Do you have to do anything special to get your graphic cards to run a game?

[The Useless Member]

I have two Nvidia GeForce GT 630 4GB's.

And it seems to me like only one graphics card is running. Do I need to do anything special to make them both run while I'm in a game?

Here it is running ETW. The one that is doing a lot of work is my first graphic card, the one that is idle is my second one.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I decided, maybe I shouldn't use a TW game to test this out, but...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Then I decided, maybe I should try a more modern game.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

No such luck.

So, how do you run two graphics cards?

[Doono]

you need to check sli is enabled in the nvidia control panel and the game itself supports sli. From what I recall sli is very hit or miss with total war games

[The Useless Member]

you need to check sli is enabled in the nvidia control panel and the game itself supports sli. From what I recall sli is very hit or miss with total war games

Yeah, just look at the pictures. Is there another way I can activate it? Because doing a quick google search, there should be another setting that pops up when you install the two graphic cards. There is none, besides Nvdidia control panel knows they're there.

[Crazyeyesreaper]

first off run do as mitch suggested go to your control panel for the NVIDIA GPU and make sure SLI is enabled another way to find out is to run GPU-Z

Next run the game full screen, as SLI doesnt always work in Window mode in some cases it doesn't work or doesn't scale properly depending upon setup , gpus used, driver used and game tested

2x 630 GPUs are most likely a terrible combination for SLI, to be quite blunt a single gpu that comes in at the same price as both those 630s you have now would have offered better performance.

example a 550 Ti for $120 ish will beat 2x 630s in SLI costs less

GTX 560 further punishes the GPU not what you want to hear but 2x 630s were a worthless purchase unless your running alot of screen for productivity etc as for the 4GB vram buffer also worthless as the cards will never be fast enough to put the 4gb VRAM to use.

That said again test full screen, use fraps etc to check your FPS with shogun 2 just run the DX11 720p and 1080p benchmarks and monitor your GPU usage this can be done again with GPU-Z in the senor tab you can have it log data while you play and you can just alt tab out look at GPU usage to see if both cards are working properly.

example of 630's performance to price ratio compared to other GPUs on the market add 2 630s together knock off 20% and you have what would be a best case senario for SLI
http://community.futuremark.com/hard...GT+630/review#

example GPU = to the cost of the 2 630s but out performs them http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814162091

Im just gonna say that at least now you know your better off with a good single GPU then 2 weak gpus. i mean serious 96 shaders with 4GB DDR3 on a 128bit bus is asinine.

[The Useless Member]

first off run the game full screen,

SLI doesnt always work in Window mode in some cases it doesn't work or doesn't scale properly depending upon setup , gpus used, driver used and game tested

2x 630 gpus are most likely a terrible combination for SLI, to be quite blunt a single gpu that comes in at the same price as both those 630s you have no would have offered better performance.

example a 550 Ti for $120 ish will beat 2x 630s in SLI costs less
GTX 560 further punishes the GPU not what you want to hear but 2x 630s were a worthless purchase unless your running alot of screen for productivity etc as for the 4GB vram buffer also worthless as the cards will never be fast enough to put the 4gb VRAM to use.

That said again test full screen, use fraps etc to check your FPS with shogun 2 just run the DX11 720p and 1080p benchmarks

example of 630's performance to price ration compared to other GPUs on the market
http://community.futuremark.com/hard...GT+630/review#

example GPU = to the cost of the 2 630s but out performs them http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814162091

Im just gonna say that at least now you know your better off with a good single GPU then 2 weak gpus. i mean serious 96 shaders with 4GB DDR3 on a 128bit bus is asinine.

Here are my logs. 1080p high, but I still cannot get SLI mode to work. I can't find anything to turn it on.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Average FPS: 7.68868

benchmarks\BenchmarkDX11GraphicsHigh1080p_preferences.script.txt:

