Ask GN 32: Samsung v. Micron VRAM? Why Do Bottlenecks Happen?

This episode of Ask GN sets forth to discuss GPU/CPU choke-points and bottlenecks, why those happen, and how they can be prevented. We also address viewer/reader questions on Samsung vs. Micron memory used in GTX 10 series cards -- particularly the 1070 cards -- and OEM/supply driven manufacturing.

Some additional information is provided regarding overclock validation, notebook OEMs, the Nintendo Switch, and some asides. One such side note addresses a question as to whether or not reviewing products "gets boring."

Excellent topics overall for this video!

0:55 - foreign's gaming tech: "Steve, a new question concerning high-performance cards on low resolutions, where you see a performance ceiling. We saw this in your Titan XP review and you talked about this on TGW with Joker as well. Could you explain why a Titan XP and a 1080 have the same performance at 1080p, i.e. why even a 6950x may be a bottleneck in this situation??"

4:38 - ryanrazer1: "Hey Steve, i have a question. Would you consider putting gtx 1070 Micron VRAM issue out there? None of youtubers says anything about it, whereas forums are filled with posts. Every review on YT has a Samsung version of memory. Could you do a comparison of gtx 1070 with samsung vs micron memory (people report stuttering, checker-boarding and BSODs).?"

7:50 - Alex Gray: "Hi Steve! You've mentioned in previous videos that the 18" MSI laptops are the same design as Fangbooks. Are MSI buying in Fangbooks and upping the spec, are Fangbooks specced-down MSI machines, or are they just using an identical third-party chassis? tl;dr what's the relationship between MSI and Fangbook and are there similar examples out there.?"

9:12 - Brand New Tracks: "Do you get bored of reviewing products Steve? I mean like does it get stale until you get the next latest and greatest product??"

10:55 - Wijkert: "Hi Steve, a while ago the pump of my 980Ti hybrid broke down. After fiddling with the card, the pump started working again, but at roughly 50% speed. At first I wanted to rma the card, but it has worked fine since and actually appreciate the reduction in noise. The temps under full load have gone up from 45-50C to 60-65C at 20C ambient, but it is completely inaudible. How can this happen and would you advice rma'ing anyway before the warranty runs out? When it comes to EVGA's hybrid cooler, you must be most knowledgeable person outside EVGA/Asetek, so you seem the right guy to ask.?"

12:00 - FamousKiller: "Hey Steve how do you test your gpu overclocks? Is valley enough? I have read everywhere on the internet(and you have said that too) that that`s a synthetic benchmark and that it`s not a real world scenario meaning that some overclocks will "pass" from the benchmark and be unstable in games...How do you test your gpu overclocks??"

13:15 - Josh Orenberg: "Big question for ya for next ask gn - you guys always say there is no such thing as a good or bad company only a good or bad product. Is there variance in quality/lifespan of a product like mobo/video card/memory for different manufacturers or are all the players pretty much on a level playing field? (I could care less about small overclocking differences) How about for different products from the same company? Can you trust all Asus Strix video cards or EVGA sc acx or any lineup from any company for any products (ie mobo/video card/memory) to have similar build quality/lifespan among their lineup components? Is it even possible to make a accurate estimate of probable lifespan of each product type? Anything else to know for comparison shopping between brands for the mentioned components? Is the safest route to go with products you guys recommend in your pc builds or is it okay to just buy products from reputable companies??"

16:00 - standuporshutup: "I'm amazed this channel isn't bigger after seeing that subscribe count (just joined the ranks). But others of somewhat similar quality (albeit less in terms of test methodology) advance quickyly. Hopefully the sub helps. Btw Steve, what do you personally think about the NX??"

Editorial: Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke
Video: Andrew "ColossalCake" Coleman