New NVIDIA Drivers Allow SLI + Surround All Plugged Into 1 GPU?

Spinelli

So, normally Nvidia, unlike AMD, needs 2 of the monitors plugged into 1 GPU and 1 monitor plugged into the other GPU in order to use SLI + Surround. And if you want to disable SLI for whatever reason, but still use surround, then you have to make sure all 3 monitors are plugged into the same GPU. Or, you can "trick" the system - as I found out - and plug one of your monitors in twice - once in the 2nd GPU and again (using another one of the monitors inputs) in the first GPU along with the other 2 monitors. This way if you want/need to disable SLI for whatever reason but still use surround you can (although you have to redo the surround setup every time you do this)...

You could also see the setup in the NVidia Control panel, you could see the picture of the 2 GPUS, with a line and 2 arrows "connecting" them with "SLI" written underneath, and the picture of the outputs of the back of the GPUs show 2 outputs highlighted on GPU 1 and 1 output on GPU2. Then...when you set it to surround + single GPU, you don't see the SLI connection line/arrows anymore (as expected), and you then see all outputs highlighted on GPU 1 (as expected).

The above two paragraphs are just an explanation of how it always worked previously for the last year or so with every NVidia driver prior to the current 344.xx....But.....

Now, as of NVidia's newest WHQL driver 344.xx, in SLI + Surround mode, I see that the 3 highlighted/used outputs are all highlighted on GPU1 while still being in SLI mode (confirmed by the SLI line-arrow thing I explained above, plus confirmed in games, GPU usage monitoring, etc).

So, has NVidia finally allowed us to not be forced into plugging one monitor into the "other" GPU anymore in order to use SLI + Surround? Because it definitely seems like it according to what the NVidia control panel is telling me in terms of which outputs are currently being used for my SLI + Surround config...

I haven't seen any mention of this, from NVidia, from users on forums, nothing......

P.S. By the way, I use dual 780 Tis
 
Have you seen an improvement in performance with the SLI and the 344.xx drivers? I thought I did notice an improvement, but ran some benchmarks, and it looks like its the same (with the default NVidia settings). I have yet to go tweak the SLI bits.
 
Not sure, but I get insanely perfect SLI scaling in rF2. Both GPUs pegged in the 90% range non-stop. This only happens with NVIDIA 3D Vision enabled due to the way 3D works with SlI (they're a perfect match for eachother).

I'm able to play rFactor 2 w/ triple screens + multiview + 16xCSAA + almost absolute maxed-out graphics + 3D, thanks to the amazing scaling of rF2 and SLI while Nvidia 3D Vision is enabled.

Same deal with GSC, actually I can even run GSC with supersampling/"combined" AA modes (8xS, 12xS, 16xS) thanks to the near-perfect 3D-SLI scaling. Supersampling AA would normally kill framerates, especially with triple screens, many opponents, maxed-out graphics, etc, but thanks to the amazing SLI-3D Vision scaling it doesn't for me :)
 
What 3D depth are you playing at? I think I mentioned before that I get pretty dizzy with eventual headaches when I play with 3D Vision on a single monitor (at the default 15% depth). Maybe at a lower depth I won't have those issues and get the performance increase.

I wonder if the new GSync technology is doing the same kinds of optimization that 3D Vision does but in 2D. Reviewers claim that they get super smooth frame rates that look like VSync is on with only 30-45fps and without the lag. But that whole signal chain comes at a price (new cards, new monitors). I can pick up 2 more 3D vision monitors for half the price of a GSync one.
 
adaptable1 said:
What 3D depth are you playing at? I think I mentioned before that I get pretty dizzy with eventual headaches when I play with 3D Vision on a single monitor (at the default 15% depth). Maybe at a lower depth I won't have those issues and get the performance increase.

I wonder if the new GSync technology is doing the same kinds of optimization that 3D Vision does but in 2D. Reviewers claim that they get super smooth frame rates that look like VSync is on with only 30-45fps and without the lag. But that whole signal chain comes at a price (new cards, new monitors). I can pick up 2 more 3D vision monitors for half the price of a GSync one.
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GSync will have identical scaling to just normal 2D mode, it's just a sort of different VSync mode.

Push ctrl-T while in-game, it will disable the visual 3D, the SLI benefits may still work, I'm not sure though. You can start at 5% depth (barely even notice the 3D is enabled). Refocusing your eyes can take a few seconds but your eyes and brain will adapt. I would be VERY suprised if you aren't fully comfortable with it within 2 weeks and around 20-25 hours of game time.