write_preferences_at_exit false; # write_preferences_at_exit <bool>, Write preferences at exit #
app_multirun false; # app_multirun <bool>, Allow multiple instances of the application #
x_res 1920; # x_res <int32>, Fixed window width #
y_res 1080; # y_res <int32>, Fixed window height #
x_pos 0; # x_pos <int32>, Window position #
y_pos 0; # y_pos <int32>, Window position #
vfs_log_level 0; # vfs_log_level <int32>, 0 - off, 1 - mod-user, 2 - dev #
unit_test false; # unit_test <bool>, unit test (for daily build) #
campaign_unit_multiplier 0.75; # campaign_unit_multiplier <float>, Set default unit multiplier for campaign #
naval_fleet_multiplier 0.75; # naval_fleet_multiplier <float>, Set default fleet size for battles #
gfx_first_run false; # gfx_first_run <bool>, First time application run #
gfx_dx11_checked true; # gfx_dx11_checked <bool>, Have we checked that user wants dx11? #
gfx_video_memory 0; # gfx_video_memory <int>, Override available video memory (bytes) #
gfx_fullscreen true; # gfx_fullscreen <bool>, Run the application in fullscreen or not #
gfx_vsync false; # gfx_vsync <bool>, vertical synchronization #
gfx_hdr true; #  gfx_hdr <bool>, Use high dynamic range rendering pipeline #
gfx_shadermodel 4; # gfx_shadermodel <int>, Set shader model, 0-SM3LQ, 1-SM3, 2-SM4, 3=SM4.1, 4=SM5 #
gfx_aa 1; # gfx_aa <int>, Set antialiasing, 0-no, 1 = MLAA, 2 = MSAA_2X, 3 = MSAA_4X, 4 = MSAA_8X #
gfx_texture_filtering 4; # gfx_texture_filtering <int>, Set texture filtering, 0-trilinear, 4- anisotropic 16x #
gfx_texture_quality 3; # gfx_texture_quality <int>, Set the quality of textures. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_ssao true; # gfx_ssao <bool>, Enable Screen Space Ambient Occlusion buffer #
gfx_enable_directx11 true; # gfx_enable_directx11 <bool>, Enable DirectX 11 rendering #
gfx_distortion true; # gfx_distortion <bool>, Enable Distortion Effect buffer #
gfx_depth_of_field 2; # gfx_depth_of_field <int>, Set depth of field quality 0 - off, 2 - high #
gfx_hardware_shadows true; # gfx_hardware_shadows <bool>, Enable hardware shadows #
gfx_tesselation true; # gfx_tesselation <bool>, Enable tesselation #
gfx_sky_quality 3; # gfx_sky_quality <int>, Set the quality of sky. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_unit_quality 3; # gfx_unit_quality <int>, Set the quality of units. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_ship_quality 1; # gfx_ship_quality <int>, Set the quality of ships. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_building_quality 3; # gfx_building_quality <int>, Set the quality of buildings. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_water_quality 3; # gfx_water_quality <int>, Set the quality of water. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_unit_scale 1; # gfx_unit_scale <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_shadow_quality 3; # gfx_shadow_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - off, 4 - ultra #
gfx_tree_quality 3; # gfx_tree_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - off, 4 - ultra #
gfx_grass_quality 4; # gfx_grass_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - off, 4 - ultra #
gfx_terrain_quality 1; # gfx_terrain_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - low, 1 - high #
gfx_gamma_setting 2; # gfx_gamma_setting <float>, Set gamma correction #
gfx_brightness_setting 1.2; # gfx_brightness_setting <float>, Set brightness #
gfx_screenshot_folder ./screenshots; # gfx_screenshot_folder <folder>, Folder to where save screenshots relative to Empire directory #
gfx_gpu "AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series"; # gfx_gpu <path>, The GPU description #
gfx_effects_quality 3; # gfx_effects_quality <int>, Set effects quality. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_vignette true; # gfx_vignette <true|false>, Enable vignette #
gfx_picture_in_picture false; # gfx_picture_in_picture <true|false>, Enable picture_in_picture #
camera_move_speed 100; # camera_move_speed <float>, Set camera movement speed #
camera_turn_speed 5; # camera_turn_speed <float>, Set camera turn speed #
default_camera_type 0; # default_battle_camera <card32>, default battle camera: 0-totalwar 1-rts 2-debug #
enable_sound true; # enable_sound <bool>, enables all audio content (default = true). If disabled none of the database or sound pack files are loaded. #
fix_res true; # fix_res <bool>, Forbid window resizing #
fix_window_pos true; # fix_window_pos <bool>, Forbid window repositioning #
mouse_wheel_sensitivity 50; # mouse_wheel_sensitivity <card32>, mouse wheel sensitivity: <0-100> default value = 50  #
invert_cam_x_axis false; # invert_camera_x_axis <bool>, invert camera tilting up/down #
invert_cam_y_axis false; # invert_camera_y_axis <bool>, invert camera panning left/right #
minimised_ui false; # minimised_ui <true|false>, show minimised ui #
ui_order_button_mode 0; # ui_order_button_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
show_selection_markers true; # show_selection_markers <true|false>, Show the selection markers under the units #
show_path_markers true; # show_path_markers <true|false>, Show paths in naval battles #
show_target_zones true; # show_target_zones <true|false>, Show firing arcs etc #
ui_order_button_mode 0; # ui_order_button_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
ui_card_mode 0; # ui_card_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
ui_radar_mode 0; # ui_radar_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
ui_land_unit_ids 0; # ui_land_unit_ids <0|1|2>, 0 = always, 1 = on mouse over, 2 = never #
ui_naval_unit_ids 0; # ui_naval_unit_ids <0|1|2>, 0 = always, 1 = on mouse over, 2 = never #
ui_mouse_scroll true; # ui_mouse_scroll <true|false>, Allow/disallow scrolling of the map by putting the cursor at the edge of the screen #
battle_time_limit 60; # battle_time_limit <int>, Sets the time (in minutes) for each battle. -1 for unlimited #
battle_difficulty -1; # battle_difficulty <int>, Sets the handicap for battles. Positive gives advantage.  -2 is vhard, -1 is hard, 0 normal, 1 easy #
autoresolve_difficulty 0; # autoresolve_difficulty <int>, Sets the handicap for battles that are autoresolved. Positive gives advantage.  -2 is vhard, -1 is hard, 0 normal, 1 easy #
campaign_difficulty 0; # campaign_difficulty <int>, Sets the handicap for campaigns.  Positive gives advantage.  -2 is vhard, -1 is hard, 0 normal, 1 easy #
battle_advice_level 2; # battle_advice_level <int>, Sets advice level in the battle game #
campaign_advice_level 2; # campaign_advice_level <int>, Sets advice level in the campaign game #
info_panel_mode 1; # info_panel_mode <int>, Sets info panel options. 0 - only in campaign, 1 - campaign and battle cards, 2 - campaign and battle cards and battle units #
advisor_mode 2; # advisor_mode <int>, Sets Advisor options. 0 - text only, 1 - audio only, 2 - text and audio both #
campaign_time_limit -1; # campaign_time_limit <int>, Sets the time (in minutes) for each round of the campaign. -1 for unlimited #
show_cpu_moves true; # show_cpu_moves <true|false>, Show/hide the movement of the ai pieces on the campaign map #
automanage_regions false; # automanage_regions <true|false>, Let the AI manage taxes etc in players regions #
limitless_ammo true; # show_cpu_moves <true|false>, Enable/disable Infinite ammo on battlefields #
occupiable_building_markers true; # show_occupiable_building_markers <true|false>, Enable/disable occupiable building markers on battlefields #
allow_drop_in_battles false; # allow_drop_in_battles <bool>, Allow invititations to other peoples campaign battles when playing a single player campaign #
friend_only_drop_in_battles true; # friend_only_drop_in_battles <bool>, invite only friends to your campaign drop in battles when playing a single player campaign #
multithreaded_model_enabled true; # multithreaded_model_enabled <true|false>, Run the battle model on a separate thread #
battle_camera_shake_enabled true; # battle_camera_shake_enabled <true|false>, Enable battle camera shake effects #
subtitles true; # subtitles <true|false>, Display subtitles during movies #
sound_master_volume 100; # sound_master_volume <int>, master sound volume 0-100 #
sound_music_volume 100; # sound_music_volume <int>, music sound volume 0-100 #
sound_speech_volume 100; # sound_speech_volume <int>, speech sound volume 0-100 #
sound_sfx_volume 100; # sound_sfx_volume <int>, sfx sound volume 0-100 #
sound_master_enabled true; # sound_master_enabled <true|false>, master sound enabled #
sound_music_enabled true; # sound_music_enabled <true|false>, music sound enabled #
sound_speech_enabled true; # sound_speech_enabled <true|false>, speech sound enabled #
sound_sfx_enabled true; # sound_sfx_enabled <true|false>, sfx sound volume enabled #
sound_provider 0; # sound_provider <int>, sound provider index (0-?) #
sound_channels 256; # sound_channels <int>, Number of sound channels. Fewer channels means fewer sounds but faster performance. #
voice_chat_enable true; # voice_chat_enable <bool>, Enables VOIP functionality in Steam. (default = true) #
voice_chat_microphone_gain 100; # voice_chat_microphone_gain <int>, voice_chat_microphone_gain (0-100). #
voice_chat_microphone_gain_boost true; # voice_chat_microphone_gain_boost <bool>, Boost microphone gain. #
voice_chat_volume 100; # voice_chat_volume <int>, Voice chat volume (0-100). #
voice_chat_quality 2; # voice_chat_quality <int>, Voice chat quality (0-2, 0 = low, 1 = medium, 2 = high). #
voice_chat_transmit_only_when_key_pressed true; # voice_chat_transmit_only_when_key_pressed <bool>, voice_chat_transmit_only_when_key_pressed (otherwise always trasnmitting). #
bink_use_thread true; # bink_use_thread <bool>, tells bink to use asynchronous update, increased performance on some systems, decreased on others. (default = true) #
number_of_threads 0; # number_of_threads <int>, Set the number of threads <= 0 - automatic, >0 = explicit number  #
campaign_camera_edge_scroll_delay 0.5; # campaign_camera_edge_scroll_delay <float>, Set the number of seconds of delay between the mouse cursor entering the edge-scroll zone on the campaign map the camera starting movement. #

