Question i7-6800K with RTX 2080 Super not scoring well in 3DMark. Need help troubleshooting!

Oct 29, 2019
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Hi all,

I have a Strix X99 Gaming Motherboard, an Intel i7-6800K and a Gigabyte RTX2080 Super with 32gb DDR4 Ram. I just did a completely fresh installation of Windows 10 Pro on a Samsung EVO 1tb SSD.

My issue is that this configuration does not seem to be scoring very well in 3D Mark. Here are my results:

http://www.3dmark.com/spy/9055744

For comparison, here is a result from someone else with the same CPU and a standard RTX 2080 which as you can see, scores much higher than mine:

https://www.3dmark.com/spy/4980121

I'm a little perplexed as to why I'd be scoring lower with a superior graphics card. As mentioned, this is a completely new installation of Windows 10 literally just completed in the last hour or so. Fresh drivers from the nVidia website.

Appreciate any help.
Zach
 
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Oct 29, 2019
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Have you done any thermal testing or monitoring to determine if this is a temperature problem, on either the CPU OR the graphics card?

Run through this first, and then we can move on to less basic investigations.

If there are any steps listed here that you have not already done, it would be advisable to do so if for no other reason than to be able to say you've already done it and eliminate that possibility.



First,

make sure your motherboard has the MOST recent BIOS version installed. If it does not, then update. This solves a high number of issues even in cases where the release that is newer than yours makes no mention of improving graphics card or other hardware compatibility. They do not list every change they have made when they post a new BIOS release.


Second,

go to the product page for your motherboard on the manufacturer website. Download and install the latest driver versions for the chipset, storage controllers, audio and network adapters. Do not skip installing a newer driver just because you think it is not relevant to the problem you are having. The drivers for one device can often affect ALL other devices and a questionable driver release can cause instability in the OS itself. They don't release new drivers just for fun. If there is a new driver release for a component, there is a good reason for it. The same goes for BIOS updates.


IF you have other hardware installed or attached to the system that are not a part of the systems covered by the motherboard drivers, then go to the support page for THAT component and check to see if there are newer drivers available for that as well. If there are, install them.


Third,

Make sure your memory is running at the correct advertised speed in the BIOS. This may require that you set the memory to run at the XMP profile settings. Also, make sure you have the memory installed in the correct slots and that they are running in dual channel which you can check by installing CPU-Z and checking the Memory and SPD tabs. For all modern motherboards that are dual channel memory architectures, from the last ten years at least, if you have two sticks installed they should be in the A2 (Called DDR4_1 on some boards) or B2 (Called DDR4_2 on some boards) which are ALWAYS the SECOND and FOURTH slots over from the CPU socket, counting TOWARDS the edge of the motherboard EXCEPT on boards that only have two memory slots total. In that case, if you have two modules it's not rocket science, but if you have only one, then install it in the A1 or DDR4_1 slot.


Fourth,

Make sure the problem is not just a bad cable or the wrong cable IF this is a display issue. If it is NOT related to a lack of display signal, then skip to the next step.

This happens a lot. Try a different cable or a different TYPE of cable. Sometimes there can be issues with the monitor or card not supporting a specific specification such as HDMI 1.4 vs HDMI 2.0, or even an HDMI output stops working but the Displayport or DVI output still works fine on the graphics card. Always worth checking the cable and trying other cables because cables get run over, bent, bent pins or simply were cheap quality to begin with and something as simple as trying a different cable or different monitor might be all that is required to solve your issue.


The last thing we want to look at,

for now anyhow, is the graphics card drivers. Regardless of whether you "already installed the newest drivers" for your graphics card or not, it is OFTEN a good idea to do a CLEAN install of the graphics card drivers. Just installing over the old drivers OR trying to use what Nvidia and AMD consider a clean install is not good enough and does not usually give the same result as using the Display Driver Uninstaller utility. This has a very high success rate and is always worth a shot.


If you have had both Nvidia and AMD cards installed at any point on that operating system then you will want to run the DDU twice. Once for the old card drivers (ie, Nvidia or AMD) and again for the currently installed graphics card drivers (ie, AMD or Nvidia). So if you had an Nvidia card at some point in the past, run it first for Nvidia and then after that is complete, run it again for AMD if you currently have an AMD card installed.

 
And those things are definitely a factor as well, although it's usually a good idea to eliminate all the common roadblocks, then retest, before simply surrendering. :)


Are your sticks SUPPOSED to be 2400mhz sticks, or are they just running at the default configuration and you have not enabled their profile values?
 
