GPU runs way slower on 4k monitor, with same resolution

[hassange]

I'm looking to get a GTX 1060 for some simple games (SC2, Rocket League, Overwatch, etc). I'm not interested in playing the games at 4k. I didn't get the 4k monitor for gaming, only for work, which it does fine right now.

However, I'm worried because I tried plugging in my monitor to my brother's computer, which has a GTX 960, and we set Overwatch to 1080p, just like he has it on his monitor, at the same exact settings he plays it on (high or medium, I can't remember). He gets no less than 80 fps with his settings on his 1080p monitor, but he got significantly less on my 4k monitor. Does this mean that if I get a 1060, I won't be able to play games at 1080p/1440p at 60 fps?

I'm guessing the reason it's doing that is because there's more stuff that needs to be in the video memory, like the various windows and things. Will this affect the performance of a 1060 on a 4k display? Do you guys recommend getting a 1070 or 1080? The reason I don't feel it's worth it is because, as I said, I'm just playing some simple games (I'm just not really into Battlfield, Witcher, and the like), and I'm also okay with playing these games at 1080p or 1440p, as long as it looks decent.

 

[basroil]

Most likely you just aren't actually using the same settings and simply have one monitor with v-sync and the other without (or both with but the other monitor is 144Hz). Actually verify, with screenshot, that both computers are identical in spec and settings and do NOT have v-sync or other frame limits enabled

 

[hassange]

Not two different computers, it's the same computer, without touching the settings at all, just two different monitors. We basically unplugged the 1080p monitor and plugged in the 4k monitor.

I guess I'm not sure about the v-sync, although don't you set that in the game? Like I said, the settings were not modified when switching between the two monitors.

 

[basroil]

I guess I'm not sure about the v-sync, although don't you set that in the game? Like I said, the settings were not modified when switching between the two monitors.

Usually you set that in the game, but you can also override it in the nvidia control panel. If you had v-sync on and one monitor refreshes >60Hz and the other one at 60Hz, the 60Hz one will seem slower even though it's not actually at fault!

 

[hassange]

Well we didn't open the nvidia control panel between monitors either. Also, I just asked him, and he said he tried Dota, and it played at 60 fps on his computer.

 

[basroil]

Well we didn't open the nvidia control panel between monitors either. Also, I just asked him, and he said he tried Dota, and it played at 60 fps on his computer.

Stop doing anything. Follow these instructions:

1) Go to the nvidia control panel, go to "manage 3d settings", then on the program settings tab select your game and make sure DSR is off and vertical sync is set to "use the 3d application setting"
2) Go into the game settings, find v-sync, and make sure it's off
3) Go into the game settings, find the resolution, and make sure it's set to 1080p
4) Benchmark the game on monitor 1
5) Repeat steps 1-4 on the second monitor

 

[hassange]

Well my brother's actually playing dota right now lol. When he finishes I will conduct this experiment.

 

[gokitty199]

double check your resolution is the same as your previous 1080p monitor. and if your running at a solid 60fps then vsync or some form of it is more than likely on(as stated above).

 

[hassange]

Okay we tried it again. I'm not sure what was wrong before but it's actually impressive the performance we got on a 960. We tried rocket league, which played consistently over 80 fps at 1440p, but not quite as well at 4K. Surprisingly, overwatch played great (consistently over 70, average of 90) at 1440p. Anyway, thanks for your help. I think a 1060 will be perfect me.

 

[basroil]

Okay we tried it again. I'm not sure what was wrong before but it's actually impressive the performance we got on a 960. We tried rocket league, which played consistently over 80 fps at 1440p, but not quite as well at 4K. Surprisingly, overwatch played great (consistently over 70, average of 90) at 1440p. Anyway, thanks for your help. I think a 1060 will be perfect me.

It's v-sync...

 

[hassange]

Turns out the problem was actually we were relying too much on the overwatch fps when overwatch wasn't actually updating the resolution. I guess he had it in borderless windowed mode, and that wasn't changing the resolution. So when we were testing it at "1080p", it was actually rendering at 4k and we just thought it was terrible because it was rendering at like 40 fps or something. When we changed it to full screen mode, we were able to change the resolution. I think that was an overwatch bug.

 

[basroil]

Turns out the problem was actually we were relying too much on the overwatch fps when overwatch wasn't actually updating the resolution. I guess he had it in borderless windowed mode, and that wasn't changing the resolution. So when we were testing it at "1080p", it was actually rendering at 4k and we just thought it was terrible because it was rendering at like 40 fps or something. When we changed it to full screen mode, we were able to change the resolution. I think that was an overwatch bug.

If you were using windowed mode, that is a bug with you, not overwatch. windowed mode cannot change screen resolutionn

 

[hassange]

If you were using windowed mode, that is a bug with you

I didn't actually write any of this software myself...