Possible solution to performance problems

Hi there, first post and all that jazz.
Had a problem with PA basically freezing up my system (Once, it locked up the whole system for 15 minutes), and stuttered horribly. I checked video card patch was current, which it was, so on the surface PA should have been working.
Found an option on my card for PhysX, figured I'd redownload and repair the driver for it. Turns out, my PhysX driver had a missing file but the installer couldn't fix it so I removed and reinstalled the whole driver.
Flipped on PA, it loads up alot smoother and rarely lags in an AI battle. Even with like 50 planes all going pew pew.

Oh, FYI I changed the emitter count on the Fab units from 500 to 50. Don't think that has anything to do with my improved performance but who knows?
Attached is my rig specs.
Also, on a personal note, I'd like to thank Uber for making me check my internet connection speed. Found my broadband provider, who should be supplying me with up to 16 mb, is giving me a massive... 1 mb.
Time for an annoying telephone call!

I don't install the PhysX stuff at all. Just the basic driver.

PhysX isn't used in PA anyhow.

EDIT : found it. two cards. Turn off SLI for PA, wait for post release for SLI.

also try slowbars, by cola_colin. And yes reducing the particle count helps alot, you can reduce it on all three entries in the shader and reduce it even more.

It's not looks like two GPUs, it's two monitors.
But this also can affect PA performance seriously.

Next time check "System Devices" section of DxDiag, it's still should contain two GPUs if there SLI.

woops ya sorry. but indeed PA runs much better on a system that BOOTED one screen only.

As said previously PhysX have nothing to do with PA. I'm think you get better performance because you installed latest driver.

I would think the new driver would help. We don't use physx at all....

really? wtf?
I happen to sometimes boot on one (tv) screen and other times on three and never noticed a difference.

i swear at least for me it's the case

Well, that's weird. Updating PhysX was literally the ONLY thing I did and it instantly improved the performance. Oh, I meant I reinstalled the PhysX driver, not my graphic's card driver.

Eh, it works good now, probably better not look too deeply into that particular horse's mouth then

Actually nvidia drivers works weird with PA on Windows. E.g all this problems with SLI and multiple monitors seems like drivers bug and there is no understanding what's in PA trigger them.

hmm, well I have an AMD card so maybe that's why I never noticed any problem like this with multiple screens

This. AMD card's don't have problems with multiple monitors.

They also don't have problems with CrossFire, but it's because CF don't work for windowed applications.

I was suspecting as much, nvidias are crap multi-screeners.