Oct 29, 2019
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Hey all.

Thanks for the replied thus far. Just want to address a few points:

  • Motherboard firmware is up to date. Just did that today.
  • I have done some temperature testing and my CPU and GPU are not overheating under load.
  • I have overclocked my CPU from 3.4ghz up to 4ghz. I stressed tested with CPU-Z to make sure the temperatures were good. Then retested in 3DMark and only gained around 15 to 20 points on the same test.
  • Checked all my cables to ensure they are all good.
  • Confirmed my RAM is running in proper dual channel mode.
I am going to push my CPU to 4.2ghz tomorrow.

I havent overclocked the card yet but I'll look at doing so tomorrow as well. I also haven't done anything to my RAM settings yet either.

I'm going to do that in the morning and see where I get.

Thanks all for the help thus far.
Zach
 
Oct 29, 2019
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Just wanted to add that my RAM is 2400mhz by default. I have two x 16gb Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 2400 MHz DDR4 on dual channel. Not sure about the overclock potential there but I have heard this is good RAM to overclock.....
 
Ok. So, I wouldn't bother trying to overclock those. They are not high end sticks anyhow. I mean, they are decent budget sticks for models with heatsinks, but it's probably not worth the effort required to test for stability afterwards because you're certainly not going to be able to take them past 2666mhz AND not raise the timings. It's a lengthy process anyhow that honestly doesn't result in a lot of gain for your troubles. Just run them at their XMP profile.
 
Do you have two dedicated power supply cables going to the 2080 super? Don't use one cable where the other end has a second daisy chained end. Its ok to use those cables just make sure you are using two of them and that two separate physical cables run from the power supply to the graphics card. Additionally make sure your computers power plan is set to high performance in control panel.
 
Oct 29, 2019
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Ok. So, I wouldn't bother trying to overclock those. They are not high end sticks anyhow. I mean, they are decent budget sticks for models with heatsinks, but it's probably not worth the effort required to test for stability afterwards because you're certainly not going to be able to take them past 2666mhz AND not raise the timings. It's a lengthy process anyhow that honestly doesn't result in a lot of gain for your troubles. Just run them at their XMP profile.

Yeah I was thinking that. I'm looking at upgrading the RAM to something with 3200 clock. I found the same RAM with that clock for $75 per 16gb stick, just not sure if that would give much of a performance boost. Thoughts?

Do you have two dedicated power supply cables going to the 2080 super? Don't use one cable where the other end has a second daisy chained end. Its ok to use those cables just make sure you are using two of them and that two separate physical cables run from the power supply to the graphics card. Additionally make sure your computers power plan is set to high performance in control panel.

I do have two seperate cables going into it, yes. I double checked that yesterday :)
 
First, don't every buy memory "per stick". Buy ALL of the memory you need in ONE kit, so that they are matched and tested to be compatible with EACH OTHER, at the factory. Not doing so can result in a whole lot of crying and stomping of feet when you find that two sticks with the same part number still don't want to play nice together because they came from different production runs and use different memory chips or other configuration changes have occurred between runs that cause them to not be fully compatible with each other.

Second, that would mean 150 bucks for a kit, which is somewhat expensive right now. These are better quality sticks, and cheaper. I'd sell what you already have OR save it for use with another system or for troubleshooting purposes on this or other systems later.

PCPartPicker Part List

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $124.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-30 14:32 EDT-0400




We need to know the ACTUAL EXACT model of your motherboard though, so we can verify whether or not that board supports 16GB sticks or not. Some early DDR4 boards might not, so it's best to be sure.
 
Oct 29, 2019
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Thanks for that advice. Man, I really thought I knew a thing or two about building as I have been doing it for years, but honestly am learning a lot here! I really appreciate the insights. That 32gb kit looks awesome - gonna order it right now.

I just bumped my CPU clock up to 4200mhz and am overclocking my GPU a bit now and then gonna re-run 3D Mark and see if I have gotten anywhere!

Do you think my motherboard or CPU could use an upgrade? I bought both of those back in 2017 and am not sure if they're holding me back at this point. Folks around the web seem to swear by these X99 boards.
 
To optimally run your motherboard, my recommendation is to go with a 4 x 4gb kit to populate all 4 dimms to make sure the board runs in quad channel.

PCPartPicker Part List
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (4 x 4 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($145.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $145.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-30 14:40 EDT-0400


The performance will be added to the increase you'll get going with the faster kit.
 