C:\Users\Matt\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\Shogun2\logs\frame_rate.log.txt:

Start Logging
10.000
6.000
7.000
7.000
7.000
7.000
8.000
7.000
8.000
11.000
11.000
11.000
10.000
11.000
10.000
8.000
8.000
7.000
8.000
7.000
8.000
7.000
7.000

720p DX 11 Balanced.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Average FPS: 21.25

benchmarks\BenchmarkDX11GraphicsBalanced720p_preferences.script.txt:

write_preferences_at_exit false; # write_preferences_at_exit <bool>, Write preferences at exit #
app_multirun false; # app_multirun <bool>, Allow multiple instances of the application #
x_res 1280; # x_res <int32>, Fixed window width #
y_res 720; # y_res <int32>, Fixed window height #
x_pos 0; # x_pos <int32>, Window position #
y_pos 0; # y_pos <int32>, Window position #
vfs_log_level 0; # vfs_log_level <int32>, 0 - off, 1 - mod-user, 2 - dev #
unit_test false; # unit_test <bool>, unit test (for daily build) #
campaign_unit_multiplier 0.75; # campaign_unit_multiplier <float>, Set default unit multiplier for campaign #
naval_fleet_multiplier 0.75; # naval_fleet_multiplier <float>, Set default fleet size for battles #
gfx_first_run false; # gfx_first_run <bool>, First time application run #
gfx_dx11_checked true; # gfx_dx11_checked <bool>, Have we checked that user wants dx11? #
gfx_video_memory 0; # gfx_video_memory <int>, Override available video memory (bytes) #
gfx_fullscreen true; # gfx_fullscreen <bool>, Run the application in fullscreen or not #
gfx_vsync false; # gfx_vsync <bool>, vertical synchronization #
gfx_hdr true; #  gfx_hdr <bool>, Use high dynamic range rendering pipeline #
gfx_shadermodel 4; # gfx_shadermodel <int>, Set shader model, 0-SM3LQ, 1-SM3, 2-SM4, 3=SM4.1, 4=SM5 #
gfx_aa 1; # gfx_aa <int>, Set antialiasing, 0-no, 1 = MLAA, 2 = MSAA_2X, 3 = MSAA_4X, 4 = MSAA_8X #
gfx_texture_filtering 0; # gfx_texture_filtering <int>, Set texture filtering, 0-trilinear, 4- anisotropic 16x #
gfx_texture_quality 1; # gfx_texture_quality <int>, Set the quality of textures. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_ssao true; # gfx_ssao <bool>, Enable Screen Space Ambient Occlusion buffer #
gfx_enable_directx11 true; # gfx_enable_directx11 <bool>, Enable DirectX 11 rendering #
gfx_distortion true; # gfx_distortion <bool>, Enable Distortion Effect buffer #
gfx_depth_of_field 2; # gfx_depth_of_field <int>, Set depth of field quality 0 - off, 2 - high #
gfx_hardware_shadows true; # gfx_hardware_shadows <bool>, Enable hardware shadows #
gfx_tesselation true; # gfx_tesselation <bool>, Enable tesselation #
gfx_sky_quality 1; # gfx_sky_quality <int>, Set the quality of sky. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_unit_quality 1; # gfx_unit_quality <int>, Set the quality of units. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_ship_quality 1; # gfx_ship_quality <int>, Set the quality of ships. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_building_quality 1; # gfx_building_quality <int>, Set the quality of buildings. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_water_quality 1; # gfx_water_quality <int>, Set the quality of water. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_unit_scale 1; # gfx_unit_scale <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_shadow_quality 2; # gfx_shadow_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - off, 4 - ultra #
gfx_tree_quality 1; # gfx_tree_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - off, 4 - ultra #
gfx_grass_quality 2; # gfx_grass_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - off, 4 - ultra #
gfx_terrain_quality 1; # gfx_terrain_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - low, 1 - high #
gfx_gamma_setting 2; # gfx_gamma_setting <float>, Set gamma correction #
gfx_brightness_setting 1.2; # gfx_brightness_setting <float>, Set brightness #
gfx_screenshot_folder ./screenshots; # gfx_screenshot_folder <folder>, Folder to where save screenshots relative to Empire directory #
gfx_gpu "AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series"; # gfx_gpu <path>, The GPU description #
gfx_effects_quality 1; # gfx_effects_quality <int>, Set effects quality. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_vignette true; # gfx_vignette <true|false>, Enable vignette #
gfx_picture_in_picture false; # gfx_picture_in_picture <true|false>, Enable picture_in_picture #
camera_move_speed 100; # camera_move_speed <float>, Set camera movement speed #
camera_turn_speed 5; # camera_turn_speed <float>, Set camera turn speed #
default_camera_type 0; # default_battle_camera <card32>, default battle camera: 0-totalwar 1-rts 2-debug #
enable_sound true; # enable_sound <bool>, enables all audio content (default = true). If disabled none of the database or sound pack files are loaded. #
fix_res true; # fix_res <bool>, Forbid window resizing #
fix_window_pos true; # fix_window_pos <bool>, Forbid window repositioning #
mouse_wheel_sensitivity 50; # mouse_wheel_sensitivity <card32>, mouse wheel sensitivity: <0-100> default value = 50  #
invert_cam_x_axis false; # invert_camera_x_axis <bool>, invert camera tilting up/down #
invert_cam_y_axis false; # invert_camera_y_axis <bool>, invert camera panning left/right #
minimised_ui false; # minimised_ui <true|false>, show minimised ui #
