General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti 2-Way SLI: Crushing Performance

Posted: 04 Jun 2015 08:10 PM PDT

GeForce GTX 980 Ti 2-Way SLI

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti for most users is currently the second best graphics card for gaming, a close second behind the much more expensive Titan X. In our initial GTX 980 Ti review, we saw how it surpassed every single GPU graphics card with the exception of the Titan X, and even then it wasn't far off. Then we cranked up the clock speeds and overclocked the 980 Ti, adding on average 17 percent more performance than the stock clocked card. Now it's time to crank the dial to 11 and see how two 980 Ti cards perform in SLI.

GeForce GTX 980Ti Front

It takes a special kind of gamer to go out and spend $650 on a GTX 980 Ti—you have to really be dedicated to the craft (or have a lot of disposable income). But the type of gamer willing to shell out for two $650 graphics cards is a rare breed indeed. Anyone running a single 1080p display should simply forget about splurging on a couple of 980 Ti cards; a single overclocked card is generally sufficient. But if you have a 4K display, or three 1080p displays for surround gaming, then multiple 980 Ti cards might be something to consider. And hey, we're Maximum PC, so we're as excited as anyone to put these cards through their paces.

For our testing, we have two of EVGA's GeForce GTX 980 Ti ACX 2.0+ graphics cards. Unlike the Titan series, Nvidia gives the card manufacturers more freedom with 980 Ti so we're likely to see a greater variety of clock speeds and cooling configurations over time. The ACX 2.0+ comes with a mild overclock to 1102 MHz on the core (boost clock of 1190 MHz), but the GDDR5 remains at 7010 MHz (effective). EVGA also offers a stock GTX 980 Ti, which is priced $30 lower and should deliver the same level of performance when overclocked.

Testing a couple of the fastest graphics cards on the planet also requires some special hardware to keep up. We're using the same test bed as before, with a hexa-core Haswell-E i7-5930K running at 4.2 GHz to keep the graphics cards fed with data. Even with that beefy CPU, we're still likely to see some CPU bottlenecks, especially at lower resolutions. Here's the quick recap of our test bed:

Maximum PC 2015 GPU Test Bed
CPU Intel Core i7-5930K (4.2GHz Overclock)
Mobo Gigabyte GA-X99-UD4
GPU 2x EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti ACX 2.0+
SSD 2x Samsung 850 Evo 250GB
HDD Seagate Barracuda 3TB 7200RPM
PSU EVGA SuperNOVA 1300 G2
Memory G.Skill Ripjaws 16GB DDR4-2666
Cooler Cooler Master Nepton 280L
Case Cooler Master CM Storm Trooper
Drivers Nvidia 353.06
Nvidia 352.90 Beta for Metro: Last Light

It's worth quickly pointing out that we ran into some issues with Metro: Last Light using the latest drivers, at least with our SLI setup. Single GPU performance is up for the game by 5% or so on 980 Ti, but SLI scaling appears to have been borked in the process. So we tested with the earlier beta drivers for now. It's a bit odd to see such an old game run into problems, but since it does appear Nvidia has tweaked GM200 performance for that title, it's not too surprising. We've notified the appropriate parties and we'll likely see a fix in the next driver update. Also note that since the EVGA cards come factory overclocked, performance will in general be slightly higher than what we measured with our initial review.

4xMSAA is used on all benchmarks, except in Metro: Last Light, and Tomb Raider.

