GTX 780 SLI performance low

[ThaTsunamiKid]

So just recently I bought two GTX 780s for my PC. However, the performance increase from my old GTX 670 seems to be almost nothing. I've been calling NVIDIA support and I just can't figure this out. The game that I've been testing it on is BF4. I know the game isn't completely optimized, but even with a single card 780, the performance increase is minimal, so I'm lead to believe it's some other hardware that is causing the problem. Here are my specs:

GPU: 2 x EVGA GTX 780 FTW EDITION
CPU: i5 3570K at 4.2 GHZ
MOTHERBOARD: GA-Z77X-UD3H
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport Very Low Profile 8GB Single DDR3-1600
PSU: Seasonic 850W 80 Plus Gold ATX12V
CASE: Corsair Carbide Series Black 300R Mid-Tower Computer Case
OS: Windows 8.1 64-bit

Any response would be greatly appreciated. I really just want to figure out what is going on as I know this isn't normal for a 780 to not be more powerful than a 670.

 

[ThaTsunamiKid]

What are your FPS at? What is your GPU usage? What is your resolution?

FPS for BF4 will get to a max of 140, a minimum of 55 and an average of 80-100 on Siege of Shanghi with 64 people. The gpu usage is around 40-50 percent%. The resolution is 1920x1080.

Those are pretty good FPS, and SLI and the usage is showing that the CPU is bottlenecking you, but you do have to realize that those are good FPS.

 

[ThaTsunamiKid]

What are your FPS at? What is your GPU usage? What is your resolution?

FPS for BF4 will get to a max of 140, a minimum of 55 and an average of 80-100 on Siege of Shanghi with 64 people. The gpu usage is around 40-50 percent%. The resolution is 1920x1080.

Those are pretty good FPS, and SLI and the usage is showing that the CPU is bottlenecking you, but you do have to realize that those are good FPS.

 

[ThaTsunamiKid]

OK so I just wanted to update and say that I finally got a new processor, which really didn't help that much. Really not sure what else it could be. I heard on another forum that having only one 1080p monitor for an SLI setup can limit its performance. I'm not sure how true this is though. Otherwise I think it might be the power supply or the motherboard that is causing the problem. Please respond back if you have any clue as to what's going on.

 

[bystander]

OK so I just wanted to update and say that I finally got a new processor, which really didn't help that much. Really not sure what else it could be. I heard on another forum that having only one 1080p monitor for an SLI setup can limit its performance. I'm not sure how true this is though. Otherwise I think it might be the power supply or the motherboard that is causing the problem. Please respond back if you have any clue as to what's going on.

Look at it this way. Your CPU will give you a hard cap on your FPS. Once you reach a certain FPS limit, there isn't much you can gain. With a 1080p monitor, it is easy to hit that limit. When using a 4k monitor, it is much harder to hit that limit, in which case, the extra horsepower of 780 SLI goes to use.

For 1080p, two 780's is overkill in most games. In Multiplayer, the CPU will bottleneck you far easier. Play in single player, and you likely see much better results, but even then, you have more GPU power than needed for that resolution.

You mentioned it isn't that much better. I assume that means it is better. So what are your new FPS like?

 

[ThaTsunamiKid]

OK so I just wanted to update and say that I finally got a new processor, which really didn't help that much. Really not sure what else it could be. I heard on another forum that having only one 1080p monitor for an SLI setup can limit its performance. I'm not sure how true this is though. Otherwise I think it might be the power supply or the motherboard that is causing the problem. Please respond back if you have any clue as to what's going on.

Look at it this way. Your CPU will give you a hard cap on your FPS. Once you reach a certain FPS limit, there isn't much you can gain. With a 1080p monitor, it is easy to hit that limit. When using a 4k monitor, it is much harder to hit that limit, in which case, the extra horsepower of 780 SLI goes to use.

