Convergence Drift Problem
I've been having serious convergence problems in any game I play, but I can't find ay info in the forums. Hoping someone can lend a hand.

I first noticed this problem in Mafia II, but it's since happened in every game I've tried (Skyrim, most recently). The convergence drifts along with horizontal motion on the screen. The convergence increases as I pan left to right, and decreases as I pan right to left. The faster I pan, the greater the change. It's not a subtle change. The right and left images can go from being completely converged to an inch apart (on my 23" screen). Weirder still, the problem is more pronounced when running in SLI (2 GTX 460s). If I run on one card, it's not as dramatic, but still noticeable.

I'm currently using the beta drivers released on 11/28, but I have been through several official driver releases, always using the "clean install" option, with no luck. I've played around with the Control Panel settings, tried manually setting convergence (which I can set, but it doesn't prevent it drifting), but no improvement.

Any guesses?
I've been having serious convergence problems in any game I play, but I can't find ay info in the forums. Hoping someone can lend a hand.



I first noticed this problem in Mafia II, but it's since happened in every game I've tried (Skyrim, most recently). The convergence drifts along with horizontal motion on the screen. The convergence increases as I pan left to right, and decreases as I pan right to left. The faster I pan, the greater the change. It's not a subtle change. The right and left images can go from being completely converged to an inch apart (on my 23" screen). Weirder still, the problem is more pronounced when running in SLI (2 GTX 460s). If I run on one card, it's not as dramatic, but still noticeable.



I'm currently using the beta drivers released on 11/28, but I have been through several official driver releases, always using the "clean install" option, with no luck. I've played around with the Control Panel settings, tried manually setting convergence (which I can set, but it doesn't prevent it drifting), but no improvement.



Any guesses?

#1
Posted 12/02/2011 04:02 AM   
Make sure your monitor has its latest driver, it can have serious problems if you dont. Generic upnp monitor just dont cut it!
Make sure your monitor has its latest driver, it can have serious problems if you dont. Generic upnp monitor just dont cut it!

#2
Posted 12/02/2011 05:33 AM   
That's a good idea. I downloaded the latest driver from Acer for my GD235hz, but no change. I should also point out that I have a 3D DLP projector as well and the problem is the same on that display. This exercise did reveal one interesting thing, though. If I completely disable one of the two displays, the problem is less pronounced (although, like disabling SLI, still noticeable). I tried unplugging the second display AND disabling SLI, the problem is still definitely there. Even at the lowest possible depth setting, the convergence visible floats or drifts (and still definitely increases with left to right motion, decreases with right to left).

As another weird note, I tried Battlefield 3 in 3D last night and it doesn't suffer from the problem! It is the only game out of maybe a dozen I've tried that doesn't. It's a 3D Vision ready title that handles convergence itself (Mafia II does as well, although it still suffers this problem). This seems pretty telling. I don't know exactly WHAT it's telling me, but it's something :P

Also, just for reference, I am running Windows 7, completely up to date in Windows updater. The only thing I can think to try at this point is a complete OS reinstall, which I'm trying to avoid if I can find an alternative.
That's a good idea. I downloaded the latest driver from Acer for my GD235hz, but no change. I should also point out that I have a 3D DLP projector as well and the problem is the same on that display. This exercise did reveal one interesting thing, though. If I completely disable one of the two displays, the problem is less pronounced (although, like disabling SLI, still noticeable). I tried unplugging the second display AND disabling SLI, the problem is still definitely there. Even at the lowest possible depth setting, the convergence visible floats or drifts (and still definitely increases with left to right motion, decreases with right to left).



As another weird note, I tried Battlefield 3 in 3D last night and it doesn't suffer from the problem! It is the only game out of maybe a dozen I've tried that doesn't. It's a 3D Vision ready title that handles convergence itself (Mafia II does as well, although it still suffers this problem). This seems pretty telling. I don't know exactly WHAT it's telling me, but it's something :P



Also, just for reference, I am running Windows 7, completely up to date in Windows updater. The only thing I can think to try at this point is a complete OS reinstall, which I'm trying to avoid if I can find an alternative.

#3
Posted 12/02/2011 04:36 PM   
I've never seen anything like this.
Could you post a video of what you're seeing.
I've never seen anything like this.