Two Is Better Than One
Average Frame Rates
Game Resolution GTX 980 Ti 980 Ti 2-Way SLI 2-Way Scaling
Batman: Arkham Origins 1080p 183 216 118%
1440p 114 153 134%
2160p 56 80 143%
GTAV 1080p 65.4 83.9 128%
1440p 48.6 74 152%
2160p 25.1 42.7 170%
Hitman: Absolution 1080p 93.5 108.5 116%
1440p 65.7 104.8 160%
2160p 33.4 59.5 178%
Metro: Last Light 1080p 107.3 142.4 133%
1440p 70.6 106.3 151%
2160p 37.4 64.6 173%
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor 1080p 113.9 144 126%
1440p 83 138 166%
2160p 47.4 89.5 189%
Tomb Raider 1080p 134.1 256.8 191%
1440p 89.5 173.1 193%
2160p 44.3 86.5 195%
Unigine Heaven 4.0 1080p 98.7 171 173%
1440p 62.3 110 177%
2160p 26.2 48.9 187%
The Witcher 3 1080p 58.2 90 155%
1440p 46.7 71.2 152%
2160p 29.2 41.7 143%
Average of Eight Tests 1080p 106.8 151.6 142%
1440p 72.6 116.3 160%
2160p 37.4 64.2 172%
3DMark Fire Strike 1080p 14925 21203 142%
1440p 7535 13436 178%
2160p 3944 7458 189%

Even at the high-end of the performance ladder, there are still a few rungs left to climb. 1080p only sees an average improvement of 42 percent, but that's still pretty impressive; run at 2560x1440 or 4K and even more reason to look at 980 Ti SLI. We do need to temper expectations with the understanding that less demanding games typically don't scale as well, and sometimes even demanding games run into other bottlenecks—or in the case of The Witcher 3, there's likely room left for driver optimizations. Tomb Raider meanwhile isn't really known for being that demanding, but it's the poster child for GPU scaling, nearly doubling in performance at all three resolutions.If you're wondering why people would even chase such high frame rates, we're seeing advancements in display technology now that finally make breaking 60 FPS useful.

We discuss this more in our guide for the best gaming displays, but there are now 2560x1440 displays that support refresh rates of up to 144 Hz, and 4K panels with 60 Hz refresh rates. More importantly, these displays support dynamic refresh rates, so you can run at anything from low to high FPS and still get no tearing and reduced latency. Gaming at 4K with G-Sync as an example works okay with a single 980 Ti (depending on the game, e.g., GTAV and Witcher 3 are pretty choppy without dropping a few settings), but with two cards the experience is greatly improved. But for our money, the QHD 144 Hz displays are currently the best overall experience.

Minimum Frame Rates
Game Resolution GTX 980 Ti 980 Ti 2-Way SLI 2-Way Scaling
Batman: Arkham Origins 1080p 136 159 117%
1440p 85 101 119%
2160p 42 51 121%
GTAV 1080p 42.5 58.8 138%
1440p 33.3 40 120%
2160p 18 22.7 126%
Hitman: Absolution 1080p 79 84 106%
1440p 54 84 156%
2160p 27 44 163%
Metro: Last Light 1080p 73.9 92.7 125%
1440p 53 73.9 139%
2160p 28.1 47.5 169%
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor 1080p 75.2 82.8 110%
1440p 60.4 66 109%
2160p 35.9 41.9 117%
Tomb Raider 1080p 102 196 192%
1440p 67 130 194%
2160p 35 68 194%
Unigine 1080p 31.5 39.1 124%
1440p 27.7 34.4 124%
2160p 15 23.6 157%
The Witcher 3 1080p 46 62.9 137%
1440p 37.7 50.8 135%
2160p 19.9 28.5 143%
Average of Eight Tests 1080p 73.3 96.9 132%
1440p 52.3 72.5 139%
2160p 27.6 40.9 148%

But there's a dark side to multi-GPU: minimum frame rates don't always scale all that well. In fact, we're sort of showing the best case for minimum frame rates here, as there are certainly titles where enabling SLI will cause a drop in performance, particularly when it comes to minimum frame rates. This is particularly true of recent releases, though the bigger the title the more likely it is to get the necessary TLC from Nvidia and AMD to work well with multiple graphics cards.

What will really make SLI and CrossFire take flight is DirectX 12, which promises vastly improved multi-GPU scaling thanks to its ability to properly use multiple CPU cores as well as the lower CPU overhead. It's probably too much to hope for a doubling of performance with two cards, and DX12 is something newer games will have to explicitly support (i.e., none of the games we're testing right now are likely to see DX12 patches, with the possible exception of The Witcher 3), but we're definitely excited about the prospect of finally seeing our second (or third or fourth!) GPU put to proper use. If all goes as planned, we should start seeing the first DX12 titles by this holiday season.