ui_order_button_mode 0; # ui_order_button_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
show_selection_markers true; # show_selection_markers <true|false>, Show the selection markers under the units #
show_path_markers true; # show_path_markers <true|false>, Show paths in naval battles #
show_target_zones true; # show_target_zones <true|false>, Show firing arcs etc #
ui_order_button_mode 0; # ui_order_button_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
ui_card_mode 0; # ui_card_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
ui_radar_mode 0; # ui_radar_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
ui_land_unit_ids 0; # ui_land_unit_ids <0|1|2>, 0 = always, 1 = on mouse over, 2 = never #
ui_naval_unit_ids 0; # ui_naval_unit_ids <0|1|2>, 0 = always, 1 = on mouse over, 2 = never #
ui_mouse_scroll true; # ui_mouse_scroll <true|false>, Allow/disallow scrolling of the map by putting the cursor at the edge of the screen #
battle_time_limit 60; # battle_time_limit <int>, Sets the time (in minutes) for each battle. -1 for unlimited #
battle_difficulty -1; # battle_difficulty <int>, Sets the handicap for battles. Positive gives advantage.  -2 is vhard, -1 is hard, 0 normal, 1 easy #
autoresolve_difficulty 0; # autoresolve_difficulty <int>, Sets the handicap for battles that are autoresolved. Positive gives advantage.  -2 is vhard, -1 is hard, 0 normal, 1 easy #
campaign_difficulty 0; # campaign_difficulty <int>, Sets the handicap for campaigns.  Positive gives advantage.  -2 is vhard, -1 is hard, 0 normal, 1 easy #
battle_advice_level 2; # battle_advice_level <int>, Sets advice level in the battle game #
campaign_advice_level 2; # campaign_advice_level <int>, Sets advice level in the campaign game #
info_panel_mode 1; # info_panel_mode <int>, Sets info panel options. 0 - only in campaign, 1 - campaign and battle cards, 2 - campaign and battle cards and battle units #
advisor_mode 2; # advisor_mode <int>, Sets Advisor options. 0 - text only, 1 - audio only, 2 - text and audio both #
campaign_time_limit -1; # campaign_time_limit <int>, Sets the time (in minutes) for each round of the campaign. -1 for unlimited #
show_cpu_moves true; # show_cpu_moves <true|false>, Show/hide the movement of the ai pieces on the campaign map #
automanage_regions false; # automanage_regions <true|false>, Let the AI manage taxes etc in players regions #
limitless_ammo true; # show_cpu_moves <true|false>, Enable/disable Infinite ammo on battlefields #
occupiable_building_markers true; # show_occupiable_building_markers <true|false>, Enable/disable occupiable building markers on battlefields #
allow_drop_in_battles false; # allow_drop_in_battles <bool>, Allow invititations to other peoples campaign battles when playing a single player campaign #
friend_only_drop_in_battles true; # friend_only_drop_in_battles <bool>, invite only friends to your campaign drop in battles when playing a single player campaign #
multithreaded_model_enabled true; # multithreaded_model_enabled <true|false>, Run the battle model on a separate thread #
battle_camera_shake_enabled true; # battle_camera_shake_enabled <true|false>, Enable battle camera shake effects #
subtitles true; # subtitles <true|false>, Display subtitles during movies #
sound_master_volume 100; # sound_master_volume <int>, master sound volume 0-100 #
sound_music_volume 100; # sound_music_volume <int>, music sound volume 0-100 #
sound_speech_volume 100; # sound_speech_volume <int>, speech sound volume 0-100 #
sound_sfx_volume 100; # sound_sfx_volume <int>, sfx sound volume 0-100 #
sound_master_enabled true; # sound_master_enabled <true|false>, master sound enabled #
sound_music_enabled true; # sound_music_enabled <true|false>, music sound enabled #
sound_speech_enabled true; # sound_speech_enabled <true|false>, speech sound enabled #
sound_sfx_enabled true; # sound_sfx_enabled <true|false>, sfx sound volume enabled #
sound_provider 0; # sound_provider <int>, sound provider index (0-?) #
sound_channels 256; # sound_channels <int>, Number of sound channels. Fewer channels means fewer sounds but faster performance. #
voice_chat_enable true; # voice_chat_enable <bool>, Enables VOIP functionality in Steam. (default = true) #
voice_chat_microphone_gain 100; # voice_chat_microphone_gain <int>, voice_chat_microphone_gain (0-100). #
voice_chat_microphone_gain_boost true; # voice_chat_microphone_gain_boost <bool>, Boost microphone gain. #
voice_chat_volume 100; # voice_chat_volume <int>, Voice chat volume (0-100). #
voice_chat_quality 2; # voice_chat_quality <int>, Voice chat quality (0-2, 0 = low, 1 = medium, 2 = high). #
voice_chat_transmit_only_when_key_pressed true; # voice_chat_transmit_only_when_key_pressed <bool>, voice_chat_transmit_only_when_key_pressed (otherwise always trasnmitting). #
bink_use_thread true; # bink_use_thread <bool>, tells bink to use asynchronous update, increased performance on some systems, decreased on others. (default = true) #
number_of_threads 0; # number_of_threads <int>, Set the number of threads <= 0 - automatic, >0 = explicit number  #
campaign_camera_edge_scroll_delay 0.5; # campaign_camera_edge_scroll_delay <float>, Set the number of seconds of delay between the mouse cursor entering the edge-scroll zone on the campaign map the camera starting movement. #

