News Nvidia confirms high-refresh-rate G-Sync bug

Looks like this bug's been raised a few times on Nvidia's own forums (first time in 2013), and other forums, as the links below prove:
https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/648304/1080p-144hz-excessive-gpu-usage-while-idle/
https://forums.geforce.com/default/...our-gpu-will-not-down-clock-high-power-usage/
http://www.overclock.net/t/1497172/...emperatures-and-power-draw-on-your-nvidia-gpu

 

I think i'll hold off on buying one for now at least

 

Well that explains why my electricity bill has been so much since getting a 144Hz 1440p display. I did notice the same thing happening with my old AMD 280x with 2 1080p 60Hz screens plugged so I used to unplug my TV when not using it but since I have a media PC now that wasn't an issue. It never occurred to me that the same thing might be happening with 1 screen at a higher refresh rate.

 

I have 144hz at 1440p with no issues for the last year.

 

In before the usual lot that claim computers cost nothing to run.

Annoyingly, the grass is always greener on the other side has not improved gpu drivers that we still see things like this not fixed sooner as linked above.

And you can't claim this is an exotic configuration either.

 

76W to 201W is a 125W jump in power consumption. Call it 150W at the wall assuming your PSU is scraping the bottom of the 80+ barrel.
If you're running your PC 24/7 for 365 days a year, that's 1314kWh extra. Average price-per-unit looks to be about 10p, so that's £131 a year, or about £11 a month.
If you are running your PC at a more reasonable 12 hours a day (i.e. you turn it off when at work or asleep), have an 80+ Gold PSU (power factor of 0.9) then it's £61.30 a year, or ~£5 a month.

 

So whose going to be the first to put in a claim with Nvidia for that £61.30

 

Probably some American who gets the same electricity for £10...

 

hasn't been 10p per kwh for a few years now its closer to 15p

 

As Harlequin points out, its more costly than you think, and that's still money that could be better spent else where, like on Broadband or saving for more hardware / games.