For 1080p, two 780's is overkill in most games. In Multiplayer, the CPU will bottleneck you far easier. Play in single player, and you likely see much better results, but even then, you have more GPU power than needed for that resolution.

You mentioned it isn't that much better. I assume that means it is better. So what are your new FPS like?

So what do you suppose I do then. Are you saying that only having one monitor is restricting my performance? Or is it something else?

 

[bystander]

OK so I just wanted to update and say that I finally got a new processor, which really didn't help that much. Really not sure what else it could be. I heard on another forum that having only one 1080p monitor for an SLI setup can limit its performance. I'm not sure how true this is though. Otherwise I think it might be the power supply or the motherboard that is causing the problem. Please respond back if you have any clue as to what's going on.

Look at it this way. Your CPU will give you a hard cap on your FPS. Once you reach a certain FPS limit, there isn't much you can gain. With a 1080p monitor, it is easy to hit that limit. When using a 4k monitor, it is much harder to hit that limit, in which case, the extra horsepower of 780 SLI goes to use.

For 1080p, two 780's is overkill in most games. In Multiplayer, the CPU will bottleneck you far easier. Play in single player, and you likely see much better results, but even then, you have more GPU power than needed for that resolution.

You mentioned it isn't that much better. I assume that means it is better. So what are your new FPS like?

So what do you suppose I do then. Are you saying that only having one monitor is restricting my performance? Or is it something else?

What I'm saying is that you have more GPU power than you can utilize at that resolution in Multiplayer BF4.

You can OC your CPU and get more performance.

You can go 2d Surround, and not lose much if any performance, but you are at the limit of what you can get in multiplayer without Mantle (new AMD card required). 1080p isn't limiting your performance. 1080p just doesn't need all the GPU power you have. Changing resolutions will not give you more FPS, it just might not hurt FPS. It will show more of a difference between 1 and 2 780's, however.

BF4, in multiplayer, just has a limit on the FPS you can get. It is as simple as that. OCing the CPU, or using Mantle is the only thing that will give more FPS. Of course Mantle only works with this 1 game with AMD cards, so it is probably not worth changing for it, unless that is your only game.

 

[ThaTsunamiKid]

OK so I just wanted to update and say that I finally got a new processor, which really didn't help that much. Really not sure what else it could be. I heard on another forum that having only one 1080p monitor for an SLI setup can limit its performance. I'm not sure how true this is though. Otherwise I think it might be the power supply or the motherboard that is causing the problem. Please respond back if you have any clue as to what's going on.

Look at it this way. Your CPU will give you a hard cap on your FPS. Once you reach a certain FPS limit, there isn't much you can gain. With a 1080p monitor, it is easy to hit that limit. When using a 4k monitor, it is much harder to hit that limit, in which case, the extra horsepower of 780 SLI goes to use.

For 1080p, two 780's is overkill in most games. In Multiplayer, the CPU will bottleneck you far easier. Play in single player, and you likely see much better results, but even then, you have more GPU power than needed for that resolution.

You mentioned it isn't that much better. I assume that means it is better. So what are your new FPS like?

So what do you suppose I do then. Are you saying that only having one monitor is restricting my performance? Or is it something else?

What I'm saying is that you have more GPU power than you can utilize at that resolution in Multiplayer BF4.

You can OC your CPU and get more performance.

You can go 2d Surround, and not lose much if any performance, but you are at the limit of what you can get in multiplayer without Mantle (new AMD card required). 1080p isn't limiting your performance. 1080p just doesn't need all the GPU power you have. Changing resolutions will not give you more FPS, it just might not hurt FPS. It will show more of a difference between 1 and 2 780's, however.

BF4, in multiplayer, just has a limit on the FPS you can get. It is as simple as that. OCing the CPU, or using Mantle is the only thing that will give more FPS. Of course Mantle only works with this 1 game with AMD cards, so it is probably not worth changing for it, unless that is your only game.

