512MB vs 256MB - Regarding the Testing

[djoye]

NO SHIT. I know what to compare; load up DOOM 3 or Quake 4, set it to Ultra and see what happens. The additional memory only helps load more junk and maybe the textures look a little better since they're not as compressed. I've got a 7900GTX 512MB and a friend has an 8800GTS 320MB, he loaded up Q4 on Ultra with no success while I loaded it up and played at 60FPS without a hitch. Tech5 will probably be putting a hurting on people with less than 512MB with the new huge fucking texture technology. I don't think many if any games outside of DOOM 3 and Quake 4 can or do take advantage of much more than 256MB just because it's apparently not too common for people to have more than that just yet.

 

[Red Falcon]

Yeah, I can run Doom 3 on Ultra with my card, but I would much rather have less memory with an increased bus width and/or higher memory bandwidth.

Unless you are talking about high end cards (which I assume you are), the lower to mid end cards won't be able to perform worth a damn, no matter how much memory they have.

That's why I just ordered an 8600GTS for Bioshock. Granted, a better video card than that is necessary to run it at "good" settings, but anything will be better than my 8500GT...

It's large amount of memory is great for helping render videos (I do H.264), but that's about it. The lower memory bandwidth isn't good for gaming at all, at least not with games within the last year or so. Doom 3 runs fine on very high settings, but that game is 3+ years old now and is starting to show its age.

If I could have afforded it, I would have gone with an 8600GTS with 512MB of GDDR3 (not shitty GDDR2). But my wallet can only take so much punishment.

As for the "common" person/gamer, most of the people I know only have a 128 to 256MB card. None of them have more than that. So you are right about that area.

 

[Mr. Bluntman]

It's all about the marketing, baby. Joe Blow looks at a box and sees that it has twice the memory so naturally he will think it's much better than the one with 256MB, so he picks it up and buys it. Remember the FX 5200 cards with 256 and later 512MB of memory on them? They sold like crazy in the Circut Cities and Best Buys of the world because of these poor, uninformed souls. Same here. Not selling enough 256MB cards? Double up and the average Joes will surely pick up the slack on your card sales.

 

[Red Falcon]

It's all about the marketing, baby. Joe Blow looks at a box and sees that it has twice the memory so naturally he will think it's much better than the one with 256MB, so he picks it up and buys it. Remember the FX 5200 cards with 256 and later 512MB of memory on them? They sold like crazy in the Circut Cities and Best Buys of the world because of these poor, uninformed souls. Same here. Not selling enough 256MB cards? Double up and the average Joes will surely pick up the slack on your card sales.

Exactly. Took the words right out of my mouth. More memory is great for video editing, at least with lower end to mid range cards (like mine). But that's all the additional memory is good for. As for gaming, these cards suck balls. As far as memory goes, it's all about the bus width and memory bandwidth.


[off topic]

I just ran into a video on youtube that has got to be THE worst video card review of all time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSfXQK5Vplw&mode=related&search=

These people know nothing about computers... NOTHING! Bunch of noobies. I ask everyone who reads this to take a look at this review (and others if you're interested). Your jaw will drop and you will shit your pants after seeing the lameness that is "Get Connected". Fucking lame as hell, but very funny and entertaining to say the least!

EDIT: He says that you can use these two cards in Crossfire as long as the motherboard supports it... LAWL! I didn't know that you could use a X1950XTX with a X800XT. OMFGROFLOL! He also says that the X1950XTX has 512K memory... Um, yeah. This has to be the lamest review of all time. "Two video outs", you mean two DVI-I ports? Oh man, it gets lamer the more I watch it.

Fucking noob!

EDIT#2: You're not going to beleive this, they removed the fucking video after I commented (in other words told them how to do it correctly). Wow, fucking lame. I'd hide my head in shame too.

Check out their lame ass reviews here: http://www.youtube.com/user/getconnectedtvshow

EDIT#3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8sZXeUBz1w

You can fit literally hours and hours of video on a 4GB flash drive... *chokes* and *dies*. Wow, hours and hours of what, 320x240 low res videos? Oh man. Lame. Ok, for those of us who like quality videos you can actually tell what's going on, why the hell would you use a flash drive? Why not *gasp* buy a hard drive. For around the same cost you could get 10 to 20x the capactiy of his flash drive.

[/off topic]

 

[Adionik]

Exactly. Took the words right out of my mouth. More memory is great for video editing, at least with lower end to mid range cards (like mine). But that's all the additional memory is good for. As for gaming, these cards suck balls.

LOL suck balls. I love the way you put it. I couldn't agree more. I hate getting into arguments with people about how effective MB's are on GPU's. They are far too familar with the concept that bigger is better.

It's not the size that counts, but the way you use it.

 

[MrkXCeL]

[on topic]
Oblivion(stock) can use more than 256MB outdoors. I checked usage with ATItool or some console command at one time.
It's easily repeatable, usually near those hell gates ? (sorry haven't played for a while)

Secondly, I'm itching to buy a 8800 GTS but can't quite afford the 640MB, & GTX wont fit.
The 320MB GTS, as OP mentioned, leaves something to be desired
Especially once you fork over a good anount of cash and upcoming games will cripple it on high-ultra settings.

[off topic]
Speaking of a bad reviewer and a complete tool(IMHO). Here's a guy I can't resist posting He makes maybe *2* valid points, but the rest of his gibberish nearly made me punch my screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq8XyDW_pT4&mode=related&search=

 

[Red Falcon]

[on topic]
Oblivion(stock) can use more than 256MB outdoors. I checked usage with ATItool or some console command at one time.
It's easily repeatable, usually near those hell gates ? (sorry haven't played for a while)

Secondly, I'm itching to buy a 8800 GTS but can't quite afford the 640MB, & GTX wont fit.
The 320MB GTS, as OP mentioned, leaves something to be desired
Especially once you fork over a good anount of cash and upcoming games will cripple it on high-ultra settings.

[off topic]
Speaking of a bad reviewer and a complete tool(IMHO). Here's a guy I can't resist posting He makes maybe *2* valid points, but the rest of his gibberish nearly made me punch my screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq8XyDW_pT4&mode=related&search=

OMG! What a noob. That guy sux the big one. Direct Video Input?!?! WTF? Man, this guy is a total loser. No wonder he disabled comments. He was probably having a [H]ard time with it, lol.

 

[MrkXCeL]

OMG! What a noob. That guy sux the big one. Direct Video Input?!?! WTF? Man, this guy is a total loser. No wonder he disabled comments. He was probably having a [H]ard time with it, lol.

What really bothered me, looking through a few of the comments, some people really sided with him.

Secondly, while shopping for a new cell phone, this f*** at T-mobile was just as full of shit, just like this guy, I ended up calling him on his amateur sales-BS, he even couldn't answer one question at all and made no sense on the other; I walked out. These people sould not work retail, ever!, unless, they get beat to shreds and broken in after several months and learn something.