Widescreen Gaming Forum

Well i can say im quite surprised with the overall performance of the Nvidia solution for surround gaming (258.69 beta drivers).
Im running three GTX 480, and each of my 22" monitors is connected to a different GPU.
I havent tested yet the "3D Surround", since i had some issues with my 3D glasses.
Running Crysis Warhead and STALKER Clear Sky (some of my favourite DX10 titles), the GPU usage of each GTX 480 stays near from 98 - 99% very often. Not all games feature this usage of course, ill add more tests later to this post.
Its also great to be able to run DX10 and DX11 titles at 5040x1050, what could be done with the matrox adapter, but isnt something new for surround gaming of course since ATIs eyefinity solution.
There are clearly things to improve, games like Arma 2 OA and SC Conviction dont have such impressive performance, certainly due to the poorer SLI support. Also, afaik there is no way to set the windows to maximize only on the central monitor i.e. (like you could adjust in matrox powerdesk), lets not forget that these are beta drivers.
On the other hand, the Nvidia surround performance is "linked" to the SLI support of the game, and you cant run the Nvidia solution with one GPU, that may represent, in some very specific titles, a disadvantage compared to the other current solutions (matrox and eyefinity) that allow the gamer to turn SLI or Crossfire on/off if necessary (ex. Mirrors Edge and occasionally Splinter Cell Conviction).
Anyway it is amazing to be able to play games like Crysis Warhead, on DX10, all maxed + AA4x at 5040x1050, and get around 40FPS, plus checking such high GPU usage.
Btw the bezel management is very easy to configure. :rockout
Some screenshots :

The Nvidia Control Panel (in portuguese), with the surround mode selected




Adjusting the bezel management (width in pixels)








Running Crysis Warhead DX10, all maxed AA 4x







and the GPU usage




STALKER Clear Sky DX10.1, all maxed AA 2x












Battlefield Bad Company 2 DX11, all maxed AA 4x








Splinter Cell Conviction, all maxed AA 8x










Aliens Vs Predator, DX11 all maxed AA 4x

Nice! :)

Do you have any screenshots of the bezel management? Kyle gave it a thumbs up on [H], but the picture where you adjust it can't be viewed in full, only thumbnail.
http://hardocp.com/article/2010/06/29/nvidia_3d_vision_surround_experience/3

Stickied!

Nice! :)

Do you have any screenshots of the bezel management? Kyle gave it a thumbs up on [H], but the picture where you adjust it can't be viewed in full, only thumbnail.
http://hardocp.com/article/2010/06/29/nvidia_3d_vision_surround_experience/3

Stickied!

Thanks :D , i added some screenshots, its really easy to adjust the bm.

Very nice update. Will be interested to see what Paddy says...

Great work, thanks thales. :onethumb

Seems a whole lot simpler than Eyefinity. It's a shame you need 2+ GPUs or I'd be seriously interested.

Great work, thanks thales. :onethumb

Seems a whole lot simpler than Eyefinity. It's a shame you need 2+ GPUs or I'd be seriously interested.

Thanks Ibrin and eZ`, yes its very simple to setup. :)

Might be selling my 5970. Of course I just got a gts 250 for physx.

Nice... yeah, I just ditched my 5870 for a pair of GTX470s and surround works so nicely so far. I am happy!

so let me get it straight - if there's no SLI profile for a game, then the surround won't work ?!?
thanks

so let me get it straight - if there's no SLI profile for a game, then the surround won't work ?!?
thanks

No, the surround will work even without a SLI profile, only some few games that run like crap on SLI will also perform like crap on Nvidia surround - i.e. Mirror`s Edge and occasionally Splinter Cell Conviction.
Playing ME with SLI disabled, running a single GTX 480 + matrox thg, the gameplay is smooth at 5040x1050 (around 60 FPS), but with SLI 10 - 12 FPS.
Since the Nvidia solution requires multi GPUs, ME is a complete no-go on this surround solution.
Another game that has some issues with SLI, Splinter Cell Conviction, itll run smooth like silk at 5040x1050 and the GFX settings i posted above, but sometimes, i dont know why, the FPS drops to 1 - 2, and the game lags like hell - with SLI disabled these issues wont ever happen.
Consequently, running the Nvidia surround, SC Conviction occasionally will run like crap too.

Nice... yeah, I just ditched my 5870 for a pair of GTX470s and surround works so nicely so far. I am happy!

Ive been thinking of doing just that, but only having a air system concerns me a little with the talk of high heat. Especially running Sli.
Kind of butt sore from all the money I have soaked into a ATI eyefinity system and yet it sits in the garage. Getting 2X 470's is do-able. but I can just see myself needing to get water. and then spending even more. not sure I'm ready for that considering all the money I just threw away to ATI and there partners.

Please keep us Informed on the thermals.

[quote]Nice... yeah, I just ditched my 5870 for a pair of GTX470s and surround works so nicely so far. I am happy!

Getting 2X 470's is do-able. but I can just see myself needing to get water.

I have just finished ordering all the bits for W/C 2 x 480's and CPU on duel loops. approx $ = 1200 AUD with a few bits left over. But it could easily be done for under $1K.

Whats nice to, is that when you set the bezel up and adjust each side to suit, it creates a custom res for your desk top and adds it into all game res panels as well, so you just select that res and the game is bezel compensated for as well, Ive set mine up on my current sli 280's, selected the res in game and never gone back to the nVid control panel.... nice so far.

Please keep us Informed on the thermals.

Im running tri sli of GTX 480, on air, no problems at all, idle = +/- 45C, full load = +/- 78C, using MSI afterburner to set the fans - its really noisy, cant deny that, but no big deal since i play with headphones. :lol:

can you enable/disable surround on a per game basis ?

can you enable/disable surround on a per game basis ?

You have to access the NCP, and enable / disable surround, just like you can do with SLI.

[quote] Please keep us Informed on the thermals.

Im running tri sli of GTX 480, on air, no problems at all, idle = +/- 45C, full load = +/- 78C, using MSI afterburner to set the fans - its really noisy, cant deny that, but no big deal since i play with headphones. :lol:


Not bad. Those numbers are pretty decent.

ok so just a global way of doing it
hum I guess we might wait & see if Martin Korndörfer dig out a new parameter for this in nhancer :)

you play with closed circum-aural headphones I guess ?

ok so just a global way of doing it
hum I guess we might wait & see if Martin Korndörfer dig out a new parameter for this in nhancer :)

you play with closed circum-aural headphones I guess ?

Yes, its quite possible this can be added as a parameter in Nhancer, i play with a Psyko 5.1 headset (and ear cup windows closed hehe :twisted: ).

YESSSSS!!!! very nice review thales100!!! so its finally true!!!! true triple sli/surround scaling with 1x display per gpu!!

its been a long time coming, seeing 3x gpus in precision in synchronized load makes me happy =)

finally built my 12 core evga sr2 machine, slapping 2x more gtx470s for sli :cheers

thanks again for this review, i was dieing to know if precision reported true synchonized load being 1x display per gpu - i want no passthru whatsoever..


:bowdown thales100 :bowdown

YESSSSS!!!! very nice review thales100!!! so its finally true!!!! true triple sli/surround scaling with 1x display per gpu!!

Haha, thanks m8, yes its a great surround solution, tri sli is finally worthy, 1 display per gpu rules... :cheers