Optimal settings for ATI users with FSX - Great Results!

[dazz 69]

My 7950 should arrive later today. Tests coming soon

[cvearl 60]

My 7950 should arrive later today. Tests coming soon

 

Looking forward to results good or bad. I am suspecting the 7950 will be somewhere in the range +/- of the GTX580 in performance in IQ for the most part. I would be surprised if (FSX-wise) it was any better. But you be the judge. I have not had an NVidia card for over 2 years.

 

A few of my observations now about the tool...

 

It's "All cores Afinity Mask" which is the default is like setting it to 84 (I have HT on) in the cfg. And the tool has no on or off for this BTW. But since I have never had a smoother experience, I'll take it!

 

Tripple Buffer D3D is not working. It causes black screen in FSX.

 

I learned with the tool that I can tweak myself into a corner. Too many "change this, change that now ALT+ENTER to Windowed and back to Full screen... how's that look. Hey! why am I getting stutters now?" LOL. I think things can get messed up in the engine and FSX needs to be restarted between tests now and then. And I mean all the way. I specifically know FSX and all utilities like my EZDOCK finally let go when AERO returns. Ya it takes a minute. But then I know for sure everything has been flushed and I can try the next setting.

 

Another thing I noticed. I have been trying to push my card up and she gets real hot on account of this reference cooler. When this thing starts to reach over 85C (like when I get to 1000 on the core), I start losing smoothness. Does that make sense? parts of the card not running smooth due to temps? Not sure. But when I know when she's too hot I get the stutters (sounds wrong huh).

 

I still have not found ANY of the FSX.CFG tweaks to help anything on my current setup. I have left them out for now. Just highmemfix and wideviewaspect. Vsync is done by the tool now. Usepools=0 works if I slow my CPU down to 4.0Ghz. Then I get no flashing or artifacts. It's ok at 4.2 as well but then I get the occasional (every few minutes) white flash off to one side or the other. No biggie but then playing with reject setting instead I don't seem to be as smooth.

 

Have not tried but I think I can combine SMAA with SSAA with this tool but to what end?

 

4xSSAA is fine with overcast (fps stick around the mid 20's). 8xSSAA causes stutter flying in overcast. Anything less than overcast and 8xSSAA is pure FSX eyecandy. Is there not a cloud texture out there that wont mind 8xSSAA? God it's sharp! Might have to fly IFR less often and appreciate my scenery? It sure looks fantastic at that level of AA.

 

I can see this card has no prob with scenery plus most GA planes. But like anyone else. Move up to PMDG plane at KSEA, KSFF, KPDX, KHIO and CYVR or whatever large airport with some traffic and the CPU is the culprit. Nothing can be done about that till I get a 3770 at 4.8Ghz or something and then still not enough to keep fps locked at 30.

 

The tool sometimes does not return the settings in CCC back to defaults for IQ. Sometimes it does. Ah well. I double check that when I play Crysis 3.

 

Have fun. I wait to hear back.

 

C.

[dazz 69]

Thanks for the tips Charles, should be a fun afternoon

[dazz 69]

I can't say the first impression is too good to be honest. still a lot to try though.

[WotanUK 289]

I can't say the first impression is too good to be honest. still a lot to try though.

 

This mirrors my experience with the 7970.  I didn't see a massive improvement but equally FPS was consistent across the entire range of settings.  I am very interested in the results you see. 

[cvearl 60]

I can't say the first impression is too good to be honest. still a lot to try though.

So what exactly are you doing as far as testing. Whats your scenario? Are you going straight to that crazy-&@($* GPUbench test or straight to landing the NGX into some giant airport somewhere in a thunder storm?

 

Because as good as this seems to look to me and as smooth as it seems to be behaving to.me, if you feel that the GTX 580 looked sharper and ran even smoother than this card I'm going out to get a 660 TI.

 

But I sure hope you're trying the settings that I provided above before I make that decision because I tried all the other combinations and none of them worked as good as what I settled on.

 

Did you flush your config and the cache and you're starting everything clean? Minimal tweaks?

 

Hmmmm. Your trying windowed right? I did not try that way. Wonder if full screen is better somehow.

 

I believe I have until tomorrow to swap this card out.

 

C.

