256 or 512?

[alexpapa]

I have a 256mb videocard which I bought like a year ago, today I saw one of the same brand, but with 512mb for almost the same $$$, so my question is: will it really make a big difference? i like gaming and I use photoshop and video editing software.

 

[digital_exhaust]

System specs would make it a little easier to give an informed answer... but for the most part, I'm going to say no, not really. Photoshop and video editing are handled largely by your cpu, and your video card doesn't have alot to do with any of that. As far as gaming is concerned, I don't really think you'll notice much of a difference, but again, that is more of a guess, as without system specs and knowing what card your looking at, it's kind of hard to say....

 

[PWMK2]

For gaming: Slight difference, maybe.
For photoshop and video edting software: Zero difference. These programs use your system RAM, not your video card RAM.

 

[Adidas4275]

it depends more on the GPU speed, pixel piplines, vertex shaders and RAM speed NOT memory size....

if you have 2 of the same cards 1 with 256mb 1 with 512mb the 512mb will be better in games that have large maps or lots of characters... ie BF2, WOW

but if you have a card that has GDDR2 512mb v. GDDR3 256mb the 256mb card is better... all other things being equal..

to be honest it is a marketing trick.. they usually put 512mb on old cards that suck and use slow DDR2 rather than DDR3 to make it seem like it is a better card because the average end user does not know any better....

compare cards more on the series of card it is...
ie
Nvidia 6600<6800 also GT<GTX, GTS<GTX, GS<GT, GS<vanilla<GT
also
7800<8800 generally


so only look at RAM size when all other things are equal...
ie 800gts 320mb v 8800gts 640mb