I felt tired after a 3D gaming session for the first 2 weeks, especially when using it for 3 or 4 hours straight. It made me want to lay down and take a good nap (luckily i mostly race at night right before bed), call it eye fatigue or whatever. After 2 weeks of going through that, I slowly started realizing that I wasn't being affected anymore. No more eye fatigue, nothing, just slip the glasses and instantly hit the track, and for as long as ai wanted to with no fatigue/eyestrain. Then it took me another week or so to move up to 100% depth, now there's no going back to anything else.

Make sure you enable the 3D hotkeys in the Nvida Control panel and adjust convergence. I set it so the dash behind the steering wheel is just about flush with my monitor, maybe sticking out of my monitor by 1 click. I use a pretty low and realistic FOV of 24. However, if you play with a hign FOV then you might have too much of the cockpit on the sides trying to pop out of your monitor too far out which can be really hard to focus on and strain your eys, so you may need to go with a further-in convergence setting when using a higher FOV.

The key is sticking through with it for those first 20-25 gaming hours.
 
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Spinelli said:
Make sure you enable the 3D hotkeys in the Nvida Control panel and adjust convergence. I set it so the dash behind the steering wheel is just about flush with my monitor, maybe sticking out of my monitor by 1 click. I use a pretty low and realistic FOV of 24. However, if you play with a hign FOV then you might have too much of the cockpit on the sides trying to pop out of your monitor too far out which can be really hard to focus on and strain your eys, so you may need to go with a further-in convergence setting when using a higher FOV.
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Can you post a screenshot with your FOV and seat position? I'm also flush against my front monitor.
 
You're flush? I thought you didn't use 3D?

For seat position I almost always use 0,0, I assume that is the exact point between the driver's eyeballs. Sometimes I lower it to -20 or so as certain cars look like the view is being spawned from a point too high-up, but for the most part 0.

EDIT: For the Karts I'm going to start using a lower seat than "0" because i'm pretty sure ISI stated that the default view on the karts is higher than the correct eye level of the average Karter (and in-game model).
 
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Right now I only have a single 3D monitor. That FOV setting is crazy. Combined with 3D I'm almost certain it will make me sick. If I back it off to about 32 it seems right...I've been playing at about 44-46. I might start conditioning myself to play more in 3D and then decide if the other 2 monitors are worth it. They still have a 120hz refresh rate in 2D, so that alone might be worth it.

The seat is definitely to low for open wheel F1 style cars at 0. Too much steering wheel and not enough road.
 
adaptable1 said:
Right now I only have a single 3D monitor. That FOV setting is crazy. Combined with 3D I'm almost certain it will make me sick. If I back it off to about 32 it seems right...I've been playing at about 44-46. I might start conditioning myself to play more in 3D and then decide if the other 2 monitors are worth it. They still have a 120hz refresh rate in 2D, so that alone might be worth it.

The seat is definitely to low for open wheel F1 style cars at 0. Too much steering wheel and not enough road.
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Ya, 32 is about as low as I'd go with just a single screen, you need to sacrifice a realistic FOV for peripheral view since you're on a single screen. Maybe drop it to 40 and bring it down to 32 in 2 degree increments over a month or so, so as to get used to it better in case you have a difficult time going straight from 44 to 32.

The Formula cars at 0 are low because, because that's how they really are. You're not supppsed to be able to read what it says on the nose of the Formula cars, and ypu're not supposed to be able to see the hood of most other cars, unless you're 8 ft tall :) . When real-life Formula drivers have their hands at 90 degrees you can see that their knuckles are well, well above the centerline of their vision/eyes and they actually look more around to the left and right rather than straight ahead because their wheel and hands are covering their face, lol. Too much wheel and too little road is what it's actually like , then again, it's a game and you can use whatever view you desire :)
 
ctrl+T turns off 3D Vision, but it also reverts back to 2D rendering.

I ran a few AI races in 3D at 7% depth and 32 FOV (single monitor), and I did not feel sick afterwards. I did feel a little eye fatigue, but then again, I look at a computer monitor all day long for work as well. It is very very cool. Graphics look so much more realistics, no tearing, and FPS was great (60+). I'm hoping to acclimatize to more depth and longer sessions... then I'll make the call on whether I want 2 more 3D monitors.

I'm kind of tempted by this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcaktV1iiGk

It may only run at 60hz, but the higher resolution and curve look incredible. It unfortunately doesn't have a VESA mount to put on my rig. There is a flat version for a few hundred less that isn't curved and has the VESA mount.
 
Great. Now remember, take it slow. Don't increase the depth just because you had one good session, just take it slow :) . Did you adjust convergence as well or just depth? Convergence is half of the whole 3D experience. I adjust it so the dials of the 60s F3 car are about flush with my monitor, or maybe sticking out of my monitor by 1 click, max 2. I use that as my default, then press the save hotkey to save the 3D setting and you don't need to adjust it again next time you load up that particular game (rfF2 in this case).
 
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