A question for SLI users

khele23eb17_ESO · October 2014

I am currently building a new rig for 1440p gaming and Im considering going with either 2 x GTX970 cards in SLI or a single GTX980 card. How's ESO's performance on SLI machines? I remeber reading some bad opinions about it right after launch. How is it nowadays?

jrgray93 · October 2014

Likely better due to driver support. Either of those cards would be more than enough at 1440p for ESO, so even if the SLI support isn't good, you probably wouldn't suffer FPS loss by disabling SLI in ESO for a single 970. ESO is notoriously CPU-bound.

aclarkob14_ESO · October 2014

I notice an increase in performance going from single 660 to dual 660 (SLI). Basically, every time I update the drivers, I forget to re-enable it and then wonder why it's not running quite as well.

Other than ESO, I would wholly recommend going SLI with lesser cards for value reasons. When I bought the 2x660s, they were about $100 cheaper than a single 680, and I feel like they perform better than my experiences with a single, high-end card in the past.

jrgray93 · October 2014

Generally, I'd recommend a single, strong card over SLI any day. The thing is, you can't go wrong with the 900 series. The 970 can even be overclocked to match the stock 980 with ease, allowing much more bang for your buck, especially in SLI.

I'm currently using a Gigabyte G1 GTX 970. It's the best video card I've ever owned. Glad I got it instead of a 980.

khele23eb17_ESO · October 2014

jrgray93 wrote: »

Generally, I'd recommend a single, strong card over SLI any day. The thing is, you can't go wrong with the 900 series. The 970 can even be overclocked to match the stock 980 with ease, allowing much more bang for your buck, especially in SLI.

I'm currently using a Gigabyte G1 GTX 970. It's the best video card I've ever owned. Glad I got it instead of a 980.

Actually that is exactly the card I was thinking of myself for the SLI setup. I've had great experiences with Gigabyte cards... in contrast to EVGA cards which have died on me several times. One RMA even came to me dead on arrival. Lots of hassle, emails, sending cards back and forth... and in the end I had to buy a new one. What a nuisance. Yes, Im somewhat bitter about that -_-

aclarkob14_ESO wrote: »

I notice an increase in performance going from single 660 to dual 660 (SLI). Basically, every time I update the drivers, I forget to re-enable it and then wonder why it's not running quite as well.

And what FPS are you getting with SLI on/off? Thats what Im most curious about. Id like to get some information from people who actually run ESO with cards in SLI so I can make an informed decision. Some hard data not just theorycrafting

amanfr01 · October 2014

I'm currently running OC'ed GTX 970s in SLI, and they do really well! However, I think ESO is just at fault for poor optimization. Towns like Windhelm in Eastmarch still dip below 60, sometimes 50 fps with 1080p even with these video cards. It's no different when I take off SLI.

For recent single player games, they're beautiful. This game, however, still seems to have some graphical kinks.

Enemy-of-Coldharbour · October 2014

I recently upgraded my system from SLI to a single more powerful card. I much prefer the single card setup.

Lizelle · October 2014

I've had the EVGA GTX 980 Superclocked on order for a month now... they're still out of stock

I'll eventually get two of them to run SLI

khele23eb17_ESO · October 2014

Lizelle wrote: »

I've had the EVGA GTX 980 Superclocked on order for a month now... they're still out of stock

I'll eventually get two of them to run SLI

I had some bad experiences with EVGA cards

Maybe just bad luck but... probably not going to buy another one... ever.

Lizelle · October 2014

I've been running an EVGA GTX 580 for about the last 4 years or so, it's served me well but it's time for an upgrade!

@khele23eb17_ESO‌ What issues did you have with your EVGA card?

Hektlk · October 2014

When I turn SLI on/off I really do not notice a huge hit in FPS.