So would having a second monitor fix that. It's just that I payed for an extra graphics card and I don't feel like I'm getting my moneys worth. Just wanna find a solution that I know will work. I've seen people with almost the same setup as me who get 120 fps on ultra for BF4 and I sometimes get worse FPS with SLI than Single-GPU.

 

[bystander]

So would having a second monitor fix that. It's just that I payed for an extra graphics card and I don't feel like I'm getting my moneys worth. Just wanna find a solution that I know will work. I've seen people with almost the same setup as me who get 120 fps on ultra for BF4 and I sometimes get worse FPS with SLI than Single-GPU.

Well, at 1080p, you are not getting your moneys worth.

Adding a 2nd monitor does not fix the FPS. The FPS are the best you will get on MULTI-player without Mantle. OCing the CPU can help some.

120 FPS is on single player, or possibly empty servers. Not on a full server.

A 2nd monitor will not FIX your FPS. It will not improve your FPS. It may use the 2nd 780 more, but the FPS will not go up. You'd need to get 2 more monitors for a 3 way surround, at which point it will use the 2nd 780 more.

You bought more GPU's than you needed for a single 1080p resolution at 60hz. At 120hz, it can be used more, but only when the game isn't CPU bound.

You have 3 courses of action:
1) Do nothing, and as games get more demanding on the GPU side, you'll have the power to use it.
2) Sell the 2nd 780, and buy it back when games get more demanding.
3) Increase your resolution to put that 2nd 780 to use. Your FPS will not increase, but it will help utilize the untapped power of the 2nd 780.

 

[ThaTsunamiKid]

So would having a second monitor fix that. It's just that I payed for an extra graphics card and I don't feel like I'm getting my moneys worth. Just wanna find a solution that I know will work. I've seen people with almost the same setup as me who get 120 fps on ultra for BF4 and I sometimes get worse FPS with SLI than Single-GPU.

Well, at 1080p, you are not getting your moneys worth.

Adding a 2nd monitor does not fix the FPS. The FPS are the best you will get on MULTI-player without Mantle. OCing the CPU can help some.

120 FPS is on single player, or possibly empty servers. Not on a full server.

A 2nd monitor will not FIX your FPS. It will not improve your FPS. It may use the 2nd 780 more, but the FPS will not go up. You'd need to get 2 more monitors for a 3 way surround, at which point it will use the 2nd 780 more.

You bought more GPU's than you needed for a single 1080p resolution at 60hz. At 120hz, it can be used more, but only when the game isn't CPU bound.

You have 3 courses of action:
1) Do nothing, and as games get more demanding on the GPU side, you'll have the power to use it.
2) Sell the 2nd 780, and buy it back when games get more demanding.
3) Increase your resolution to put that 2nd 780 to use. Your FPS will not increase, but it will help utilize the untapped power of the 2nd 780.

I guess that the problem I'm having is that I've seen these cards achieve some amazing performance. I've seen BF4 run on the same monitor I use at 120fps on pretty much all ultra settings. While I know the performance drops on 64 man servers. My monitor was made for gaming at 120fps and don't see why it would hold me back. Even on LOW settings, I've seen my game dip below 60FPS!!!

 

[bystander]

I guess that the problem I'm having is that I've seen these cards achieve some amazing performance. I've seen BF4 run on the same monitor I use at 120fps on pretty much all ultra settings. While I know the performance drops on 64 man servers. My monitor was made for gaming at 120fps and don't see why it would hold me back. Even on LOW settings, I've seen my game dip below 60FPS!!!

What do you want to hear? I'm trying real hard to spell it out for you.

Not all games will allow you to reach 120 FPS. A 120hz monitor, a 144hz monitor, a 30hz monitor, a 60hz monitor will all achieve the same exact FPS, unless V-sync is on, then they all have varying caps. A 120hz monitor does not give you more FPS.

BF4 can reach 120 FPS quite easily, but only in single player and it may still require a few lower settings. BF4 in multiplayer, on the other hand, simply is not capable of 120 FPS. At least without Mantle support.