Ultimately, GTX 980 Ti SLI is the best current gaming solution for high performance systems. Titan X SLI might be fractionally faster, but even GTAV "only" requires just shy of 6GB of VRAM with all settings cranked up, and most games are going to start hitting CPU bottlenecks with two GM200 cards. The biggest drawback (other than price) is that most places are currently cleaned out of 980 Ti inventory. We're still waiting to see AMD's counterattack that's coming out shortly, and by the time sufficient quantities of GTX 980 Ti are in stock, we might even know the summer 2015 heavy weight champion GPU.

Newegg Daily Deals: CyberPower Gamer Ultra PC, EVGA GeForce GTX 960, and More!

Posted: 04 Jun 2015 01:52 PM PDT

CyberPower Gamer Ultra

Top Deal:

Not everyone has the time or desire to build a PC from scratch. Hey, don't sweat it -- you can still enjoy a custom PC experience, even on a low budget. Case in point, today's top deal for a CyberPower PC Gamer Ultra 2140 Desktop System for $470 with free shipping (normally $480 - use coupon code: [EMCATAN73]). This system features an AMD FX-6300 processor clocked at 3.5GHz, 8GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, and a GeForce GT 720 graphics card.

Other Deals:

EVGA GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2GB Video Card for $200 with free shipping (normally $207; additional $10 Mail-in rebate ; Free Batman: Arkham Knights w/ purchase, limited offer)

OCZ ARC 100 2.5-inch 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) for $90 with free shipping (normally $100 - use coupon code: [EMCATAN23]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

Intel Core i7-4790 Haswell Quad-Core 3.6GHz LGA 1150 84W Desktop Processor for $290 with free shipping (normally $305 - use coupon code: [EMCATAN33])

EVGA GeForce GTX 4GB 970 Video Card for $342 with free shipping (normally $360 - use coupon code: [EMCATAN27]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate ; Free Batman: Arkham Knights w/ purchase, limited offer)

Yes, You Can Clean Install Windows 10 After Upgrading for Free

Posted: 04 Jun 2015 01:06 PM PDT

Well, that's a relief!

Windows 10 Upgrade Window

Many Windows users prefer to clean install their operating system rather than upgrade an existing one. Why? You never know what remnants might have been left behind, and if you run into a quirky issue, you'll always wonder, "Is this the result of an upgrade gone bad?" Thankfully, that's not something you'll have to worry about with the free Windows 10 upgrade.

As you know, Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free during the first year of the OS's release. What wasn't known is if Microsoft would allow for a clean install when upgrading. Microsoft's Gabriel Aul answered that question on Twitter today.

"Once you upgrade Windows 10 with the free upgrade offer you will be able to clean reinstall Windows 10 on same device any time," Aul said.

Back in what's now considered the old days of computing, a clean upgrade was accomplished by starting the install with a new Windows disc, and then inserting the old Windows disc when prompted so that Microsoft could confirm everything was legit.

Things changed with the free update from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1. Instead of messing around with optical media, Windows 8 users upgraded through the Windows Store, which installed over the top of Windows 8 and moved the old OS to a folder (Windows.old).

More recently, Microsoft began offering downloads of Windows 8.1 images without having to input a Windows 8.1 license via the Windows Installation Media Creation Tool. This will likely be the case with Windows 10 as well. While the full details haven't yet been confirmed, my hunch is that when you receive a new Windows 10 key from upgrading your existing Windows 7 or 8.1 install, you'll be able to use that to activate a fresh Windows 10 installation.

