Why do my GPUs underperform?

[IllogicalGlory]

(custom = extreme + full screen)

My setup is as follows:
7870 2gb (@ 3.0 x16) - I think in crossfire it only runs at x8 though, am I right?
7850 2gb (basically 7850 crossfire) (@3.0 x8)
i5 3570k (@4.2 GHz)
Corsair TX 750
Sandisk 32GB SSD

I'm told the proper FPS should be around 54, but mine is considerably lower. What could possibly be the reason for this?

 

[aarontpx]

Update your video drivers, yours are HORRIBLY outdated.

**EDIT**
A quick google search has 9.12 being released December 17, 2009...

 

[notty22]

Good catch. Because Heaven 4.0 is a update over 3.0 , 4.0 was released Feb/13/2013, so any unique driver / crossfire settings would be absent.

 

[IllogicalGlory]

Are you sure, when I entered my card(s) into the AMD website, the only download they offered me was for Catalyst 13.1, which I have. Also, their autodetect software didn't say I needed to update either.

 

[Jimzz]

try this...

http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/amdcatalyst13-3winbetadriver.aspx

 

[aarontpx]

Are you sure, when I entered my card(s) into the AMD website, the only download they offered me was for Catalyst 13.1, which I have. Also, their autodetect software didn't say I needed to update either.

Well look at your own screenshot. Says 9.12.0.0

 

[aarontpx]

Look at this thread
Post your Unigine Heaven 4.0 benchmark scores!

Notice the amd cards with screenshots. All the 7800/7900 series cards say 12.100.17.0.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonaiw_vista64.aspx

Says right there, 13.1 drivers are 9.012. Looks like he has the correct drivers.

 

[notty22]

The results mimic no crossfire scaling. That is about what one 7870 would get, I believe. The picture shows x2 for gpu's, that usually indicates crossfire is enabled in CCC . I would re-install the newest non-beta. Clean install.

 

[IllogicalGlory]

So I updated the drivers, turned quality down to "high" (as per the video I watched:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3X-0JEM2ow) and here is the result:

still far from what I should be getting

 

[aarontpx]

Says right there, 13.1 drivers are 9.012. Looks like he has the correct drivers.

You are correct. 12.100.17.0 are beta drivers as far as I can tell.

 

[aarontpx]

Perhaps someone with more xfire experience can weight in. I have not run any radeons in xfire before. And have little experience with catalyst control center.

 

[Face2Face]

Disable ULPS


Posted from Anandtech.com App for Android

 

[Termie]

I haven't tested these settings, but I can tell you that Crossfire scales at 100% in this benchmark. Have you tested one card in your system?

 

[IllogicalGlory]

Disabled ULPS, which did not have an effect.

I haven't tested these settings, but I can tell you that Crossfire scales at 100% in this benchmark. Have you tested one card in your system?

My lone 7870 is about 61% as good as crossfire (avg fps being 29 at 1600x900, while crossfire gets 47 at 1600x900, which is my normal resolution)

 

[aarontpx]

This is why people recommend 1 powerful card versus 2 weaker cards. Ugh, I'd be so pissed right now if I was you.

 

[IllogicalGlory]

I recently logged my GPU usage. My 7870 makes it to about 80% while the 7850 maxes out, which seems correct to me.

 

[Termie]

I had absolutely no problems with scaling in my testing of HD7870 Crossfire.

Your mixed Crossfire set may be causing problems, although your GPU Usage stats suggest the setup is working at full capacity, even if it doesn't score well.

I suggest you completely uninstall your AMD drivers and reinstall the latest beta drivers off the AMD website. I'm not convinced you have the right drivers. Don't use the autodetect. Just download from here: http://www2.ati.com/drivers/beta/AMD_Catalyst_13.3_Beta3.exe

 

[IllogicalGlory]

I had absolutely no problems with scaling in my testing of HD7870 Crossfire.

Your mixed Crossfire set may be causing problems, although your GPU Usage stats suggest the setup is working at full capacity, even if it doesn't score well.

I suggest you completely uninstall your AMD drivers and reinstall the latest beta drivers off the AMD website. I'm not convinced you have the right drivers. Don't use the autodetect. Just download from here: http://www2.ati.com/drivers/beta/AMD_Catalyst_13.3_Beta3.exe

I installed those drivers earlier today and received about increase of 3 fps (which I think I can attribute to reducing the quality from ultra to high) and I'm sure they installed correctly.

I also downloaded the application profiles.

I'm really starting to wonder what the problem could be here.

 

[zaydq]

I wouldn't be surprised if amd's mix fire drivers are not very well developed. This is the first i 'be seen of it. Have you gone through CCC or tried to switch the cards around?

 

[IllogicalGlory]

I wouldn't be surprised if amd's mix fire drivers are not very well developed. This is the first i 'be seen of it. Have you gone through CCC or tried to switch the cards around?

I haven't tried switching the cards, but I have gone through CCC and adjusted just about everything there is to do and none of it makes much of a difference.

As for switching the cards, for me, any kind of hardware adjustments take a disproportionate amount of stress and annoyance (I'm not good at it all, I can never get the cards into the slots the right way), so I try to avoid doing it.

My 7870 is in the primary adapter and my 7850 is in the linked adapter. Would it be better to switch these?

 

[aaksheytalwar]

What cpu do you have?

 

[wand3r3r]

My setup is as follows:
7870 2gb (@ 3.0 x16) - I think in crossfire it only runs at x8 though, am I right?
7850 2gb (basically 7850 crossfire) (@3.0 x8)
i5 3570k (@4.2 GHz)
Corsair TX 750
Sandisk 32GB SSD

It's in the OP.

 

[zaydq]

I haven't tried switching the cards, but I have gone through CCC and adjusted just about everything there is to do and none of it makes much of a difference.

As for switching the cards, for me, any kind of hardware adjustments take a disproportionate amount of stress and annoyance (I'm not good at it all, I can never get the cards into the slots the right way), so I try to avoid doing it.

My 7870 is in the primary adapter and my 7850 is in the linked adapter. Would it be better to switch these?

It would be worth attempting.