SLI, or not?

[jfriz 27]

Hi folks,
I am running W10, P3D, v3.4, with good performance, but seems like I night get more by adding another video card, using SLI. Anybody, out there that are using 2 cards in SLI?? I have a 1,000 watt power supply, plenty of HP
Thank you,
Jerry Friz

[angeli662 43]

Couldn't live without it. 

[scandinavian13 5,192]

Hi folks,

I am running W10, P3D, v3.4, with good performance, but seems like I night get more by adding another video card, using SLI. Anybody, out there that is using 2 cards in SLI?? I have a 1,000 watt power supply, plenty of HP

Thank you,

Jerry Friz

 

SLI crushes most major games. It helps a little bit in P3D, but the major sims are too processor dependent for it to be worth the cost if you're using two high-end graphics cards for simming alone.

[jfriz 27]

Thanks,

I am not using for gaming.. just thinking of P3D. I have an Intel I7 4790K

Jerry

[downscc 1,327]

You'll get more bang for the buck if you run your 4790K at the default 4.4GHz turbo speed... assuming you have something more than the cheapest air cooler.

[angeli662 43]

SLI crushes most major games. It helps a little bit in P3D, but the major sims are too processor dependent for it to be worth the cost if you're using two high-end graphics cards for simming alone.

That's is absolutely not true,  there are several if not most games that benefit from SLI,  especially if you are using high-resolution displays.

[JNS 106]

It made a considerable difference in FPS with my two 980Ti in SLI. 

 

Jeff

[scandinavian13 5,192]

That's is absolutely not true,  there are several if not most games that benefit from SLI,  especially if you are using high-resolution displays.

 

Re-read my earlier statement.

 

The very first sentence notes that my SLI setup "crushes most major games." This is in exact agreement with your statement that "several if not most games that benefit from SLI." I just continued with the fact that if he's going this for P3D (or any of the major sims) alone, it's not quite worth the cost, particularly if you're going to buy a top-end card. All of the major sims are CPU dependent. There are ways to eek out extra performance by forcing SLI in the profiles, but even then, the GPUs aren't maxed, yet the performance will still lag if you drive up the settings too high. This is a little less so in XPL, but still...I can MAX Battlefield 1 and it's entirely smooth the entire time. P3D, FSX and XPL? Not so much.

 

 

 

It made a considerable difference in FPS with my two 980Ti in SLI. 

 

What settings are you using?

[garrett_frank 150]

 

 

The very first sentence notes that my SLI setup "crushes most major games.

 

I could be wrong but I wonder if the word "crush" was read incorrectly. I think Kyle and I are roughly the same age and "crush" is usually a positive. Thus I would figure he meant--and is correct--that most GPU dependent games scale multiple GPUs well and there's an obvious benefit.

 

To the OP: I would advise against it. I added a second 780Ti SC about a year ago essentially just so I could go from SGSS 2x to 4x in P3D. It was essentially wasted money (I needed to upgrade my PSU too). Also keep in mind that, as Kyle alludes to (but doesn't say explicitly)--there is some CPU overhead required to sync 2 GPUs. I found that, in P3D at least, I lost about 10% of my processing power.

 

That all being said, I view SLI in P3D as a clear net-negative. Unless LM or nVidia (I can assume no one here seriously considers AMD cards for FSX/P3D) can get things to scale better, then it's a lost cause. And I simply don't know enough as to whether that's even possible, can the GPU-dependent elements of the game engine itself even be improved to scale better at all?

 

Hope this helps.

[JNS 106]

What settings are you using?

 

I'm using 4K monitor at 30Hz., V-sync, TB, and unlimited frames.  4xSGSS, 4 samples MSAA.  Driver is 361.43.  P3Dv3.2.3.  As I recall, it was an 18-20% FPS improvement using same scenario/location, etc. on each measurement.  I was using only a default aircraft, ORBX, and MT6.   I thought it was significant.

 

Jeff

[Bob Scott 7,715]

Two water-cooled 980Ti GPUs in SLI and a 4790K at 4.7 GHz here with P3D 3.3.5...most noticeable benefit of SLI is no slowdowns or stutters in heavy clouds and ability to run considerably higher traffic settings than my previous single 980.  GPUs run at 35-45% most of the time, but when challenged with heavy clouds will spike up to 80-90% range.  If I push things until GPUs hit 95-100%, stutters begin to appear.  At 85% on both GPUs it's still really smooth.  And on water they're silent and temps don't go much above 40 deg C under load.

 

Running 4K at 30Hz, Vsync on, frames unlimited, 8x MSAA, no SGSS.

 

Regards

[Michael Moe 494]

Two water-cooled 980Ti GPUs in SLI and a 4790K at 4.7 GHz here with P3D 3.3.5...most noticeable benefit of SLI is no slowdowns or stutters in heavy clouds and ability to run considerably higher traffic settings than my previous single 980. GPUs run at 35-45% most of the time, but when challenged with heavy clouds will spike up to 80-90% range. If I push things until GPUs hit 95-100%, stutters begin to appear. At 85% on both GPUs it's still really smooth. And on water they're silent and temps don't go much above 40 deg C under load.

 

Running 4K at 30Hz, Vsync on, frames unlimited, 8x MSAA, no SGSS.

 

Regards

 

+1 to this

 

But a little information about SLI.

 

Dont use it if you need to undock windows.

Taxicam in the 77W does not work in SLI

 

Thanks Michael Moe

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

I'm using 4K monitor at 30Hz., V-sync, TB, and unlimited frames.  4xSGSS, 4 samples MSAA.  Driver is 361.43.  P3Dv3.2.3.  As I recall, it was an 18-20% FPS improvement using same scenario/location, etc. on each measurement.  I was using only a default aircraft, ORBX, and MT6.   I thought it was significant.

 

Interesting. Thanks!

[SpiritFlyer 987]

Hello all,

 

SLI delivers my system about a third increase in FPS and much greater ability to smoothly absorb increased optional detail within P3D v. 3.4.

 

Kind regards,

[jfriz 27]

Thanks, very interesting comments. I will give it a try, not expecting a lot though.  I guess we are never satisfied, always looking to squeze a little more juice out.

Jerry Friz, near KSEA