30% FPS drop on SLI'd 970s going from 344.65 to 347.88 / 350.12 drivers

UPDATE: Issue resolved, see post #26 below.

I knew my memory wasn't completely deceiving me and that I used to be getting better FPS in DCS. Since at least mid-March (and maybe earlier), I thought my FPS in DCS had radically dropped. I haven't seen anyone complain about Nvidia drivers lately, and have only seen a single thread about the 1.2.16 update possibly being the culprit.

But today I went back and tried two different earlier drivers with my 1.2.16 install and got the following results in a simple MiG-21 takeoff mission:

350.12 (April 13, 2015): 40 FPS

347.88 (March 17, 2015): 40 FPS

344.65 (November 10, 2014): 57 FPS

That's a 30% drop from the 344 to the 347/350 driver versions. I've no idea what's causing it, but whatever benefit the 350 drivers may have supposedly had for GTA5, the loss in DCS is absolutely not worth it. So if any of you are noticing similar drops -- try the 344.65 set. It could that the first 'bad' driver set is actually older than 347.88, but I haven't had time to test them yet.

You know what I've noticed it too with my 980 sli I'll give those a drivers a try and report back. Thanks for taking the time and educating us!

Yeah, I was wondering about that....

Made zero difference for me.

Running EVGA 750Ti SC.

maybe its specific to the 970/980? I have one 970 (and a second one that I want to install this evening) and will test if I also get an increase in FPS when I use the older driver.

Noob question, how do I properly roll back the gfx driver? Just install the old one, or uninstall the new one first before downgrading? (if so, how to remove the driver, uninstall the card via device manager?)

maybe its specific to the 970/980? I have one 970 (and a second one that I want to install this evening) and will test if I also get an increase in FPS when I use the older driver.

Noob question, how do I properly roll back the gfx driver? Just install the old one, or uninstall the new one first before downgrading? (if so, how to remove the driver, uninstall the card via device manager?)

My procedure has generally been:

1) Disable SLI in NVCP. (VERY IMPORTANT -- in my experience, skipping this step causes many, many problems.)

2) Uninstall the current drivers via Control Panel. (Unfortunately at least on my machine, the uninstall process then blanks my screen altogether and it never comes back on, so I usually wait about 2 minutes, assume the uninstall process has completed, and manually turn the machine off and then back on.)

3) Windows will then install some default graphics driver and prompt for reboot, so I let it reboot again.

4) Run Display Driver Uninstaller (get it from Guru3d) -- it'll prompt you to recommend you first be in safe mode -- I always ignore that and just let it run. It then automatically reboots the machine.

5) Install new drivers and make sure 'perform clean installation' is checked.

6) Enable SLI in NVCP.

Since I don't stream, I've been unchecking the Nvidia GeForce Experience app during the install process, as at least according to this thread it probably eats up a bit of FPS.

Great thanks!

hi, so I just tested, I cant confirm your findings. Here are my results on 2x EVGA GTX 970

350.12 SLI off: 45 FPS

350.12 SLI on: 53 FPS

344.65 SLI on: 53 FPS

I dont see any performance decrease using the new driver.

BTW, I just got my 2nd card and enabled SLI for the first time, I had expected a bit more than a 8 fps gain

When I run my 970's in SLI I get frame rates in the 30's. With only one 970 I get frames in the high 60's and 70's. DCS 2 is suposed to make better use of multiple GPU's. Only time will tell.

I have 40 - 69 with vsnych on at 4k sli 970 and with v synch off i get 122. So switch off vsnych and watch the frames fly. High tex high buildilng detail low view msaa x 2 no hdr no trees or bush. No tsaa and or cockpit shadows.

.

Ya turn off vsync and enjoy the horrible screen tearing and when you get to the populated parts of the map you won't be getting no 122.

Went back to 347.88 drivers here for SLIx Titan Vanilla cards.

Noticed higher and more fluid fps with adaptive vync than the latest set.

I've found VSync and nVidia had issues on some client machines I've built the last few months,

I ended up asking them to turn it off and use software to limit FPS to Screen Hz, but they still had tearing,

Finally found a mix of NVCP Settings that fixed it, dont remember what it was, combo of Multi-Screen Off, Application Settings for MSAA/AF, and some other things

I personally just use a FPS Limiter to limit to either 30 or 60 FPS depending on game play type.

I've found VSync and nVidia had issues on some client machines I've built the last few months,

 

I ended up asking them to turn it off and use software to limit FPS to Screen Hz, but they still had tearing,

 

Finally found a mix of NVCP Settings that fixed it, dont remember what it was, combo of Multi-Screen Off, Application Settings for MSAA/AF, and some other things

 

I personally just use a FPS Limiter to limit to either 30 or 60 FPS depending on game play type.

Where to limit fps in nvcp? Is it better to use 3rd software for fps limit or set the fps upper bound in dcs config file?