Not all games will restrict you, but most recent games will not allow for 120 FPS in multiplayer scenarios. It is not the monitor, it is not the cards, it is the game's demand on the CPU.

Even then, 60 FPS on a 120hz monitor looks better than on a 60hz monitor if you aren't using V-sync, which you probably don't if you are looking to be more competitive.

 

[ThaTsunamiKid]

I guess that the problem I'm having is that I've seen these cards achieve some amazing performance. I've seen BF4 run on the same monitor I use at 120fps on pretty much all ultra settings. While I know the performance drops on 64 man servers. My monitor was made for gaming at 120fps and don't see why it would hold me back. Even on LOW settings, I've seen my game dip below 60FPS!!!

What do you want to hear? I'm trying real hard to spell it out for you.

Not all games will allow you to reach 120 FPS. A 120hz monitor, a 144hz monitor, a 30hz monitor, a 60hz monitor will all achieve the same exact FPS, unless V-sync is on, then they all have varying caps. A 120hz monitor does not give you more FPS.

BF4 can reach 120 FPS quite easily, but only in single player and it may still require a few lower settings. BF4 in multiplayer, on the other hand, simply is not capable of 120 FPS. At least without Mantle support.

Not all games will restrict you, but most recent games will not allow for 120 FPS in multiplayer scenarios. It is not the monitor, it is not the cards, it is the game's demand on the CPU.

Even then, 60 FPS on a 120hz monitor looks better than on a 60hz monitor if you aren't using V-sync, which you probably don't if you are looking to be more competitive.

http:// LINK TO VIDEO
This is the performance that I'm aiming at. I don't think getting over 120fps is impossible when It's already been proven to work.

 

[bystander]

Multiplayer is not the same as singleplayer. In doors is not the same as outdoors. Not every map is the same. Larger maps have much larger performance problems than small ones. High explosive areas are worse than non-explosive.

There is also cases which are lies, such as using MVP Virtu, which artificially inflates FPS. You don't actually have the FPS shown, it often times half what is shown if you use MVP virtu.

What happens when you use medium settings with your new CPU and have you verified that SLI is working?

 

[bystander]

Anyways, so it is not lost. You would have to OC your new CPU to continue to get higher performance. Those who want extreme FPS, need to OC heavily.

 

[tmh351]

Man this guy(kid) bought 2 gtx 780 and now he has to hear about resolution thTS BS. He ought to be able to see a huge difference on anything. Im trying to build my system with least cpu and mobo to be ready for broadwell in 4 months. in doing so im able to reach a 780 over 770. I thought that might be better for me in future if I sli. this thread contradict everything.

 

[bystander]

Man this guy(kid) bought 2 gtx 780 and now he has to hear about resolution thTS BS. He ought to be able to see a huge difference on anything. Im trying to build my system with least cpu and mobo to be ready for broadwell in 4 months. in doing so im able to reach a 780 over 770. I thought that might be better for me in future if I sli. this thread contradict everything.

It may be better in the future. It is fine now, as he is getting 80-100 FPS in BF4 MP, which is quite good. He just wanted more, but there is a limit to how many FPS you can get in many games, which is directly related to your CPU.

If he, or you, just realize that, there is nothing wrong with the 2nd 780, other than it being unneeded now, at that resolution, it will be useful in the future. Though it may be wiser to just buy a single 780 for that resolution.

