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Recently I had a question about something in NVIDIA GeForce Experience, specifically about its function in relation to games, and was about to post it, when I realised I didn't know for sure if it was on-topic.

The help centre states

Game-specific hardware and utilities

as allowed, but I am unsure as to whether GeForce Experience would be classified as "game-specific". In this meta post, it was answered that questions about gaming software (in that case, Razer Synapse) are on-topic, but are

limited to software for actual gaming peripherals (subject to subjectivity) and only for use with games.

While GeForce Experience seems to be directly mostly towards gaming (it revolves around game performance optimisation, gameplay recording, and game streaming) it could be used for other purposes (such as recording one's desktop). Additionally, on this post about GeForce Experience, one user expressed their concerns that it was off-topic and voted to close the question (the question was not closed. however).

So would questions about GeForce Experience, referring specifically to games, be on-topic here at Arqade? It seems to me that the line for on- vs. off-topic in this case is a bit blurry, and I'd like clarification before I go and post a possibly off-topic question.

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    IMHO it should be ok.
    – ave
    Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 13:45
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    Seems like a gaming-related utility to me.
    – Sterno
    Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 13:45
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    The tech support acid test: remove the game from the problem. Does the problem still exist? If so, its a good bet it doesn't belong here.
    – Frank
    Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 14:28
  • @Frank I'll be sure to keep that in mind, thanks.
    – MC ΔT
    Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 14:41
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    @MCΔT - At the end of the day most questions are judged on an individual basis. Without knowing what your question is, it could be 'on-topic' as per this meta but 'off-topic' for another reason, or too broad, so on and so forth. We can provide guidance but we can't say for sure without knowing what the question is :)
    – Robotnik Mod
    Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 14:48
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    @Robotnik Well, I've asked the question, so I guess it will be judged now. (Personally I think it's edging towards off-topic, but I guess the community can decide that for certain.)
    – MC ΔT
    Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 15:27
  • @MCΔT seems fine to me, it's a problem that exists from within a game (and wouldn't be a problem if you take the game out, so it even passes Frank's test IMO).
    – Robotnik Mod
    Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 15:30
  • I don't agree. The app functions the same regardless of what you're streaming or recording, making it not a gaming problem. Its a slightly more embedded steaming application.
    – Frank
    Commented Sep 9, 2016 at 19:02
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    @Frank - So what? I can add Microsoft Word to Steam meaning it doubles as a general application launcher, it functions the same regardless if it's launching a game or an application, but that doesn't mean that Steam's primary use isnt gaming. Just because GeForce XP might be used for other things doesn't mean it's primary use isn't gaming. If you take the game out of the current question, the notifications/pop-ups that only occur in-game will stop. Therefore it's a problem that only occurs when playing a game. By your own 'acid test' measure, this is on topic.
    – Robotnik Mod
    Commented Sep 10, 2016 at 0:11
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    @Robotnik No, its not. By that logic, we should accept graphics cards, because their primary use is gaming. And we don't. We accept Steam, although there's an argument to be made that with its divergence from gaming, we shouldn't support it so blindly. Same with related apps. I don't believe this passes the acid test in any sense.
    – Frank
    Commented Sep 10, 2016 at 0:17
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    @Frank Please don't 'slippery slope' this, I agree that graphics cards should be off-topic, it's in my answer below. And a question about troubleshooting Steam running Word for example, would probably be off-topic. Just as troubleshooting Shadowplay or FRAPS to capture or stream your MS Word instructional video would be off-topic. The fact that OPs problem is only going to occur when capturing a game, on a platform primarily built for the gaming audience, means that it's something in the gamer's area of expertise and should be able to answer, and therefore would be on-topic here.
    – Robotnik Mod
    Commented Sep 10, 2016 at 0:34
  • @Robotnik I'm not slippery sloping anything. I'm pointing out that the question's functionality is the same regardless of which application you use it for. It will work the exact same and do the same thing whether you record a game, or a different app. That's how it does not pass the tech support acid test. By your logic, we should also support graphics cards, and that's why it doesn't work. I wholeheartedly disagree with the question's ontopicness.
    – Frank
    Commented Sep 10, 2016 at 3:08
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    @Frank "By your logic, we should also support graphics cards.." No, that runs completely counter to what I've already stated (twice!) about graphics cards being off-topic. A gaming recording/streaming/performance application being on topic would not have any effect of the (off)topicness of graphics cards (which are off-topic for completely separate reasons), that is the slippery slope you're arguing. We're not talking about graphics cards, we're talking about software, primarily used by gamers for gaming related stuff. An on-topic, game-specific utility.
    – Robotnik Mod
    Commented Sep 10, 2016 at 3:36
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    If I may, this question seems to me to be quite similar, and appears to have been accepted very well by the community. It is referring to Windows 10 notifications, but only in relation to games themselves. Should that question actually be off-topic?
    – MC ΔT
    Commented Sep 10, 2016 at 3:44

1 Answer 1

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I would think that nVidia GeForce Experience, i.e the software with it's features that Gamers can and will use day-to-day and therefore will be knowledgeable about (such as Shadowplay) would generally be on topic for us as a 'Game specific utility'.

However, do note that more general questions about graphics cards & troubleshooting the hardware-side would be off-topic for us. If you have a question about graphics cards & PC hardware in general, you'd be best to ask over on Super User.

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    Just note that "Hardware Recommendation" is NOT for Super User. Go to Hardware Recommendation for that.
    – Nelson
    Commented Sep 28, 2016 at 5:51

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