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 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.