Problems playing Skyrim with my 580Ms in SLI

One of the reasons I bought this notebook (see my sig-MALIBAL Nine X7200 (7280)) was to play Skyrim with no issues in SLI at max settings. What I've noticed is that when I disable SLI, I get an FPS between 28-50 depending on where Im at. With SLI enabled, the FPS is generally from 40-60. The problem is that everything kind of stutters. Like the ripples created when you run through the water..they are not smooth as they expand out, its like they quickly shake back and forth as the ripples expand. Again, this goes away without SLI and a lower FPS.

Any suggestions? I have the latest drivers (not the beta). How do I know if its a software issue or a HW one? If its SW, any settings I should try to disable or force to help? I have everything at max and I am playing with 1920x1080. Here is my DXDIAG. Could older sound drivers affect SLI?

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System Information
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Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110622-1506)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: CLEVO CO.
System Model: X7200
BIOS: Revision 1.0
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 970 @ 3.20GHz (12 CPUs), ~3.2GHz
Memory: 12288MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 12280MB RAM
Page File: 1979MB used, 22576MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 120 DPI (125 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: UnKnown
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 2: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (retail)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
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Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce GTX 580M
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1211&SUBSYS_72001558&REV_A1
Display Memory: 4062 MB
Dedicated Memory: 2014 MB
Shared Memory: 2047 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: unknown
Monitor Id: LGD0285
Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (59.997Hz)
Output Type: Internal
Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
Driver File Version: 8.17.0012.8562 (English)
Driver Version: 8.17.12.8562
DDI Version: 11
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 10/15/2011 00:53:00, 15693120 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp:
Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-5151-11CF-9A57-0C521FC2C535}
Vendor ID: 0x10DE
Device ID: 0x1211
SubSys ID: 0x72001558
Revision ID: 0x00A1
Driver Strong Name: oem26.inf:NVIDIA_SetA_Dev


Sound Devices
-------------
Description: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0888&SUBSYS_15587200&REV_1002
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: RTKVHD64.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.6132 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 6/8/2010 01:21:02, 2394216 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0xF1F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 200000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

Description: Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Default Sound Playback: No
Default Voice Playback: No
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0888&SUBSYS_15587200&REV_1002
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: RTKVHD64.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.6132 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 6/8/2010 01:21:02, 2394216 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
HW Accel Level: Basic
Cap Flags: 0xF1F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 200000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
Description: Microphone (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Default Sound Capture: Yes
Default Voice Capture: Yes
Driver Name: RTKVHD64.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.6132 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 6/8/2010 01:21:02, 2394216 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x1
Format Flags: 0xFFFFF

 

try to install the latest Nvidia BETA drivers, but they're not too much of a relief for 580M SLI! the GPU usage is terrible using 2 cards in tandem, so it's better to wait for the next WHQL driver release. Hope they add some performance improvements for this title)

 

sli stutter

 

The stuttering you googled is not at all what I just described, though I have that symptom too in one or two places within the game when the wind snow and rain are all swirling a lot on top of a mountain. Anyway, this is not sudden spikes. This is exactly what I described. Normally, if you run through the water, ripples smoothly expand from where you are standing in the water. In SLI, every ripples shakes as it expands even when the FPS stays exactly the same.

 

I've decided at least in the short term and after doing a restore to December 5th that I was probably playing with one GPU for quite some time without realizing it. Anomalies such as the shaking expanding water ripples or the stuttering that ckwbff posted are probably SW related and Im just going to play with one GPU until future Drivers come out that will hopefully fix some of these things when playing in SLI (which only when I enable do these things happen). No issues with Witcher 2.

 

295.36 betas have been released with specific sli fixes for skyrim and batman Arkham city.
The old whql doesn't contain those fixes and they are known to introduce stuttering and itching.
So first of all you should:

- disable core parking
- clean install newer 295.35 betas (follow my guide in sig)
- update skyrim to 1.3 patch

Specially the first two steps are vital since skyrim has a partial issues with more than 4 cores like it happened with oblivion. Windows have the habit to park them therefore they create a bottleneck.
The driver itselft althought beta are designed for skyrim, older drivers are problematic.
Also use ultra preset but keep either fxaa or 8xMsaa, not both.
With my little 485m I'm doing ultra/fxaa while keeping 40-45fps almost all the time with enhanced visuals thru ini.
If I run the game vanilla with no mods then I'm into 60fps steady, so something isn't right on your end.

 

Kingpinzero, sorry to hijack, but how would one find out if there clevo is core parking? would it be as simple as CTRL ALT DEL and seeing if all CPU cores are working under cpu usage history whilst in a game?

 

Yep it could be a way, but the fact that windows parks the cores on the fly, alt tabbing my unpark them since the process/game would be tasked.

For peace of mind ive advice to disable the core parking since its not invasive and really doesnt change anything, beside the inability by windows to park the cores.

You may not always know how a game is coded, if theres too much load on two cores and a less percentage on the others, windows may decide to park them.

With this small tweak you force to not park them leading to an obvious perfomance gain.

 

Kingpin:

where is the 295.35 driver? Latest I see is 290.36.

Also, your guides are no longer in your sig. What happened?

 

Ganzonomy: yup I was about to edit it, latest are indeed 290.36 beta.
About the guide, my sig broke the BB code limit. I'll fetch a link..

Edit:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...pdate-nvidia-drivers-any-windows-version.html

Also there's a faq section about the clean install method in nvidia driver, which basically is bs and doesn't do anything useful.

 

I like your method of cleaning way better. I use it on my sagers. As for 295.35, no harm. I'm waiting for the upgrade that lets me get a pre-alpha game I'm testing into a GPU profile .