7900 GT Memory.

[Track]

If i can overclock a simple 7900 GT to a GTX's clock speeds, then it will run just like a 7900 GTX, but then theres an issue with the memory.

I know that 256Mb of memory wont bottleneck it but what i want to know, is how much of a performance boost would i get if i got the Gainward 512Mb version? I know games like Oblivion would run smoother, but around here an extra 256Mb costs 150$, making it ironicly the same price as the X1900XT.

Note: Im selling my whole PC in 1 year, and im probably not going to play many games after March, so were talking everything since 2003 (when my card stoped being able to run new games).

 

[prozac26]

512mb is still an overkill. It'll help at 1600x1200, but if you play at 1280x1024, then 512mb won't provide a big boost.

 

[Track]

512mb is still an overkill. It'll help at 1600x1200, but if you play at 1280x1024, then 512mb won't provide a big boost.

No, i play at 1280x1024 MAX.
I think ill play most on 1024x768 so i can get more AA into there.

Dude, u got to be honest with me here.. because everyone else says "theres no such thing as overkill" (like when i said that the shaders on the X1900 series are overkill). Other then G.R.A.W with NEEDS 512Mb to run on MAX, will i see any improvement on any game ???

 

[prozac26]

In some games you'll see a bigger difference than in others. If budget allows, then go for the 512mb one.

 

[Gary_Busey]

I really don't think you'll notice the difference.

 

[Track]

In some games you'll see a bigger difference than in others. If budget allows, then go for the 512mb one.

Why? I thought u said it dosent matter.

 

[Track]

I really don't think you'll notice the difference.

Can u tell me where i can find a benchmark that compares beetween a 7900 GTX and a 7900 GT with the same clock freaquences as the 7900 GTX?

 

[Gary_Busey]

I really don't think you'll notice the difference.

Can u tell me where i can find a benchmark that compares beetween a 7900 GTX and a 7900 GT with the same clock freaquences as the 7900 GTX?
No.

 

[Track]

I really don't think you'll notice the difference.

Can u tell me where i can find a benchmark that compares beetween a 7900 GTX and a 7900 GT with the same clock freaquences as the 7900 GTX?
No.

8O

Do u think ill get the same performance in F.E.A.R., COD2, Oblivion etc. with 256Mb, and WHY?

 

[Gary_Busey]

I really don't think you'll notice the difference.

Can u tell me where i can find a benchmark that compares beetween a 7900 GTX and a 7900 GT with the same clock freaquences as the 7900 GTX?
No.

8O

Do u think ill get the same performance in F.E.A.R., COD2, Oblivion etc. with 256Mb, and WHY?
Yes, because TomsHardware says so:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/07/10/can_your_rig_run_oblivion/page11.html

 

[darkstar782]

Texture resolution/compression is what demands more VRAM, not screen resolution.

With 2gig system ram you should be fine with a 256mb gfx card to be honest.

There are Gainward 7900GTs floating about with 550/1400 stock speeds, and 512mb of 1.2ns ram.

 

[Track]

Texture resolution/compression is what demands more VRAM, not screen resolution.

With 2gig system ram you should be fine with a 256mb gfx card to be honest.

There are Gainward 7900GTs floating about with 550/1400 stock speeds, and 512mb of 1.2ns ram.

I only have 1 GB of RAM.

What do u think would make more difference, adding 1GB more of PC RAM or 256MB of Video Card RAM?

 

[prozac26]

In some games you'll see a bigger difference than in others. If budget allows, then go for the 512mb one.

Why? I thought u said it dosent matter.
I said if budget allows, which mean if you want to get the 512mb one, then go ahead.

 

[Gary_Busey]

Texture resolution/compression is what demands more VRAM, not screen resolution.

With 2gig system ram you should be fine with a 256mb gfx card to be honest.

There are Gainward 7900GTs floating about with 550/1400 stock speeds, and 512mb of 1.2ns ram.

I only have 1 GB of RAM.

What do u think would make more difference, adding 1GB more of PC RAM or 256MB of Video Card RAM?
Adding 1GB of RAM.

 

[The_Abyss]

What do u think would make more difference, adding 1GB more of PC RAM or 256MB of Video Card RAM?

Adding 1gb of system RAM, no question at all.

 

[Track]

Ok, 1GB is more then 256MB.. i understand that.

But isnt the jump from 1GB to 2GB worthless? I mean can u see a performance boost? And if so would it cover for only having a 256MB card?

 

[The_Abyss]

Playing at higjh resolutions, plenty of games today take one snide look at 1gb RAM, eat is out, and then start munching on your hdd until they are full.

Open up the Task Manager and see what happens when you load Oblivion, X3 or BF2 - anything like that. Come to think of it, try exiting BF2 with only 1gb of RAM. Unloading the game from the system takes an age.

Yet still, unless you are playing at ultra high detail at ultra high resolutions, 512mg of VRAM is barely accessed, unless you're doing CAD or something, and then there are specialist cards for this.

 

[uber_g]

Ok, 1GB is more then 256MB.. i understand that.

But isnt the jump from 1GB to 2GB worthless? I mean can u see a performance boost?

Having alot of apps running ,video editing, and also


Battlefield 2

 

[Track]

Playing at higjh resolutions, plenty of games today take one snide look at 1gb RAM, eat is out, and then start munching on your hdd until they are full.

Open up the Task Manager and see what happens when you load Oblivion, X3 or BF2 - anything like that. Come to think of it, try exiting BF2 with only 1gb of RAM. Unloading the game from the system takes an age.

Yet still, unless you are playing at ultra high detail at ultra high resolutions, 512mg of VRAM is barely accessed, unless you're doing CAD or something, and then there are specialist cards for this.

Well i do want Ultra or MAX detail, but is it worth 150$ extra?

 

[The_Abyss]

That's a question only you can answer yourself.

 

[Track]

That's a question only you can answer yourself.

What would u do?

 

[The_Abyss]

Me personally, I had a 7800 GT and I just bought a 7900GT 256mb as part of a whole new system. I've banked the change and I'm waiting to spend it plus some more on ATI's R600 with unified shader support, hopefully coming out in November.

At that point I'll be selling the 7900GT on eBay or somewhere, and as there are far more 256mb versions than 512mb versions, I fancy my chances of shifting the former for a decent price are better.

I guess it depends on what an increase of 2-3 fps is worth to you. If it is worth $150 (which seems very high btw - the difference isn't that big in the UK) then go for it.

 

[prozac26]

That's a question only you can answer yourself.

What would u do?
It depends on the system. If I have enough RAM, and CPU is good, then I would spend the extra money. Since you only have 1gb of RAM, I suggest you upgrade to 2gb of RAM, because 1gb could bottleneck some game.