CSPlayer089
"The GeForce GTX 970 is equipped with 4GB of dedicated graphics memory.  However the 970 has a different configuration of SMs than the 980, and fewer crossbar resources to the memory system. To optimally manage memory traffic in this configuration, we segment graphics memory into a 3.5GB section and a 0.5GB section.  The GPU has higher priority access to the 3.5GB section.  When a game needs less than 3.5GB of video memory per draw command then it will only access the first partition, and 3rd party applications that measure memory usage will report 3.5GB of memory in use on GTX 970, but may report more for GTX 980 if there is more memory used by other commands.  When a game requires more than 3.5GB of memory then we use both segments."
 
"Nvidia’s statement explains our own findings earlier. In our analysis we discovered that the GTX 970 can actually make use of all the available 4GB of VRAM and not just 3.5GB. However the performance penalty for using that last 0.5GB of VRAM is still interesting. As Nvidia explains it and as we had suspected earlier, the issue is essentially due to the fact that the GTX 970 is based on a cut-down GM204-200 GPU die instead of the full GM204 chip like its bigger brother the GTX 980."

Read more: http://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-memory-issue-fully-explained/#ixzz3PqsIcAPL


You paid for a 970, not a 980. Sacrifices have to be made. The card can still address all 4 GB of VRAM. While the performance hit is unfortunate, that's pretty much how it has to be. I guess you can call it a "design flaw"