Nvidia 8800GT SLI - The way it's not meant to be played

Taimes · 10-02-2008, 12:46 PM

Ok first of all I'd like to say the game runs GREAT with just 1 video card for me.. I am on WINXP and get great frames and no stutter on my system..

However.. Once I turn on SLI, I get a fairly large FPS boost, can run all shadows with barely any impact. It's great! But... After playing the game for some time, 5-20 mins depending on the zone.. It starts to STUTTER, really really bad.. I have reinstalled XP, tried all sort of different combinations to no avail.. One thing I did find however it the issue seems to be with the workaround SOE used for reusing vertex shader buffers. Once I turn this option off it hangs with an hourglass for about 30 seconds, then I just turn it on again and the game becomes playable for a little bit longer till the stutter sets in.. It works but you have to do it too darn often for it to be playable..

Does anyone here have 8800GT sli combo and is NOT having issues with it? Did you have to do anything special?

I also have a dual boot vista and when I use sli I get the ran out of memory error within minutes SMILEY

villio · 10-03-2008, 12:55 PM

I feel your pain. I have a triple-SLI'd 8800 GTX system with a 30" monitor and all three cards are liquid cooled. In order to play EQ2, I have to turn off all SLI and run on one card. Even then, I get a good amount of "hitching". From what I understand, it's an issue with the 8000 series cards.I really enjoy EQ2, but I dont think I've ever had such bad graphics issues with any other game.

Sykophrog · 10-08-2008, 02:00 PM

I've had an 8800 GTX for a long time now and havent ever had any stuttering, what seems to give me poor FPS is more CPU issues than any grafics card issues.

Kemwen · 10-08-2008, 03:20 PM

I've been playing with an SLI'ed 8800GT box for some time now (other components are an X6800, 8GB RAM running Vista x64), and being a frequent raider and the MT, a studder would cause me massive problems. Fortunately for me, I've not seen such issues with my setup, so it's definitely possible to run this configuration and not experience what you're experiencing. Perhaps the extra RAM is the main attribute that differentiates us.

Taimes · 10-08-2008, 04:24 PM

Kemwen, I actually tried my setup on vista ultimate 32 and saw almost no increase in FPS when going to SLI, where as on WinXP I saw truly big gains. Maybe I will try Vista 64.. Don't see myself upgrading to 8 gigs of ram for this poor excuse of a game engine however.

vivanos · 10-12-2008, 10:14 AM

Sure it's not heat related? Use Rivatuner and moniter temps.

10-08-2008, 02:00 PM	#3
Sykophrog Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 94	I've had an 8800 GTX for a long time now and havent ever had any stuttering, what seems to give me poor FPS is more CPU issues than any grafics card issues. __________________ The Mad Ribbiter Cykophrog Phartzalott 80 Inquisitor / 80 Jeweler / 80 Transmuter from Iconoclast (Permafrost)

10-02-2008, 12:46 PM	#1
Taimes Loremaster Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 28	Ok first of all I'd like to say the game runs GREAT with just 1 video card for me.. I am on WINXP and get great frames and no stutter on my system.. However.. Once I turn on SLI, I get a fairly large FPS boost, can run all shadows with barely any impact. It's great! But... After playing the game for some time, 5-20 mins depending on the zone.. It starts to STUTTER, really really bad.. I have reinstalled XP, tried all sort of different combinations to no avail.. One thing I did find however it the issue seems to be with the workaround SOE used for reusing vertex shader buffers. Once I turn this option off it hangs with an hourglass for about 30 seconds, then I just turn it on again and the game becomes playable for a little bit longer till the stutter sets in.. It works but you have to do it too darn often for it to be playable.. Does anyone here have 8800GT sli combo and is NOT having issues with it? Did you have to do anything special? I also have a dual boot vista and when I use sli I get the ran out of memory error within minutes

10-03-2008, 12:55 PM	#2
villio General Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 2	I feel your pain. I have a triple-SLI'd 8800 GTX system with a 30" monitor and all three cards are liquid cooled. In order to play EQ2, I have to turn off all SLI and run on one card. Even then, I get a good amount of "hitching". From what I understand, it's an issue with the 8000 series cards.I really enjoy EQ2, but I dont think I've ever had such bad graphics issues with any other game.

10-08-2008, 03:20 PM	#4
Kemwen Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 51	I've been playing with an SLI'ed 8800GT box for some time now (other components are an X6800, 8GB RAM running Vista x64), and being a frequent raider and the MT, a studder would cause me massive problems. Fortunately for me, I've not seen such issues with my setup, so it's definitely possible to run this configuration and not experience what you're experiencing. Perhaps the extra RAM is the main attribute that differentiates us.

10-08-2008, 04:24 PM	#5
Taimes Loremaster Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 28	Kemwen, I actually tried my setup on vista ultimate 32 and saw almost no increase in FPS when going to SLI, where as on WinXP I saw truly big gains. Maybe I will try Vista 64.. Don't see myself upgrading to 8 gigs of ram for this poor excuse of a game engine however.

10-12-2008, 10:14 AM	#6
vivanos Newbie Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 15	Sure it's not heat related? Use Rivatuner and moniter temps.