Does OFF support SLI ?

[Over50 0]

Haven't been active here or played OFF in a long time (early this year). In the interim I've added a second GPU (GTX 260-216 SC) to run SLI but apparently OFF doesn't recognize SLI as only one card shows a temp increase (using Evga's Precision temp/OC applet). I seached the forum before posting but didn't find a definitive answer. Would appreciate a yeah or nay on SLI with OFF and how to enable it if it does support it. Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

[Panama Red 22]

Read: http://forum.combatace.com/topic/50205-is-crossfire-supported-at-all/

[Over50 0]

Read: http://forum.combata...pported-at-all/

 

Thanks for the link....(and I saw it in my search for "SLI" in the forum) but the posts don't specify "how" to enable it with OFF. It isn't a matter of whether my Evga 750i FTW mobo supports SLI - it does - and I have SLI enabled (Nvidia Control Panel) with corresponding performance increases in all other current games I have.

[Panama Red 22]

I find that my ATI Crossfire 4890's have a better FPS than a single ATI 4890 in OFF, but then in IL2, a single ATI 4890 have better FPS than the ATI Crossfire 4890's. So it depends on the game and how it handles the GPU/drivers.

[OvS 8]

Good one for the OFF Knowledge Base!

[Over50 0]

Good one for the OFF Knowledge Base!

 

Just to comment, I can find no way to enable SLI. I checked the Nvidia SLI (web site) capable game list and CFS3 is not listed (FS2004 and FSX are). I tried repeatedly to create a SLI profile using the OFFmanager.exe per the procedure outlined on the web site but it wouldn't work - which I suspect is because OFF is a mod of CFS3 and the fact the OFFmanager.exe is not the core game .exe that the Nvidia SLI enable procedure speaks to. I even tried using the CFS3.exe listed in the OFF game folder with no success.

 

Based on the fact I wasn't able to create a OFF SLI-enable profile using Nvidia's specific procedure I have to conclude that OFF isn't SLI capable. As an aside, I PM'd POV and he replied he didn't know whether OFF supports SLI, but that if CFS3 did he assumed OFF would as well - but as I've found, doesn't, nor can a SLI profile be created.

 

This is the Nvidia SLI link if anyone else would like to try their luck:

 

http://www.slizone.com/page/slizone_appprofile.html

Edited November 24, 2009 by Over50

[Panama Red 22]

I guess that is one of the differences between ATI and nVidia.

 

With ATI, you check a box and Crossfire is enabled and it does not matter what game you are playing, it uses it. No profiles or anything else, unless you want to create one.

[Over50 0]

I guess that is one of the differences between ATI and nVidia.

 

With ATI, you check a box and Crossfire is enabled and it does not matter what game you are playing, it uses it. No profiles or anything else, unless you want to create one.

 

I'm curious how you can determine if the game is actually running SLI aside from just enabling it on in the ATI control panel.

 

With Nvidia, SLI can be turned on or off in the driver control panel which I assume is similar to what you describe for ATI's (Crossfire) method of enabling SLI. But also included with the Nvidia SLI control panel options is the ability to enable a vertically aligned half inch wide SLI performance bar that sits about 3 inches in from the left side of the monitor during game play that will confirm the game is running SLI by the (1) display of the bar itself and (2) the displacement of a green shaded area up and down from center within the bar. The greater the displacement from center the better the SLI performance. The caveat is turning on/enabling SLI in the control panel does not mean all games will - or can - recognize SLI, be it dual, tri or quad GPU. But with OFF as I mentioned even creating a SLI profile - meaning specifying the 3D parameters and SLI application method - won't work because, as I suspect, the OFFmanager.exe is not the core CFS3 game executable.

Edited November 24, 2009 by Over50

[Panama Red 22]

I have a simple test. What is the FPS on the same scene with Crossfire ON and Crossfire OFF. If the FPS is greater with it on, then Crossfire is working, if is not greater, then Crossfire is not working in that game.

[Over50 0]

I have a simple test. What is the FPS on the same scene with Crossfire ON and Crossfire OFF. If the FPS is greater with it on, then Crossfire is working, if is not greater, then Crossfire is not working in that game.

 

For comparison to what I'm seeing with just the one GTX 260-216 SC GPU (fps ranges from 50's to above 90 at altitude with all settings at 3) what is your fps with SLI enabled in OFF and with it disabled?

 

EDIT: I just found that by enabling "force split frame rendering" in the Nvidia control panel 3D settings both GPU's are being used.....but still not SLI, in that selecting this option simply splits the frame rendering between both cards vs true SLI. In fact, my fps (using FRAPS) running this way utilizing both cards was much lower than running with just one GPU at the same global display settings of 3.

