Video Card Chit-Chat

[klem]

GTX570 1.28GB. Two screens (canopy view over instruments).

 

Looking to go to 780GTX 3GB or 6GB / triple screen, 5760 x 1080; maybe four screen 7680 x 1081 to cover instruments.

[71st_Mastiff]

GTX570 1.28GB. Two screens (canopy view over instruments).

 

Looking to go to 780GTX 3GB or 6GB / triple screen, 5760 x 1080; maybe four screen 7680 x 1081 to cover instruments.

 

might want to wait a bit prices are going to drop, when the GTX980 comes out.

[cichlidfan]

might want to wait a bit prices are going to drop, when the GTX980 comes out.

 

Or if you are ready to spend that much then just order a GTX980.

[Backy 51]

GeForce 970 GTX is now Tom's Hardware 2014 Best Buy at $329 ... get yours now!

[klem]

GTX570 1.28GB. Two screens (canopy view over instruments).

 

Looking to go to 780GTX 3GB or 6GB / triple screen, 5760 x 1080; maybe four screen 7680 x 1081 to cover instruments.

might want to wait a bit prices are going to drop, when the GTX980 comes out.

 

First a big thank you to the guys who replied to my PMs asking what their setup and results were.

 

Actually things have moved on now. I dug deeper and bought the new EVGA GTX980/4Gb as the price wasn't much different to the 780Ti.

 

If it is of help to anyone (as this is a new design GPU) ....

 

I am running four screens, 3 in Nvidia Surround at 5170 x 1050 (adjusted from 5040 for bezel compensation) and 1680*1050 underneath for instruments. DCS is set as 5170 x 2100 so that I can 'cut out' a middle 1680x1050 viewport from the bottom half of the total resolution for my bottom screen.

 

By the way if it's of interest, my three monitors are Samsung 226BW 1680x1050, AOC e2752VQ 1920x1080, Samsung 2333HD (tv)1920x1080 which all get pulled down to three at 1680x1050 because Surround defaults to the lowest resolution. I should have two more AOCs come Cyber Monday

 

It runs at 30-35fps on the ground and 40+fps in the air.

 

If I run it as (5170 Surround + 1680) x 1050 = 6850 x 1050 the FPS goes over 40 on the ground and 50+ in the air but I then get the entire lower cockpit width of 5170 x 1050 on the bottom screen which is squished and no good.

 

 

 

Hope that's of interest....

[gdx65]

First a big thank you to the guys who replied to my PMs asking what their setup and results were.

 

Actually things have moved on now. I dug deeper and bought the new EVGA GTX980/4Gb as the price wasn't much different to the 780Ti.

 

If it is of help to anyone (as this is a new design GPU) ....

 

I am running four screens, 3 in Nvidia Surround at 5170 x 1050 (adjusted from 5040 for bezel compensation) and 1680*1050 underneath for instruments. DCS is set as 5170 x 2100 so that I can 'cut out' a middle 1680x1050 viewport from the bottom half of the total resolution for my bottom screen.

 

By the way if it's of interest, my three monitors are Samsung 226BW 1680x1050, AOC e2752VQ 1920x1080, Samsung 2333HD (tv)1920x1080 which all get pulled down to three at 1680x1050 because Surround defaults to the lowest resolution. I should have two more AOCs come Cyber Monday

 

It runs at 30-35fps on the ground and 40+fps in the air.

 

If I run it as (5170 Surround + 1680) x 1050 = 6850 x 1050 the FPS goes over 40 on the ground and 50+ in the air but I then get the entire lower cockpit width of 5170 x 1050 on the bottom screen which is squished and no good.

 

 

 

Hope that's of interest....

Hi Klem,

 

Finally I found one with an NVIDIA GTX980 :-)

 

I have had problems on a new rig with the GTX980 but not sure the PSU was the problem. After some troubleshooting with DCS support (many log files sent) we determined that the problem was somewhere in the HW or HW+drivers so I returned the rig to the builder. I can now order a new rig but before that I have been in several forums (NVIDA, RADEON, etc..) trying to find out if the GTX980 could be the problem because too new. It always take 6 to 12 months before the drivers stabilize on new GPUs....

 

The problem was an instant PC reboot while flying, almost immediately after one jump into a cockpit or after few minutes of flying or when taxing. Never on a static cockpit image. That's why I suspected the GPU. Maybe it was just that rig having HW issues.

 

My former rig:

 

Windows 8.1 64bit Pro.

