Marthian

bdary
I'm just not sure about all the hype over this?  I was playing AC Unity yesterday and was sitting between ~3840 - 3980 Vram usage and did not notice any issue's. 
 
Not to say there isn't a difference between how the 4Gb of Vram functions (3.5 + .5) on the 970's compared to the 980's (straight 4gb) but, I saw no type of issue.

The main issue I keep seeing was a frame drop when it starts using that .5 then it equalizes out.

bsmegreg
There's still a lawsuit in court so they cannot discuss anything regarding the cards issue. I highly doubt they changed the card because that would make them look more guilty. You have to remember that if NVIDIA says anything then that can be used in court and if EVGA staff says anything that could also be used in court which wouldn't be good for EVGA.

However, it's arguable that there never was an issue to begin with. But there is undoubtedly a strange configuration for the extra .5gb on the cards but how much that effects anything is arguable.

bdary

MrImSoGood
the problem isn't it's not able to use more then 3.5GB it's that after a certain point it stutters

That's what I'm saying in post #5.  For a good 2 hours of playing ACU and running between 3.8 & 4.0GB vram, I didn't experience and stuttering.  Could be because of Gsync, don't know.

MrImSoGood
link no good
 

Marthian

Tryhardicus
No it hasn't been "fixed" because honestly there really isn't a problem. If you are looking to upgrade from the card in your sig (560 ti) you will be more than impressed by the performance of a 970. In my experience the only way I can force stutter is by running settings that even a Titan X wouldn't manage 60 fps. 

I haven't updated my sig in a long time. I was using a GTX 670 for awhile, then purchased a GTX 960 2GB and deciding on what to do Step up to. I'm thinking I might just stick with stepping up to a GTX 960 4GB model and grabbing a second GTX 960 4GB card.

flexy123
You don't understand.
 
The "broken" memory is a direct result from the fact that GTX 970 are in essence "castrated" or flawed GTX 980. So basically, making a GTX 970 implies that the memory lines are cut, that one of the last memory chips cannot be accessed at full bandwidth.
 
To "solve" the 3.5GB "problem" (which of course officially doesn't even exist for Nvidia), Nvidia would have to come up with an entirely new card layout and way to "castrate" the GTX 980 so that they can produce GTX 970 which
 
A) would have the same, FULL 4GB memory access and bandwidth like the GTX 980
B) however still be limited in such a way as that a GTX 970 is not as fast as a GTX 980
 
So or so, it would require an entirely new card design and layout.
 
In practice this means there WON'T be a "fix" for those current cards.
 
HOWEVER, what we can hope is that from this debacle, Nvidia will change its advertising and that reviewers in the future will take a better look at how exactly cards perform so that such hidden problems won't appear any more.
 
By the way, this is my own, personal opinion: The 3.5Gb "problem" is WAAYYY too overrated, at least at this point in time where hardly a game would use that much memory. (There is ALWAYS a simple fix: Turn down the one or the other setting in your game and use that much video memory your card can sensibly handle, AND NOT MORE. As easy as that).
 
I have seen countless people on forums who complained about performance problems and stutters, people who have a very low technical understanding and they are very fast to blame the "3.5GB" on whatever problems they have. I can tell you straight out that 95% of those people have no base to stand on for their claims and almost always its other problems they have, NOT the 3.5GB memory issue.
 

MrImSoGood

bcavnaugh

flexy123
You don't understand.
 
The "broken" memory is a direct result from the fact that GTX 970 are in essence "castrated" or flawed GTX 980. So basically, making a GTX 970 implies that the memory lines are cut, that one of the last memory chips cannot be accessed at full bandwidth.
 
To "solve" the 3.5GB "problem" (which of course officially doesn't even exist for Nvidia), Nvidia would have to come up with an entirely new card layout and way to "castrate" the GTX 980 so that they can produce GTX 970 which
 
A) would have the same, FULL 4GB memory access and bandwidth like the GTX 980
B) however still be limited in such a way as that a GTX 970 is not as fast as a GTX 980
 
So or so, it would require an entirely new card design and layout.
 
In practice this means there WON'T be a "fix" for those current cards.
 
HOWEVER, what we can hope is that from this debacle, Nvidia will change its advertising and that reviewers in the future will take a better look at how exactly cards perform so that such hidden problems won't appear any more.
 
By the way, this is my own, personal opinion: The 3.5Gb "problem" is WAAYYY too overrated, at least at this point in time where hardly a game would use that much memory. (There is ALWAYS a simple fix: Turn down the one or the other setting in your game and use that much video memory your card can sensibly handle, AND NOT MORE. As easy as that).
 
I have seen countless people on forums who complained about performance problems and stutters, people who have a very low technical understanding and they are very fast to blame the "3.5GB" on whatever problems they have. I can tell you straight out that 95% of those people have no base to stand on for their claims and almost always its other problems they have, NOT the 3.5GB memory issue.
 

In a way it is no different then a computer running Windows XP, while you can install 4GB of memory the OS can only use 3.5 Max of the 4 GB.
It did not cause any problems for the OS and no one got upset with Microsoft for saying that Windows XP x86 version supports 4GB of memory when it is was not really true.
This dead horse is rotting in the frying pan now.

Worst comparison I've seen
Windows XP doesn't come installed nor advertise as having 4GB
The GTX 970 is does come and is advertise as having 4GB, which it does but accessing all of it comes at a price in either performance and/or crashes

-ZS-Carpenter
I can't believe this non-issue is still being talked about.