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Question about video card memory and high resolution gaming.

Tags:
  • Gaming
  • Memory
  • Graphics Cards
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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December 31, 2013 3:17:25 PM

So I've been using the following specifications for about three years now:

AMD Phenom II x6 1055t OC'd to 3400mhz
8GB DDR3 1600
Nvidia GTX 460 1GB x 2 in SLI

I use two monitors. One is 24", always at 1920 x 1080, and I have some non-gaming applications open on it at all times (web browsers, chat software, music software, etc.). The other is 28", always set to 1920 x 1200, and I do all of my gaming on it. I've been having issues with FPS dropping in quite a few games over the last couple of years. Bioshock Infinite stuttered like crazy and I had to lower it to medium, which still had the occasional drop in FPS. The Secret World plays like garbage at even the lowest settings possible (I know TSW has its own issues with SLI, but I've tweaked it around and it's supposed to be performing better, but still isn't).

Now, I know I've heard that you want a good amount of video memory if you plan to game at resolutions higher than 1080p, and I technically am doing so, even if it's just a little higher at 1200p. Could the 1GB on my graphics cards be the source of my issues? Or is it just that GTX 460 SLI is really outdated at this point?

Thanks so much for your time!

More about : question video card memory high resolution gaming

a b 4 Gaming
a b U Graphics card
December 31, 2013 3:20:52 PM

460 SLI is beyond the point where it is fast enough to exceed 1GB of VRAM usage, that is the issue, stuttering is common when running out of RAM.

Your setup is about as fast as a 7850/650 Ti Boost, so you'd want something a bit faster than that for the replacement to be worth it, a 760 is a good start, processor isn't super brilliant but shouldn't be an issue on a 760.
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December 31, 2013 3:32:43 PM

cookybiscuit said:
460 SLI is beyond the point where it is fast enough to exceed 1GB of VRAM usage, that is the issue, stuttering is common when running out of RAM.

Your setup is about as fast as a 7850/650 Ti Boost, so you'd want something a bit faster than that for the replacement to be worth it, a 760 is a good start, processor isn't super brilliant but shouldn't be an issue on a 760.


Ah, that makes sense! So for SLI, I should have gone with the 2GB version of the GTX 460 then?

SLI in general has been quite a pain, and I don't see myself trying to use it again in the future. I'm actually considering upgrading to a GTX 770 4GB in the near future, and then upgrading to an i5 or i7 (I'm occasionally editing/rendering videos) two to four weeks after that. Yeah, I know that'll be two to four weeks of some CPU bottlenecking, but I'd still like to improve my gaming performance before anything else.

Anything to add to that? Thanks again. :) 
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Related resources
a b 4 Gaming
a b U Graphics card
December 31, 2013 3:38:58 PM

You don't need a 770 4GB ever, not if you aren't SLIing, especially not at the resolution you are at. In a game demanding enough to use more than 2GB of VRAM, you'd need to lower the ingame settings to get a playable framerate, lowering VRAM usage. In SLI, this wouldn't be the case, as is exemplified in your 460 SLI setup, you have too much power for the VRAM amount, so you'd want 4GB models.

http://alienbabeltech.com/main/gtx-770-4gb-vs-2gb-teste...
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December 31, 2013 4:00:58 PM

cookybiscuit said:
You don't need a 770 4GB ever, not if you aren't SLIing, especially not at the resolution you are at. In a game demanding enough to use more than 2GB of VRAM, you'd need to lower the ingame settings to get a playable framerate, lowering VRAM usage. In SLI, this wouldn't be the case, as is exemplified in your 460 SLI setup, you have too much power for the VRAM amount, so you'd want 4GB models.

http://alienbabeltech.com/main/gtx-770-4gb-vs-2gb-teste...


Oops, I should have added that the point of getting the 4GB would be to prepare for a higher resolution monitor, 1440p or higher if I can afford it. Does that change anything?
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a b 4 Gaming
a b U Graphics card
December 31, 2013 4:05:23 PM

Nope, if you aren't going SLI its unnecessary, 2GB is all you need. If you have the money for a 4GB 770 you might aswell just buy the 780.
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