 

• Intel Core i7-4790K
  
• GeForce GTX 980 4GB GDDR5, PhysX CUDA
  
• 240GB SSD + 2TB HD
  
• 16GB DDR3 1600MHz 9-9-9 minne
  
• DVDRW
  
• Intel Z97 chipset - ASRock Z97X Killer motherboard
  
• 750W ATX power supply
  
• Cooler Master 690 II kabinett
  
• Qualcomm® Atheros® Killer™ LAN E2200
  

 

For the new rig I am thinking to upgrade to a i7-5820K or i7-5930K

and to avoid potential GPU drivers problems (only with DCS) I was wondering to use an older NVIDIA like the 760 and upgrade later to the GTX980.

 

According to DCS support DCS uses only two CPUs and will not benefit of a multicore but clock frequency is more important than cores.

As I will also use X-Plane on the rig then multicore is fundamental..

[klem]

Hi Klem,

 

Finally I found one with an NVIDIA GTX980 :-)

 

I have had problems on a new rig with the GTX980 but not sure the PSU was the problem. After some troubleshooting with DCS support (many log files sent) we determined that the problem was somewhere in the HW or HW+drivers so I returned the rig to the builder. I can now order a new rig but before that I have been in several forums (NVIDA, RADEON, etc..) trying to find out if the GTX980 could be the problem because too new. It always take 6 to 12 months before the drivers stabilize on new GPUs....

 

The problem was an instant PC reboot while flying, almost immediately after one jump into a cockpit or after few minutes of flying or when taxing. Never on a static cockpit image. That's why I suspected the GPU. Maybe it was just that rig having HW issues.

 

My former rig:

 

Windows 8.1 64bit Pro.

 

• Intel Core i7-4790K
  
• GeForce GTX 980 4GB GDDR5, PhysX CUDA
  
• 240GB SSD + 2TB HD
  
• 16GB DDR3 1600MHz 9-9-9 minne
  
• DVDRW
  
• Intel Z97 chipset - ASRock Z97X Killer motherboard
  
• 750W ATX power supply
  
• Cooler Master 690 II kabinett
  
• Qualcomm® Atheros® Killer™ LAN E2200
  

 

For the new rig I am thinking to upgrade to a i7-5820K or i7-5930K

and to avoid potential GPU drivers problems (only with DCS) I was wondering to use an older NVIDIA like the 760 and upgrade later to the GTX980.

 

According to DCS support DCS uses only two CPUs and will not benefit of a multicore but clock frequency is more important than cores.

As I will also use X-Plane on the rig then multicore is fundamental..

 

Hi gdx65

 

First of all I have seen posts around from a handful of guys running the 980 without the problems you had and I'm sorry to hear you have them. I'm too long in the tooth to start defending a piece of kit just because it's new and I bought it but I haven't had any problems that I can attribute to the 980 except for a 'watermark' over the DCS sea, the like of which I don't get in Cliffs of Dover or FSX:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=132943

I don't recall getting it with my old GTX570.

 

I suspect it is only to do with DCS and look forward to the new EDGE engine in the hope it clears it up.

 

My PC knowledge is only 'self taught' over nearly twenty years (including building several rigs) so I can't give you a specific technical solution but it sounds to me like a defect in the Hardware/SW, perhaps a conflict or timing issue. I know when I used the pre-set overclock settings for my i7 950 "3.06 overclocked to 4.2GHz" Scan 3XS system I hit timing issues and a few BSDs after several months but I just throttled it back to 3.6GHz and it seems ok. I could have tweaked voltages or something but I wasn't comfortable with the core temps when running FSX anyway. I don't know where you are situated but for a new rig in the UK I'd recommend talking to scan.co.uk, I've used them for years. Very helpful and supportive. Of course your 980 could have been defective and throwing a wobbly. I am running the 344.48 drivers.

 

I am running a Corsair 750W PSU which is more than enough. I don't know what power the 4790K pulls but I doubt it's that much more.

 

I am attaching two images. One shows CPU usage and the other the GPU usage while running the FW190 out of Batumi (to set the scene).

 

CPU: You can see that DCS uses all four cores but not all eight threads. The small amount of activity on threads 2,4,6 and 8 are probably background processes. Well, maybe a little of DCS somehow. The drop off in memory usage is where I exited the game. The CPU spikes may be where I exited the aircraft back to menu. Still, you can see how little CPU is used, averaging less than 40%. In the Core Temp part the core Temperatures ('High') hit about 80C max. 'Low' is before I started DCS. Don't be misled by the Load of only 4% on core 1, that is when I was out of DCS and taking the screen shot of the results.

 

GPU, Left side: It runs about 80% Power, max 99% usage (I am running 5250 x 2100 res, 3 screens over 1), max 2420GB Memory (a big surprise to me!), Fan max 51%. Right hand side: Clock hit 1353MHz from a standing start of 999, Temperature max 81C (Desktop is around 50C), Voltage went from 1.012 to 1.218, Fan peaked at 1325 rpm from Desktop 1284. In short, apart from limiting to around 30-40 fps across 5250x2100 it is very comfortable in DCSW. I have all on High settings except CIV TRAFFIC off, Clutter 820, Trees 900, Preload Radius 150000, all checkboxes off except Vsync and Cockpit shadows.