C:\Users\Matt\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\Shogun2\logs\frame_rate.log.txt:

Start Logging
23.000
19.000
19.000
20.000
20.000
22.000
29.000
29.000
29.000
29.000
28.000
28.000
22.000
21.000
21.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
19.000
20.000
19.000
20.000
20.000
19.000
19.000
19.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
24.000
23.000
24.000
23.000
24.000
25.000
27.000
28.000
27.000
25.000
19.000
19.000
18.000
19.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
19.000
20.000
17.000
18.000
17.000
16.000
19.000
21.000
20.000
23.000
22.000
23.000
23.000
24.000
25.000
25.000
24.000
19.000
19.000
19.000
19.000
19.000
19.000
20.000
19.000
18.000
19.000
18.000
18.000
20.000
End Logging

DX9 balanced 720p

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Average FPS: 22.675

benchmarks\BenchmarkDX9GraphicsBalanced720p_preferences.script.txt:

write_preferences_at_exit false; # write_preferences_at_exit <bool>, Write preferences at exit #
app_multirun false; # app_multirun <bool>, Allow multiple instances of the application #
x_res 1280; # x_res <int32>, Fixed window width #
y_res 720; # y_res <int32>, Fixed window height #
x_pos 0; # x_pos <int32>, Window position #
y_pos 0; # y_pos <int32>, Window position #
vfs_log_level 0; # vfs_log_level <int32>, 0 - off, 1 - mod-user, 2 - dev #
unit_test false; # unit_test <bool>, unit test (for daily build) #
campaign_unit_multiplier 0.75; # campaign_unit_multiplier <float>, Set default unit multiplier for campaign #
naval_fleet_multiplier 0.75; # naval_fleet_multiplier <float>, Set default fleet size for battles #
gfx_first_run false; # gfx_first_run <bool>, First time application run #
gfx_dx11_checked true; # gfx_dx11_checked <bool>, Have we checked that user wants dx11? #
gfx_video_memory 0; # gfx_video_memory <int>, Override available video memory (bytes) #
gfx_fullscreen true; # gfx_fullscreen <bool>, Run the application in fullscreen or not #
gfx_vsync false; # gfx_vsync <bool>, vertical synchronization #
gfx_hdr true; #  gfx_hdr <bool>, Use high dynamic range rendering pipeline #
gfx_shadermodel 1; # gfx_shadermodel <int>, Set shader model, 0-SM3LQ, 1-SM3, 2-SM4, 3=SM4.1, 4=SM5 #
gfx_aa 0; # gfx_aa <int>, Set antialiasing, 0-no, 1 = MLAA, 2 = MSAA_2X, 3 = MSAA_4X, 4 = MSAA_8X #
gfx_texture_filtering 0; # gfx_texture_filtering <int>, Set texture filtering, 0-trilinear, 4- anisotropic 16x #
gfx_texture_quality 2; # gfx_texture_quality <int>, Set the quality of textures. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_ssao true; # gfx_ssao <bool>, Enable Screen Space Ambient Occlusion buffer #
gfx_enable_directx11 false; # gfx_enable_directx11 <bool>, Enable DirectX 11 rendering #
gfx_distortion true; # gfx_distortion <bool>, Enable Distortion Effect buffer #
gfx_depth_of_field 1; # gfx_depth_of_field <int>, Set depth of field quality 0 - off, 2 - high #
gfx_hardware_shadows true; # gfx_hardware_shadows <bool>, Enable hardware shadows #
gfx_tesselation false; # gfx_tesselation <bool>, Enable tesselation #
gfx_sky_quality 2; # gfx_sky_quality <int>, Set the quality of sky. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_unit_quality 2; # gfx_unit_quality <int>, Set the quality of units. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_ship_quality 1; # gfx_ship_quality <int>, Set the quality of ships. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_building_quality 2; # gfx_building_quality <int>, Set the quality of buildings. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_water_quality 2; # gfx_water_quality <int>, Set the quality of water. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_unit_scale 1; # gfx_unit_scale <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_shadow_quality 2; # gfx_shadow_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - off, 4 - ultra #
gfx_tree_quality 2; # gfx_tree_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - off, 4 - ultra #
gfx_grass_quality 3; # gfx_grass_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - off, 4 - ultra #
gfx_terrain_quality 1; # gfx_terrain_quality <int>, Set unit scale. 0 - low, 1 - high #
gfx_gamma_setting 2; # gfx_gamma_setting <float>, Set gamma correction #
gfx_brightness_setting 1.2; # gfx_brightness_setting <float>, Set brightness #
gfx_screenshot_folder ./screenshots; # gfx_screenshot_folder <folder>, Folder to where save screenshots relative to Empire directory #
gfx_gpu "AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series"; # gfx_gpu <path>, The GPU description #
gfx_effects_quality 2; # gfx_effects_quality <int>, Set effects quality. 0 - lowest, 3 - ultra #
gfx_vignette true; # gfx_vignette <true|false>, Enable vignette #
gfx_picture_in_picture false; # gfx_picture_in_picture <true|false>, Enable picture_in_picture #
camera_move_speed 100; # camera_move_speed <float>, Set camera movement speed #
camera_turn_speed 5; # camera_turn_speed <float>, Set camera turn speed #
default_camera_type 0; # default_battle_camera <card32>, default battle camera: 0-totalwar 1-rts 2-debug #
enable_sound true; # enable_sound <bool>, enables all audio content (default = true). If disabled none of the database or sound pack files are loaded. #
fix_res true; # fix_res <bool>, Forbid window resizing #
fix_window_pos true; # fix_window_pos <bool>, Forbid window repositioning #
mouse_wheel_sensitivity 50; # mouse_wheel_sensitivity <card32>, mouse wheel sensitivity: <0-100> default value = 50  #
invert_cam_x_axis false; # invert_camera_x_axis <bool>, invert camera tilting up/down #
