SLI flickering solved?

[Birdseye 0]

System (xp x64,2x8800gtx,4gb)

Problem: sli flickering with new drivers: (180.48 whql or higher)

Solution: use nhancer, and it (seems) fixed.

http://www.nhancer.com/

nHancer is the tool that empowers both experts and inexperienced users to fully utilize the possibilities of the graphic card.

Settings can also be used to improve the performance and to resolve rendering errors.

Feature Overview

Support of Forceware/GeForce drivers version 60 and later, including the new 180+ versions

Support of all GeForce cards, including the new GeForce GTX 2x0 lines

Supports Windows Vista and DirectX 10

Support for single card, SLI, Quad-SLI and DirectX 10 SLI systems

On-the-fly control of all global quality and performance-enhancing settings for all games

Create and manage fully automated profiles for all your games

Very easy to use, explains all options and their effects, like Anti Aliasing, Anisotropic Filtering, etc.

Special options for nVidia's SLI feature, allowing you to to use almost every game with SLI even if nVidia doesn't support it

Offers additional Anti Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering modes, that are not available through nVidia's control panel

Allows the modification of fixed settings included in nVidia's predefined profiles.

Flexible user interface: change the size of the window and all sub areas

User interface and help texts available in various languages (right now English, German, Polish and Italian)

Coexists perfectly with nVidia's own control panel and other tools, like aTuner or RivaTuner. nHancer will immediately detect any changes made by any other tool.

System requirements for nHancer

Any nVidia GeForce graphic card

Windows 2000, XP, 2003 or Vista (32 and 64bit)

Forceware driver version 60 or higher

MS .NET Framework 2.0 or later (download)

How:

* make new profile arma (duplicate) in nhancer

* select the new profile, and click on: profile can manually be activated

* what I changed compared to default arma profile

arma testing sli: Customized Profile

AA: SLI 64xS

AF: 16x

VSync: On TripleBuffer+

SLI: Auto [0x02400008]

HybridSLI: 1

So, activate profile, and then launch  arma with this.

At least it seems to work with drivers 180.48 whql in sli mode and NO more flickering.

So, no flickering, but poor performance, likely due to extremely high settings.

So people, plz test and post your settings!

[-=seany=- 5]

AA: SLI 64xS - im pretty sure that if you use "SLI AA" you can not use SLI for 3d rendering, its one or the other. I guess that is why the flickering has stopped for you. Best way to test is to turn on SLI visual indicators.

About nhancer though...

I am using the new beta nvidia drivers (185.20 Vista64) and I was able to stop the flickering by:

1. selecting my arma profile form the nhancer list

2. go to the options menu and select "Allow override of predefined settings"

3. Select the "Sli-Mode" Tab

4. At the bottom of this tab press the "AFR2" button

5. launch Arma

(I recommend when doing these kind of tests you run Fraps and turn on SLI visual Indicators form the NV cntrl pnl)

I don't yet know if this is giving me the same performance increase as SLI did with the PreFlickering drivers, ill have to do more testing.

185  NV drivers : http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=283367  although, I dont think you will need these for this fix. Should work with other 18x.xx drivers.

[-=seany=- 5]

I don't yet know if this is giving me the same performance increase as SLI did with the PreFlickering drivers, ill have to do more testing.

Well, I did some more testing and it's just a placebo effect.  Sli is working, but not nearly as well as when its flickering.  I think by adjusting the Compatibility Flags we might be able to fix it but its a benchmarking nightmare, 31 different flags in feck knows what configuration could make it start working again, but which ones? Whichever flags are giving the good performance are alos causing the flicker....damn you Nvidia....Daaaammmmn yooooouu

[Birdseye 0]

Haha, yeah many combinations are possible, finding the right combi....pffff what a waist of time. I didn't expect nvidia to release a whql driver with so much trouble!

Trying to get a good result, with an small change in settings.

edit: So I modified my settings.

SLI: Auto [0x02430000]

HybridSLI: 1

That's all you have to change to get rid of the flickering.

Put SLI on AUTO

There is quite a difference in fps which ingame settings and resolution are used.

So probably everything on very high (except blood on high), and the resolution 1920x1200 is the way to test if sli is working ok.

My fps is good now.

Now, I can play with the latest whql drivers without flickering.

[SWAT_BigBear 0]

Maybe it's my monitor native 60hz only.

I do not see better fps with sli on or off with ArmA.

The game runs perfectly smooth with 1 VC. (1.15beta helped a lot)

Using 180.84 beta, still, and setting the ArmA profile to single GPU.

btw....any 1 else see this issue? Since day 1......anytime I disable SLI in the ArmA profile with Nvidia CP (choosing single GPU)....the only way to get SLI back in it, is to reinstall the drivers. Even with the 18*.... it shows "Nvidia Recommended" after disabling, as an option..... but the no SLI indicators proves it's not even on when playing ArmA.

[LordDocVader 0]

I just use the latest Nvidia control panel, set the settings for arma.exe to use SFR mode in the SLI section, and it works fine on 182. drivers.

[-=seany=- 5]

your loosing fps with SFR, you would be better with single gpu till they fix this damned flickering with afr.

[-=seany=- 5]

*************Confirmed Full Performance Fix for Arma SLI Flicker*************

Check out this thread @ Guru3d:

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=286786

Basically you just use nHancer to associate Arma.exe with the Crysis profile and all screen strobe is gone.  I have done some testing and the performance is a good as it was pre 18X.XX nvidia drivers.

Here is an example of a mission I use to test FPS around the logging area of Bagango, its just me (rifle man) standing there with m16rco. I use FRAPS to measure FPS.

SLI off

======

Mission start              - 48FPS

Max FPS                    - 68FPS

Min Fps                     - 38FPS

RCO scoped at trees    - 19FPS

SLI on (AFR)

======

Mission start              - 96FPS

Max FPS                    - 116FPS

Min Fps                     - 48FPS

RCO scoped at trees  - 48FPS

I'm so glad to have this working again, as you can see Arma makes some impressive gains with sli, even though it ironically dose not officially support it. One of the best examples of sli working well imo.  Also, I know from testing that you can't get near the above kind of performance increase using SFR or by turning off the offending compatibility bits in nhancer that causes the flashing.  That is why I have been so adamant about getting this fixed.

post your results or ask for help if you have trouble using Nhancer. I hope this works for everyone who has the flashing problem.

[desertjedi 3]

Seany, thanks for passing this on. I didn't know you could use nHancer this way either. I use it to turn vsync off in Arma

Now, I may be able to get my buddy back in the game. He's got a 7950GX2 and gets unplayable frame rates with it in ArmA.

Does anything have to be changed in the Crysis profile in the SLI section?

[-=seany=- 5]

no need to change anything in the crysis profile, just add arma.exe to the enhancer crysis profile and exit nhancer, also disassociate arma.exe with the arma nhancer profile, otherwise it will conflict. You can then adjust the crysis profile in Nvidia Control panel for other stuff (I set filtering in there rather than in game), just leave the MultiGpu/Sli setting to Nvidia Recommended.

[Nemesis_wales 0]

i get the flickering but with ATI 4870X2

[Cap Loz 0]

I'm a returner to ARMA after a long while away, and was really p...ed to find the SLI flickering problem.

BUT after following some guidance  (I think from this forum) I installed nHancer with the 181.22 drivers and used the Crysis.exe to run ARMA.exe.

Eh Voila Perfect. Anywhere between 40 -80 fps (in FRAPS) 1920 X 1200 Everthing on max.

Looking good.