 

I expect I could get more fps if I tweaked the settings but I will wait until I get new 1920x1080x monitors and run 5760x2160. And if anyone has any tips on that please tell me :)

 

The GTX980 is clearly a beast!

 

PS: if you have the money go straight for the 980, I wouldn't bother with a 700 series if you can afford it. Less power, runs cooler, similar price to the 780Ti and outperforms all other GPUs available atm. Or get the 970 of course.

 

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot the attachments. Done now.

Edited November 4, 2014 by klem
FORGOT ATTACHMENTS!

[Nascar]

Gdx65,

 

I was just wondering if you monitored the temps. When I set up my 4790K it ran stock @ 1.4volts, which made it run way too hot. My motherboard needed a BIOS update and went down to 1.2volts and good temps.

[nathan33]

Get GTX 980M if money is not an isuee

[nathan33]

http://gaminglaptopunder1000.org/nvidia-geforce-gtx-980m-vs-gtx-880m-vs-gtx-680780970/

[cichlidfan]

http://gaminglaptopunder1000.org/nvidia-geforce-gtx-980m-vs-gtx-880m-vs-gtx-680780970/

 

That is also a mobile chip article. The 'M' after the number stands for 'mobile'. :music_whistling:

 

They generally don't sell them separate from the laptop, either.

Edited November 5, 2014 by cichlidfan

[klem]

Get GTX 980M if money is not an isuee

 

For a laptop upgrade, yes. If upgrading from a much lower spec consider power requirements and CPU capability too.

[TwilightZone]

.....anyone try the new nvidia driver 344.60 yet? got the notice today from geforce exp.

[71st_Mastiff]

.....anyone try the new nvidia driver 344.60 yet? got the notice today from geforce exp.

 

yes from 2 days ago, is just a release for COD, AW

[TwilightZone]

..thanks....mastiff.......:-)

[klem]

Just a little update.

 

I'm running the 980 fairly hard at around 8.5 mega-pixels across four screens. Most settings on Medium and AF at x8. Returns about 20fps on the ground (a smooth 20fps strangely) and easily over 30fps in the air.

 

I did have a problem using all three Display Ports when I finally got my third DP screen for Christmas but it turned out to be a driver issue with (970/980?) DPs so make sure you have the latest driver.

 

It would probably eat DCS on one HD screen at max settings.

 

Not to bore you but here's a tour of my overall setup if you're interested.

[TwilightZone]

....nice set up klem..........the 980s are beast!!.......everyone needs to have a doohicky button:D

[SilentGun]

Question: what kind of frames do you all get in single player? because I can get over 110-130(air) 60-70(airports) frames and I only have a GTX 660.

[klem]

Question: what kind of frames do you all get in single player? because I can get over 110-130(air) 60-70(airports) frames and I only have a GTX 660.

 

What are your PC specs? CPU/speed, RAM, in-game settings, Nvidia control panel settings including for the DCS.exe ('Manage 3D settings'), total screen resolution.

 

These will all affect the results you get.

[SilentGun]

I have a amd fx8350 and 8 gigs of ram. All my DCS settings are high and I use default nvidia settings but I run on 720p

[klem]

I have a amd fx8350 and 8 gigs of ram. All my DCS settings are high and I use default nvidia settings but I run on 720p

 

Sounds about right. 1080p should be fine too. Multiple screens will eat into that.

[gdx65]

Hi Klem,

 

Finally I found one with an NVIDIA GTX980 :-)

 

I have had problems on a new rig with the GTX980 but not sure the PSU was the problem. After some troubleshooting with DCS support (many log files sent) we determined that the problem was somewhere in the HW or HW+drivers so I returned the rig to the builder. I can now order a new rig but before that I have been in several forums (NVIDA, RADEON, etc..) trying to find out if the GTX980 could be the problem because too new. It always take 6 to 12 months before the drivers stabilize on new GPUs....

 

The problem was an instant PC reboot while flying, almost immediately after one jump into a cockpit or after few minutes of flying or when taxing. Never on a static cockpit image. That's why I suspected the GPU. Maybe it was just that rig having HW issues.

 

My former rig:

 

Windows 8.1 64bit Pro.

