To get a feel for how Virtu functioned and to test whether or not it affects performance, we built up an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3770-based system with integrated Intel HD 4000‑series graphics, using a Z77 Express motherboard from Asus, 8GB of RAM, and a few high-end graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD, namely a pair of GeForce GTX 680s and a pair of Radeon HD 7970s. We tested every supported configuration, in both i-Mode and d-Mode, checking performance and power consumption along the way.
What we found was that Virtu had little impact on power consumption with our hardware. In fact, power consumption was typically a bit higher using Virtu, presumably because the iGPU is used for some of Virtu’s proprietary functions when the dGPU in under load. We should point out, however, that this will not always be the case. Some older graphics cards behave differently under Virtu and may exhibit much lower idle power consumption. With the GeForce GTX 680 and Radeon HD 7970, though, idle power was mostly flat.
In terms of game performance, we found that Virtu had little impact. We saw some slight performance variations from configuration to configuration, but the deltas were relatively small and of no consequence. There is some overhead associated with shuttling frame buffer data between GPUs, but Lucid seems to have done a good job minimizing its impact on frame rates.
For the most part, Virtu just worked. When we wanted to use Quick Sync we could, regardless of the graphics configuration, and the applications and games we tested didn’t exhibit any image‑quality or performance issues. Quick Sync’s output quality was also unchanged in each configuration. We did, however, experience an issue with Metro 2033 when in i-Mode. The game simply wouldn’t launch when GPU Virtualization was enabled. We’d get to the loading screen and the game would just hang.
Note: This article was taken from the October 2012 issue of the magazine.
Comments are closed on this article
MrGeek
February 05, 2013 at 9:51pm
I have Intel Core i7 3770K @ 3.50GHz (Ivy Bridge 22nm Technology), MOBO is ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. P8Z77-V LK (LGA1155), I see the exact same BIOS image shown in article on my bios, set it up like it. AMD 7950 video with latest and greatest.
When I try to install Virtu it tells me iGPU not found. Huh??
Other than that pc runs fine, games are fast and smooth.
Geneaux
February 05, 2013 at 9:24pm
Works fine with Skyrim and another no-name F2P FPSMMO I have installed iirc. I tried to play BF3 with this on, and immediately recognized that it was unplayable. Tears all up and down the screen. However it's the only game I've experienced this with so far. It's been mostly disabled and only recently I had just reenabled it and I have yet to test it in other games I own.
jgottberg
February 05, 2013 at 1:04pm
I don't get it.
So it's supposed to improve power consumption but really doesn't. It's supposed to improve gaming performance but doesn't quite do that either. So on what level does it "just work?"
Just seems like software for software sake.
CaptainFabulous
February 05, 2013 at 11:45am
Well I was already perplexed by this software prior to this article, and honestly, the article didn't really offer any information to change it.
It doesn't affect power consumption. It doesn't affect game performance. But it just works. Works at WHAT? What is it supposed to be doing??? Is the only benefit in allowing you to use features of the integrated GPU while having a discrete one installed?
This came with my mobo, I keep it installed and updated, but honest to God have no idea what, if any, benefit I get from it. I've read every single iota of content on the website and still have no idea what it's supposed to accomplish, or what benefit it provides to me.
I will say this tho -- I have noticed with virtual vsync that I can disable vsync in my games, get higher than 60 FPS, and not see tearing that I would normally see. So perhaps that's one benefit I notice, but only in games where I would get more than 60 FPS and have that be useful. So maybe some older FPSs?
John Pombrio
February 05, 2013 at 9:49am
TOTAL waste of time. I fiddled with the Virtu MVP settings on numerous games and saw NO improvement. ASUS P8Z77-V deluxe with NVidia GTX 680 EVGA on a Dell 2560 by 1440 IPS monitor and I am very computer savvy.
Supposedly , it prevents tearing but I never saw much if any before running it so no improvement there. Then the frame rate was locked at 60FPS and would only decrease while without Virtu running, the framerate at least doubled.Whatever this was supposed to accomplish, it was completely unsuitable for my system. Perhaps it is for marginal speced computers but with what I saw, I would still not use it.
Nixon
February 05, 2013 at 8:42am
Sounds cool, but saw no increase in gaming performance through the GPU.
Maybe a different story through motherboard and CPU graphics, but seems sort of pointless and I didn't have the time to test it out. o_O
jaygregz
February 04, 2013 at 10:32pm
I tried it on my system before. Didn't save any power consumption and I couldn't tell any difference performance wise.
commandrew
February 04, 2013 at 10:18pm
It's NOT what you think. Virtu requires you to plug your monitor(s) into the HDMI or DVI on your motherboard, and not your graphics card. The routing of the signal through your card out the mobo DVI or HDMI and not the DVI or HDMI on the graphics card can cost you performance wise, albeit only around 5 frames per second in most games.
ShinRenNu
February 04, 2013 at 8:35pm
What happens when you try to install Virtu even its not supported by your motherboard?
Will it damage my motherboard permanently or it will just won't work at all?
limitbreaker
February 05, 2013 at 1:10pm
It'll cause your motherboard to imagine a virtue chip on it and spontaneously grow a chip on the pcb board.
The Corrupted One
February 04, 2013 at 8:31pm
Omg, syncing my Intel Graphics with my dual 6850s. Now that would be awesome.
RS_Lommax
February 04, 2013 at 8:13pm
It sounds nice, but when I installed it on my freshly-built system, it kept my print spooler from starting up. I had to axe it to get my printer back.
UberFefa
February 04, 2013 at 7:22pm
What happens when you want to update the GPU drivers? It said that they have to be installed before Virtu, does that affect new driver installs?