4770, SLI 780's

ozmorgudduth · October 2014

SLI performs better only in terms of loading stuff while moving around the area, it's kind of smooth in terms of loading buildings trees and all, when stuff shows up on the horizon on ultra. Fps wise haven't noticed a difference on 2x670. It does not improve Cyrodiil low fps at all, as someone mentioned it's cpu bound, and in my opinion sli is not supported as in, it has not been optimized to benefit from having sli.

Tapio75 · October 2014

Does ESO even need Xfire or SLI? I have 1x R9 270 and in full settings plus extended graphics the game runs perfectly, cpu is 4.8ghz AMD FX 6 "Core"

CapuchinSeven · October 2014

I run two AMD 290x's in Crossfire and frankly, I'm not seeing much difference, maybe a small amount, I seem to remember noticing a tiny FPS change in PVP when I disabled it.

This game doesn't even come close to pushing my rig, but it still splutters along at 20FPS in heavy PVP.

(That said, I still at 99FPS in PVE and of course 60FPS with Vsync on)

Sav72 · October 2014

3sli 580gtx Hyro Copper, game runs great never had issues

khele23eb17_ESO · October 2014

Tapio75 wrote: »

Does ESO even need Xfire or SLI? I have 1x R9 270 and in full settings plus extended graphics the game runs perfectly, cpu is 4.8ghz AMD FX 6 "Core"

That really depends what you want. Im aiming for 60+ fps on my 1440p screen.

CapuchinSeven · October 2014

Tapio75 wrote: »

Does ESO even need Xfire or SLI? I have 1x R9 270 and in full settings plus extended graphics the game runs perfectly, cpu is 4.8ghz AMD FX 6 "Core"

I was originally running ESO in Eyefinity, in PVP it was needed yes. Frankly in heavy PVP even on a single screen set up the FPS can drag.

DODHitman · October 2014

I was told that this game doesn't even utilize SLI.....that might be why you dont see a difference by switching it on/off. My neighbor has 2 760s and (while sli is on) one will run at 80% and the other at 0%. My other buddy uses 2x 260s and he said the same thing. You might want to check into this more before basing your purchase on "this" particular game.

khele23eb17_ESO · October 2014

Sav72 wrote: »

3sli 580gtx Hyro Copper, game runs great never had issues

Mind sharing what FPS youre getting with SLI on/off?

Gedalya · October 2014

I can understand the power you are looking for for other games, but ESO hardly needs that much power. If I run ESO on my 780 on High it looks great; and honestly it still does on Medium.

rophez_ESO · October 2014

Disclaimer: I'm a PC nut, and spend my spare cash on my PC.

I had 2x GTX 670s in SLI. At 1440p, after several driver revisions and lots of hassling with optimum settings, I did get the game to run fine, but I noticed a lot of screen artifacts and sometimes tearing - it was never a real problem. I did have to turn some settings to medium in Cyrodiil.

I recently upgraded to 1 GTX 980 (Zotac Amp Omega) - I did this because I was tired of the hassle of having to figure out the perfect settings for every game to work nicely with SLI. The 980 worked perfectly out of the box with all settings at Ultra and all sliders maxed. I get framerates of 60 - 100 (at 1440p) in Cyrodiil. More than that, things are more detailed and I don't get weird tearing, etc.

Note: A lot of people that say higher end graphics aren't needed for ESO are probably running 1080p. Or less.

Nestor · October 2014

rophez_ESO wrote: »

I did this because I was tired of the hassle of having to figure out the perfect settings for every game to work nicely with SLI.

SLI is a waste of money and electricity for most games. It helps for Benchmarks but that is about it. Even if there is an improvement, it's not really noticeable in a game. A single card can give you frame rates that are fast and smooth, going over that is not going to make things appear better in the game.

On really large monitors, it may make a difference, but single powerful cards today can handle 1440 just fine.

You now have more money to spend on games. Or a faster CPU....

rophez_ESO · October 2014

Nestor wrote: »

rophez_ESO wrote: »

I did this because I was tired of the hassle of having to figure out the perfect settings for every game to work nicely with SLI.

