Simple Question, I don't Understand Specs.

[geotech]

Will this will come out completely stupid, but I am at a loss on how video cards can have such different capabilities while the specs do not seem much different. Here's what might be an exegration.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Suggested&N=50001883%2040000048&Description=14%2D143&bop=And&Order=REVIEWS&CompareItemList=N82E16814143049%2CN82E16814130303

my card is the 7600Gt, I might be getting the 8800gt soon. But the memory clock and core clock have a combine difference of 580Mhz, and the memory size and interface are 256 and 128 bigger respectively. I know the 8800gt utterly destroys the 7600gt but how is my question? What am I missing? I'm sure I'm not the only one at a loss here.

Thanks for the understanding,

~Geotech

 

[WR2]

Memory Interface:
7600GT=128-bit width 8800GT=256-bit width [:wr2:4]

PixelPipelines or Stream Processors
7600GT=12 8800GT=112 [:wr2]
Stream processors are the next evolution of pixel pipelines

7600GT uses Pixel and Vertex shaders. 8000 series has unified shaders that do pixel or vertex operations.

More info on video card technology here: 8800 Geforce Preview

 

[4745454b]

The differences are what makes up a video card. I'd try to explain them all to you, but I don't have the time and I'm not 100% sure you'd understand. Video cards are more then just X amount of ram on this bus. You have bus width, shaders, types of shaders, clock speeds, etc. Take a look at this.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/10/29/geforce_8800_gt/page2.html

Look at the chart half way down. Pixel/vertex pipelines, texturing units, ROPs, bandwidth, transistors, process, etc. These all play a part in how well a card will perform. You can't look at two cards and say "well this one is clocked 200MHz higher, so it must be faster." A slower clocked card with more pipes and ROPs could outperform a faster clocked card.

I don't have the time to "reinvent the wheel." If you want to know what all these things mean, start reading.

 

[geotech]

thanks guys, I had heard something about the stream processors but I never looked to far into it. Thanks for the info, so I'm assuming this would be a pretty substantial upgrade.