Why hasn't anandtech ever reported on Geforce memory/alt-tab issues?

KingGheedora

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2006
3,248
1
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I'm referring to the bug where games slow down, but th performance will jump by a significant amount if a user alt-tab to windows, and alt-tabs back to windows. I would not have bought this card if I had known about this bug. I'm seeing it in Command & Conquer 3 right now and it is making the game unplayable -- an truly dissatisfying experience having paid so much for this card.

There is supposedly a fix for this coming from NVIDIA in early September. I'm wondering why I have never heard of this until experiencing it for myself, and having to google it? This is exactly the kind of thing I would like to learn by reading an enthusiast site like anandtech.com. It seems the issue has been going on for months, and I see no mention of it in any of the Geforce Reviews or roundups on this site.

I have been reading this site since it's very first articles, in the days when Anand was reviewing Pentium MMX 233's and PPro 200's, and always felt like the site was my source into inside knowledge in the computer hardware world. With not seeing this issue reported, I am disappointed. This is the place where users should be able to read about shortcomings of products in order to make buying decisions.

I would like to see more investigative type articles (like the 2GB address space article) rather than all reviews and performance comparisons. I can accept that they aren't posting hardcore things like motherboard mod articles, so they can target a more mainstream audience, but this kind of issue affects the core audience. Remember the site serves users and makes a profit selling advertisements based on our collective traffic, so serving our needs once in a while would be much appreciated.
 

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
31,516
167
106
Huh? I try to keep abreast of these things and this is the first time I've heard of it. What is this issue exactly?
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
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Originally posted by: ViRGE
Huh? I try to keep abreast of these things and this is the first time I've heard of it. What is this issue exactly?

Basicaly a driver bug allows the texture memory on the video card to be slowly taken up for no reason and thus reducing framerates to unplayable levels. It is just a driver problem and does not affect all users. Some people have it, some don't. Seems to happen more often in vista than not though if I'm not mistaken. I knew about it because a game I play (Final Fantasy XI) has problems with the 8800 that are similar to this. I searched around and it seems to be just a driver issue that is known and being worked on. Again, I repeat myself, it does not affect everyone.
 

SexyK

Golden Member
Jul 30, 2001
1,343
4
76
Never heard of or experienced this issue with my 8800 on XP or Vista. Just my $0.02.
 

Zenoth

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2005
5,202
216
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I've often read about and heard about that bug, but I myself have never ever experienced anything like that. And to the topic creator, I also own and regularly play C&C3 but I don't experienced any inexplicable slow downs of any kinds over time, it's pure constant smoothness bliss. It sucks for those who do experience the bug though.
 

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
31,516
167
106
Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
Originally posted by: ViRGE
Huh? I try to keep abreast of these things and this is the first time I've heard of it. What is this issue exactly?

Basicaly a driver bug allows the texture memory on the video card to be slowly taken up for no reason and thus reducing framerates to unplayable levels. It is just a driver problem and does not affect all users. Some people have it, some don't. Seems to happen more often in vista than not though if I'm not mistaken. I knew about it because a game I play (Final Fantasy XI) has problems with the 8800 that are similar to this. I searched around and it seems to be just a driver issue that is known and being worked on. Again, I repeat myself, it does not affect everyone.
Ahh, that makes sense. Considering the apparently small number of people affected, I'm not surprised AnandTech hasn't heard of it. You should drop the GPU editor (Derek Wilson) an email.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
Originally posted by: ViRGE
Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
Originally posted by: ViRGE
Huh? I try to keep abreast of these things and this is the first time I've heard of it. What is this issue exactly?

Basicaly a driver bug allows the texture memory on the video card to be slowly taken up for no reason and thus reducing framerates to unplayable levels. It is just a driver problem and does not affect all users. Some people have it, some don't. Seems to happen more often in vista than not though if I'm not mistaken. I knew about it because a game I play (Final Fantasy XI) has problems with the 8800 that are similar to this. I searched around and it seems to be just a driver issue that is known and being worked on. Again, I repeat myself, it does not affect everyone.
Ahh, that makes sense. Considering the apparently small number of people affected, I'm not surprised AnandTech hasn't heard of it. You should drop the GPU editor (Derek Wilson) an email.

Well, they can't reproduce every issue ever found by someone. It's impossible. Also, I have seen it mentioned on these forums before.
 

BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
22,709
3,003
126
According to that Tech-Report link nVidia are now claiming it's not a driver issue but an application issue.

Uh-huh, that's why the problem doesn't exist with ATi. :roll:
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
Originally posted by: BFG10K
According to that Tech-Report link nVidia are now claiming it's not a driver issue but an application issue.