Could you post a video of what you're seeing.
#4
Posted 12/02/2011 04:54 PM   
Yep, I will download FRAPS after work and see if that will take a proper video. I'm also wondering if there are any registry settings for convergence that maybe aren't getting cleared out when i do a clean driver install. Because BF3 has no issues, it definitely seems like a driver issue.
Yep, I will download FRAPS after work and see if that will take a proper video. I'm also wondering if there are any registry settings for convergence that maybe aren't getting cleared out when i do a clean driver install. Because BF3 has no issues, it definitely seems like a driver issue.

#5
Posted 12/02/2011 05:16 PM   
I'm not having any luck with FRAPS. When I enable "Capture video in stereoscopic 3D", only only get a full right side image (and a garbled left image). Without that option enabled, I only get video from the right (I've tried upping the video FPS to 120 to see if I could capture it all, no dice).

I did notice a couple things in the process. 1, 2D objects on the screen (like hud information) are not affected. 2, when recording a FRAPS video, the problem was improved a bit! I know that's bizarre. All I can figure is that it was locking in a certain framerate, and that helped. So I tried forcing VSync through the control panel. I also reduce the number of render-ahead frames to zerro and disabled triple-buffering. No change.

Any recommendations other than FRAPS for getting a video showing both left and right simultaneously?
I'm not having any luck with FRAPS. When I enable "Capture video in stereoscopic 3D", only only get a full right side image (and a garbled left image). Without that option enabled, I only get video from the right (I've tried upping the video FPS to 120 to see if I could capture it all, no dice).



I did notice a couple things in the process. 1, 2D objects on the screen (like hud information) are not affected. 2, when recording a FRAPS video, the problem was improved a bit! I know that's bizarre. All I can figure is that it was locking in a certain framerate, and that helped. So I tried forcing VSync through the control panel. I also reduce the number of render-ahead frames to zerro and disabled triple-buffering. No change.



Any recommendations other than FRAPS for getting a video showing both left and right simultaneously?

#6
Posted 12/02/2011 06:59 PM   
You can probably just capture with a phone, if the convergence really is changing when you move left and right, it should be obvious with the two images overlayed
You can probably just capture with a phone, if the convergence really is changing when you move left and right, it should be obvious with the two images overlayed
#7
Posted 12/02/2011 07:46 PM   
[quote name='CosbyTron' date='02 December 2011 - 12:59 PM' timestamp='1322852353' post='1336562']
I'm not having any luck with FRAPS. When I enable "Capture video in stereoscopic 3D", only only get a full right side image (and a garbled left image). Without that option enabled, I only get video from the right (I've tried upping the video FPS to 120 to see if I could capture it all, no dice).

I did notice a couple things in the process. 1, 2D objects on the screen (like hud information) are not affected. 2, when recording a FRAPS video, the problem was improved a bit! I know that's bizarre. All I can figure is that it was locking in a certain framerate, and that helped. So I tried forcing VSync through the control panel. I also reduce the number of render-ahead frames to zerro and disabled triple-buffering. No change.

Any recommendations other than FRAPS for getting a video showing both left and right simultaneously?
[/quote]

You must disable SLI when recording with fraps or you get that laggy crap.
[quote name='CosbyTron' date='02 December 2011 - 12:59 PM' timestamp='1322852353' post='1336562']

I'm not having any luck with FRAPS. When I enable "Capture video in stereoscopic 3D", only only get a full right side image (and a garbled left image). Without that option enabled, I only get video from the right (I've tried upping the video FPS to 120 to see if I could capture it all, no dice).



I did notice a couple things in the process. 1, 2D objects on the screen (like hud information) are not affected. 2, when recording a FRAPS video, the problem was improved a bit! I know that's bizarre. All I can figure is that it was locking in a certain framerate, and that helped. So I tried forcing VSync through the control panel. I also reduce the number of render-ahead frames to zerro and disabled triple-buffering. No change.



Any recommendations other than FRAPS for getting a video showing both left and right simultaneously?





You must disable SLI when recording with fraps or you get that laggy crap.

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#8
Posted 12/02/2011 11:41 PM   
@Acid, good call, I'll give fraps another shot tonight. In the meantime, @ERP also a good call. Didn't even occur to me :P

Here's a quick clip of the problem. If you watch the character in the center of the screen, you'll see her face goes from being completely converged to almost completely separated in the left and right eye (I'm not moving back or forward, obviously objects will converge as you approach them, this is first panning/strafing right and left, then just mouse-looking right and left).


