95 drivers and if so, how much of a performance hit is involved compared to that with a single card? Also, are there any game compatibility issues with triple buffering in the cases where it does work? (in games where triple buffering works on a single card)

I've googled around for answers on these things but am reading conflicting experiences. Some people say that everything is good with the latest drivers while others report big performance drops, incompatibility with some games and various other issues.
 
Woofmeister

Woofmeister

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Jul 18, 2004
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According to NVIDIA, as of Forceware Release 81.85, Vsync can be enabled in SLI with all games. I've not had a problem enabling it in SLI in any game I've played. I don't really have any answers to your other questions except to note that I've found that many of the games I previously needed to run with Vsync with a single card no longer require it with SLI.
 
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BroadbandGamer

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Sep 13, 2003
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I was never aware of any problems using vsync with SLI.

I'm installing my 2nd card today and I'd better not have a problem using vsync because I will not play with vsync disabled.
 
C

CP5670

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2004
5,660
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According to NVIDIA, as of Forceware Release 81.85, Vsync can be enabled in SLI with all games. I've not had a problem enabling it in SLI in any game I've played. I don't really have any answers to your other questions except to note that I've found that many of the games I previously needed to run with Vsync with a single card no longer require it with SLI.
Click to expand...

Well, that's good to know. What do you mean that they no longer require it? I am thinking that I may need to use it in more games than before (will be buying two GTs soon), since the framerates would go above the monitor's refresh rate much more often. Do you get any unusually big performance hit from vsync with triple buffering?

I was never aware of any problems using vsync with SLI.

I'm installing my 2nd card today and I'd better not have a problem using vsync because I will not play with vsync disabled.
Click to expand...

Cool, post here if you run into any issues.
 
C

CP5670

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Jun 24, 2004
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Is there some problem with that? It works okay for me on a single card, in most games anyway. I would never use Vsync if I couldn't use TB along with it.
 
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Ackmed

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Oct 1, 2003
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You cant enable vsync and TB at the same time in D3D, only OpenGL. OpenGL was just added recently.
 
B

BroadbandGamer

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Sep 13, 2003
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Originally posted by: Ackmed
You cant enable vsync and TB at the same time in D3D, only OpenGL. OpenGL was just added recently.
Click to expand...

What are you talking about? I've got vsync and TV enabled. Are you talking about SLI mode only?
 
Woofmeister

Woofmeister

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Jul 18, 2004
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Well, that's good to know. What do you mean that they no longer require it? I am thinking that I may need to use it in more games than before (will be buying two GTs soon), since the framerates would go above the monitor's refresh rate much more often. Do you get any unusually big performance hit from vsync with triple buffering?
Click to expand...

I'm saying that I don't see as much tearing as I did prior to running in SLI. I'm thinking in particular of Quake 4 and Doom 3 where I used to see really annoying tearing and now I don't. Since both games are capped at 60 fps, it may have something to do with the fact that I was running at less than 60 fps before installing my second graphics card. I know, that doesn't make sense but there it is. I had to enable V Sync on HL2 Lost Coast even in SLI, so the problem still exists.

As for tripple buffering, I have that set for application controlled and can't remember whether I run tripple buffered in any particular games. Some games enable tripple buffering without a specific option depending on the graphics level selected. Truth be told, I'm just starting to really experiment with the Nvidia game profiles advanced settings now that I'm running SLI. Last night I created a custom profile for Painkiller just so that I could play a game with everything maxed out on the Nvidia control pannel (including 16X SLI anti-aliasing). Wow, the game looked incredible!
 
Woofmeister

Woofmeister

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Jul 18, 2004
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Originally posted by: Ackmed
You cant enable vsync and TB at the same time in D3D, only OpenGL. OpenGL was just added recently.
Click to expand...


I'm sorry, but I don't think that's right. I had vsync and tripplebuffering enabled last night in Painkiller and that game is most certainly Direct3d. From the Dreamcatcher Website:
The game uses the proprietary 3D "PAIN Engine" capable of pumping out an unbelievably high polygon count, while adding increased texture quality and the latest lighting and shadowing techniques.
Click to expand...
 