 

• Intel Core i7-4790K
  
• GeForce GTX 980 4GB GDDR5, PhysX CUDA
  
• 240GB SSD + 2TB HD
  
• 16GB DDR3 1600MHz 9-9-9 minne
  
• DVDRW
  
• Intel Z97 chipset - ASRock Z97X Killer motherboard
  
• 750W ATX power supply
  
• Cooler Master 690 II kabinett
  
• Qualcomm® Atheros® Killer™ LAN E2200
  

 

For the new rig I am thinking to upgrade to a i7-5820K or i7-5930K

and to avoid potential GPU drivers problems (only with DCS) I was wondering to use an older NVIDIA like the 760 and upgrade later to the GTX980.

 

According to DCS support DCS uses only two CPUs and will not benefit of a multicore but clock frequency is more important than cores.

As I will also use X-Plane on the rig then multicore is fundamental..

 

Hi gdx65

 

First of all I have seen posts around from a handful of guys running the 980 without the problems you had and I'm sorry to hear you have them. I'm too long in the tooth to start defending a piece of kit just because it's new and I bought it but I haven't had any problems that I can attribute to the 980 except for a 'watermark' over the DCS sea, the like of which I don't get in Cliffs of Dover or FSX:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=132943

I don't recall getting it with my old GTX570.

 

I suspect it is only to do with DCS and look forward to the new EDGE engine in the hope it clears it up.

 

My PC knowledge is only 'self taught' over nearly twenty years (including building several rigs) so I can't give you a specific technical solution but it sounds to me like a defect in the Hardware/SW, perhaps a conflict or timing issue. I know when I used the pre-set overclock settings for my i7 950 "3.06 overclocked to 4.2GHz" Scan 3XS system I hit timing issues and a few BSDs after several months but I just throttled it back to 3.6GHz and it seems ok. I could have tweaked voltages or something but I wasn't comfortable with the core temps when running FSX anyway. I don't know where you are situated but for a new rig in the UK I'd recommend talking to scan.co.uk, I've used them for years. Very helpful and supportive. Of course your 980 could have been defective and throwing a wobbly. I am running the 344.48 drivers.

 

I am running a Corsair 750W PSU which is more than enough. I don't know what power the 4790K pulls but I doubt it's that much more.

 

I am attaching two images. One shows CPU usage and the other the GPU usage while running the FW190 out of Batumi (to set the scene).

 

CPU: You can see that DCS uses all four cores but not all eight threads. The small amount of activity on threads 2,4,6 and 8 are probably background processes. Well, maybe a little of DCS somehow. The drop off in memory usage is where I exited the game. The CPU spikes may be where I exited the aircraft back to menu. Still, you can see how little CPU is used, averaging less than 40%. In the Core Temp part the core Temperatures ('High') hit about 80C max. 'Low' is before I started DCS. Don't be misled by the Load of only 4% on core 1, that is when I was out of DCS and taking the screen shot of the results.

 

GPU, Left side: It runs about 80% Power, max 99% usage (I am running 5250 x 2100 res, 3 screens over 1), max 2420GB Memory (a big surprise to me!), Fan max 51%. Right hand side: Clock hit 1353MHz from a standing start of 999, Temperature max 81C (Desktop is around 50C), Voltage went from 1.012 to 1.218, Fan peaked at 1325 rpm from Desktop 1284. In short, apart from limiting to around 30-40 fps across 5250x2100 it is very comfortable in DCSW. I have all on High settings except CIV TRAFFIC off, Clutter 820, Trees 900, Preload Radius 150000, all checkboxes off except Vsync and Cockpit shadows.

 

I expect I could get more fps if I tweaked the settings but I will wait until I get new 1920x1080x monitors and run 5760x2160. And if anyone has any tips on that please tell me :)

 

The GTX980 is clearly a beast!

 

PS: if you have the money go straight for the 980, I wouldn't bother with a 700 series if you can afford it. Less power, runs cooler, similar price to the 780Ti and outperforms all other GPUs available atm. Or get the 970 of course.

 

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot the attachments. Done now.

 

Klem,

 

Thanks for answering! When I got the new rig all worked perfect, the old rig had an HW problem. The new rig has a different processor ( i7-5820K ) still with the GTX980. DCS working very smooth with full settings.

[klem]

Klem,

 

Thanks for answering! When I got the new rig all worked perfect, the old rig had an HW problem. The new rig has a different processor ( i7-5820K ) still with the GTX980. DCS working very smooth with full settings.

 

Glad to hear all is well :)

 

My watermark problem has disappeared, probably something to do with the latest drivers. I finished my triple screen upgrade (four screens in fact at around 8Mega Pixels total) and it runs around 30-50 fps in the air, only around 20-25 on the ground but I'm still tweaking.

[Cibit]

I ordered this yesterday

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008BFWBZ8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

 

Hope its good enough for edge;)

[Kuky]

I ordered this yesterday

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008BFWBZ8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

 

Hope its good enough for edge;)

 

er.. that is very low end GPU :noexpression: