667437 - Dual-GPU laptop hitting NVIDIA NVS 3100M bug because Firefox wrongly believes it's using the Intel GPU

Status: NEW

(Core :: Graphics, defect)

Description

[emma.discovery]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:5.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/5.0
Build ID: 20110615151330

Steps to reproduce:

I installed the newest two updates to Firefox. The issue began two downloads ago, and was not fixed in the newest update. I asked for help on Twitter, and @BrendanEich asked me to file a bug.


Actual results:

When I scroll, either through the roller on my mouse, the sidebar, or the keyboard, the page flashes instead of scrolling smoothly. This is true whether there are numerous images or not. It makes it hard to read continuously.


Expected results:

Smooth scrolling, never had a problem before this. I have tried toggling smooth scrolling on and off, and have also tried disabling each extension in plug in (and I have very few) to no avail.

Comment 1

[Brendan Eich [:brendan]]

I saw this on twitter, reporter says it happens on her new laptop, also on a friend's.

Sarah, could you please provide details about the make and model of the laptop? Thanks,

/be

Comment 2

[Benoit Jacob [:bjacob] (mostly away)]

Can you please go to about:support, copy to clipboard, and paste here the Graphics section?

In Preferences -> Advanced, if you uncheck "Use hardware acceleration when available", does it fix the problem?

Comment 3

[emma.discovery]

Unchecking "Use hardware acceleration when available" does not fix the problem, but thank you! 

I'm not sure how to do the other thing you asked me to do, I'm sorry!

The laptop is a Dell Latitude 6410.

Comment 4

[Benoit Jacob [:bjacob] (mostly away)]

(In reply to comment #3)
> Unchecking "Use hardware acceleration when available" does not fix the
> problem, but thank you! 

Interesting, thanks.

> 
> I'm not sure how to do the other thing you asked me to do, I'm sorry!

Please go to the location bar (Ctrl+L) and enter this address:

    about:support

This should take you to a page showing information about your system. Can you please click 'copy to clipboard' and paste it all here?

Comment 5

[Benoit Jacob [:bjacob] (mostly away)]

(In reply to comment #3)
> Unchecking "Use hardware acceleration when available" does not fix the
> problem, but thank you!

I forgot to say that you need to quit and restart Firefox for this to take effect. Does that work?

Comment 6

[emma.discovery]

(In reply to comment #5)
> (In reply to comment #3)
> I forgot to say that you need to quit and restart Firefox for this to take
> effect. Does that work?

YES! It does! Such a simple step but I didn't know how to do it. Thank you so VERY much everyone, I'm incredibly grateful for your help. This will make it much easier to do my work, and I'm so glad I don't have to switch browsers! Thank you!

Comment 7

[Benoit Jacob [:bjacob] (mostly away)]

You're very welcome; but this is a serious bug and I would like to fix it (without requiring users to find a checkbox in the preferences). Can you please follow the steps described in comment 4? Just enter about:support in the address bar and hit enter.

Comment 8

[emma.discovery]

Oh absolutely! I'm sorry I just didn't want to take up more of your time. But here it is:


  Application Basics

        Name
        Firefox

        Version
        5.0

        User Agent
        Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:5.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/5.0

        Profile Directory

          Open Containing Folder

        Enabled Plugins

          about:plugins

        Build Configuration

          about:buildconfig

  Extensions

        Name

        Version

        Enabled

        ID

        ColorfulTabs
        4.8.1.6.2.2
        true
        {0545b830-f0aa-4d7e-8820-50a4629a56fe}

        Java Console
        6.0.20
        true
        {CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0020-ABCDEFFEDCBA}

        Java Quick Starter
        1.0
        true
        [e-mail]

        Tab Mix Plus
        0.3.8.6
        true
        {dc572301-7619-498c-a57d-39143191b318}

        Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant
        1.2.1
        false
        {20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b}

        MSN Toolbar
        4.0
        false
        [e-mail]

        RealPlayer Browser Record Plugin
        14.0.3
        false
        {ABDE892B-13A8-4d1b-88E6-365A6E755758}

        Search Helper Extension
        1.0
        false
        {27182e60-b5f3-411c-b545-b44205977502}

  Modified Preferences

      Name

      Value

        accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar
        0

        browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion
        2

        browser.startup.homepage
        http://intranet/

        browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID
        20110615151330

        browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone
        rv:5.0

        extensions.lastAppVersion
        5.0

        general.useragent.extra.microsoftdotnet
        ( .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET4.0E)

        gfx.blacklist.direct2d
        2

        gfx.blacklist.layers.direct3d10
        2

        gfx.blacklist.layers.direct3d10-1
        2

        gfx.direct2d.disabled
        true

        keyword.URL
        http://www.bing.com/search?FORM=BABTDF&PC=BBLN&q=

        layers.acceleration.disabled
        true

        network.cookie.prefsMigrated
        true

        places.database.lastMaintenance
        1309181054

        places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages
        110410

        places.last_vacuum
        1302889110

        print.print_printer
        \\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_bgcolor
        false

