6970 Crossfire under performing?

[jon_the_faun]

I recently built a new gaming rig, and I've been ripping my hair out ever since. Here are my specs:


AMD Phenom II X6 1100T (with stock cooling)
ASUS Crosshair IV Formula AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
2 SAPPHIRE 100311SR Radeon HD 6970s in Crossfire
COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Ultra X4 1050-Watt Modular Power Supply


Being my first gaming computer, I expected to run into some errors. I'm not an ace when it comes to the details, but I do know more than the average user (hardware functions/plugs/BIOS). With some guidance, perhaps I can get this dilemma solved:

I've spent hours on the forums here at Tom's Hardware and on other forums elsewhere that were suggested by Google. I've read all the benchmarks for my cards, and downloaded all the little tools off CNET (CPU-Z, GPU-Z....which reads that I do, indeed, have Crossfire Enabled). I have downloaded the latest drivers (11.6) from AMD. And yet, when I run FRAPS...I'm not getting the same performance reads.

For example:

Just Cause (MAX Settings, 1680 x 1050) --- 60,61,60,59 Maximum fps.......55,54,45,40 Minimum fps
Witcher 2 (High Settings, 1680 x 1050...didn't even both with the ubersampling) --- 50,49,48,55, Maximum fps......45,44,39 Minimum fps) I downloaded the hotfix that enables Crossfire Scaling

However, BFBC2 runs at a solid 60 FPS on max settings...which makes me happy inside. Still...I built this computer for the sole purpose of BF3 and Skyrim...with my inconsistent results...I don't think I'll be having the best time blowing stuff up and slaying dragons.

What I don't get is how people get 130 FPS using these cards in Crossfire. Even on BFBC...it stutters between 60,61,59 and never exceeds those numbers.

Somebody please help. Before I start cooking my computer parts for food because they've left me broke and unhappy. 🙁

 

[bystander]

You might want to test your ram. I've heard of ram issues causing stuttering as well. You might also want to google Just Cause 2 and 6970. There could be a specific problem with your setup.

Just a couple other things to think about. 60 FPS is the maximum frames you can display, even if your system generates more. As a result, due to your low res setup, your CPU is going to be the part that holds back performance in almost all cases.

Until games become more demanding, your 6970's are kind of wasted. You will probably get the same real world performance with 1 except in a game like metro 2033, and even then it's partially going to be wasted.

If you wanted to see 100+ FPS all the time, you need a faster CPU, or at least overclock what you have.

 

[bystander]

My frustration is fueled only by the false promise of near perfection these card owners claim to have in their reviews..."YEAAAAAAAAAH DUDE! 6970s pillage and rape the Witcher 2 on Ultra!!".."Dude, 6970's are monsters. They crush souls and run every single game out their max - except Metro!!"

...that kinda stuff....

Would you not agree? I mean...what kind of performance do you get when playing Just Cause 2 or Witcher...or Crysis/Warhead/2? I'll bet you a million that they are better than my results.

I have pretty much the same graphics setup since I unlocked my 6950's. As long as I turn off ubersampling, I have 60+ fps at all times except in the prologue where it can sometimes be in the 30's and 40's. I also play metro 2033 maxed out minus physX. I did this at 1920x1200.

If you can't do the same at your resolution, there is a bottleneck, hardware or installation problem. You did happen to choose a much slower CPU, which is what I'd guess is the problem.

 

[jon_the_faun]

Best answer selected by Jon_the_Faun.

 

[jon_the_faun]

You might want to test your ram. I've heard of ram issues causing stuttering as well. You might also want to google Just Cause 2 and 6970. There could be a specific problem with your setup.

Just a couple other things to think about. 60 FPS is the maximum frames you can display, even if your system generates more. As a result, due to your low res setup, your CPU is going to be the part that holds back performance in almost all cases.

Until games become more demanding, your 6970's are kind of wasted. You will probably get the same real world performance with 1 except in a game like metro 2033, and even then it's partially going to be wasted.

If you wanted to see 100+ FPS all the time, you need a faster CPU, or at least overclock what you have.

Good. I like this answer. This means that if I purchase a bigger monitor, maybe test my hand at overclocking the CPU, and learn that patience is a virtue...I'll probably have better results with BF3 and Skyrim? You're saying that my low resolution and CPU is bottlenecking my PC? Do you suggest I just disable my second card and run with one? I know that anything higher than 60 FPS is absurd. I just want steady 60 FPS when helicopters explode and bullets fly.

How can I test my ram?

 

[bystander]

I'd say just overclock the CPU. I've never overclocked an AMD CPU, so you'll want to check for help elsewhere (there is an overclocking forum section here).

Increasing your Resolution won't likely improve performance, but it won't likely hurt it at all in games that the CPU is holding you back (most all). Overclocking the CPU can increase the performance in most the cases, however.

 

[jon_the_faun]

What should I do first?

Save for a new monitor...or save for a new CPU. If so, are there any you could possibly recommend?

And if it is in fact a hardware problem...how can I test my computer to know for sure and find out which device is acting out of order?

It took a lot of audacity for an introvert like myself to actually make a thread on a forum. I want to walk away with some results and answers.

Many, many thanks for your support on shedding some light on my ordeal.

 

[bystander]

As long as everything is running smooth, I'd leave everything alone. However, I'd probably want to take advantage of my GPU's, and that means you may want to put them to use. Getting a high res monitor, or 3 monitors would be pretty awesome (you could add 2 like the 1 you have for eyefinity).

If you wanted to see about more performance without spending much at all, you could check out the overclocking forum and overclock that CPU. You'll likely need a new CPU cooler. For the best bank for the buck, check out the Coolingmaster Hyper 212+.

 

[sowexly]

I know you're into the whole RAM check process ATM but did you ever try disabling XFIRE to see what happens to your performance?

 

[jon_the_faun]

As long as everything is running smooth, I'd leave everything alone. However, I'd probably want to take advantage of my GPU's, and that means you may want to put them to use. Getting a high res monitor, or 3 monitors would be pretty awesome (you could add 2 like the 1 you have for eyefinity).

If you wanted to see about more performance without spending much at all, you could check out the overclocking forum and overclock that CPU. You'll likely need a new CPU cooler. For the best bank for the buck, check out the Coolingmaster Hyper 212+.

Is this your processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202

 

[jon_the_faun]

I know you're into the whole RAM check process ATM but did you ever try disabling XFIRE to see what happens to your performance?

No I haven't tried that yet. I'll give that a go now. Thank you.

 

[bystander]

No I haven't tried that yet. I'll give that a go now. Thank you.

Ya, that's what I have, but I wouldn't recommend buying it today. I bought mine 1.5 years ago. There are better deals now. Your CPU isn't really that bad, as long as you are getting 40+ FPS out of it.

 

[jfby]

As for what to buy, really look at your system and see where you will get the bang for the buck. I'd start with a new monitor and see where your FPS take you. If you stay above ~45 FPS, then I'd sit for a bit and maybe wait for the next gen of CPU to come out.

Too often people don't really know what is holding their system back, go buy something and get angry when their performacne doesn't jump. If it isn't holding your system back, then overclocking/upgrading will do nothing for you at the moment.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey