6950 1gb vs 6950 2gb

[reignsupreme11]

hey all

i'm just doing a new build with these components, but i havent' decided on graphics:

msi p67a-gd80 mobo
i5-2500k
8gb ram
corsair tx750w 750W PSU
azza solano case

i'd be gaming at 1920 x 1080 resolution. i'm deciding between the 6950 1gb and 2gb versions. I plan on crossfiring within 6 months. at my resolution i'm not sure if i need the 2gb buffer especially if i crossfire i'll have 4 and that'd be overkill for sure. the two cards are, i think, identical in every other respect and i've seen charts that support that.

so, for 1920x1080 should i go with the 1GB and save me 40$ or the 2gb?

 

[roald]

The 6950 1GB only starts taking noticeable performance hits at resolutions above 1920 x 1080 so you should be fine either way but more so in an SLI setup. More memory would seem a luxury option but you could do it to have a more 'future proof' setup than the 1GB version.

 

[marney_5]

I agree with Roald

 

[jjb8675309]

yep roald is right, if your gaming at 1080p the 2 gig model will make no difference, although if you get the right 2 gig you can unlock it to a 6970 so it all depends on what you are trying to do.

 

[Derbixrace]

if you plan on CFing i would pay the extra and get the 2GB because the amount of memory wont double when you run crossfire.

but its really up to you if you want to pay the extra.

 

[sayantan]

For gaming at 1920x1080 1GB is sufficient.The only game I have seen which requires more than 1GB vram is GTA4 at max settings.

 

[jjb8675309]

^ yeah good point debrixface, for crossfire I'd go witht he 2 gig models personally bc hopefully they will last long enough for 2 gigs of vram to matter...

 

[beltzy]

I've honestly only seen a few games/settings in ANY benchmarks/reviews where the 2GB realizes any performance difference whatsoever compared to the 1GB. Many games see the same performance exactly the same between the two even at 2560x1600. Keep in mind card reviews never do multiple monitor benchmarks, etc (where you would likely see more performance gain with the additional memory) and SOME of the titles do show some significant gains with the 2GB over the 1GB. Just not all of them.

Check our 6950 1GB reviews where you can find them for more details. Some sites only go up to 1920x1080/1200 resoutions so it can be challenging to see the the whole performance picture.

 

[reignsupreme11]

thanks for all the advice. I definetly would like to CF at some point. if, in the next year or so, i get a bigger monitor or go dual or something. In 2 years time if the card doesn't cut it for the newest games it i can CF. I want >3 years out of this system so....I would also attempt an unlock.

the cheapest 6950 2GB I can find is around 260$ after MIR. i've heard abou 70-80% of successful unlock.

cheapest 2950 1GB ~$230 after MIR.

what do you guys think?

 

[Derbixrace]

if you want it to be more future proof then DEFINITELY get the 2GB because games get bigger textures etc.. and will require more VRAM.

1GB of VRAM is the minimum for 1080p right now if you want to avoid any VRAM bottlenecks when using full AA/AF and max graphics settings.

in the future the 1GB card will die quicker than the 2GB

 

[reignsupreme11]

sorry, i can only slect one best answer!

 

[jjb8675309]

if you want it to be more future proof then DEFINITELY get the 2GB because games get bigger textures etc.. and will require more VRAM.

1GB of VRAM is the minimum for 1080p right now if you want to avoid any VRAM bottlenecks when using full AA/AF and max graphics settings.

in the future the 1GB card will die quicker than the 2GB

you have a valid point, but how far into the future where the extra ram will matter is another story, imo by the time it is necessary @ 1080p to have 2 gigs of vram the 6950/70 will likely be outdated

 

[clewis09]

i'm not sure if i need the 2gb buffer especially if i crossfire i'll have 4 and that'd be overkill for sure.

Crossfire doesn't mean 2+2=4gb, You'd still only have 2GB
Also, what games do you play? You haven't mentioned this, yet this is probably the most important thing!

 

[jyjjy]

If you are going to crossfire then the 2gb card is definitely called for. Video ram is not added together when cards are used in crossfire as each card needs to have the same information available to work in conjunction. By adding a second card you increase the processing power of the setup while keeping the effective available memory the same. This means the 1gb card is a better choice if you are not planning on crossfire rather than the other way around as you assumed.
I would get the first card(you may decide you don't need more on your current screen) and plan for a second card to go with an eyefinity setup in the future.

 

[reignsupreme11]

If you are going to crossfire then the 2gb card is definitely called for. Video ram is not added together when cards are used in crossfire as each card needs to have the same information available to work in conjunction. By adding a second card you increase the processing power of the setup while keeping the effective available memory the same. This means the 1gb card is a better choice if you are not planning on crossfire rather than the other way around as you assumed.
I would get the first card(you may decide you don't need more on your current screen) and plan for a second card to go with an eyefinity setup in the future.

the first being the 2GB version?

 

[clewis09]

Yes the 2gb,

It allows you to have a wider choice of upgrades in the future (E.g. 30" Monitor, Eyefinity setups etc)