Official Steam Machines Available to Pre-Order Starting at $449

Posted: 04 Jun 2015 12:39 PM PDT

Steam hardware finally comes to fruition

Alienware Steam Machine

It feels like an eternity since Valve first began talking about Steam Machines, those console-like PCs that run a custom version of Linux called Steam OS. The holdup has been Valve's insistence on getting the Steam Controller just right, and apparently that's no longer an issue. Effective immediately, you can finally pre-order a Steam Machine, along with a Steam Controller and Steam Link, a device that connects to your home network so that you stream your PC's existing library of Steam titles to a Steam Machine.

Valve, GameStop, EB Games, Micromania, and GAME UK are all taking pre-orders for Steam hardware devices. The official launch is November 10, though as part of an exclusive partnership, customers in the U.S. can pre-order an Alienware Steam Machine, Steam Link, and/or a Steam Controller from GameStop (or direct from Valve) and have the order arrive October 16, three weeks ahead of launch.

"We have collaborated for years with Valve and GameStop to develop a platform with the best content, the best performance, and the best value compared to anything else on the market. Finally, with this preorder, we have a chance to address the building anticipation for the latest and greatest gaming system," said Frank Azor, general manager of Alienware and XPS, Dell. "It's been a blast playing on our Alienware Steam Machines with our friends and family over recent months; it's really exciting to finally share that experience with our community of gamers."

Dell isn't kidding when it says it's been collaborating with Valve for years. Steam Machines were initially supposed to release a year ago, but Valve threw a wrench into those plans by delaying the launch until this year. That left hardware partners like Dell stuck with pre-configured Steam Machine designs, and rather than toss those by the wayside, they sold them as PC consoles running Windows.

That all changes today. The Steam Controller is finished and available to pre-order for $49, the same price as the Steam Link. Steam Machines from Alienware and other manufacturers start at $449

Syber, a new division of CyberPower, is also taking pre-orders for its Steam Machine series. There are three models to choose from ranging in price from $499 to $1,419. The least expensive models comes with an Intel Core i3 4160, GeForce GTX 750 graphics card, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, 250W SFX PSU, and a black or white case.

Computex 2015 Day 3: Zotac Talks Tiny PCs and GTX 980 Ti [Video]

Posted: 04 Jun 2015 12:11 PM PDT

Little systems with big potential

Zotac GTX 980 Ti

Though Intel is making a run at the mini PC market with its NUC line, Zotac is the formidable force to look out for. The company's been making pint sized PCs for several years, and at Computex, it gave us a look at its new EN970, it's most powerful mini PC to date.

The EN970 rocks an Intel Core i5 5200u processor based on Broadwell and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M GPU. That's a fairly potent one-two punch for both general purpose computing chores and gaming. To demonstrate that point, Zotac had the system running Mortal Kombat X at its booth.

Like Zotac's previous mini PCs, you can choose between a barebones model that needs RAM and storage, or a Plus model that only needs an OS. In this instance, the Plus model comes with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD -- a welcome change on the storage side, as most of Zotac's Plus systems are saddled with a mechanical hard drive.

There's also the EN960, a slightly less powerful system that trades the GTX 970M for a GTX 960M. That system was shown running Grand Theft Auto V in 1080p.

If you're familiar with the Zotac brand, then you know the company also makes graphics cards. We got a chance to see three new air-cooled offerings from Zotac, it's GTX 980 Ti AMP! Edition, GTX 980 Ti AMP! Omega Edition, and GTX 980 Ti AMP! Extreme Edition. Zotac feels confident the Extreme version will be the highest clocked GTX 980 Ti on the market with a 1253MHz base and 1355MHz boost (reference is 1000MHz core and 1076MHz boost).

Zotac also has a fourth GTX 980 Ti card, the GTX 980 Ti ArcticStorm featuring a hybrid air and liquid cooler. The card is clocked at 1025MHz (base) / 1114MHz (boost). That's lower than the other cards, but with the hybrid cooling solutions, Zotac says users will be able to overclock it really high themselves.