Edited November 24, 2009 by Over50

[Over50 0]

Not for Nothing, I remember another member who had the identical problem in Phase II

 

The solution was to be found in the card output recepticals, meaning SLI Only Functions when the monitor cable, is plugged into the proper card. Computers have come a long way since then.

 

But it's worth a try

 

And when you get your SLI running, I'd suggest you perform your video tweeks by the book

 

http://www.overfland...ds.com/Tips.htm

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I do have my monitor connected to the primary card (slot) and running DVI. The lack of SLI recognition is only with OFF. All other current games that I have/play, from FPS's to MS 2004 and FSX all run in and benefit from SLI mode. In my opinion, because OFF is a CFS3 mod it uses OFFManager.exe as the executable vs CFS3.exe directly, thus preventing setting up a SLI profile that requires referencing a game's .exe to create it. And for the record I tried using both .exe's to set up a SLI profile w/o success.

 

SLI would enable running the game at near or max settings at playable frame rates (in particular on or close to ground level) whereas with just one of my GTX 260-216 SC cards I have to run at global "3" setting to average above 40 fps sitting on the ground (and avg 90 at altitude).

 

As I posted earlier, I can bring both cards in to play by enabling split frame rendering in the Nvidia 3D control panel but they aren't running true SLI based on the lower frame rate I get this way compared to the frame rate running with just one card.

 

All said, the game looks and plays good at a global (3) graphics setting with just one GTX 260-216 SC - and Vsync forced off - with a plus 40 to plus 100 frame rate range so it isn't like I can't enjoy what OFF has to offer. Just that SLI would have made it even better.

 

Aside from SLI, the (2) major factors I found that affects frame have been (1) OC'ing my E8400 to 3.6 GHz and (2) forcing Vsync off. Prior to doing this (after I initially installed the game) my frame rates topped out at 60 with lows in the single digits sitting on the ground.

Edited November 26, 2009 by Over50

[kondor999 0]

First - if you want to enable SLI, the correct executable isn't offmanager.exe. It's cfs3.exe. Offmanager is just a front end - that's why some people are having trouble.

 

Second - You can see if SLI is activated by simply selecting "Show SLI visual indicator" from the "3D settings" dropdown menu (you can also select Show Physx if you're so inclined).

 

Third - SLI is not producing improved framerates using AFR2 or AFR1. I've not tried SFR simply because it has never produced gains since it was introduced way back when, and I suspect that's why it's no longer even an option in the latest drivers (you can still force it on by using nHancer).

 

If you don't know what I'm talking about re: the different AFR types - good luck. I'm always amazed by people who get into SLI or Crossfire and then haven't a clue as to how it works.

 

Neither my dual 8800GTXs on my notebook, nor my dual 5870's on my desktop, are able to accelerate OFF/CFS3 via SLI/Crossfire. This is fairly common, and it would be up to Nvidia or ATI to write a custom SLI/Crossfire profile. This has to be done for the vast majority of games, although a few legacy games will end up benefiting from SLI even without a custom profile. When you manually force SLI on, it's pretty much down to dumb luck whether or not it ends up gaining you anything. I'll look on the net to see if anyone has, perhaps, come up with an SLI profile that produces increased FPS.

[Over50 0]

First - if you want to enable SLI, the correct executable isn't offmanager.exe. It's cfs3.exe. Offmanager is just a front end - that's why some people are having trouble.

 

Second - You can see if SLI is activated by simply selecting "Show SLI visual indicator" from the "3D settings" dropdown menu (you can also select Show Physx if you're so inclined).

 

Third - SLI is not producing improved framerates using AFR2 or AFR1. I've not tried SFR simply because it has never produced gains since it was introduced way back when, and I suspect that's why it's no longer even an option in the latest drivers (you can still force it on by using nHancer).

 

If you don't know what I'm talking about re: the different AFR types - good luck. I'm always amazed by people who get into SLI or Crossfire and then haven't a clue as to how it works.

Neither my dual 8800GTXs on my notebook, nor my dual 5870's on my desktop, are able to accelerate OFF/CFS3 via SLI/Crossfire. This is fairly common, and it would be up to Nvidia or ATI to write a custom SLI/Crossfire profile. This has to be done for the vast majority of games, although a few legacy games will end up benefiting from SLI even without a custom profile. When you manually force SLI on, it's pretty much down to dumb luck whether or not it ends up gaining you anything. I'll look on the net to see if anyone has, perhaps, come up with an SLI profile that produces increased FPS.

 

 

With all due respect, having just finished a new build with a Evga x58 TRI SLI mobo and I7-930 processor (and OC'd from the default 2.8 GHz) running W7 x64 suffice to say I'm fully knowledgeable of the alternative rendering modes in the Nvidia SLI settings(none of which are true SLI where they just split the rendering between the GPU's), I do know how to activate "Show SLI visual Indicator", and I did state in my post I tried the cfs3.exe.....

Edited March 22, 2010 by Over50