Low GPU usage in BF3 on 7970 Crossfire

S

Simkin

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Messages
144
Have been struggling with some FPS drops in BF3, and i have done some testing and monitoring today

i7 2600K @ 4.7Ghz
Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
16GB XMS3 1600Mhz
7970 Crossfire @ 1125/1575

With one card, the GPU usage is 98-99% rock stable, but when i run two card, some interesting thing show up.

Both GPU's are working in the 50-80% Area, its pending up and down as i move around, and the highest i can se in 80% on both GPU's.

I have reformatted my computer after buying the 7970's, the driver i run is 12.2, have also tried the RC11 with the same result. Have tried different CAP profiles, no changes.

Running Single monitor @ 1080P


Anyone else who have the same issue?
 
the single 1080p monitor might be the problem. at that rez with crossfire 7970 you are running into a cpu bottleneck. yes, even with your cpu at 4.7.
 
tricky0502 said:
the single 1080p monitor might be the problem. at that rez with crossfire 7970 you are running into a cpu bottleneck. yes, even with your cpu at 4.7.
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would his system show his CPU use @ 100%?

I only ask this for others have suggested my CPU was a bottle neck for my game play when I do not see my CPU going over 30% use.
 
CPU bottleneck for BF3 is doubtful. On my setup I don't get any noticeable FPS drops at 1080p so there's no reason why he should be with a much faster system.
 
Then i guess this boils down to a driver issue?

Anyone here with 7970 CFX and 12.2 or RC11 driver who could have checked their GPU usage in BF3?
 
I highly doubt you'd run into a CPU bottleneck with an I-7 Sandy Bridge @4.7Ghz with 3 7970s in crossfire. I would say a possible driver issue, your not running in windowed mode are you?
 
i have 2 7970, not 3

No, not running in windowed mode.

My CPU usage goes up to around 90% while playing.
 
How many FPS are you getting when: 1. you're playing with one card; 2. when you're playing with both cards and getting 50% GPU usage; 3. when you're playing with both cards and getting 80% GPU usage?
 
Simkin said:
i have 2 7970, not 3

No, not running in windowed mode.

My CPU usage goes up to around 90% while playing.
Click to expand...

That sounds a bit high -- high enough to support the CPU bottleneck argument.

Can you change your CPU speed (higher or lower) and see how your computer performs?
 
can you run some CPU stability tests? is it possible your cpu is throttling down because of heat? it sounds CPU related, I have a similar setup to you but I'm getting ~99% usage most of the time but @ 3600x1920
 
The CPU is 8 Hour Prime95 blend and Small FFT stable, and there is no heat involved, as i have a Noctua D14, and my temp does not go beyond 65c.

I now tried to run with the CPu @ Stock speed, no changes, except a little lower FPS.
How many FPS are you getting when: 1. you're playing with one card; 2. when you're playing with both cards and getting 50% GPU usage; 3. when you're playing with both cards and getting 80% GPU usage?
Click to expand...

On one spot(TV Station Roof Sharqi Peninsula), i got 60FPS with one card (one card running 99% rock stable) and 90FPS with two card.. so only 50% more.
 
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Make sure you have hyperthreading on, when I turn it off on my 2600k @5ghz it will bog down my 6970's into the 70's at times. HT on gives me 99% solid at all times.. I'm also on one screen @ 1080
 
Hm, i have used my settings on Custom, i now tried to set it to Ultra.

And standing on the same spot, the GPU usage went up to 99% on both GPU's, but it was running up and down if i moved around.. But the FPS did not increase, same FPS as with 70% Load.

This has to be some BF3 bogus..

HM....

HT is on btw
 
jreinlie4 said:
Make sure you have hyperthreading on, when I turn it off on my 2600k @5ghz it will bog down my 6970's into the 70's at times. HT on gives me 99% solid at all times.. I'm also on one screen @ 1080
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That is strange; hyperthreading normally has either negligible effect or a negative effect for gaming:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i7-975-950_7.html#sect0

http://www.overclock.net/t/671977/hyperthreading-in-games

It's worth toggling hyperthreading (whichever way you have it set) to see if it makes a difference.
 
I can absolutely, without a grain of doubt, tell you that HT helps in BF3 very much so, But only if you have enough GPU power to need it. I have tested with and without it and it does make quite a large difference in multi-GPU configurations. Now, in all games? hell no. It usually doesn't make a difference, but in BF3 it sure does.
 
Simkin said:
Then i guess this boils down to a driver issue?

Anyone here with 7970 CFX and 12.2 or RC11 driver who could have checked their GPU usage in BF3?
Click to expand...

I've tried the 12.2 drivers with their CAP1 and had similar results. First GPU 1 is at 96-100% usage, second GPU seems to hit a wall of 50% usage. Loading the game numerous times, it then seems to fix itself and then both cards usage becomes equal at around 96% (but that happens rarely).