 

[batesman87]

I have an I7 4790k at 4.4ghz and 2 evga sc acx 780 sli ....0 if not worse improvement on rome 2...dipping into the low low 20s on fps on setting very high...not ultra...not extreme....shogun 2 even worse 9 or 10 frames a second...this would be 1 full army per team in custom battle....arma 3 however went from very high to ultra and saw about 20 fps increase putting it almost at 60fps.....really 1,000 dollars in graphics gets me arma 3 maxed and nothing else even close...what a crock of crap...so close to going back to console...I have dumped thousands just to play my beloved rome 2....so now I wanna know why at 1grand later my games look and perform close to their 500 dollar console counterpart...pc is sadly one of the biggest mistakes I may have made...I was careful I looked up reviews I read benchmarks and honestly I feel like the PC world is a giant LIE or people pretending this does that or that can do this....astonishing how every benchmark and real time test has anything gtx 760 and up in SLI spanking house...well its not...nothing is spanking anything except this hobby to my wallet....my favorite internet saying is gtx 780 in sli is overkill for 1080p...no..no it isnt..its barely pushing certian games. I have a 23 inch 1080p monitor...Funny how on console I can pay 500 one time and my games graphics get better and better every year and now im dropping money left and right as people say man what a beast machine...yea a beast...a choking dying beast...set ups I have tried...1 760...2 760s...1 770...1 780 and now 2 780s....my 760s did better then my 780s in sli....why?? Jusy why? .. yes u have updated drivers, yes I have plenty of system ram yes I have over 1,000 watts in power...I have 0 weak spots at the moment...yes my sli profile is active pretend I know what im doing...now help...please dont tell me something goofy and simple like...did u update your drivers?.. im alittle further down the road in experience then that.

 

[batesman87]

Ha I have 2 gtx 780s in sli...on a 1080p monito..and I get identical fps rather its 1 or 2 gpus. 1 produces better results...lets see arma 3 average 30 to 45 fps with everything on and draw distance at 3800 and viewing distance at 2000. ...LET ME REPHRASE....1,000 USD and 30 to 45 frames??? Yea right...next shogun 2 everything on high not even ultra and im at 30fps at beginning of battle without troops even moving...it hits 10fps in battle...1 full army vs 1 full army....same thing with rome 2 in a way....1 full army vs 1 full army I start at 70 to 90fps and in mid battle at 23fps..and if i increase unit detail to very high ultra or extreme it gets even worse for all games...I have my profiles set up with sli activated and all settings set optimal for performance... its NOT your processor sorry if you bought a new one...I have an I7 4790k. Thats the new big boy on the block...I didnt see a better one out...my power supply is 1,000 watts...plenty of ram plenty of space..hardware is not faulty...ALL drivers for EVERYTHING up to date...so now whats the answer? ....your gonna tell me that I need a new monitor? Sure il do that...AFTER I can make solid 60fps on the monitor I got..I have the email to prove this...I contactef evga about the 780 issue...they said "turn unit detail down to medium" NO!!!!!!! I DIDNT DROP 1,000 DOLLARS FOR YOU TO TELL ME THAT!!! So according to EVGA and NVIDIA...their answer is "sorry our cards suck so bad that 1,000 dollars worth of our product will get you medium settings...any REAL answers out there?

 

[y4h3ll]

I run fx 8350 8 core 20 gb 1600 vengeance 2 gxt 770 oc editions 1700 cuda each at 1300 mhz each sli gigabyte.Ud5 Mb 2 250gb evo ssd together all on ultra with 175 res average 68 fps you need more power I have 1300 and still need about 200 more watts both my 770s take about 650 watts each. I would recommend newegg a roswill 1300 psu or one of roswills juggernaut 1600 watt

 

[Bullet1993]

here my score with 2 GTx 780's in heaven benchmark (2480) i want to know yours as i feel i have the same problem as you

 

[bystander]

here my score with 2 GTx 780's in heaven benchmark (2480) i want to know yours as i feel i have the same problem as you

You should probably start your own thread, since it is bad form to resurrect old threads, and it is also against the rules to hijack a thread.

And when you do start a thread, ask those with similar setups that are NOT having an issue. We never did find out whether or not the OP even had a problem, but you'd know for sure if someone with the same setup had a much higher score than you. I might also suggest you use 3dmark firestrike to test your system. The score given there will automatically compare your system to others like yours, and tell you if there is a problem.