Nvidia - stop ignoring 7800GT/GTX MS Flight Sim users!

Tabs · Nov 15, 2005, 12:22 AM

There is a MASSIVE texture corruption bug with MS Flight Simulator 2004 on 7800 series cards using the 8x.xx driver. Just load the sim and takeoff in the default Seattle region and it'll become immediately apparent - flashing ground textures, wrong textures appearing in the water, aircraft textures garbled up etc.

Today saw the release of another official 80 series driver with no fix for this issue and not even an acknowlegement in the release notes that they even know about it. How is this possible? FS2004 is still in the top ten best selling PC games more than two years after its release and is MS's most popular PC gaming title - does WHQL testing really not include testing on their biggest game???

The only solution to this issue for simmers like myself is to roll back to a 7x.xx driver, which would be fine if MSFS was the only game I played, but I didn't spend $600 on this card to have to switch out drivers in order to play FEAR, DoD:S with HDR, or CoD2. Most of my time is spent flight simming, but I enjoy those other games as well, and switching out drivers to play them is extremely annoying at best. As the owner of a dual core AMD system, I'd also like to be able to use the driver that takes advantage of my CPUs capabilities, which the 7x.xx series does not.

Does anyone have a contact phone number or email for Nvidia's QA department that I can use to ensure they know about this issue? It's apparent that they don't read their own forum, because the issue's been posted several times at nzone in the simulations and drivers section.

In the off chance someone from Nvidia sees this thread - PLEASE FIX THE ISSUE!!! At the very least acknowlege that you're aware of it please!

Thanks,
Ryan

Zardon · Nov 15, 2005, 12:27 AM

Very interesting post. Ill point my Nvidia PR contact in the direction of this thread if I see him online tomorrow.

Tabs · Nov 15, 2005, 07:10 AM

Thank you! That would be great - I'm sure they'll fix it immediately if they actually see the issue - I'll post some screens here in a bit, it's really really bad corruption.

Tabs · Nov 15, 2005, 04:09 PM

Here's an example someone posted at Nvnews:

pr0digal jenius · Nov 15, 2005, 05:39 PM

looks like a poorly done watercolor painting of the caribbean

Very good point indeed...I'll follow this one and see what becomes of it for sure

rige · Nov 15, 2005, 07:31 PM

Some more examples of how it looks like on Nzone. Textures jumping around at random. http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=8860

Tabs · Nov 15, 2005, 08:14 PM

Ok here's some screens I just took taking off from KSEA in the PMDG 747-400. As you can see, this is not a minor bug:

1. "Create a Flight" aircraft selection screen - textures all corrupted, weird overlay in the upper left showing different view of the plane. (Which is related to having Transparency AA on I've determined, happens with 7x.xx too)

2. Incorrect textures in the terrain, texture corruption on the cockpit windshield support posts:

3. Very obvious awful corruption of the cockpit textures, water under the Boeing Field runway and tarmac etc...

Zardon · Nov 15, 2005, 08:47 PM

Nvidia seem aware of the issue and from what im hearing (though not offically), it will be fixed shortly in a forthcoming driver. Not a wonderful answer but the best I have right now. Going on their recent array of great driver releases I have to say I have faith in them.

If I hear anything else ill keep you posted.

Tabs · Nov 15, 2005, 10:33 PM

Thanks so much for your help Zardon! I'll relay this to the rest of the FS community using these cards/drivers.

~~trodas~~ · Dec 2, 2005, 05:50 PM

It sounds almost unbeliable for me, that SUCH issues aren't already fixed

It looks like nVidia want beat ATI in terms of crappy drivers and bugs

Maybe it is time to reconsider witch graphic card one should use

Tabs · Dec 11, 2005, 01:13 PM

Absolutely nothing in the way of a fix yet almost three months since the 80 series came out - no beta driver, no new official driver either since I reported this.

Myself and many other simmers are rapidly losing faith in Nvidia here. I know people on the AVSIM forums who bought the new 7800GTX 512MB cards at damn near $700 solely for MSFS and now cannot use the sim because those cards require the 80 series driver and are affected by this bug. Several people have already returned them in favor of ATI X1800XT cards.

I know FS2004 is a three year old product but it is basically the only game in town for civil aviation flight simmers. The sim remains on best seller lists and many flight simmers are middle aged professionals that spend thousands per year on hardware and software to enhance the sim. If Nvidia wishes to lose this market to ATI, they're doing a pretty good job of it. If I don't see a fixed driver within the next few weeks, I'll probably be e-baying my 7800GTX and buying an X1800XT as well...

Ryan

pr0digal jenius · Dec 11, 2005, 11:08 PM

I hear ya bud....I don't have the slightest clue what's causing that, but it doen't appear to be something i can give you a fix for

much like the bug with guild wars was, actually.

