NEED HELP HD 6950 crossfire!!

[Fortunesfool]

Hey guys,

Iv searched everywhere and cant seem to fix this problem, so I came to the best!! I recently got a second SAPPHIRE 6950 to go with my current one, the exact same cards. I completely removed everything AMD/ATI related ran driver sweeper and did a fresh instal, but noticed that the performance was the same as it was while I was running one card. After I figured out you cant run crossfire in windowed mode, I realized I still had the same problem. I have tried almost every setting in CCC, tried multiple profiles..still having the problem where the GPU's wont run at the same load. If they do run at the same load, its bounces all over the place and usually stay's less than 30% (playing SWTOR).

I ran Furmark and utilized 90+% the whole test, but when I ran Kombuster, I noticed that the GPU load was dropping frequently... it was terrible, for a while during the test I was even at 0% load.

Iv tried just about everything I can think of, SWTOR is the game that I play and Im running like 25 FPS in warzones...I should be smashing ATLEAST 50 FPS with crossfired 6950's...

I had my processor OC'd to 4.2ghz and came to the conclusion that I tried everything I could think of, it has to be a PSU problem (so I think)..maybe the cards arent getting enough power. So I reset my processor back to its stock speed of 3.3ghz so free up some of the PSU and Im still having the same problem (if not worse now with the slower cpu speed). lol

___________________________________________________________
My rig is:
*Asus 990x EVO mobo
*AMD FX-6100 3.3ghz stock overclocked to 4.2ghz with a CM Hyper 212 cooler.
*8GB (2sticks duel channel) corsair ddr3 1600mhz
*Sapphire Radeon 6950'sx2 crossfire (I wish)
*2t HDD 5200
*bout 6 case fans
*CD/DVD RW
*700W CM Silentpro PSU
*Win Pro 7 x64
I really cant think of anything else, so I came to the conclusion that it was a PSU bottleneck, pluss the Asus website says I need 900W minimum for my set up...So I ordered http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171049 (100W)...Althought I noticed the same problems when I reverted my CPU back to stock speed (which lowered the CPU voltage thus freeing up some of the PSU juice).

Please if anyone has any information or ideas to help I would extremely appreciate it!!! here is a link of my last Kombuster (score:x1359)..I have no idea what this score means. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171049

PS: Im not a total computer skrub, but this was my first build, so im not totally fluent with everything there is to know in computer terms.

P.S.S: I got a SDD when I ordered that backup PSU lol figured I might as well...

Thanks guys,
~Mike

 

[ch0b1ts]

#1) Do you have the Crossfire bridge connecting the two cards?
#2) Reinstall the 12.6 Drivers and Reboot
#3) After rebooting, check in the CCC and check if CrossFire is Enabled.
#4) Don't use SWTOR to test with. Use Unigine Heaven to bench your cards. I would run two benches. The first with Crossfire disabled and the second with it enabled.
#5) 700W should be enough though I'm running an 800W PSU. According to the Display on my APC 1500VA UPS, my systems maxes around 475-490W when benching my graphics cards.

Edit: Now that I think about it. Dual 6950s draw about 100W more power than dual Dual 6870s, so you might want to think about upgrading your PSU. The recommended 900W probably a lot more than you really need, but more headroom is never a bad thing.

 

[Fortunesfool]

Iv done the first 3 more than once. Im gonna DL Heaven and see how that goes.

Is there away to test if you system is getting enough power?

 

[Fortunesfool]

I ran Kombuster again and observed the following:

0-30% of the test I was at 95+% GPU load.

at 30% of the test I dropped to 0% load on both cards...

at 45% of the test it picked back up to 90+% load

at 61% of the test the load dropped to 54% on both cards...

then it just got worse from there finishing up the test at about 25% load...

This was the 1920x1080 Run X-score...

I dont know what the deal is, but when I run furmark it stays 90+% load the whole time..Im going to test with heaven here in a bit to see what that does. To tell you the truth, I have no idea what this means, the only idea I can come up with is the cards are not getting enough power to push threw the stressful part's of the test??

 

[Fortunesfool]

No one know's what can cause this or have any Ideas for me?

When I reinstalled the drivers, I loaded from the CD that came wiith the GPU, so I think it was like version 12.1 or something? Then I updated to 12.6..Should I try to wipe it again and go straight to the 12.6 version from the internet?

I dont know what would cause them to bounce all over the place though, they run smooth, then not at all then run crappy, then good again...its never consistent though.

 

[Fortunesfool]

Ok I ran Heaven and benchmarked a core of 2695 at 107 FPS and received great GPU scaling...however I notice when I alt tabbed to check temps/load% I notice that when I tabbed back into Heaven it would drop the 2nd GPU and only run one...

Here is a link to my heaven benchmark

file:///C:/Users/Lilgags/Pictures/unigine_20120719_0117.html

I dont get what the deal is...during the MSI Kombustor the GPU load would not stand strong and even drop to 0%... but during furmark and heaven, my GPU load and scaling was excellent...Then the issue comes, in game...it just pretty much sucks..once in a while Ill load into the game and rockout 100+FPS then it just drops and seems like its only running one card? when I try to alt tab out of the game to check the GPU load% it is only pushing 30% at the most and FPS is pinging all over the place, not stable.

