Unexplainable browser stutter with window composition attribute tool

[BlueNinja0]

Hello, I've been using aero glass happily and even donated to the effort. I really love the blurred transparency effect.
Wanting that also in my taskbar, I downloaded the command line tool to change window's composition attributes and turned my taskbar blurred. Perfect, it looks awesome!

BUT!

For some reason I can't explain, when the taskbar blur is enabled, my Firefox browser stutters greatly. I've tested it on http://www.testufo.com/#test=frameratesand it only happens with the taskbar blurred. As soon as I return the taskbar to normal, the framerate goes back to being butter smooth at 144fps (I have a 144hz monitor).

Even more strange is the fact that this happens only if my browser window is maximized! If it's just restored, even if almost fullscreen, this problem doesn't occur!

EVEN MORE STRANGE is the fact that his only happens if I have my 2nd monitor is also activated.

 

I can't for the life of me explain why this happens only explicitly if these 3 conditions meet:

- taskbar is blurrred

- browser window is maximized

- 2nd monitor is active

 

Anyone can give me an input on this, or perhaps a solution?

[NoelC]

Just as a (possibly distantly related) data point.

 

I don't use the command line tool, but rather have Classic Shell disable Taskbar transparency, which has the effect of restoring the Aero Glass attribute and blurring the taskbar, which is normally auto-hidden.  I have 3 monitors.  Though I don't normally use Firefox, I do have it installed... 

 

I tried maximizing Firefox on my central monitor and running the test on the site you mentioned.

 

For me with or without the Taskbar showing it shows a green-backed VALID at 60 fps, which is what my central monitor runs at.

 

Something to do with your particular display driver, maybe?

 

-Noel

[BlueNinja0]

Just as a (possibly distantly related) data point.

 

I don't use the command line tool, but rather have Classic Shell disable Taskbar transparency, which has the effect of restoring the Aero Glass attribute and blurring the taskbar, which is normally auto-hidden.  I have 3 monitors.  Though I don't normally use Firefox, I do have it installed... 

 

I tried maximizing Firefox on my central monitor and running the test on the site you mentioned.

 

For me with or without the Taskbar showing it shows a green-backed VALID at 60 fps, which is what my central monitor runs at.

 

Something to do with your particular display driver, maybe?

 

-Noel

 

At 60fps I don't have the problem. Only at 144fps, but it's extremely annoying because it's so stuttery and it affects scrolling a lot.

I also used another tool other than the command line tool and the problem was the same. This one I think: http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.199and the problem was the exact same.

 

Yeah maybe the driver, but I've tried an earlier version and the problem remains. I have a GTX 680.

 

This is so weird. Why would it only affect a maximized window? What does the taskbar have to do with the rendering of a maximized window and not a restored window?

[NoelC]

I guess it's possible the extra blur adds enough overhead that the GPU just can't do everything it needs to do, including blurring the Taskbar, in 1/144 of a second.  For a long time the holy grail amongst graphics designers has been 16.7 milliseconds (i.e., 1/60 of a second).

 

You'll have to look to Big Muscle to comment specifically on how various combinations of displayed elements might affect Aero Glass's rendering.

 

-Noel

 

 

 

Edit:typo

Edited February 10, 2015 by NoelC

[BlueNinja0]

I guess it's possible the extra blur adds enough overhead that the GPU just can't do everything it needs to do, including blurring the Taskbar, in 1/144 of a second.  For a long time the holy grail amongst graphics designers has been 16.7 milliseconds (i.e., 1/60 of a second).

 

You'll have to look to Big Muscle to comment specifically on how various combinations of displayed elements might affect Aero Glass's rendering.

 

-Noel

 

 

 

Edit:typo

 

Yeah I also thought that it could have to do with the extra workload, but I've tested with a restored window practically as big as the maximized window, but it goes from total smooth in restored to total stutter wreck in maximized.

I also checked the GPU load during the UFO test and it barely reaches 10% in both cases.

 

I hope Big Muscle checks this thread so that maybe he can give us some insight about this weird problem.