EVGA removes PrecisionX 15 download

[Nicktrance]

A few days ago EVGA released the new (supposedly "100% own written") PrecisionX 15, which was identified by Guru3D as looking like a Riva Tuner copy (read more on this here). Guru3D warned EVGA but the release was not stopped.

 

While it wasn't well received due to this fact, there were no claims up to this point of EVGA stealing code. However yesterday a third party decompiled PrecisionX 15 and found traces of Rivatuner. Now EVGA has decided to temporarily take down PrecisionX 15 and go back to the drawing board.

 

EVGA have released a statement commenting on this issue:

 

PrecisionX 15 Statement

We understand that there is a lot of confusion and misinformation in the internet community about Guru3D’s article titled “Did EVGA just Steal the Rivatuner RTSS design concept into PrecisionX 15 ?”. We would like to clarify the following:

1. Precision’s original main GUI concept was designed and provided to the community by EVGA in 2008.
2. The RivaTuner control panel and backend code in prior versions of Precision were developed and is owned by the RivaTuner developer. EVGA does not own the source code for any RivaTuner code. EVGA paid for the development and distribution rights per the contract.
3. The new EVGA PrecisionX 15 was coded from scratch by EVGA without copying any of the RivaTuner code.
4. Both RivaTuner and EVGA PrecisionX 15 make use of the NVIDIA NVAPI to communicate with NVIDIA graphics cards and drivers, which is owned and provided by NVIDIA.

Some people mentioned that the file structure in EVGA PrecisionX 15 is similar to the previous version of Precision. During development, we referenced the USF skin format (which has been published by RivaTuner developer at Guru3D forums in 2009http://forums.guru3d.com/showpost.php?p=3316361&postcount=8 to allow the community to create their own skins). The above mentioned feature would make it simple to allow users to recompile any previous skins to work with the new version of PrecisionX 15. However, we do understand the confusion caused by trying to maintain this feature and we will change it in the next release.

Next, it was also mentioned that the code contains text references (not code) to the word “RivaTuner” and the word “RTTSH.dll”, a RivaTuner file. This actually came from the user interface localization / help (wording). During the original Precision development, EVGA worked with several outside firms to help translate user interface help files into various languages. Unfortunately, this is a misprint in the translation files and will be fixed. Again, no RivaTuner code was ever used in EVGA PrecisionX 15. We apologize to the RivaTuner developer for this error.

Originally our goal was to add more features such as 64bit OSD, Steam, updated voltage controls, and more to a new version without changing the Precision user’s experience that they were already familiar with. Unfortunately, the “similarities” between the two programs have led people to believe that EVGA might have copied the code and design from RivaTuner, which is not the case. Given the circumstances, in order to remove any questions and to further differentiate it visually from the previous versions of EVGA Precision, EVGA has decided to listen to the community and suspend the downloading of EVGA PrecisionX 15 temporarily while these updates are being implemented.

Please remember, Precision was and is built for the community and without the community EVGA Precision and many other overclocking utilities would not be where they are today. It is EVGA’s commitment to continue investing in the development of PrecisionX by adding the features the community asks for while providing it free of charge!

Thank You,
EVGA

 

Sources:

 

http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/evga-retracts-precisionx-15-download-issues-a-statement.html

http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/evga-steals-the-rivatuner-rtss-design-concept-into-precisionx-15.html

http://www.evga.com/precision/

[brownninja97]

This is scary, the first negative news ive heard about EVGA like well ever. Hope this doesnt become a trend.

[RelentlessAF]

Classy, very classy.

[ajoy39]

Of course the file structure is similar, it's a similar piece of software and they had a wealth of experiece with Riva Tuner code. They took what they learned from Riva Tuner and made their own. Software is always a process of building on previous projects, only morons try to reinvent the wheel for every project. If Riva Tuner worked well for them there's no reason to not take it as an example of how to build your own.

[Torand]

In precision X 14, Riva is an essential bundled install, it wont work without it. So this is highly plausible, just because i cant see them rewriting a whole bunch of the software to have the same functionality. 

 

I know the dude at Riva has been working on 64bit for ages now and just assumed it was again a colab between EVGA and Riva, obviously not.

[silberdrachi]

As a programmer, i kinda feel like this is a bit bullshit. If you have two different programs, doing almost the exact same thing, using the exact same APIs there is going to be a crap ton of overlap. As someone who abuses the hell out of StackOverflow and other sites, im sure my code has overlap in a lot of places with random other programs. (Things like creating windows task scheduling objects and junk)

 

That being said, I havent seen the two codebases so I'm not sure of the extent that they were supposedly copied. I just feel like maybe everyone needs to put pitchforks down and think about this a bit more.

 

There is little incentive for EVGA to steal a tool that they are offering for free to everyone, especially when looking at the nVidia API it looks so simple. They basically slapped a decent UI over the API and shoved it out the door.

[GoodBytes]

EVGA Precision GUI skin overlaying RivaTuner overlaying NvAPI overlaying Nvidia drivers (this is the same for MSI AfterBurner)

compared to what it is now:

EVGA Precision GUI skin overlaying NvAPI overlaying Nvidia drivers

 

Sounds like EVGA Precision just removed the useless layer. I don't see how it is copy and pasting. There is only a certain way to use API codes. In addition, how do they know? As per the license agreement, they can't decompile the software. EVGA can prosecute them for doing so.

 

If you want to make your own GPU overclock tool, NvAPI is right there:

https://developer.nvidia.com/nvapi

[DildorTheDecent]

Oh dear god. EVGA has been caught out copy and pasting something.

Get out your pitchforks. 

[Lord Pantaloons]

Of course the file structure is similar, it's a similar piece of software and they had a wealth of experiece with Riva Tuner code. They took what they learned from Riva Tuner and made their own. Software is always a process of building on previous projects, only morons try to reinvent the wheel for every project. If Riva Tuner worked well for them there's no reason to not take it as an example of how to build your own.

^^Dis

[kuddlesworth9419]

I am pretty sure that EVGA didn't copy or steal the software if they did the server program would actually have a GUI. The file structures are similar because that is what EVGA has always done. Precision has always been like that there is no reason to change that. Also EVGA has never to my knowledge done anything particularly wrong and they were quick to respond. If they took a while like a few days to respond I would have been suspect but they where pretty much instant so they didn't have to think up alye or anything.

[Askew]

If they did copy it, they must have known that people will see immediately.

That makes me think that perhaps they didn't, however it's possible that a stupid decision was made and they did idk the whole thing is a mess of conflicting statements and hearsay from what I can make of it.

Also, if it's to perform the same task as the alleged copied software wouldn't it inherently be similar code anyway?

[CreativeTHC]

sooooo embarrassing~ lol.. they were warned and yet still did it?! ouch~

[Entropy]

I highly doubt they actually intended to steal any code. It's damned near impossible not to have some identical code in software that does the same thing using the same resources.