invert_cam_y_axis false; # invert_camera_y_axis <bool>, invert camera panning left/right #
minimised_ui false; # minimised_ui <true|false>, show minimised ui #
ui_order_button_mode 0; # ui_order_button_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
show_selection_markers true; # show_selection_markers <true|false>, Show the selection markers under the units #
show_path_markers true; # show_path_markers <true|false>, Show paths in naval battles #
show_target_zones true; # show_target_zones <true|false>, Show firing arcs etc #
ui_order_button_mode 0; # ui_order_button_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
ui_card_mode 0; # ui_card_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
ui_radar_mode 0; # ui_radar_mode <0|1|2>, Only applicable with minimised ui. 0 = always, 1 = slide on, 2 = never #
ui_land_unit_ids 0; # ui_land_unit_ids <0|1|2>, 0 = always, 1 = on mouse over, 2 = never #
ui_naval_unit_ids 0; # ui_naval_unit_ids <0|1|2>, 0 = always, 1 = on mouse over, 2 = never #
ui_mouse_scroll true; # ui_mouse_scroll <true|false>, Allow/disallow scrolling of the map by putting the cursor at the edge of the screen #
battle_time_limit 60; # battle_time_limit <int>, Sets the time (in minutes) for each battle. -1 for unlimited #
battle_difficulty -1; # battle_difficulty <int>, Sets the handicap for battles. Positive gives advantage.  -2 is vhard, -1 is hard, 0 normal, 1 easy #
autoresolve_difficulty 0; # autoresolve_difficulty <int>, Sets the handicap for battles that are autoresolved. Positive gives advantage.  -2 is vhard, -1 is hard, 0 normal, 1 easy #
campaign_difficulty 0; # campaign_difficulty <int>, Sets the handicap for campaigns.  Positive gives advantage.  -2 is vhard, -1 is hard, 0 normal, 1 easy #
battle_advice_level 2; # battle_advice_level <int>, Sets advice level in the battle game #
campaign_advice_level 2; # campaign_advice_level <int>, Sets advice level in the campaign game #
info_panel_mode 1; # info_panel_mode <int>, Sets info panel options. 0 - only in campaign, 1 - campaign and battle cards, 2 - campaign and battle cards and battle units #
advisor_mode 2; # advisor_mode <int>, Sets Advisor options. 0 - text only, 1 - audio only, 2 - text and audio both #
campaign_time_limit -1; # campaign_time_limit <int>, Sets the time (in minutes) for each round of the campaign. -1 for unlimited #
show_cpu_moves true; # show_cpu_moves <true|false>, Show/hide the movement of the ai pieces on the campaign map #
automanage_regions false; # automanage_regions <true|false>, Let the AI manage taxes etc in players regions #
limitless_ammo true; # show_cpu_moves <true|false>, Enable/disable Infinite ammo on battlefields #
occupiable_building_markers true; # show_occupiable_building_markers <true|false>, Enable/disable occupiable building markers on battlefields #
allow_drop_in_battles false; # allow_drop_in_battles <bool>, Allow invititations to other peoples campaign battles when playing a single player campaign #
friend_only_drop_in_battles true; # friend_only_drop_in_battles <bool>, invite only friends to your campaign drop in battles when playing a single player campaign #
multithreaded_model_enabled true; # multithreaded_model_enabled <true|false>, Run the battle model on a separate thread #
battle_camera_shake_enabled true; # battle_camera_shake_enabled <true|false>, Enable battle camera shake effects #
subtitles true; # subtitles <true|false>, Display subtitles during movies #
sound_master_volume 100; # sound_master_volume <int>, master sound volume 0-100 #
sound_music_volume 100; # sound_music_volume <int>, music sound volume 0-100 #
sound_speech_volume 100; # sound_speech_volume <int>, speech sound volume 0-100 #
sound_sfx_volume 100; # sound_sfx_volume <int>, sfx sound volume 0-100 #
sound_master_enabled true; # sound_master_enabled <true|false>, master sound enabled #
sound_music_enabled true; # sound_music_enabled <true|false>, music sound enabled #
sound_speech_enabled true; # sound_speech_enabled <true|false>, speech sound enabled #
sound_sfx_enabled true; # sound_sfx_enabled <true|false>, sfx sound volume enabled #
sound_provider 0; # sound_provider <int>, sound provider index (0-?) #
sound_channels 256; # sound_channels <int>, Number of sound channels. Fewer channels means fewer sounds but faster performance. #
voice_chat_enable true; # voice_chat_enable <bool>, Enables VOIP functionality in Steam. (default = true) #
voice_chat_microphone_gain 100; # voice_chat_microphone_gain <int>, voice_chat_microphone_gain (0-100). #
voice_chat_microphone_gain_boost true; # voice_chat_microphone_gain_boost <bool>, Boost microphone gain. #
voice_chat_volume 100; # voice_chat_volume <int>, Voice chat volume (0-100). #
voice_chat_quality 2; # voice_chat_quality <int>, Voice chat quality (0-2, 0 = low, 1 = medium, 2 = high). #
voice_chat_transmit_only_when_key_pressed true; # voice_chat_transmit_only_when_key_pressed <bool>, voice_chat_transmit_only_when_key_pressed (otherwise always trasnmitting). #
bink_use_thread true; # bink_use_thread <bool>, tells bink to use asynchronous update, increased performance on some systems, decreased on others. (default = true) #
number_of_threads 0; # number_of_threads <int>, Set the number of threads <= 0 - automatic, >0 = explicit number  #
campaign_camera_edge_scroll_delay 0.5; # campaign_camera_edge_scroll_delay <float>, Set the number of seconds of delay between the mouse cursor entering the edge-scroll zone on the campaign map the camera starting movement. #