I'm using nvdia gt750m and latest 350 driver causes many problems: frozen screen while game keeps runnung, and unexpected fps huge drop during playing which will be restored to normal level after several minutes, etc. But 347 does not have any above issue

I've found VSync and nVidia had issues on some client machines I've built the last few months,

 

I ended up asking them to turn it off and use software to limit FPS to Screen Hz, but they still had tearing,

 

Finally found a mix of NVCP Settings that fixed it, dont remember what it was, combo of Multi-Screen Off, Application Settings for MSAA/AF, and some other things

 

I personally just use a FPS Limiter to limit to either 30 or 60 FPS depending on game play type.

limiting frame rate isn't the same as V-Sync otherwise they would just do it that way in the first place. It does help with screen tearing but you still don't run in sync with your monitors refresh rate so there is still some tearing. Triple Buffering is a must for using V-Sync.

I hope they have freesync/gsync support in DCSW2.

Where to limit fps in nvcp? Is it better to use 3rd software for fps limit or set the fps upper bound in dcs config file?

 

I'm using nvdia gt750m and latest 350 driver causes many problems: frozen screen while game keeps runnung, and unexpected fps huge drop during playing which will be restored to normal level after several minutes, etc. But 347 does not have any above issue

Make a autoexec.cfg file

add line:

options.graphics.maxfps = 60

save it and place in /Saved Games/DCS/Config/

NO way a sub for VSYNC, but helps.

Make a autoexec.cfg file

 

add line:

options.graphics.maxfps = 60

 

save it and place in /Saved Games/DCS/Config/

 

NO way a sub for VSYNC, but helps.

yes, this is what I'm using now

So really, nobody else has the same results I get? I just tried the 352.86 drivers, and again I get a massive FPS drop at 4K with SLI'd 970s:

344.65: 60 FPS

352.86: 40 FPS

And I've tried this with and without GeForce Experience -- same results.

I'd love to stay with the 344.65 drivers but I get much better FPS with the 352.86 set in Project CARS and don't want to lose that.

So really, nobody else has the same results I get? I just tried the 352.86 drivers, and again I get a massive FPS drop at 4K with SLI'd 970s:

 

344.65: 60 FPS

352.86: 40 FPS

 

And I've tried this with and without GeForce Experience -- same results.

 

I'd love to stay with the 344.65 drivers but I get much better FPS with the 352.86 set in Project CARS and don't want to lose that.

try placing the 344.65 DLLs in the /DCS/Bin/ Folder, which will force DCS to use that DLL. Then Upgrade to 352.86

nvd3dumx.dll and nvd3dum.dll (you really should only need the 64bit dll)

AMD Users have been doing this for years now.

I run the latest AMD Drivers for new XFire Profiles, but my Stock DCS Uses an earlier DLL that offers a higher Frame Rate. (Catalyst 14.41 atiumd64.dll still)

try placing the 344.65 DLLs in the /DCS/Bin/ Folder, which will force DCS to use that DLL. Then Upgrade to 352.86

 

nvd3dumx.dll and nvd3dum.dll (you really should only need the 64bit dll)

 

AMD Users have been doing this for years now.

 

I run the latest AMD Drivers for new XFire Profiles, but my Stock DCS Uses an earlier DLL that offers a higher Frame Rate. (Catalyst 14.41 atiumd64.dll still)

where to find those dlls?

try placing the 344.65 DLLs in the /DCS/Bin/ Folder, which will force DCS to use that DLL. Then Upgrade to 352.86

 

nvd3dumx.dll and nvd3dum.dll (you really should only need the 64bit dll)

 

AMD Users have been doing this for years now.

 

I run the latest AMD Drivers for new XFire Profiles, but my Stock DCS Uses an earlier DLL that offers a higher Frame Rate. (Catalyst 14.41 atiumd64.dll still)

do we need only "nvd3dumx.dll"? (cant find nvd3dum.dll)

Thanks for the tip, I'd forgotten about that. In the meantime I actually found a better solution: rolled back to the 347.88 drivers, and now I'm getting 60 FPS in DCS and PCars, as well as 25% better framerate in Witcher 3 than I had with either 352.86 or 344.65.

do we need only "nvd3dumx.dll"? (cant find nvd3dum.dll)

Only need the 64 bit version.

where to find those dlls?

For AMD we just extracted the files to a folder(usualltly the installer does it), then expand the dl_ to dll and move it to the /bin folder.

Not sire how it is with nVidias installers.

For AMD we just extracted the files to a folder(usualltly the installer does it), then expand the dl_ to dll and move it to the /bin folder.

 

Not sire how it is with nVidias installers.

nvidia has similar (almost same) installation procedures

OK, major revelation today: I tend to enable (when I remember to) 16x anisotropic filtering in NVCP whenever I update my drivers. Well, turns out that AF is killing my framerate -- I get 60FPS without, and 40 with.

After a very thorough uninstall of my 347.88 drivers, I gave the 352.86 drivers another try today. I found that I can get the same 60FPS with this set that I was getting with the 347.88 set, as long as I don't force AF (and actually, the same probably holds true with 347.88 ). I'm also getting identical FPS in PCARS as I was before, and, to boot, finally got SLI working in Witcher3 (about 40% scaling at 4K, not great, but helps tremendously).

So, I basically take back everything I said in the OP...352.86 now works just fine for me. I know a lot of people have had stability issues with this set (and I most definitely did with the previous 350.12 set) but I haven't had a chance to really test them yet, so can't comment on that yet.