Why a sluggish feel/framerate in programs like Foobar with Vista & Aero?

[Gurd99]

I don't know why when running vista w/ aero at 2560x1600 programs like foobar feel sluggish like the animated music bars moving up & down.

Compared to when running in a smaller window like 1080p size, it's like comparing 30fps to 60fps. According to fraps the framerate in foobar is high 30's average. Why is this so low? If a GTX970 can get good frame rates in gaming, why is aero so sluggish? EDIT: also with aero disabled it doesn't feel that much better.

More curious, as I brought my card mainly for smoother desktop performance yet its pretty sluggish over my older much weaker card.

[KarMa]

CPU Specs?

[jagabo]

If a GTX970 can get good frame rates in gaming, why is aero so sluggish?

Desktop programs don't use the 3d hardware. They use Windows GDI and read/write the frame buffer with the CPU for many operations.

[Gurd99]

CPU Specs?

Sorry not to mention that. I have the stock intel i7 870

[Gurd99]

If a GTX970 can get good frame rates in gaming, why is aero so sluggish?

Desktop programs don't use the 3d hardware. They use Windows GDI and read/write the frame buffer with the CPU for many operations.

Would an overclock help alot? I already have the massive cooler ready to go. Just never did it as most older games run great.

[usually_quiet]

Perhaps your problem is related to running a 32-bit OS rather than a 64-bit OS. Since a 32-bit OS can access only 4GB of address space total, and allocates some of it to devices installed in the system, the system can use only 3.5 GB or less of its RAM. Bigger program windows use more address space than small ones. This means the system has to page more. More paging slows down the system.

[Gurd99]

Perhaps your problem is related to running a 32-bit OS rather than a 64-bit OS. Since a 32-bit OS can access only 4GB of address space total, and allocates some of it to devices installed in the system, the system can use only 3.5 GB or less of its RAM. Bigger program windows use more address space than small ones. This means the system has to page more. More paging slows down the system.

Even if foobar is the only program opened? Also I see no HDD activity indicating paging. thanks anyway.

[usually_quiet]

Perhaps your problem is related to running a 32-bit OS rather than a 64-bit OS. Since a 32-bit OS can access only 4GB of address space total, and allocates some of it to devices installed in the system, the system can use only 3.5 GB or less of its RAM. Bigger program windows use more address space than small ones. This means the system has to page more. More paging slows down the system.

Even if foobar is the only program opened? Also I see no HDD activity indicating paging. thanks anyway.

I forgot to mention that most 32-bit programs are allocated a maximum of 2GB of to run in. (Some have a flag set that allows using up to 4 GB.) In theory paging could happen with just one program open, if the program needs more memory than what is available for it to run in. ...but if you have seen no evidence of paging, maybe the problem lies with Foobar.