C:\Users\Matt\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\Shogun2\logs\frame_rate.log.txt:

Start Logging
16.000
20.000
21.000
21.000
20.000
24.000
33.000
33.000
33.000
32.000
31.000
32.000
25.000
23.000
23.000
23.000
22.000
21.000
21.000
21.000
19.000
22.000
21.000
22.000
21.000
21.000
22.000
22.000
21.000
21.000
21.000
22.000
21.000
25.000
25.000
25.000
25.000
26.000
28.000
29.000
31.000
29.000
27.000
20.000
18.000
19.000
18.000
22.000
22.000
22.000
22.000
22.000
22.000
22.000
21.000
21.000
19.000
19.000
17.000
18.000
18.000
22.000
22.000
23.000
23.000
23.000
23.000
24.000
24.000
24.000
24.000
20.000
21.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
20.000
21.000
21.000
19.000
19.000
19.000
16.000
18.000
End Logging

Thanks for advice.

[Crazyeyesreaper]

post your DXDIAG report or list the make and model of your motherboard exactly that or

use CPU-Z and screen grab the CPU and Mainboard and Graphics tabs and post them here
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

im wondering if your motherboard even supports SLI to begin with, I need more information to make educated guesses on whats going on.

[The Useless Member]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Thanks again for the help.

[Crazyeyesreaper]

Your motherboard does not support SLI

the top slot is x16 PCIE 3.0
the bottom slot is x4 PCIE 2.0 and comes from the chipset, its ment for addon cards etc not GPU's

so essentially you either have to A) sell the 630s and get a single more powerful gpu aka the smart choice or B) by a new motherboard that supports SLI

eitherway you need to replace parts, selling the 2 nvidia GPUs you can buy a much better much faster Single GPU if your Power Supply is good enough, and just use the Integrated GPU on your CPU for the short term.

did you build this rig yourself or buy it prebuilt? or did someone else build it for you?

[The Useless Member]

Your motherboard does not support SLI

the top slot is x16 PCIE 3.0
the bottom slot is x4 PCIE 2.0 and comes from the chipset, its ment for addon cards etc not GPU's

so essentially you either have to A) sell the 630s and get a single more powerful gpu aka the smart choice or B) by a new motherboard that supports SLI

eitherway you need to replace parts, selling the 2 nvidia GPUs you can buy a much better much faster Single GPU if your Power Supply is good enough, and just use the Integrated GPU on your CPU for the short term.

did you build this rig yourself or buy it prebuilt? or did someone else build it for you?

I bought it. And where could I sell the 630's?

I have a 700 watt power supply, and the one I'm eyeing only needs 500.

It seems cheaper to just buy a new video card.

Thanks for your help. When it comes to Nvidia cards, should I buy a EVGA, ASUS, or whatever?

[Bolkonsky]

Depends on the card. Both are decent brands. XFX isn't bad either.

What's your budget?

[The Useless Member]

Depends on the card. Both are decent brands. XFX isn't bad either.

