Guild Wars 2

I know that there have been many forum threads about this already, but I’m getting desperate, and I hope someone can help me out.
Here are my specs:
Windows 8 Pro, 64-bit
ATI Radeon HD 5900 Series (5970 I believe)
Intel Core i7 Processor @ 3.2 GHz
12 GB RAM
I am pulling 2 – 8 FPS on Best Quality/Appearance, 8 – 12 FPS on Auto-Detect, and ~20 FPS on Best Performance. On games such as Skyrim and Crysis 2, I can pull 50+ FPS (usually in 60’s) on max graphical settings.
I have tried numerous fixes already, including:
- Disabling Hardware Acceleration
- Disabling Crossfire
- Disabling CPU OC’ing (though I thought that would boost FPS)
- Turning off Anisotropic Filtering and Anti-Aliasing
- Doing a clean install of AMD Catalyst & using latest drivers (12.10 I think)
- Made sure GPU was running at x16 speeds in the PCI slot (not x4)
GW2 Support will not help since I have Windows 8 — even though there are numerous people saying GW2 is performing great on W8.
There are also attached files from the GW2 Test, HijackThis log, and NetworkDiag log.
Any help/advice you can give is greatly appreciated!

More evidence that GW2 is not optimized for multiple GPU card like my 5970.
- Crossfire IS enabled.
- Power Supply is 1000w — more than enough for 2 cards much less 1.
- Card is correctly bussed at PCI x16.
- GW2 is running in Full Screen mode, not Windowed
- On “Best Performance” Preset, FPS is around 15-18 in a mostly abandoned minor city.
- This performance on my specs (post above) is Laughable. Laughable. Laughable.

Also notice CPU is at 6% capacity with GW2 running — usually it goes from around 6% – 8%.

And for those who like the CPU overclocking, clearly my system should run GW2 without the need to overclock. However, just for kicks, I tried a OC at 3.6 and 3.85. No change in FPS whatsoever.

You are running Windows 8, there might be driver related issues with ATI catalyst? Tried different drivers yet? Do other games utilize both GPU in xfire?

Something is wrong if your CPU usage if its only 6% on a quad core/HT corei7 960, it should be using more like 30% when running GW2

disable crossfire. I got a very large FPS boost my disabling crossfire. From my understanding GW2 is not optimized for crossfire.

kirito.4138:

You are running Windows 8, there might be driver related issues with ATI catalyst? Tried different drivers yet? Do other games utilize both GPU in xfire?

Something is wrong if your CPU usage if its only 6% on a quad core/HT corei7 960, it should be using more like 30% when running GW2

If tried to go back to previous drivers of Catalyst as well as using the most updated version. None of them make a difference. Other games — such as NFS, SWTOR, Skyrim utilize both GPUs. I have even tried making a custom catalyst profile forcing Crossfire, but it doesn’t work.

As for the CPU at 6% that’s when its minimized — but a core i7 should have 0 problems running GW2. I think it has to be something to do with the 1st GPU maxing out and the 2nd GPU having 0 activity.

TommyP.6924:

disable crossfire. I got a very large FPS boost my disabling crossfire. From my understanding GW2 is not optimized for crossfire.

I’ve tried disabling crossfire, but it does not seem to make a difference. Even tried running it in windowed mode to make sure only 1 GPU would be activated.

It might be a little different for a 5970 because its one card and two chips with built-in crossfire.

Actually a 5970 is a single gpu card. A 5990 would be a dual gpu card.

Swordbreaker.2581:

Actually a 5970 is a single gpu card. A 5990 would be a dual gpu card.

Sorry, but that’s not correct. The 5970 is a dual GPU card.

http://graphics-cards-review.toptenreviews.com/ati-radeon-hd-5970-review.html

Though I don’t believe this is the bulk of your problems, did you happen to also download the CAPs from Amd as well? Without them you won’t get great crossfire support in GW2.

Also what area is your fps testing from? Cities? WvW? Pve by yourself or in a bigger DE?
Also what motherboard are you using?

Swordbreaker.2581:

Also what area is your fps testing from? Cities? WvW? Pve by yourself or in a bigger DE?
Also what motherboard are you using?

I have already downloaded latest Application Profiles from AMD.

I’ve tested it in several areas — very little difference in FPS — Lion’s Arch drops only maybe 3-5 fps when compared to a minor fort/city. Have not even bothered to try with WvW. Average is around 12-14 fps.

Using a ASUS Rampage III Extreme mobo.

Have you run msi afterburner on screen display to confirm both gpus were not being utilized?

Swordbreaker.2581:

Have you run msi afterburner on screen display to confirm both gpus were not being utilized?

You can see it in the attachment about 7 or 8 posts above this one.

can you take a screen shot of the OSD in game? it may not be showing both on account of GW2 being minimized.

I Have the same problem with Duel graphics i have AMD Radeon 6620G + HD 7450M. I think i read somwhere that both graphics card do not run on DX9 game but only one DX10 games onwards. This is true because i use both graphics cards on Total war: Shogun 2 and battlefield 2/3 which have both DX11 support. Not sure if this is what you mean though.