[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caIxr-Rv9u8[/media]

If all else fails, I'm going to go ahead and reinstall Windows this weekend, just crossing my fingers I don't have to.
@Acid, good call, I'll give fraps another shot tonight. In the meantime, @ERP also a good call. Didn't even occur to me :P



Here's a quick clip of the problem. If you watch the character in the center of the screen, you'll see her face goes from being completely converged to almost completely separated in the left and right eye (I'm not moving back or forward, obviously objects will converge as you approach them, this is first panning/strafing right and left, then just mouse-looking right and left).





[media][/media]



If all else fails, I'm going to go ahead and reinstall Windows this weekend, just crossing my fingers I don't have to.

#9
Posted 12/02/2011 11:56 PM   
OK looks like the left and right frames are out of sync.
Try turning off SLI.
OK looks like the left and right frames are out of sync.

Try turning off SLI.
#10
Posted 12/04/2011 03:25 AM   
I would also list out your main system specs, CPU, clockspeeds, Mobo/chipset. What pcie bus speeds are the two cards running at. Make sure the SLI ribbon is attached securely. Is there any of this kind of lag in 2D? Did 3D Vision ever work for you without this problem?
I would also list out your main system specs, CPU, clockspeeds, Mobo/chipset. What pcie bus speeds are the two cards running at. Make sure the SLI ribbon is attached securely. Is there any of this kind of lag in 2D? Did 3D Vision ever work for you without this problem?

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#11
Posted 12/04/2011 05:26 AM   
Yep, 3DVision used to work flawlessly. I had been playing Mafia II and the problem just materialized. That was actually before I added a 2nd card. SLI definitely makes the problem much worse. Disabling it makes the drifting effect a lot less noticable, but it's still there and headache inducing. I'm still a little mystified that Battlefield 3 doesn't suffer from it at all (even with SLI enabled). I've torn down the system a couple times since, so I'm confident everything is secured well.

I'm running 2 460s overclocked to 800mhz, but I've run them both (and individually) at stock speeds during troubleshooting, to rule out overheating and artifacting from the overclock. The mobo is an MSI with a P67 chipset. I've got an i5-2500k overclocked (have also put that back at stock for troubleshooting). The FSB isn't overclocked, everythng but the clock multiplier is at stock speed.

I haven't reinstalled the OS yet. Been putting it off until I finish Skyrim (so who knows how long that'll take :P). I'm pretty convinced it's a software issue at this point (especially considering BF3 works). I must have flipped a switch in the registry at some point without realizing it.

If the problem is still there after a fresh install, then the hardware has definitely gone wonky. I'm hoping it'll end up working with SLI enabled (running in 3D is exactly when the extra horsepower is needed).

Thanks all for the input!
Yep, 3DVision used to work flawlessly. I had been playing Mafia II and the problem just materialized. That was actually before I added a 2nd card. SLI definitely makes the problem much worse. Disabling it makes the drifting effect a lot less noticable, but it's still there and headache inducing. I'm still a little mystified that Battlefield 3 doesn't suffer from it at all (even with SLI enabled). I've torn down the system a couple times since, so I'm confident everything is secured well.



I'm running 2 460s overclocked to 800mhz, but I've run them both (and individually) at stock speeds during troubleshooting, to rule out overheating and artifacting from the overclock. The mobo is an MSI with a P67 chipset. I've got an i5-2500k overclocked (have also put that back at stock for troubleshooting). The FSB isn't overclocked, everythng but the clock multiplier is at stock speed.



I haven't reinstalled the OS yet. Been putting it off until I finish Skyrim (so who knows how long that'll take :P). I'm pretty convinced it's a software issue at this point (especially considering BF3 works). I must have flipped a switch in the registry at some point without realizing it.



If the problem is still there after a fresh install, then the hardware has definitely gone wonky. I'm hoping it'll end up working with SLI enabled (running in 3D is exactly when the extra horsepower is needed).



Thanks all for the input!

#12
Posted 12/06/2011 06:19 AM   
Try tridef. If that works then its def. software. If tridef works fine go into 3d setting in nvidia control panel and restore default. Might be something, might not.

I just had 3d vision uninstall itself somehow.... Fun stuff.
Try tridef. If that works then its def. software. If tridef works fine go into 3d setting in nvidia control panel and restore default. Might be something, might not.



I just had 3d vision uninstall itself somehow.... Fun stuff.

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#13
Posted 12/07/2011 02:12 AM   
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