What's your budget?

http://www.circuitcity.com/applicati...82626&csid=_23

Below $300

[Crazyeyesreaper]

ebay or craigslist for selling the GT 630s

as for a GPU we need an actual budget but for under $200 youll have the choice of a 7770 1GB or GTX 560 non ti 1GB,

if possible try and push for a 560 Ti 2GB or 7850 2GB they will offer better bang for buck long term. the 7850 of course is far more power efficient, if you do GPU overclocking the 7850 also gains the most performance from overclocks,

its up to you though where your already using NVIDIA you should stick to running NVIDIA, as removing drivers and switching camps can be a huge pain the ass I for one usually do a reformat if i switch just to avoid said headaches.

otherwise these 2 choices fit the best performance to cost range
XFX 7850 for $235 after MIR its $215 and comes with 2 games Dirt Showndown and Dirt 3 on Steam which you can sell for around $30 and $15 respectively bring the GPU cost down to $165-190 ish.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150608

EVGA GTX 560 2GB its slower than the 7850 but its cheaper as its NVIDIA a simple driver reinstall and it will run still far more powerful than your current 2 gpus
$210 its $190 after rebate but no games does have free shipping though.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130662

at the $300 price point best overall option

MSI Radeon HD 7870 Twin Frozr overclock it and it will give you HD 7970 / GTX 670 performance aka $400-$500 gpus performance at a cost of under $300
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127662

as you can see in the Overclock test below an overclocked 7870 make a good cost to performance card as many aftermarket cooled 7970s are still $460-520 and 560 Ti's in SLI end up slower as well and that would cost more on top of that, simply put its the sweet spot card right now which NVIDIA doesnt really have a counter to yet sadly... everyones still waiting on the GTX 660 but its nowhere to be found.

the best 7870 available however is the GIGABYTE card which is pre overclocked by 10% to 1100 MHz http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125418 and comes in at $310 comes with Dirt Showdown however which again can be sold to lessen the cost.


full review here http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-ra...iii-oc-review/

for reference the 5770 = 2x GT 630s the GTS 450 is roughly close to what both your GPUs should be as well if sli was working, so keep that in mind. your performance is half of a the GTX 450 in those tests all games are tested at max possible settings.

[The Useless Member]

ebay or craigslist for selling the GT 630s

as for a GPU we need an actual budget but for under $200 youll have the choice of a 7770 1GB or GTX 560 non ti 1GB,

if possible try and push for a 560 Ti 2GB or 7850 2GB they will offer better bang for buck long term. the 7850 of course is far more power efficient, if you do GPU overclocking the 7850 also gains the most performance from overclocks,

its up to you though where your already using NVIDIA you should stick to running NVIDIA, as removing drivers and switching camps can be a huge pain the ass I for one usually do a reformat if i switch just to avoid said headaches.

otherwise these 2 choices fit the best performance to cost range
XFX 7850 for $235 after MIR its $215 and comes with 2 games Dirt Showndown and Dirt 3 on Steam which you can sell for around $30 and $15 respectively bring the GPU cost down to $165-190 ish.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150608

EVGA GTX 560 2GB its slower than the 7850 but its cheaper as its NVIDIA a simple driver reinstall and it will run still far more powerful than your current 2 gpus
$210 its $190 after rebate but no games does have free shipping though.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130662

at the $300 price point best overall option

MSI Radeon HD 7870 Twin Frozr overclock it and it will give you HD 7970 / GTX 670 performance aka $400-$500 gpus performance at a cost of under $300
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127662

as you can see in the Overclock test below an overclocked 7870 make a good cost to performance card as many aftermarket cooled 7970s are still $460-520 and 560 Ti's in SLI end up slower as well and that would cost more on top of that, simply put its the sweet spot card right now which NVIDIA doesnt really have a counter to yet sadly... everyones still waiting on the GTX 660 but its nowhere to be found.

the best 7870 available however is the GIGABYTE card which is pre overclocked by 10% to 1100 MHz http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125418 and comes in at $310 comes with Dirt Showdown however which again can be sold to lessen the cost.


full review here http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-ra...iii-oc-review/

for reference the 5770 = 2x GT 630s the GTS 450 is roughly close to what both your GPUs should be as well if sli was working, so keep that in mind. your performance is half of a the GTX 450 in those tests all games are tested at max possible settings.

Hmm... I might pay the extra $50 for this. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...31e1ee78b7d359

How hard is it to install another brand though?

[Crazyeyesreaper]

its not to bad,
install driver sweeper : http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...07kYCAPlvGCaGw

simply uninstall the NVIDIA drivers and physx via the add / remove programs menu
reboot
run Driver sweeper have it remove all traces of NVIDIA drivers
reboot again
remove Nvidia GPUs
install AMD GPU
install catalyst 12.7 beta from AMD get whatever version is for your OS just google it
reboot
install 12.7 CAP 1 Catalyst Profiles located here: http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloa...-profiles.aspx
reboot

thats it

should be problem free. if you have any issue well post back on here

i do have say that http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125418 the gigabyte is still the better card spec wise, noise and overclocking wise, the MSI card is cheaper but runs a bit warmer and is louder, not sure if your the type that dislikes fan noise or not but its something to keep in mind. eitherway both cards will perform far better than what you had.

[The Useless Member]

its not to bad,
install driver sweeper : http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...07kYCAPlvGCaGw

simply uninstall the NVIDIA drivers and physx via the add / remove programs menu
reboot
run Driver sweeper have it remove all traces of NVIDIA drivers
reboot again
remove Nvidia GPUs
install AMD GPU
install catalyst 12.7 beta from AMD get whatever version is for your OS just google it
reboot
install 12.7 CAP 1 Catalyst Profiles located here: http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloa...-profiles.aspx
reboot

thats it

should be problem free. if you have any issue well post back on here

i do have say that http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125418 the gigabyte is still the better card spec wise, noise and overclocking wise, the MSI card is cheaper but runs a bit warmer and is louder, not sure if your the type that dislikes fan noise or not but its something to keep in mind. eitherway both cards will perform far better than what you had.

My computer already is noisy. It doesn't matter anyways, my Bose seems to drown it out pretty well.

The thing I dislike about it, all the fans are behind something like this.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The whistle effect.

Top off.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Top on.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Crazyeyesreaper]

well that tends to keep small things from falling inside and in the front it tends to collect dust so your components dont but its only mildly effective if noise isnt an issue and you dont plan to clock the GPU very high the MSI card will serve you damn well,