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_bgimages
        false

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_command

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_downloadfonts
        false

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_edge_bottom
        0

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_edge_left
        0

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_edge_right
        0

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_edge_top
        0

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_evenpages
        true

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_footercenter

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_footerleft
        &PT

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_footerright
        &D

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_headercenter

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_headerleft
        &T

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_headerright
        &U

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_in_color
        true

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_margin_bottom
        0.5

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_margin_left
        0.5

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_margin_right
        0.5

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_margin_top
        0.5

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_oddpages
        true

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_orientation
        0

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_page_delay
        50

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_paper_data
        1

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_paper_height
        11.00

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_paper_size_type
        0

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_paper_size_unit
        0

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_paper_width
        8.50

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_reversed
        false

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_scaling
        1.00

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_shrink_to_fit
        true

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_to_file
        false

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom
        0

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_unwriteable_margin_left
        0

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_unwriteable_margin_right
        0

        print.printer_\\HQ-PRT01\DC635-304.print_unwriteable_margin_top
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_bgcolor
        false

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_bgimages
        false

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_command

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_downloadfonts
        false

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_edge_bottom
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_edge_left
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_edge_right
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_edge_top
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_evenpages
        true

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_footercenter

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_footerleft
        &PT

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_footerright
        &D

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_headercenter

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_headerleft
        &T

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_headerright
        &U

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_in_color
        true

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_margin_bottom
        0.5

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_margin_left
        0.5

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_margin_right
        0.5

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_margin_top
        0.5

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_oddpages
        true

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_orientation
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_pagedelay
        500

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_paper_data
        1

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_paper_height
        11.00

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_paper_size_type
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_paper_size_unit
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_paper_width
        8.50

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_reversed
        false

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_scaling
        1.00

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_shrink_to_fit
        true

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_to_file
        false

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_unwriteable_margin_left
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_unwriteable_margin_right
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\STUDIO3A.print_unwriteable_margin_top
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_bgcolor
        false

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_bgimages
        false

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_command

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_downloadfonts
        false

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_edge_bottom
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_edge_left
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_edge_right
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_edge_top
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_evenpages
        true

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_footercenter

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_footerleft
        &PT

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_footerright
        &D

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_headercenter

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_headerleft
        &T

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_headerright
        &U

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_in_color
        true

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_margin_bottom
        0.5

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_margin_left
        0.5

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_margin_right
        0.5

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_margin_top
        0.5

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_oddpages
        true

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_orientation
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_pagedelay
        500

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_paper_data
        1

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_paper_height
        11.00

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_paper_size_type
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_paper_size_unit
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_paper_width
        8.50

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_reversed
        false

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_scaling
        1.00

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_shrink_to_fit
        true

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_to_file
        false

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_unwriteable_margin_left
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_unwriteable_margin_right
        0

        print.printer_\\prt\TOTNHP.print_unwriteable_margin_top
        0

        privacy.cpd.cookies
        false

        privacy.cpd.downloads
        false

        privacy.cpd.extensions-tabmix
        false

        privacy.cpd.formdata
        false

        privacy.cpd.history
        false

        privacy.cpd.sessions
        false

        privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs
        true

        privacy.sanitize.timeSpan
        0

        security.warn_viewing_mixed
        false

  Graphics

        Adapter Description
        Intel(R) HD Graphics

        Vendor ID
        8086

        Device ID
        0046

        Adapter RAM
        Unknown

        Adapter Drivers
        igxprd32

        Driver Version
        6.14.10.5322

        Driver Date
        12-22-2010

        Direct2D Enabled
        false

        DirectWrite Enabled
        false (0.0.0.0, font cache n/a)

        WebGL Renderer
        Google Inc. -- ANGLE -- OpenGL ES 2.0 (ANGLE 0.0.0.611)

        GPU Accelerated Windows
        0/1

Comment 9

[Benoit Jacob [:bjacob] (mostly away)]

Thanks a lot, that's very useful.

>        Vendor ID
>        8086
>
>        Device ID
>        0046

This means that Firefox believes that the graphics adapter is a Intel Mobile HD Graphics. However, when I google for 'Dell Latitude 6410', the results show that it also has a NVIDIA NVS 3100M. This laptop has two graphics cards, and Firefox is getting confused as to which one it's using.

The reason why this matters is that the problem reported here is well-known with the NVIDIA NVS 3100M, see bug 635044, and Firefox normally disables hardware acceleration on certain driver versions on this graphics card. But here, Firefox (wrongly) believes that it's using the Intel Mobile HD Graphics card, and so it doesn't disable hardware acceleration as it should.

Solving this bug depends on bug 628129 - Make GPU blacklisting logic aware of dual GPU systems.