SLI is a waste of money and electricity for most games. It helps for Benchmarks but that is about it. Even if there is an improvement, it's not really noticeable in a game. A single card can give you frame rates that are fast and smooth, going over that is not going to make things appear better in the game.

On really large monitors, it may make a difference, but single powerful cards today can handle 1440 just fine.

You now have more money to spend on games. Or a faster CPU....

Definitely true for higher end cards. For 600 series cards and below, SLI helps a LOT with 1440p. When I bought my 670s they were pretty cheap (2 of them for less than a top end 'TI' version) and their performance together was comparable.

I think SLI is nice for people that get a bit left behind on the tech curve and can pick up a second card for very cheap.

khele23eb17_ESO · October 2014

Still hoping to get more info from people who actually run cards in SLI.

amanfr01 · October 2014

rophez_ESO wrote: »

Disclaimer: I'm a PC nut, and spend my spare cash on my PC.

I had 2x GTX 670s in SLI. At 1440p, after several driver revisions and lots of hassling with optimum settings, I did get the game to run fine, but I noticed a lot of screen artifacts and sometimes tearing - it was never a real problem. I did have to turn some settings to medium in Cyrodiil.

I recently upgraded to 1 GTX 980 (Zotac Amp Omega) - I did this because I was tired of the hassle of having to figure out the perfect settings for every game to work nicely with SLI. The 980 worked perfectly out of the box with all settings at Ultra and all sliders maxed. I get framerates of 60 - 100 (at 1440p) in Cyrodiil. More than that, things are more detailed and I don't get weird tearing, etc.

I'm a PC nut, and spend my spare cash on my PC.

Note: A lot of people that say higher end graphics aren't needed for ESO are probably running 1080p. Or less.

I'm wondering how you manage to get those FPS. I'm running two 970's on a 1080p (and have tried disabling SLI) and still manage to dip in major cities. I have tried so many alternatives and solutions and nothing seems to change it.

khele23eb17_ESO · October 2014

amanfr01 wrote: »

rophez_ESO wrote: »

Disclaimer: I'm a PC nut, and spend my spare cash on my PC.

I had 2x GTX 670s in SLI. At 1440p, after several driver revisions and lots of hassling with optimum settings, I did get the game to run fine, but I noticed a lot of screen artifacts and sometimes tearing - it was never a real problem. I did have to turn some settings to medium in Cyrodiil.

I recently upgraded to 1 GTX 980 (Zotac Amp Omega) - I did this because I was tired of the hassle of having to figure out the perfect settings for every game to work nicely with SLI. The 980 worked perfectly out of the box with all settings at Ultra and all sliders maxed. I get framerates of 60 - 100 (at 1440p) in Cyrodiil. More than that, things are more detailed and I don't get weird tearing, etc.

I'm a PC nut, and spend my spare cash on my PC.

Note: A lot of people that say higher end graphics aren't needed for ESO are probably running 1080p. Or less.

I'm wondering how you manage to get those FPS. I'm running two 970's on a 1080p (and have tried disabling SLI) and still manage to dip in major cities. I have tried so many alternatives and solutions and nothing seems to change it.

What FPS are you getting with SLI on/off?

rophez_ESO · October 2014

amanfr01 wrote: »

rophez_ESO wrote: »

Disclaimer: I'm a PC nut, and spend my spare cash on my PC.

I had 2x GTX 670s in SLI. At 1440p, after several driver revisions and lots of hassling with optimum settings, I did get the game to run fine, but I noticed a lot of screen artifacts and sometimes tearing - it was never a real problem. I did have to turn some settings to medium in Cyrodiil.

I recently upgraded to 1 GTX 980 (Zotac Amp Omega) - I did this because I was tired of the hassle of having to figure out the perfect settings for every game to work nicely with SLI. The 980 worked perfectly out of the box with all settings at Ultra and all sliders maxed. I get framerates of 60 - 100 (at 1440p) in Cyrodiil. More than that, things are more detailed and I don't get weird tearing, etc.

I'm a PC nut, and spend my spare cash on my PC.