1. I dont understand why it drops GPU2 when I alt tab out then tab back in. <When I alt tab furmark it picks back up both GPU's when I tab back in>

2. Im starting to think I just wasted money on a bigger PSU because it wouldnt run full load during bench testing if they werent getting power.

3. Why wont my GPU's scale worth a damn in game? The problem is really confusing and frustrating. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I realize that link did not work, but any information you need I can post for you or post screenshots.

 

[Fortunesfool]

Also something else I should just throw out there, I dont think it has any effect at all, but I run online with a ping of about a 1000ms steadily. I live in a village in North Western Alaska so its pretty much as good as it gets. At least until I get a new ISP and lower it to about 600ms (like thats good) lol.

I dont know if being online jacks with the FPS ingame thats why its not working so good with SWTOR, but works somewhat with the testers?

Just throwing the information out there to try and help get a solutuion.

 

[Fortunesfool]

I just completely removed everything ATI from my system, updated my bios to the newest version and did a fresh install of CCC straight to 12.6.

Still having the same problem. SWTOR doesnt run worth a damn and MSI Kombustor still has the same results as I posted before.

The only thing I can think of left to test would be to reinstall SWTOR, but that still doesnt explain my Kombustor issue, neither the alt tab issued with heaven?

 

[Fortunesfool]

Latest update:

Noticed while playing SWTOR that my GPU's were scaling perfectly, the load would just not go over 40%..any ideas?

I also OC my processor back to 4.2ghz

 

[TheHutchTTU]

You're misinterpreting the word 'load'

Try and use this example:

You're driving on a flat highway going 60mph. Where is your gas pedal? Barely down, right?
Now, go up the side of a mountain @60mph. Now your foot is all the way down.

This is the difference between no load and full load.

 

[Fortunesfool]

I guess by load im meaning GPU usage?

When im running at low GPU usage or none, my FPS is low. While running at high GPU usage my FPS is golden.

Still no ideas?

 

[Fortunesfool]

Is there any PCIE settings that I need to look at/adjust in the bios or something? both cards are running 8x..

 

[c00l3st]

lol you need to disable the power saving features. it is automatically set to go 2d mode when idle "or whenever it says its not needed" the idea of this is to drop the power draw or the card and keep it cooler. you can try this run a load like furmark, kombustor and play a game see if you get "golden fps" if thats the case your card is probably running at low power usage and enables 2d graphics. i forgot how i disabled mine but theres alot of work to do with the registry and powersettings.

ofcourse you will run low fps when you are idle. what ThehutchTTU is saying imagine a car not moving its consuming gas without producing speed. meaning you are on idle and there is no frames to produce. OR just maybe your card doesn't decide to notice that you are running a game WHICH you need higher performance.

 

[Fortunesfool]

I removed SWTOR and am in the process of doing a fresh install, after it loads Ill try to run a load and play the game and see what happens. If this is the case then I just need to look up how to disable the cards power saving features? Thus keeping the card running at full speed pretty much 24/7? I do notice that when Im not doing anything graphic intensive the GPU/memory clock speeds drop to like 250/150..not sure if it is running at those speeds in game or not? but Ill do like you said and try to run full load and run the game.

 

[c00l3st]

there is a scheme on ati like when you go fullscreen on an application it goes 3d mode. make sure that happens. mine runs @ 150/100 on idle bumps to 950/1150 or 1000/1100 depends on the profile i use on trixx.

click start menu and type power options go advanced then lookup Pci express ->Linkstate powersaving. i remember editing one of the registry keys for ati to disable the built in link state power saving for ccc.

"power options->select high performance->advanced-> then check if everything goes on timer to idle and adjust on ur preferred settings"

 

[Fortunesfool]

The link state was already turned off and power options was on high performance already. Do I need to go into UEIF and change any PCIE settings or something?

 

[c00l3st]

yes you have to set it to pciex16 as primary and disable the onboard if you do have so

 

[Fortunesfool]

GPU-Z shows they are both at 8x 2.0 (which is what my mb is supposed to do in crossfire).

Is the fact that Im running 1920xx1080 effecting my GPU usage in game? I just dont understand how I can get 90%+ during bench marks and only 30% usage ingame.

 

[c00l3st]

cause the game doesn't need 90% ? which games are you trying to run with 1080p ? lol im having a single 6850 in 1080p with no issues.

stop comparing games and benchmarks results. benchmarks is nothing in real life basis.
its just like drag racing you'll love the speed but you can't really use it on daily living. "if you don't wanna do vice city in real life then"

it actually depends on how the game uses the resources and how it uses the card.

 

[Fortunesfool]

well it just doesnt make sense that Im getting 30 FPS with one GPU running at 90% GPU usage and 30 FPS or even less in crossfire with 30% GPU usage..

The only game I even have installed rite now is SWTOR. I guess Ill DL battlefield and see how that runs..If I was getting good framerate's running at 30% usage then what you said would make sense..but im getting **** framerates..