[dazz 69]

What makes me unsure of it all is the fact that 4xSSAA doesn't look anywhere near as good as your videos do Charles. AG shimmer is good, i'd say something like what I saw with 2xSGSS with my former 580, probably slightly better. But then there's those other textures like distant EGLL terminals in my cpu test flight that look bad. Shimmering really bad.

Default runways are terrible too(KSEA + ORBX PNW)

 

As for GPUmark2,  I get some 22FPS at 4xSSAA @ 1170MHz. I know it's a worse case scenario, but that's the idea. I tweaked the cloud config and as soon as there are 3 layers, the performance hit is obvious.

 

Nobody take this as a definite veredict on my part. Still need to get to grips with this card

[cvearl 60]

 

 

What makes me unsure of it all is the fact that 4xSSAA doesn't look anywhere near as good as your videos do Charles. AG shimmer is good, i'd say something like what I saw with 2xSGSS with my former 580, probably slightly better. But then there's those other textures like distant EGLL terminals in my cpu test flight that look bad. Shimmering really bad.
Default runways are terrible too(KSEA + ORBX PNW)

As for GPUmark2, I get some 22FPS at 4xSSAA @ 1170MHz. I know it's a worse case scenario, but that's the idea. I tweaked the cloud config and as soon as there are 3 layers, the performance hit is obvious.

Nobody take this as a definite veredict on my part. Still need to get to grips with this card

Ya screw that stupid GPUMark test. LOL (kidding). Tried it with my buddy with his new overclocked GTX 680 with your test using 8xS+2xSGSS in Inspector, he gets 24 - 26 fps. This is on a 4.4Ghz i72600k. We have identical systems except his CPU is 200 MHz faster and our cards differ by brand as well as price with his $200 more than mine.

Regarding Videos I made - Using ORBX PNW. The video was one at CYCD (Nanaimo). And the other at ORBX KHQM (Bowerman) if you want to check the same ones.

You dont have AA in FSX on do you? Combined with AA enabled in CCC, I find it makes my runway borders and centerlines like sawblades and the teeth just crawl around as I move around with the plane. You dont have ANY other settings in the CCC set to enabled? Like Adaptive?, Morphological? They made things horrible for moving shimmering lines on runways especially as well. Surface Format Optimization is OFF right? Ansio is 16x and set to high quality?

But lets talk 4xSSAA as my personal balaced AA mode for all weather use and what I have sometimes seen with it.

Regular look of default ORBX airport runways? Some lighting conditions I have noticed runway borders and centerlines from some distances look like they shimmer. It goes away to some degree as I close in. I assumed this was an "industry wide" issue with runway textures with REX. I fly online with nvidia users and they complain sometimes about it so I assumed it affected us all. Could be worse for me I guess. It's not all runway types either. Also I have seen the comments in REX forums I think asking about runway borders being waaay exagerated and bright.

OK on to buildings - Depending on direction from which daylight source comes from and my angle to the buildings at some airpots, I get reflective shimmer on roof edges from a mile or so out. Get in closer and they go away.

 

Humor me....

 

1. Stop using the tool for now if you are. I have had some wierd things from time to time with it. Go purely with CCC settings.

2. Your using latest drivers from the AMD site right?

3. You rebuilt the shader cache right?

4. Set CCC to 4xSSAA an 16xAnsio HQ level.

 

Start up and fly FSX. Any better?

I understand there is effort involved. So. In good faith, I am running out to get a 660ti tonight. I will flush it all out and swap the card and use the typical NI settings in the guides specifically the 8xS and 2xSGSS and I will (as a 2.5 year ATI flight sim guy) report back a comparison. Coming fresh from ATI I should notice differences right quick.

C.

[dazz 69]

Please don't do anything based on what I post(ed) here. I'm still testing and overly confused. Did some tests in europe and it looks  better (yes, it's 4xSSAA +16AF as per your original screenies)

Anyhow, performance in clouds is deceiving. Problem is there's no middle ground. 2xSSAA doesn't cut it IQ wise. 4xSSAA is too much of a hit @ low 20's (still need to see if I can tweak something to improve performance in clouds)

[cvearl 60]

Please don't do anything based on what I post(ed) here. I'm still testing and overly confused. Did some tests in europe and it looks better (yes, it's 4xSSAA +16AF as per your original screenies)

Anyhow, performance in clouds is deceiving. Problem is there's no middle ground. 2xSSAA doesn't cut it IQ wise. 4xSSAA is too much of a hit @ low 20's (still need to see if I can tweak something to improve performance in clouds)

Too late have 660 TI will travel. two cards enter one card leaves. it's the rumble in the jungle.