Note: A lot of people that say higher end graphics aren't needed for ESO are probably running 1080p. Or less.

I'm wondering how you manage to get those FPS. I'm running two 970's on a 1080p (and have tried disabling SLI) and still manage to dip in major cities. I have tried so many alternatives and solutions and nothing seems to change it.

What's the rest of your system like? I run a 4690k processor, slightly overclocked, 16 MB ram, game and OS on separate SSDs.

I've recently done a clean Windows 7 install and reinstalled ESO.

I'm not really doing anything special -I honestly can't imagine that you'd be under 100 fps with 970s in SLI, unless there's some other major bottleneck.

amanfr01 · October 2014

rophez_ESO wrote: »

amanfr01 wrote: »

rophez_ESO wrote: »

Disclaimer: I'm a PC nut, and spend my spare cash on my PC.

I had 2x GTX 670s in SLI. At 1440p, after several driver revisions and lots of hassling with optimum settings, I did get the game to run fine, but I noticed a lot of screen artifacts and sometimes tearing - it was never a real problem. I did have to turn some settings to medium in Cyrodiil.

I recently upgraded to 1 GTX 980 (Zotac Amp Omega) - I did this because I was tired of the hassle of having to figure out the perfect settings for every game to work nicely with SLI. The 980 worked perfectly out of the box with all settings at Ultra and all sliders maxed. I get framerates of 60 - 100 (at 1440p) in Cyrodiil. More than that, things are more detailed and I don't get weird tearing, etc.

I'm a PC nut, and spend my spare cash on my PC.

Note: A lot of people that say higher end graphics aren't needed for ESO are probably running 1080p. Or less.

I'm wondering how you manage to get those FPS. I'm running two 970's on a 1080p (and have tried disabling SLI) and still manage to dip in major cities. I have tried so many alternatives and solutions and nothing seems to change it.

What's the rest of your system like? I run a 4690k processor, slightly overclocked, 16 MB ram, game and OS on separate SSDs.

I've recently done a clean Windows 7 install and reinstalled ESO.

I'm not really doing anything special -I honestly can't imagine that you'd be under 100 fps with 970s in SLI, unless there's some other major bottleneck.

I run a 10,000 RPM HD, 1080p monitor, Core i7-3770k OC'ed to 4.5ghz, 8gb DDR3 RAM, and the two 970 GTX's

Nestor · October 2014

amanfr01 wrote: »

I'm wondering how you manage to get those FPS. I'm running two 970's on a 1080p (and have tried disabling SLI) and still manage to dip in major cities. I have tried so many alternatives and solutions and nothing seems to change it.

The game is CPU Bound, it does not matter how many pixel shaders you throw at it, the CPU is what limits the performance in towns.

amanfr01 · October 2014

Nestor wrote: »

amanfr01 wrote: »

I'm wondering how you manage to get those FPS. I'm running two 970's on a 1080p (and have tried disabling SLI) and still manage to dip in major cities. I have tried so many alternatives and solutions and nothing seems to change it.

The game is CPU Bound, it does not matter how many pixel shaders you throw at it, the CPU is what limits the performance in towns.

But with an i7-3770k OC'd to 4.5, I don't see how my CPU would be the issue.

rophez_ESO · October 2014

amanfr01 wrote: »

Nestor wrote: »

amanfr01 wrote: »

I'm wondering how you manage to get those FPS. I'm running two 970's on a 1080p (and have tried disabling SLI) and still manage to dip in major cities. I have tried so many alternatives and solutions and nothing seems to change it.

The game is CPU Bound, it does not matter how many pixel shaders you throw at it, the CPU is what limits the performance in towns.

But with an i7-3770k OC'd to 4.5, I don't see how my CPU would be the issue.

Nor do I. Can you elaborate - how much do they dip? I literally NEVER went below 50 FPS when I was running my 670s in SLI. I've only had the 980 a few days, but, like I said - I'm between 60-100 in all the areas I've visited thus far. That's at 1440p.