Upgrading to a 1080 ti

[threexgreen 3,133]

I'm about to upgrade my GPU from my current one to a 1080 ti. Currently, with settings somewhere between medium and high (8xMSAA) I'm getting a reasonable result. However, overcast skies in a densely populated area with traffic brings my GPU near its limit or even beyond - I've observed 98% usage. Dynamic lighting is an FPS hog too and I haven't even installed the NGX with its dynamic landing lights yet.

I'd like some experience from others who own the card or have made the upgrade. I'm considering an EVGA card as my current one is one as well.

Thank you!

[somiller 694]

Ryan,

I'm running a similarly configured rig, except I'm on a 1080p monitor, and I get good results with my GTX1070. I would think there wouldn't be much difference between your 980Ti and my 1070. I suppose a 1080Ti would make quite a difference, especially running 4k, since the horsepower required for 4k is gpu based.

"However, overcast skies in a densely populated area with traffic brings my GPU near its limit or even beyond - I've observed 98% usage."  If you're using ActiveSky and ASCA for weather, try reducing cloud textures to 512. I was running cloud textures at 2048 but changed to 512, and I can't see any difference in quality.

My experience with the NGX has been good, even at Flightbeam's KMSP (with dynamic lighting off in the airport configurator), all the FSDT airports, DD New York City X, etc. Dynamic lighting is a gpu pig, but a 1080Ti should be handle pretty well. I limit fps to 30 in Nvidia Inspector, and I almost never go below 25 fps at the above sceneries, even at night, even in heavy weather, even with dynamic lighting active, and I usually run 4xSSAA. With these settings, my gpu typically runs 45%-65% utilization, however, I wouldn't even consider trying 4k with my current rig and sim settings.

[threexgreen 3,133]

5 hours ago, somiller said:

Ryan,

I'm running a similarly configured rig, except I'm on a 1080p monitor, and I get good results with my GTX1070. I would think there wouldn't be much difference between your 980Ti and my 1070. I suppose a 1080Ti would make quite a difference, especially running 4k, since the horsepower required for 4k is gpu based.

"However, overcast skies in a densely populated area with traffic brings my GPU near its limit or even beyond - I've observed 98% usage."  If you're using ActiveSky and ASCA for weather, try reducing cloud textures to 512. I was running cloud textures at 2048 but changed to 512, and I can't see any difference in quality.

My experience with the NGX has been good, even at Flightbeam's KMSP (with dynamic lighting off in the airport configurator), all the FSDT airports, DD New York City X, etc. Dynamic lighting is a gpu pig, but a 1080Ti should be handle pretty well. I limit fps to 30 in Nvidia Inspector, and I almost never go below 25 fps at the above sceneries, even at night, even in heavy weather, even with dynamic lighting active, and I usually run 4xSSAA. With these settings, my gpu typically runs 45%-65% utilization, however, I wouldn't even consider trying 4k with my current rig and sim settings.

I'm using REX for textures and have set them to medium. High is a distaster... This has changed of course since I went 4k. More strain on the GPU. I agree, there is hardly any difference.

I'm specifically thinking about dynamic lighting (turned on at KMSP), clouds and running SSAA when buying a new GPU.

Thank you

[mpw8679 428]

On 8/3/2017 at 8:49 AM, Canuck said:

I'm about to upgrade my GPU from my current one to a 1080 ti. Currently, with settings somewhere between medium and high (8xMSAA) I'm getting a reasonable result. However, overcast skies in a densely populated area with traffic brings my GPU near its limit or even beyond - I've observed 98% usage. Dynamic lighting is an FPS hog too and I haven't even installed the NGX with its dynamic landing lights yet.

I'd like some experience from others who own the card or have made the upgrade. I'm considering an EVGA card as my current one is one as well.

Thank you!

With my 1080ti I can still get a 30fps with dynamic lighting on in the PMDG birds.  This is with 8x msaa.  Using ssaa with dynamic lighting brings the card to a crawl.  I use a 4K monitor with ORBX regions mostly.  

[threexgreen 3,133]

2 hours ago, mpw8679 said:

With my 1080ti I can still get a 30fps with dynamic lighting on in the PMDG birds.  This is with 8x msaa.  Using ssaa with dynamic lighting brings the card to a crawl.  I use a 4K monitor with ORBX regions mostly.  

Well, if you get 30FPS with DL you can probably pass on SSAA!

[somiller 694]

On 8/4/2017 at 10:03 AM, somiller said:

Dynamic lighting is a gpu pig, but a 1080Ti should be handle pretty well. I limit fps to 30 in Nvidia Inspector, and I almost never go below 25 fps at the above sceneries, even at night, even in heavy weather, even with dynamic lighting active, and I usually run 4xSSAA.

Ryan,

I should have been more specific in my above statement that "even with dynamic lighting active" I meant dynamic lighting selected in P3Dv4, BUT dynamic lighting turned off specifically for KMSP. I tried KMSP with it's dynamic lighting, and even with low SSAA, or just MSAA, my gpu just couldn't handle it. I was quickly down to 20fps and below.

I don't feel so bad seeing that Mat Wilson is running a 1080Ti and even it can't handle SSAA and dynamic lighting, so I guess my lowly 1070 is doing pretty well.

I'll be honest, if it were me, for the HUGE cost of a 1080Ti, I would stick with my 1070 (or 980Ti, if that's what I had).