A

Ackmed

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Oct 1, 2003
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Just because its checked, doesnt means it working. I am 98% sure it doesnt work, but I may be wrong.
 
C

CP5670

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2004
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I'm saying that I don't see as much tearing as I did prior to running in SLI. I'm thinking in particular of Quake 4 and Doom 3 where I used to see really annoying tearing and now I don't. Since both games are capped at 60 fps, it may have something to do with the fact that I was running at less than 60 fps before installing my second graphics card. I know, that doesn't make sense but there it is. I had to enable V Sync on HL2 Lost Coast even in SLI, so the problem still exists.
Click to expand...

The "tearing" when under 60fps might actually be something specific to the Doom 3 engine, which has a weird frame skipping issue on some cards. I would imagine Quake 4 does the same thing.

As for tripple buffering, I have that set for application controlled and can't remember whether I run tripple buffered in any particular games. Some games enable tripple buffering without a specific option depending on the graphics level selected. Truth be told, I'm just starting to really experiment with the Nvidia game profiles advanced settings now that I'm running SLI. Last night I created a custom profile for Painkiller just so that I could play a game with everything maxed out on the Nvidia control pannel (including 16X SLI anti-aliasing). Wow, the game looked incredible!
Click to expand...

Yeah, one of the main things I want to do with this is to run somewhat older games at maxed out settings. :)

The latest Nvidia drivers have a triple buffer control in the P&Q settings. I'm actually not sure if it works everywhere or not since the games I use Vsync in all have their own triple buffer settings, but the option doesn't say anything about being dependent on D3D or OGL. Just want to make sure that SLI does not create any issues of its own with this.
 
Woofmeister

Woofmeister

Golden Member
Jul 18, 2004
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Originally posted by: Ackmed
Just because its checked, doesnt means it working. I am 98% sure it doesnt work, but I may be wrong.
Click to expand...

Ackmed, from what I've learned here, I think you're right and I'm wrong. Tripple buffering can be checked but it does not have any effect in Direct3D.
 
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CP5670

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2004
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It seems that the lack of a global DX triple buffering option is actually a WHQL requirement from what people are saying on other forums, which is why it's not present in either company's official drivers. I found a program called DirectX Tweaker that supposedly allows you to override it in any DX game, but I haven't tried it out yet.
 
A

Ackmed

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Oct 1, 2003
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Originally posted by: Woofmeister
Originally posted by: Ackmed
Just because its checked, doesnt means it working. I am 98% sure it doesnt work, but I may be wrong.
Click to expand...

Ackmed, from what I've learned here, I think you're right and I'm wrong. Tripple buffering can be checked but it does not have any effect in Direct3D.
Click to expand...


Yes, which really sucks. However, there is allegedly a software "fix" that can force it. I have no tried it, but I intend to very soon.
 
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CP5670

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2004
5,660
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bump

I went for SLI and have been trying out a bunch of games over the last two days. I'm generally happy with it and it works wonders in newer games, but it seems that the vsync is in fact not quite working. From what I can tell so far, it looks like Vsync works in SFR with D3D and with any mode in OGL, but in D3D it only half-works in SLI AA mode, creating an annoying flickering line in the middle of the screen, and does not work at all in AFR mode, either doing nothing or working but causing the performance to drop to single card levels. The SLI AA thing in particular is a problem for me, since some older games can only make use of both cards in this mode and show tons of tearing without vsync, but are choppy with only a single card at a comparable AA setting. Is anyone else experiencing the same thing?
 
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Ackmed

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Oct 1, 2003
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Yes, all of what you described happens to me. Its pretty annoying, but not sure what can be dont to fix the problem.
 
C

CP5670

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2004
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I was thinking of trying that out, but the release notes say that the only changes in that driver are support for the 30" Dell and the AGP 6800GS.
 
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