Best of luck with the drivers man, and I hope you get it worked out, cuz that's such a sweet card you have there

Nov 15, 2005, 12:22 AM	#1
Tabs DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Nvidia - stop ignoring 7800GT/GTX MS Flight Sim users! There is a MASSIVE texture corruption bug with MS Flight Simulator 2004 on 7800 series cards using the 8x.xx driver. Just load the sim and takeoff in the default Seattle region and it'll become immediately apparent - flashing ground textures, wrong textures appearing in the water, aircraft textures garbled up etc. Today saw the release of another official 80 series driver with no fix for this issue and not even an acknowlegement in the release notes that they even know about it. How is this possible? FS2004 is still in the top ten best selling PC games more than two years after its release and is MS's most popular PC gaming title - does WHQL testing really not include testing on their biggest game??? The only solution to this issue for simmers like myself is to roll back to a 7x.xx driver, which would be fine if MSFS was the only game I played, but I didn't spend $600 on this card to have to switch out drivers in order to play FEAR, DoD:S with HDR, or CoD2. Most of my time is spent flight simming, but I enjoy those other games as well, and switching out drivers to play them is extremely annoying at best. As the owner of a dual core AMD system, I'd also like to be able to use the driver that takes advantage of my CPUs capabilities, which the 7x.xx series does not. Does anyone have a contact phone number or email for Nvidia's QA department that I can use to ensure they know about this issue? It's apparent that they don't read their own forum, because the issue's been posted several times at nzone in the simulations and drivers section. In the off chance someone from Nvidia sees this thread - PLEASE FIX THE ISSUE!!! At the very least acknowlege that you're aware of it please! Thanks, Ryan

Nov 15, 2005, 12:27 AM	#2
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 177	Very interesting post. Ill point my Nvidia PR contact in the direction of this thread if I see him online tomorrow.

Nov 15, 2005, 07:10 AM	Thread Starter #3
Tabs DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Thank you! That would be great - I'm sure they'll fix it immediately if they actually see the issue - I'll post some screens here in a bit, it's really really bad corruption.

Nov 15, 2005, 04:09 PM	Thread Starter #4
Tabs DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Here's an example someone posted at Nvnews:

Nov 15, 2005, 05:39 PM	#5
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	looks like a poorly done watercolor painting of the caribbean Very good point indeed...I'll follow this one and see what becomes of it for sure

Nov 15, 2005, 07:31 PM	#6
rige DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	Some more examples of how it looks like on Nzone. Textures jumping around at random. http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=8860

Nov 15, 2005, 08:14 PM	Thread Starter #7
Tabs DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Ok here's some screens I just took taking off from KSEA in the PMDG 747-400. As you can see, this is not a minor bug: 1. "Create a Flight" aircraft selection screen - textures all corrupted, weird overlay in the upper left showing different view of the plane. (Which is related to having Transparency AA on I've determined, happens with 7x.xx too) 2. Incorrect textures in the terrain, texture corruption on the cockpit windshield support posts: 3. Very obvious awful corruption of the cockpit textures, water under the Boeing Field runway and tarmac etc...

Nov 15, 2005, 08:47 PM	#8
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 177	Nvidia seem aware of the issue and from what im hearing (though not offically), it will be fixed shortly in a forthcoming driver. Not a wonderful answer but the best I have right now. Going on their recent array of great driver releases I have to say I have faith in them. If I hear anything else ill keep you posted.

Nov 15, 2005, 10:33 PM	Thread Starter #9
Tabs DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Thanks so much for your help Zardon! I'll relay this to the rest of the FS community using these cards/drivers.

Dec 2, 2005, 05:50 PM	#10
~~trodas~~ fanless WC Opty 3GHz Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Czech republic Posts: 349 Rep Power: 0	It sounds almost unbeliable for me, that SUCH issues aren't already fixed It looks like nVidia want beat ATI in terms of crappy drivers and bugs Maybe it is time to reconsider witch graphic card one should use

Dec 11, 2005, 01:13 PM	Thread Starter #11
Tabs DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Absolutely nothing in the way of a fix yet almost three months since the 80 series came out - no beta driver, no new official driver either since I reported this. Myself and many other simmers are rapidly losing faith in Nvidia here. I know people on the AVSIM forums who bought the new 7800GTX 512MB cards at damn near $700 solely for MSFS and now cannot use the sim because those cards require the 80 series driver and are affected by this bug. Several people have already returned them in favor of ATI X1800XT cards. I know FS2004 is a three year old product but it is basically the only game in town for civil aviation flight simmers. The sim remains on best seller lists and many flight simmers are middle aged professionals that spend thousands per year on hardware and software to enhance the sim. If Nvidia wishes to lose this market to ATI, they're doing a pretty good job of it. If I don't see a fixed driver within the next few weeks, I'll probably be e-baying my 7800GTX and buying an X1800XT as well... Ryan

Dec 11, 2005, 11:08 PM	#12
pr0digal jenius Delete Me Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 14,648 Rep Power: 0	I hear ya bud....I don't have the slightest clue what's causing that, but it doen't appear to be something i can give you a fix for much like the bug with guild wars was, actually. Best of luck with the drivers man, and I hope you get it worked out, cuz that's such a sweet card you have there