A note from Microsoft on Vista…
I just received this note from MS…
As developers harness the new graphics capabilities in Windows Vista, some changes in how Windows Vista manages video memory have resulted in sporadic issues in graphically taxing games with high-end video cards. Working closely with our hardware partners, we have developed a fix which is currently available online. We encourage users to go to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940105 for the update which will resolve this issue.
Q: If Windows Vista was built from the ground up with games in mind, why didn’t you foresee the issue and address the 2GB barrier before?
A: As developers harness the new graphics capabilities in Windows Vista, some changes in how Windows Vista manages video memory have resulted in some issues in games with high-end video cards. We have been working very closely with our hardware partners and have developed a fix which will be available online.
Q: What will gamers experience to know that they are dealing with the video memory issue?
A: Often times this will manifest itself when a user tries to play the game when pushing the limit of the game capabilities in terms of texture quality and screen resolution.
Q: Will this be an issue with every game I play on Windows Vista that requires running a high end video card?
A: No. However, we have been working very closely with our hardware partners and have developed a fix which will be available on line. Once you have installed the fix, there should be no additional issues.
Q: Where can we obtain the fix?
A: The Quick Fix Executable (QFE) will be available for download at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940105 on 8/23. Prior to that date, anyone can call PSS referring the KB number (KB940105) and ask for the QFE package which will be made available free of cost to the consumer.
Q: Will this QFE be included in Service Pack 1 and when can we expect the release?
A: There will be a Windows Vista service pack and our current expectation is that a beta will be made available sometime this year. Service packs are part of the traditional software lifecycle — they’re something we do for all Microsoft products as part of our commitment to continuous improvement, and providing early test builds is a standard practice that helps us incorporate customer feedback and improve the overall quality of the product.
Service packs are just one example of the work we do to constantly improve the Windows experience. We also deliver improvements to Windows via Windows Update, which is an excellent channel for providing our customers with the most significant updates as they happen. And, since Windows Vista launched, we have continued working with partners to improve overall device coverage and application compatibility. There are now more than 2.1 million supported devices and more than 2,000 logoed applications for Windows Vista. We think customers will have a great experience using Windows Vista today.
Thanks everyone!
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Finally, now I don’t have to worry about Vista!
(as much) I was kinda looking down on it after seeing those benchmarks on anandtech…
August 4th, 2007 at 9:58 am
I am still going stay clear of Vista until it has at least had its first service pack. New operating systems are always plagued with bugs and Vista is no exception.
August 4th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Who would have 2GB of video memory anyway?
About 0.1% of the gaming population.
August 4th, 2007 at 11:51 am
lol i think 0.1% is still a big number. hardly ANYONE has a 2gb graphic card
August 4th, 2007 at 11:52 am
wats weird is wen u go to this page, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940105, da fix isnt there and theres a bunch of stuff dat has no relevance to wat ur lookn for
August 4th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
2 GB RAM. Video memory and RAM are interrelated somehow, and IIRC, VRAM and RAM are interrelated. The more VRAM you have, the more RAM it uses. 32-bit versions of Vista apparently do not use over 2GB of RAM - hence the “2GB barrier”.
August 4th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Oh - @ Camo: the Quick Fix isn’t available yet.
August 4th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
32-bit: http://thehotfixshare.net/board/index.php?automodule=downloads&showfile=2830
August 5th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Ill stick with my reliable Xp for a few my years I think
August 6th, 2007 at 5:14 am
JaDz, thanks bro. Wasn’t looking forward to having to call PSS.
August 6th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Some misinformation here:
Basically what this does is under Vista and any game that runs under DX9 or earlier (99% of games) the program makes a copy of the video memory in virtual memory. So for example if you have a card that has 1GB of memory (NV 7950gx2) that means when you start the game you have already used 1GB of virtual address space, never mind how much virtual memory is going to be used by the program itself. So this changes so that the program uses a lot less virtual memory for the video card. So it takes longer to get to the 2GB barrier and crap out.
August 7th, 2007 at 8:01 am
All I know is I installed the fix and played on DirectX 10 to much improved performance, I have a e6600, 4GB DDR800, and 8800GTS 640MB. Before I was unimpressed with DX10 performance so I chose to use DX9. Now I can finally play with DX10.
August 15th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
I installed the hotfix as well, much improved performance in CoH. The game doesn’t seem to shutter or stutter as much as it used to if at all. Performance test was everything on High/Ultra with the Textures being at High. AMD64 X2 4200+ / 3GB DDR400 / ATi x1950Pro 256mb. my minimum FPS didn’t drop below 24 FPS and capped out at the 60fps for my LCD. CPU usage and memory usage per my G15 keyboard at their highest were around 85% CPU and maybe 76% for the RAM.