Computex 2015 Day 3: Cooler Master Builds a Super Customizable PC Case [Video]

Posted: 04 Jun 2015 11:43 AM PDT

A different approach to computer cases

Cooler Master Case

We build PCs in part because we love having full control over the end result. That's true of performance, money spent, and even aesthetics. Cooler Master's taking that same concept and applying it to the case itself, the very piece that gives your system its main appearance.

The company's tagline for its new Master Case concept is "Make it your own." What we saw at Computex was an Ultra Tower, though it's a concept that will continue to evolve so that you could start with a ginormous case and shrink it down to a mini-ITX build, if that's where your path leads you.

Cooler Master's case is modular, both inside and out. For example, the top panel contains USB 3.0 ports, but you'll be able to swap that out for another panel with USB 3.1 ports. And on the inside, you'll see a series of holes running vertically. These are so you can add modular parts to the case, some of which don't exist yet -- as the PC building community asks for certain pieces and features, Cooler Master will respond. To that extent, Cooler Master is engaging the maker movement that's popular right now.

The only real downside that we can see to this approach is that it could get expensive customizing a pre-configured case. Cooler Master will sell a complete case, and from there you can swap out pieces for others, like changing the look of the front panel.

One possible way around this is to offer a custom order option similar to Nike ID. That way you can select the exact look and function you want without overpaying for redundant parts.

Anyway, this is easily one of the more interesting things we've seen at Computex and is well worth the 9 and half minutes of your time to watch the video.

Computex 2015 Day 3: Sitting for a Spell with Silverstone [Video]

Posted: 04 Jun 2015 11:11 AM PDT

Casing out the newest Raven

Raven Case

Silverstone's done fairly well with its line of Raven computer cases. The line is known for its 90-degree motherboard mounting, save for the RVZ01, a console-like case for mini-ITX motherboards. Silverstone brought along its newest edition to Computex, the RVX01.

What's unique about the RVX01 compared to other Raven cases is that this is the smallest version that can accept standard ATX motherboards. Otherwise, it retains the 90-degree motherboard mounting setup of previous Raven cases and comes with three 120mm fans.

Silverstone also showed off its new RVZ02, a followup to the aforementioned RVZ01. It's a skinny chassis resembling an upright game console, and like its predecessor, it's for mini-ITX motherboards.

New to this generation are acrylic side panels on both sides. What's really unique, however, is that the graphics card is on the opposite side of the motherboard, sitting behind one of the windows. Silverstone pulled off that trick by building its own riser card. There's no word yet on price or release date, though Silverstone said it will be cheaper than the RV01.

Silverstone's also known for its line of high quality power supplies (they're one of the more reliable brands, in our experience). The model it chose to show off at Computex is a new 700W SFX PSU. According to Silverstone, it's the most powerful SFX PSU on the market right now.

Have a look:

Computex 2015 Day 3: Intel Engineer Talks Broadwell [Video]

Posted: 04 Jun 2015 09:46 AM PDT

A broad look at Broadwell

Intel Principal Engineer

Intel on Monday expanded its Broadwell lineup with 10 new mobile and desktop parts sporting Iris Pro 6200 graphics, marking the first time that Iris Pro has been available in a socketable LGA package. That in and of itself is interesting, though so is Intel's roadmap for Broadwell, an architecture that many felt was best suited for mobile. This is one of the things our own Jimmy Thang got a chance to ask Intel principal engineer François Piednoel at Computex.

The response was a bit dodgy -- Piednoel didn't really touch on the philosophy behind taking a mobile part and tuning it for the desktop, though he did jump right into a discussion on graphics performance.

How does it compare to AMD's recently unveiled Carrizo APU? Basically we'll have to wait and see. As far as Intel is concerned, it has the fastest integrated graphics available on the market today.

Compared to Haswell, the integrated graphics in Intel's new Broadwell chips is pretty significant. That said, Intel is keeping things in perspective and says it's not aiming to ever replace discrete graphics options with its integrated offerings, at least not in the high end market. For mainstream customers, Iris Pro could negate the need to go with a discrete GPU.

Find out more of what Piednoel had to say below:
Posted by Shri Krishna

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