Two things, in your BIOS, disable the onboard VGA. Weird detection things happen. Secondly, make sure your ram is running at 1600mhz and not 1333mhz.

Aside from that, you should not be having those issues, it just sounds like your GW2 is using the onboard vga, something like HD3000/4000 may be instead of the actual AMD GPU.

A shot in the dark, but worth a try… Download the latest caps 12.11cap1 I think, install if you haven’t already. If you have, just go to c:\program files (x86)\ati tech\application profiles\

Copy the atiapfxx.blb

then go to c:\windows\ Paste that file in the system32 and also the sysWOW64 and replace the matching file there.

It fixed a bunch of crossfire issues for me in a number of games while using 12.10 and also the 12.11 beta 1-8’s.

Something about not updating the App profiles or something.

Worth a try I suppose.

Salvateon.6320:

I Have the same problem with Duel graphics i have AMD Radeon 6620G + HD 7450M. I think i read somwhere that both graphics card do not run on DX9 game but only one DX10 games onwards. This is true because i use both graphics cards on Total war: Shogun 2 and battlefield 2/3 which have both DX11 support. Not sure if this is what you mean though.

It’s quite possible you are right. There have been many posts asking why there is no DX11 support.

Most games support DX11…which is why this isn’t a problem on most games.

My second GPU shows 0% usage in MSI Afterburner also with GW2 minimized with the first GPU hovering at 1-3% usage. It is very odd that one of your GPU’s is running at 99% while you are at the desktop. May I ask if this is everywhere in the game that you get 8 FPS or just places like Lion’s Arch? Skyrim is a DX9 game so that tells me that if crossfire works there it should work with GW2 for you.

Zagerus.8675:

My second GPU shows 0% usage in MSI Afterburner also with GW2 minimized with the first GPU hovering at 1-3% usage. It is very odd that one of your GPU’s is running at 99% while you are at the desktop. May I ask if this is everywhere in the game that you get 8 FPS or just places like Lion’s Arch? Skyrim is a DX9 game so that tells me that if crossfire works there it should work with GW2 for you.

I get low fps everywhere, not just Lion’s Arch.

I don’t get it either.

Madeline.4815:

A shot in the dark, but worth a try… Download the latest caps 12.11cap1 I think, install if you haven’t already. If you have, just go to c:\program files (x86)\ati tech\application profiles\

Copy the atiapfxx.blb

then go to c:\windows\ Paste that file in the system32 and also the sysWOW64 and replace the matching file there.

It fixed a bunch of crossfire issues for me in a number of games while using 12.10 and also the 12.11 beta 1-8’s.

Something about not updating the App profiles or something.

Worth a try I suppose.

Thanks for the advice, but it didn’t have any affect on fps.

When you run gpu-z , does it show that while you are running GW2, that it is at pci-e 3.0 x16 @ x16 or pci-e 3.0 x16 @ x1?

Swordbreaker.2581:

When you run gpu-z , does it show that while you are running GW2, that it is at pci-e 3.0 x16 @ x16 or pci-e 3.0 x16 @ x1?

“PCI-E 2.0×16@x16 2.0”

Do you have Catalyst AI set on? Also have you tried disabling the 2nd gpu in device manager and re enabling it? Finally if that doesn’t work, try uninstalling CCC and see if that has any effect.

Anyway heres the page I found some of those suggestions I gave you on http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=340914

It appears one guy said the card was rather long and weighted heavier on one side and it actually was loose at one end. The disabling and re enabling of the 2nd gpu worked for one guy in the device manager. Let me know if you get it working with any of those suggestions.

Swordbreaker.2581:

Anyway heres the page I found some of those suggestions I gave you on http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=340914

It appears one guy said the card was rather long and weighted heavier on one side and it actually was loose at one end. The disabling and re enabling of the 2nd gpu worked for one guy in the device manager. Let me know if you get it working with any of those suggestions.

Catalyst AI is turned on — plus I have uninstalled CCC several times trying different versions of it (the one installed right now is latest version w/ latest CAPs)

As for the device manager fix — I tried that. No effect. Didn’t think it would because the 2nd GPU comes on for other games.

Sorry man. Im stumped.

Any luck yet, Prop?

Have you tried switching inputs for whatever kind of hook up your using? DVI, DSUB, whatever?

Sometimes maybe an hard unplug will cause the game to recognize the second gpu.

Hmmm… Wish I could help more. Crossfire issues really get on my nerves when they arise.

Also, I’m not certain if you mentioned it, but are you running multidisplays?

Madeline.4815:

Any luck yet, Prop?

Have you tried switching inputs for whatever kind of hook up your using? DVI, DSUB, whatever?

Sometimes maybe an hard unplug will cause the game to recognize the second gpu.

Hmmm… Wish I could help more. Crossfire issues really get on my nerves when they arise.

Also, I’m not certain if you mentioned it, but are you running multidisplays?

I tried replugging the monitors and card in. Switched cables. Nothing works. Figured it wouldn’t because the 2nd GPU works fine in other games.

Oh and no multidisplay — just one monitor.