 

all kidding aside I can confirm your cloud tests .if I'm in overcast clouds and I have my slider to maximum density I too will be in the low 20's for frame rate absolutely. I never actually knew that was bad. I mean I've learned to live with that and I kind of assumed that's about what everyone else was getting based on forum topics.

 

So tonights test will consist of the following.

 

A few side by side screenshots showing the same runway at the same angle from the same saved flight from both cards at equivalence settings.

 

and more importantly a screenshot of the average frames per second when flying in overcast cloud conditions both below the deck and within the cloud itself from the same saved flights.

 

I want to know once and for all

[dazz 69]

I'm probably sending this 7950 back for a 670. Eagerly waiting for your side by side comparison C.

[cvearl 60]

I'm probably sending this 7950 back for a 670. Eagerly waiting for your side by side comparison C.

Working on it tonight.

 

670 is closer to 7970. Its like $100 more around here than 660ti and 7950's.

 

What are the equivalent settings I need to set in Inspector to match 4xSSAA and 16xHQAF? I want vSync and locked at 30.

 

Also, if you are going to swap back, fly the 7950 for a night or two. Do you have time for that?

 

C.

[cvearl 60]

Testing the 7950 with and without RadeonPro tool.

 

Definitely if you have ATI with FSX you NEED THIS TOOL! I get far better framerates from FSX with the tool configured exactly as I have it in my previous post. I think the built in Affinitymask control or the external 30 frame DFC (Dynamic Framerate Control) with FSX set to unlimited is to blame.

 

Example: Doing the pattern at KSEA in the B200 in fair weather and I was in very low twenties almost constantly without the tool. With the tool at same IQ settings and I am at mid to high 20's (Averaging about 25 - 26 fps). I NEVER had this with FSX and KSEA in the B200 before like I said earlier.

 

The tool is a keeper. If I keep the card.

 

Now off to screenshot some stuff and start testing the 660Ti.

 

C.

[cvearl 60]

I'm probably sending this 7950 back for a 670. Eagerly waiting for your side by side comparison C.

 

Here's the dealio. I learned a few things here.

 

NVidia has a problem with water shimmer. Quite bad compared to ATI. There is none with ATI. If I could kill that it would be awesome.

NVidia is definitely better at handling the overcast clouds with Max Cloud Density

Both have the same looking runway lines. This is a REX thing.

8xS with 2xSGSS is better than ATI 4xSSAA at reducing some AG shimmer at the big airports. Need ATI at 8xSSAA to match.

 

Dazz....

 

Here's the corrected settings for RadeonPro tool to match what I am seeing with this 660Ti. You must set AA to 8xSSAA to match or exceed 8xS with 2xSGSS. Go ahead and drop some of the AF settings to lower values. 16xAF but Standard (as opposed to High Quality) is more than fine now that I have seen it on a 660ti. Everything else the same.

 

BOTTOM LINE: They are almost a dead heat except in two areas. Stick with ATI and have to go a tick less on cloud density (down to High) and drop to 70nm. It's smooth even though it ends up in mid 20's but it is stutter free. Or go with NVidia and get the slightly thicker cloud (when you use that kind of weather) but then say hello to shimmering water. It's like Ansio shimmering or something. I find it really annoying.

 

If ATI had a 6xSSAA, it would be no contest. Then it would be almost the same cloud performance and match all AA quality 2xSGSS has to offer without any water shimmer.

 

Screenshots to follow but I did not take any 8xSSAA. This will be a tough tough choice. I like the look of heavy overcast but seriously? I don't fly it that often. I like VFR and MVFR weather and if there are a few less clouds it might not be a big deal. I might swap back out to ATI just to see how much cloud I can afford at 8xSSAA. Flying around CYVR is a treat on either card though. If the water did not shimmer with this 660ti I would return the ATI for sure. Even though I find them so close.

 

Physically? The 660ti is quieter. If I was to recommend a 7950, it would be ASUS or HIS. Their coolers are silent like this EVGA is almost.

 

C.

[cvearl 60]

First set ATI vs NVidia