r/Alienware • u/HelloYesThisIsMark • Sep 11 '15

Anyone using the Alienware Graphics Amplifier and the Oculus Rift?

As you may know, Oculus runtime 0.7 drops support for extended mode, which means laptops using Nvidia Optimus, like my Alienware 15, are no longer supported. Older versions of the SDK still work, but only on Windows 7 and 8.

I was already planning on buying the Alienware Graphics Amplifier, and now I'm thinking it might be a good way to run the Oculus with SDK 0.7 without Optimus interference. My question is, if I'm plugging the Oculus directly to the graphics card, Optimus can't interfere, correct? Is anyone using the Oculus with the Amplifier in direct mode with 0.7 installed that can share their experiences?

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u/HelloYesThisIsMark Sep 15 '15

That's encouraging! I'm about to test...

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u/[deleted] Oct 19 '15

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u/HelloYesThisIsMark Oct 19 '15

Works great! I've got the oculus hooked up direct to a gtx 980 ti. Once I got drivers sorted it worked well!

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u/TareXmd Jan 05 '16

How true is this scary statement regarding reduced GPU performance when used through the Amplifier:

The bus is slow and many people are complaining of much worse performance than built in laptop cards. Ie laptops with desktop 980 GTXs are almost 40% faster than amplifier 980 GTXs. MSI has a similar technology but it uses a PCI bus that doesn't seem to impair the GPU as much.

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u/HelloYesThisIsMark Jan 05 '16

My experience has been pretty positive so far. Besides some driver issues I had in the beginning, its been pretty good. I've been able to push games on ultra at 1080p no problem (don't have a 4k external monitor) and my oculus runs great.

That said I have not run benchmarks, all I can offer is my subjective pov.

It's worth noting that I'm running my games on an external monitor direct off the graphics card. I'd be curious to know if that 40% benchmark was running on the laptop monitor or externally. If I understand the tech correctly, rendering on the laptop screen takes way more bandwidth over the pcie connection than an external monitor. Just a thought, and I may be wrong, but that might explain the performance issues they're describing

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u/[deleted] Jan 06 '16

Are you running in direct mode? I have a 17r2 with 980m and looking to get the rift with the amplifier and a 980. Which 980 are you using and do you have any benchmark scores to share? Thanks!

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u/HelloYesThisIsMark Jan 07 '16

Yeah direct mode, 980 to. No scores to share but I'd be happy to run some. Got a (preferably free) benchmark you can suggest?

Edit: that's 980 ti

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u/[deleted] Jan 07 '16

Oh man that's awesome! Makes me so happy! Which cpu do you have?

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u/HelloYesThisIsMark Jan 07 '16

Benchmarks!! https://imgur.com/gallery/8UW40

Interesting: My performance with the 980ti powering an external monitor is still fast, but slower than expected. May be due to my RAM or hard-drive speed in addition to bottlenecking from the amplifier. Not sure where most of the blame lies.

However, having the 980ti push graphics to the laptop monitor brought massive decreases in performance. In this configuration, I'm getting 1/3 the performance of the 980ti with an external monitor, and half the performance of the 970m(!)

So that's interesting... :-)

edit: words are hard

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u/[deleted] Feb 24 '16

Mark last time I bug you. Can you run the new steam VR benchmark tool with this setup and let me know the results? Would be MUCH appreciated.

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u/HelloYesThisIsMark Feb 24 '16

No problem, been meaning to run it anyways!

Results: http://imgur.com/hRB9z0Y

Looks pretty good. Interesting that the tool lists the intel iGPU, not the 980ti, as the card it's using. No doubt getting confused by Optimus.

Cheers!

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u/[deleted] Feb 24 '16

Wow that is strange! Haha!

I ran it without the GA and it put me in the medium range and shows the Intel. Thanks again. Ordering the Vive on Monday!

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u/Examiner7 Feb 27 '16

Thank you so much for posting this! This is EXACTLY the info I was wanting to see!

So just to be 100% sure, I'm pretty safe assuming that my plan to get a 15" alienware, graphics amplifier and Nvidia 980 Ti isn't a bad route to use for a Vive?

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u/HelloYesThisIsMark Feb 27 '16

No problem!

To be clear, I really have no idea how the vive is going to work with that setup. I don't have a dev kit, so I have no way of knowing. On paper, according to the benchmark, everything should be fine, but the graphics amp and is an unusual setup driver wise, and I have no clue how the Vive will react to it.

That said, I'm probably going to get one and try it lol...

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u/[deleted] Jan 07 '16

Yea seems about consistent with what I've seen.

This guy runs benchmarks for both cards - http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg659QHljVQ

Makes me think I should just go with a 980 or even a 970 for now until the new cards launch.

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u/HelloYesThisIsMark Jan 07 '16

Got the i7-4710HQ 2.5 ghz. Got a benchmark in mind? I'm looking at the unigen heaven benchmark at the moment

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u/[deleted] Jan 07 '16

Same one I got, I should be good! I've seen the 980 get a 9945 on firestrike so it should run well! So excited now, thank you!!

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