Uh-huh, that's why the problem doesn't exist with ATi. :roll:

That's sad when they clearely stated it was a driver issue and they were working on it. Also, what about the fact that not everyone experiences it? That right there is a sign of drivers. I mean if it was an application problem then everyone would have the same issue(s) right?
 

Piuc2020

Golden Member
Nov 4, 2005
1,716
0
0
Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
Originally posted by: BFG10K
According to that Tech-Report link nVidia are now claiming it's not a driver issue but an application issue.

Uh-huh, that's why the problem doesn't exist with ATi. :roll:

That's sad when they clearely stated it was a driver issue and they were working on it. Also, what about the fact that not everyone experiences it? That right there is a sign of drivers. I mean if it was an application problem then everyone would have the same issue(s) right?

BFG10K and cmdrdredd: Not necessarily a driver issue, at least not for the argument your provide.




 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
Originally posted by: Piuc2020
Originally posted by: cmdrdredd
Originally posted by: BFG10K
According to that Tech-Report link nVidia are now claiming it's not a driver issue but an application issue.

Uh-huh, that's why the problem doesn't exist with ATi. :roll:

That's sad when they clearely stated it was a driver issue and they were working on it. Also, what about the fact that not everyone experiences it? That right there is a sign of drivers. I mean if it was an application problem then everyone would have the same issue(s) right?

BFG10K and cmdrdredd: Not necessarily a driver issue, at least not for the argument your provide.

Why not? If the ATi cards do not have any of the issues people have with the 8800 series. Why then must it be an application problem? Especially when some of the games that do it are labeled with Nvidia logos on the packaging.
 

n7

Elite Member
Jan 4, 2004
21,281
4
81
Likely due to pixies.

I imagine pixies give nVidia all kinds of problems, since it's certainly not nV's fault ;)
 

KingGheedora

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2006
3,248
1
81
It's possible the app developers rely on the drivers for garbage collecting memory that is no longer referenced, but the NVIDIA drivers don't do this? That's the only explanation I can think of that would explain NVIDIA's statement. Either way they are still fixing the issue.
 

KingGheedora

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2006
3,248
1
81
Originally posted by: Zenoth
I've often read about and heard about that bug, but I myself have never ever experienced anything like that. And to the topic creator, I also own and regularly play C&C3 but I don't experienced any inexplicable slow downs of any kinds over time, it's pure constant smoothness bliss. It sucks for those who do experience the bug though.

Zenoth, what settings do you run at? I'm at 1900x1200, with all the graphics settings at the highest possible, running Vista x64, with all the latest patches, including KB hotfix from the Anandtech 2GB memory address space article.
 

BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
22,709
3,003
126
It's possible the app developers rely on the drivers for garbage collecting memory that is no longer referenced, but the NVIDIA drivers don't do this?
That's possible in which case it's the driver at fault. Again this issue is pretty much non-existant on ATi cards.

Either way they are still fixing the issue.
Yeah but the point is that it's been around since at least 2004 when I first experienced it and only after a threat of a lawsuit about three months ago did they finally start doing something about it.

Also Unreal 2 based games are still stuttering on XP + G80 systems and we haven't heard a peep out of them about it. Even worse is that most Unreal 2 games are TWIMTBP titles which further illustrates what a total joke that program is.
 

KingGheedora

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2006
3,248
1
81
Originally posted by: BFG10K
It's possible the app developers rely on the drivers for garbage collecting memory that is no longer referenced, but the NVIDIA drivers don't do this?
That's possible in which case it's the driver at fault. Again this issue is pretty much non-existant on ATi cards.

Either way they are still fixing the issue.
Yeah but the point is that it's been around since at least 2004 when I first experienced it and only after a threat of a lawsuit about three months ago did they finally start doing something about it.

Also Unreal 2 based games are still stuttering on XP + G80 systems and we haven't heard a peep out of them about it. Even worse is that most Unreal 2 games are TWIMTBP titles which further illustrates what a total joke that program is.

Exactly my point. Why is such an annoying, and ongoing issue tolerated, and not more publicized?
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
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I've not heard of the problem from OpenGL developers except a few who later found errors in there own code where they didn't stick to the spec 100% and found they were either initializing the display incorrectly or were somehow not keeping track of resources.

I live in the OpenGL world and not directx so that may be why I hadn't heard of this specific issue.

If you really want to ask developers directly about the problem go over to the forums on gamedev and ask in the forums there. I got a few friends in the game engine programming field I will ask to see what they have heard.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
Like I said, it's impossible to report everything given the amount of time they really have to review and test the cards. I suppose they just never ran into it.
 

Sonikku

Lifer
Jun 23, 2005
15,891
4,894
136
Anandtech also doesn't tell you what driver quality settings the use for AMD and Nvidia...