HD 7970 GHz Edition 3Gb GDDR5 v. HD 7970 GHz Edition 6Gb GDDR5

[Jonathon Thorpe]

Hello All,
So I am curious about something for a possible build, and I have a few questions about 3Gb GDDR5 v. 6Gb GDDR5.

1) Is there a visible difference, in games, between 3Gb GDDR5 v. 6Gb GDDR5?
2) If there is a difference, Is that difference worth $100+ (i.e. going over budget/changing other parts to allow for purchase/ect)?
3) Does that difference change if you are using crossfire (i.e. larger margin/no change/ect)?

These are the two cards that I was curious about:
6Gb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202005
3Gb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202001

Again, this is just out of curiosity for a possible build.

 

[FlyingHawk08]

There won't be a visible difference between the 3gb and 6gb unless you play on an uber resolution at max settings with multiple monitors so you'll be fine with the 3gb version.

The $100 difference probably isn't worth it because that money can go to other areas of your build so I'd go with the 3gb version.

The crossfire difference is minimal between 3gb and 6gb (you might see 1-10 extra fps over the 3gb depending on the game)

Hope this helps

 

[Jonathon Thorpe]

Here is the thing, would it be worth the 6Gb in the long run. If I am trying to build a computer that will last me the next 5 years (like my last machine), and in that time, be able to play future games on High+ settings?

My current computer is still able to play things like Skyrim on max settings. My current computer is a Phenom II X4 955 with 2 HD 4990's (OC'd) in crossfire.

 

[TheDigitalRealm]

Well, technically 6GB would be "future-proofing" yes. But by the time games need to use more than 3GB VRAM it'll be time to update you're GPU anyway. If you're gaming at 1080p, go for the 3GB card. Even if you want to game at higher resolutions, the 3GB would still be fine, but that's where the advantages would show, not at 1080p single monitor gaming.