I've gone back to the RC11's with their corresponding CAP3 and that seems to have fixed the issue. I did try different CAPS with each set of drivers (ie 12.2 CAP1 with RC3, RC11 CAP3 with 12.2 drivers) with no effect. Actually caused more problems for me with the ati driver BSODS.

I've also tried both drivers whilst running my CPU both at stock & at 4.5Ghz (which I run for normal use) to eliminate any variables and pinpoint it to the driver.

Considering returning my 7970's because I am getting increasingly irritated with my driver issues. I love the cards and don't really wont to give them back. =/ Waiting on any official Kepler news before finally making my decision. In the meantime, back to BF3 & Mass Effect 3 = )
 
Im sticking with 12.2 for now, RC11 dont have those application profiles, and i need that for other games..

Using 12.2 CAP1, have no clue if thats the best CAP..??

AMD, Wake up, enough shitty drivers, this is like having a Ferrari on Spare Wheels.
 
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Simkin said:
Im sticking with 12.2 for now, RC11 dont have those application profiles, and i need that for other games..

Using 12.2 CAP1, have no clue if thats the best CAP..??

AMD, Wake up, enough shitty drivers, this is like having a Ferrari with Spare Wheels.
Click to expand...

Having said that & determined from posting before, I installed the 12.2's again over the RC'11 (without driver cleaning etc) and installed the CAP 12.2 CAP1 over the RC11 and RC11 CAP3.

Now everything is running smoothly and extremely well with perfect usage scaling. IDK whats going on. Seems to be very temperamental and hit-or-miss. Sigh.
 
It's somewhat depressing running the in-game performance monitor in BF3. I can't even see my GPU line running an overclocked HD6970 with my 2600k at 4.8Ghz...:(
 
Whach said:
Seems to be very temperamental and hit-or-miss. Sigh.
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In the same boat here; I've tried almost every solution with installing drivers, going back and forth between RC11 and 12.2/3 and Battlefield 3 seems to be the one game that doesn't play well with them. It'll be perfect one day but then the next day I can't even get through a single match without a CTD/black screen after a few minutes and watch my quit % skyrocket to 32%; this also happens both with a single card and CF and one of the cards is within the return period so I'm really close to just returning it, ebay'ing the older card, and replacing them with the Kepler equivalent.

Simkin said:
AMD, Wake up, enough shitty drivers, this is like having a Ferrari with Spare Wheels.
Click to expand...
Gonna reiterate this; the 7970 hardware is brilliant but the driver issues are holding them back so much. The performance is definitely there but a majority of problems I've experienced and seen here is stability and that needs to be improved drastically.
 
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Nicterys said:
In the same boat here; I've tried almost every solution with installing drivers, going back and forth between RC11 and 12.2/3 and Battlefield 3 seems to be the one game that doesn't play well with them. It'll be perfect one day but then the next day I can't even get through a single match without a CTD/black screen after a few minutes and watch my quit % skyrocket to 32%; this also happens both with a single card and CF and one of the cards is within the return period so I'm really close to just returning it, ebay'ing the older card, and replacing them with the Kepler equivalent.
Click to expand...

Hopefully, a clearer picture will be painted soon with reviews posting their views on the upcoming Keplers - before the rumored release date of 22nd. If they both perform the same, and the drivers stay stable on the meantime, ill forgo the return.

I know it probably doesn't make that much of a difference, but I do feel reassured having 3GB vram vs 2GB (especially with the wall i hit with the 570's I had before these 7970's)
 
eclypse said:
Dont run with V-Sync enabled.. that right there can limit the cards usage.
Click to expand...

If it's not what he said, then something is definitely wrong.

I have the same setup as you, with yours being faster with a 4.7ghz vs my 4.5ghz. I do not ever see GPU usage at 50% with v-sync off. I play with v-sync on because I have a Dell U2311H so I need to get rid of screen tearing so I play with v-sync on. Even with v-sync on, I see GPU usage in 50-75% range on 64-player maps.

With v-sync off though, I would get GPU usage in the 80-99% range in 64-player maps. In smaller team deathmatch maps or single player, both my GPUs are pegged at 95-99% of the time.
 
I was able to get 99& GPU usage, if i set the graphic settings from Custom to Ultra, but then again, there was no difference in framerate from 70& to 99% ?

This was on the spot on Sharqi where i have been testing my framerate, but it was not stable at 99%, as i moved around, it was still going up and down.
 
Simkin said:
I was able to get 99& GPU usage, if i set the graphic settings from Custom to Ultra, but then again, there was no difference in framerate from 70& to 99% ?