I don't know if you've seen this post or not, but Rob is getting some pretty impressive performance with his new rig running the next generation Intel x-cpu and Titan gpu. Sounds like a $4k or $5k computer, and I've been down that road and won't do it again. I'll wait 3 or 4 years and do the same thing for $1.5k.

Steven Miller

[threexgreen 3,133]

13 hours ago, somiller said:

Ryan,

I should have been more specific in my above statement that "even with dynamic lighting active" I meant dynamic lighting selected in P3Dv4, BUT dynamic lighting turned off specifically for KMSP. I tried KMSP with it's dynamic lighting, and even with low SSAA, or just MSAA, my gpu just couldn't handle it. I was quickly down to 20fps and below.

I don't feel so bad seeing that Mat Wilson is running a 1080Ti and even it can't handle SSAA and dynamic lighting, so I guess my lowly 1070 is doing pretty well.

I'll be honest, if it were me, for the HUGE cost of a 1080Ti, I would stick with my 1070 (or 980Ti, if that's what I had).

I don't know if you've seen this post or not, but Rob is getting some pretty impressive performance with his new rig running the next generation Intel x-cpu and Titan gpu. Sounds like a $4k or $5k computer, and I've been down that road and won't do it again. I'll wait 3 or 4 years and do the same thing for $1.5k.

Steven Miller

I got what you meant. I'm okay as long as dynamic lighting is running reasonably fine and for me it's enough running 2xSSAA during the day and then switching to 4 or 8xMSAA during night.

I read through his post a bit when it was created and as mouth-watering as it sounds, I can't buy a new system every two years, especially when the i9 is still so expensive.

[somiller 694]

9 hours ago, Canuck said:

I got what you meant. I'm okay as long as dynamic lighting is running reasonably fine and for me it's enough running 2xSSAA during the day and then switching to 4 or 8xMSAA during night.

I read through his post a bit when it was created and as mouth-watering as it sounds, I can't buy a new system every two years, especially when the i9 is still so expensive.

Ryan,

I don't have the budget for 2 year replacements either. I wanted to make sure you didn't miss Rob's post, in case you had the resources to do what he did. Matt Wilson's comments about the performance of his 1080Ti was revealing. When I set up my rig last Oct., regular 1080's were over $600, and I just couldn't justify the extra cost above the 1070.

Good luck with your decision!

[mpw8679 428]

I'm really hoping there is some optimization in the dynamIc lighting department in v4.1

[Severne 43]

22 hours ago, mpw8679 said:

I'm really hoping there is some optimization in the dynamIc lighting department in v4.1

That's my hope too, especially in view of the fact that for PMDG planes illuminating the ground you must activate dynamic lighting.

At 4K that brings my GTX1080 to it's knees even at 4xMSAA., so I considered in upgrading to a 1080ti but when you mention your Ti still can run into trouble at 4K with higher AA ,that will be a waste of money and LM should optimise DL.

[mpw8679 428]

5 hours ago, Severne said:

That's my hope too, especially in view of the fact that for PMDG planes illuminating the ground you must activate dynamic lighting.

At 4K that brings my GTX1080 to it's knees even at 4xMSAA., so I considered in upgrading to a 1080ti but when you mention your Ti still can run into trouble at 4K with higher AA ,that will be a waste of money and LM should optimise DL.

With my 1080ti I can muster about 20-25 fps with ssaa x4 and dynamic lights on.  But it is far from smooth.  

[threexgreen 3,133]

So, I did the upgrade. Safe to say, money well spent.

First flight I did was in daylight and I was using 2xSSAA which led to some flickering in the distance so I went for 4xSSAA and still around 30 FPS (locked with Nvidia Inspector at 30.5) and smooth. Three layers of clouds, one of which was overcast but no struggle at all.

Just did my second flight with the new card and just about everything thrown at the card at once. Landing the NGX in Flightbeam's KMSP in the dark with dynamic lighting enabled. Clouds were overcast again, this time thunderstorms in the area and light rain (detailed precip on). Approach and landing were astonishingly smooth at a frame rate of 20-25. Turning into the gate was still smooth and FPS at 20, even with the cockpit illuminated by GSX vehicles and apron lights. The only time FPS dropped to 15 was when I was panning around the camera in the VC pretty fast. Outside view was never below 23.

DL still needs optimizing in terms of performance but imo it's one of the best features to ever be implemented in a sim. I was holding short of 12R/30L after landing when a departing AI SunCountry's landing lights illuminated the entire cockpit as it was passing by.

[somiller 694]

Ryan,

Glad to hear the new card is working so well. Dynamic lighting really is great...seems like every time I fly at night, I find some other dynamic lighting effect I haven't seen before. DL make the night world so much more realistic.

I agree, I hope LM is able to optimize for better performance.

BTW, what do you use for AI traffic?

[threexgreen 3,133]

On 8/10/2017 at 9:29 PM, somiller said:

Ryan,

Glad to hear the new card is working so well. Dynamic lighting really is great...seems like every time I fly at night, I find some other dynamic lighting effect I haven't seen before. DL make the night world so much more realistic.

I agree, I hope LM is able to optimize for better performance.

BTW, what do you use for AI traffic?

I use models by FAIB, AIG etc. and liveries and AIG flight plans installed with AIFP. Best AI traffic there is imo, much better than any payware addon.