So, as I asked in the last post I made, please list your EXACT motherboard model, because in the original post you just say Strix X99 board, and there are numerous Strix X99 boards. I would also NOT order that memory until, as I also said in my last post, we determine if your board even supports single 16GB sticks or not, some don't.

It would probably be most helpful if you could put ALL of your hardware specs in one place, as it makes figuring things out a lot easier.

List them as seen here:

CPU
Motherboard
Memory
Graphics card
CPU cooler
Power supply (Exact model)
Storage device 1
Storage device 2
Etc.
Etc.
 
To optimally run your motherboard, my recommendation is to go with a 4 x 4gb kit to populate all 4 dimms to make sure the board runs in quad channel.

PCPartPicker Part List
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (4 x 4 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($145.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $145.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-30 14:40 EDT-0400


The performance will be added to the increase you'll get going with the faster kit.

I disagree, even though this is a quad channel board. For one thing, he would AGAIN be required to discard his entire memory kit if he decided later that he needs more than 32GB. For another, even with a quad channel board it's STILL a moderate increase in stress on the CPU/IMC when running four or more DIMMs. Sure, it was designed for it. Dual channel boards were designed to run four DIMMs too, but we tend to try and avoid that if it's not necessary to achieve the total capacity we are looking for.

Certainly, if he wants more than 32GB, it is advisable and necessary. Also, I laugh at your puny 16GB kit, since he already has a 32GB kit and I assume he doesn't want to go backwards.

Ok, I'm just teasing you with that last sentence, but the capacity considerations are true.
 
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I disagree, because, even with a quad channel board it's STILL a moderate increase in stress on the CPU/IMC when running four or more DIMMs. Sure, it was designed for it. Dual channel boards were designed to run four DIMMs too, but we tend to try and avoid that if it's not necessary to achieve the total capacity we are looking for.

Certainly, if he wants more than 32GB, it is advisable and necessary. Also, I laugh at your puny 16GB kit, since he already has a 32GB kit and I assume he doesn't want to go backwards.

Ok, I'm just teasing you with that last sentence, but the capacity considerations are true.
Good point. Perhaps we can find a 4 x 8gb kit that falls in line with his motherboard specifications. It would bother me if I were running my quad channel motherboard in dual channel. The performance increase though it is negligible can still be added to the increase his new kit will yield. This is the best I could find for his motherboard which is the max bandwidth/frequency supported:

Note: Because this kit doesn't have 16gb dims, it might be a viable option should we discover 16gb modules aren't supported.
PCPartPicker Part List
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3333 Memory ($200.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $200.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-30 14:56 EDT-0400


We've confirmed his motherboard to be the Strix X99 Gaming correct?
 
Oct 29, 2019
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Here are my full specs:

Case: Corsair Crystal Series 570X
CPU:
Intel Core i7 6800K 3.4ghz (currently overclocked to 4200mhz).
Motherboard: Asus AS-STRIX-X99-GAMING
Memory: Ballistix Sport LT White 32GB Kit (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2400 UDIMM
Graphics card: GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 2080 Super GAMING OC 8G Graphics Card
CPU cooler: Corsair H70 Water Cooling
Power supply:
Thermaltake Toughpower 750w (TPG-0750FPCGUS-R)
Storage device 1 (boot drive):
Samsung EVO 860 1tb SSD (two partitions for windows and storage)
Storage device 2:
SanDisk Ultra 3D NAND 2TB (SDSSDH3-2T00-G25)
Storage device 3: HyperX Savage 480GB SSD
Storage device 4: 4tb Western Digital SATA

I also have around 8 case fans most of which are Corsair brands.

The only other thing to mention is that I have a Intel WiGig (sp) card in one of my PCI-Express slots for my HTC Vive Pro wireless.
 
So, as Sgtscream noted, this way you would get full quad channel operation instead of just dual channel, and with 8 DIMM slots you still

Have room for expansion should you choose to add another 32GB kit later, which is probably unnecessary unless you are running high end applications or VMs (Virtual machines)

And probably don't need to worry too much about the additional stress on the memory controller, since this platform was designed FOR handling 8 DIMMs anyhow.

It's also a lot cheaper than that 3333mhz kit. For this platform, I doubt you're going to see much benefit past 3200mhz unless you are running some very specific applications that highly benefit from memory speed. For gaming, you won't.


PCPartPicker Part List

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $134.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-30 15:02 EDT-0400
 
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I would wait, to do ANY of this, until after you change the memory because changing the memory configuration is going to change stability, performance, temperatures, all of it, and you are just going to have to start all over. Even the graphics card will be affected, because everything is affected by changes in the memory configuration.