This was on the spot on Sharqi where i have been testing my framerate, but it was not stable at 99%, as i moved around, it was still going up and down.
Click to expand...

so lets bring it all together.

on ultra you get how many fps with what gpu usage?

on your custom setting you get what fps with what gpu usage?

so gpu usage went up when you put the game at higher setting but your fps didnt increase? i dont know, you sound kind of cpu limited.

if your running crossfire 7970's you should be using more then one 1080p monitor.
 
tricky0502 said:
so lets bring it all together.

on ultra you get how many fps with what gpu usage?

on your custom setting you get what fps with what gpu usage?

so gpu usage went up when you put the game at higher setting but your fps didnt increase? i dont know, you sound kind of cpu limited.

if your running crossfire 7970's you should be using more then one 1080p monitor.
Click to expand...

pretty much spot on, its definitely a cpu limited problem if going higher in graphic settings has no effect on frame rate but you see more gpu usage.

to the op'er its either 1 of two things, you are running an incredibly low resolution with the 2 cards you have or you just plain have your settings way to low for two 7970's in crossfire. this is not a crossfire, AMD, or driver issue, the effect your seeing has everything to do with the settings you are using at what ever resolution you are using. either way i have no clue why you are running crossfire 7970's @ 1080p when a single 7950 or GTX 580, or GTX 570 or 7870 can pretty much max out BF3 at that resolution.
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
either way i have no clue why you are running crossfire 7970's @ 1080p when a single 7950 or GTX 580, or GTX 570 or 7870 can pretty much max out BF3 at that resolution.
Click to expand...

+100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

on top of that, not running the game at ultra settings with crossfire 7970's?
 
But then again, why is it any difference between Ultra and Custom where i set EVERYTHING to Ultra/Max? its the same settings on both Ultra and Custom, but i get 30% difference in GPU usage?
 
Simkin said:
But then again, why is it any difference between Ultra and Custom where i set EVERYTHING to Ultra/Max? its the same settings on both Ultra and Custom, but i get 30% difference in GPU usage?
Click to expand...

there is something different or they would be both called ultra. once you change something it changes the setting to custom.
 
Ok, so the drivers are just fine, and my Single monitior@1080p seem to be the problem?
 
Quite likely, a single 7970 is more than enough to power a 1080p monitor.
Heck, the single 7970 I had (OC'ed) was almost enough to power 2560x1440 in most games, but I went CFx for the hell of it. You either need to get a higher res monitor, or get rid of one of your cards.
 
I bought two of them to have enough framerate for my 120Hz panel, with one card, its just not enough, i have tried, and even if the scaling is not good, atleast i get decent framerate most of the time, its just those drops in certain maps/areas that confuses me.

I cant play on 60fps on my 120Hz, its not working.. with two card, atleast i can play in the 100fps area most of the time, and 90-100fps on a 120Hz monitor is OK.

So, i'll stick with two cards, its no doubt better then one card.. and maybe i'll get a higher res monitor in the future, if they are 120Hz.


EDIT: When i think about it, i actually got close to 100% scaling in Singleplayer BF3, but that was with the RC11 driver, if i remember correct.
 
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You are honestly probably hitting a cpu bottleneck as far as how much your computer can process at one time. It isn't until 2560x1600 that you start to get gpu limited.

It sounds like you didn't have realistic expectations about real world performance. getting a minimum fps of 120 is rediculous in bf3 unless you lower your settings considerably. Having a minimum fps of 60 is a blessing to be realistic. New games are demanding and you aren't going to be getting hundreds of fps like you would with old source titles designed for low end systems.

What is the lowest fps you are hitting that is such a problem for you? It sounds like you don't really understand the reality of the limits of current gen tech.
 
I have never tough i'll get a minimum of 120fps in BF3, where did you get that from?

And please read. i have a 120Hz monitor, and i want to play with high settings, and with one card, its not working out. I HAVE TRIED :) 60fps on a 120Hz, its not working for me, if i had one card only, i had to play with much lower settings than i am now, and then again, with two cards, i can play the game on max.

The drops are in the low 50's.... MOST OF THE TIME, its ok. its with many players of Gulf Of Oman that is the worst.
 
i don't think hes hitting a bottleneck, I had a nearly identical setup, 27" 120hz monitor, with 2 7970s in Xfire, I had everything on and it ran in 90-120fps and would never really drop below that. Even 1 card was pretty smooth without HBAO and MSAA, I have a 2600k @ 4.8 so not much difference.

something is wrong here :)
 
I Also have this 100% - 50% issue as other people have..

GPU1 on 100% GPU2 on 50%, and its lagging big time.. Also all of a sudden got MASSIVE lagg/FPS drop in a tank fight, but only once =)

I am apparantly not alone with this issues..
 
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Don't worry. Same thing is happening with me. No drivers give me full gpu usage. I'm running 1080p 120hz monitor and usage is always around 75%. This is not a res issue or bottleneck. I'm almost 99% sure it's drivers. My friend's 7950 xfire with my same monitor is always at 99% load. Something is wrong with these 7970 drivers. V-sync disabled too. So annoying.
 
Well the 7970 drivers aren't very mature yet so that's definitely possible.
 
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