Jen-Hsun Huang on GeForce GTX 970 (PR Bullshit)

The Joker

The Joker

Thread Killer MKII
ey everyone,

Some of you are disappointed that we didn’t clearly describe the segmented memory of GeForce GTX 970 when we launched it. I can see why, so let me address it.

We invented a new memory architecture in Maxwell. This new capability was created so that reduced-configurations of Maxwell can have a larger framebuffer – i.e., so that GTX 970 is not limited to 3GB, and can have an additional 1GB.

GTX 970 is a 4GB card. However, the upper 512MB of the additional 1GB is segmented and has reduced bandwidth. This is a good design because we were able to add an additional 1GB for GTX 970 and our software engineers can keep less frequently used data in the 512MB segment.

Unfortunately, we failed to communicate this internally to our marketing team, and externally to reviewers at launch.

Since then, Jonah Alben, our senior vice president of hardware engineering, provided a technical description of the design, which was captured well by several editors. Here’s one example from The Tech Report.

Instead of being excited that we invented a way to increase memory of the GTX 970 from 3GB to 4GB, some were disappointed that we didn’t better describe the segmented nature of the architecture for that last 1GB of memory.

This is understandable. But, let me be clear: Our only intention was to create the best GPU for you. We wanted GTX 970 to have 4GB of memory, as games are using more memory than ever.

The 4GB of memory on GTX 970 is used and useful to achieve the performance you are enjoying. And as ever, our engineers will continue to enhance game performance that you can regularly download using GeForce Experience.

This new feature of Maxwell should have been clearly detailed from the beginning.

We won’t let this happen again. We’ll do a better job next time.

Jen-Hsun
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http://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2015/02/24/gtx-970/

Let me copy an explination without all this PR Bullshit attached:

Because the GTX 970 needed 4GiB of RAM on paper to look appealing, but they couldn't allow it it to be as fast as the 980 or it would cannibalize too much of the more expensive card's market share. The partial disable "feature" is a feature for NVIDIA to enable them to produce more granular segmentation.

They could have disabled more SMs and just left the ROM/MC cluster fully enabled, but that would have resulted in the 760 ti's getting too close in shader performance and made the 970 slower than it is now, because it wasn't ROP limited in the first place.

The only other option would have been to disable the ROP/MC cluster entirely, which would have made the 970 a 3GiB card.

What NVIDIA did to the 970 was the best way they could satisfy the segmentation they want to enforce. Any other option would have resulted in either a slower card at the same price that would not have sold as well, or just a lower clocked 980 that would have sold too well, to the detriment of the more profitable part.

None of this excuses the distribution of false information, mistaken or otherwise, but it does explain why the GTX 970 is configured the way it is.
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Posted by Blamless on oc.net
 
So what you're saying is, this guy did the test over on testyourbullshitskills.com and scored through the roof? :D

I love it when a new design or feature makes something slower than it should have been, or intentionally gimps it.
 
I officially ordered my card a few minutes ago from the supplier, regardless of all these issues. Will be getting it on friday or monday.

Even if I bought the card before all these reported issues, I would still have no problem with it.
 
blaaislaai said:
I officially ordered my card a few minutes ago from the supplier, regardless of all these issues. Will be getting it on friday or monday.

Even if I bought the card before all these reported issues, I would still have no problem with it.
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Still a great performing card, but they obviously knew about this from the get go and kept quiet about it, now look at what's happened.
They've lost quite a few fans, they've got a huge class action lawsuit to deal with, all the negative press..the list goes on.
 
blaaislaai said:
I officially ordered my card a few minutes ago from the supplier, regardless of all these issues. Will be getting it on friday or monday.

Even if I bought the card before all these reported issues, I would still have no problem with it.
Click to expand...

You won't be sorry, it's an awesome card.
 
The Joker said:
Still a great performing card, but they obviously knew about this from the get go and kept quiet about it, now look at what's happened.
They've lost quite a few fans, they've got a huge class action lawsuit to deal with, all the negative press..the list goes on.
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They got what they wanted, a headline worthy card. The wrong kind but still :p

Only issue I have with this card, if they announced what it was from the beginning the could have avoided the entire thing.
 
Knowing that there is some issue no matter how small, leaves me worried. The irony is a year from now u will want to sell the card for something better and there will be games wanting to use the full 4gb for bigger image packs and suddenly u cant sell the card. This card isn't cheap at all and I feel its taking quite the chance. I personally wouldn't buy, rather wait to see if NVidia releases a v2.0 of the card or what the new AMDs will be like.
 
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