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View Full Version : Video Card Memory 1gb vs 2gb


Duane
08-12-2010, 04:38 PM
I'm thinking of getting back into boxing before Cataclysm hits and want to do a few upgrades. Right now I'm running the following setup:

Q9550
X48 mobo
8gb ram
HD4870 512mb ram
I want to add a new HD5870 video card and SSD drive.

Is there a major performance increase using 2gb of video card memory compared to 1gb? Or is this a total non-issue?
Iru
08-12-2010, 11:59 PM
you don't say how many toons you're boxing but in general 1Gb is plenty. CPU & memory are more limiting than video RAM
jstanthr
08-13-2010, 12:31 AM
In my experience with those cards (i've bench tested both 1gb and 2gb) where the difference really shows is in the number of monitors that your wanting to drive. if your doing 2 1gb should be pleanty, but if your going for 3 or more i'd go with the 2gb version. The reason this matters is because of the screen real estate involved, more means more to render and the more memory that is available, the fasters the shaders can crunch that data and get you on your way. i hope this helps.

JsT
Duane
08-13-2010, 08:17 AM
I'll be running 5 toons on a 22" and 24" monitor. Later on I'd like to add another monitor but for right now two is fine.

Thanks for the help.
Sajuuk
08-14-2010, 10:42 PM
In my experience with those cards (i've bench tested both 1gb and 2gb) where the difference really shows is in the number of monitors that your wanting to drive. if your doing 2 1gb should be pleanty, but if your going for 3 or more i'd go with the 2gb version. The reason this matters is because of the screen real estate involved, more means more to render and the more memory that is available, the fasters the shaders can crunch that data and get you on your way. i hope this helps.

JsT

It's not the number of monitors that matters, it's the resolution you want to run at AND the amount of eye candy you want running. For most of us we turn down the details of our extra characters, so the extra VRAM would go to waste. I've ran five characters at 3240x1920 with little issue on a 1GB 5850. So for the most part it's just extra that won't get used.


If the price difference is slight (And I'm thinking it's not), sure, go ahead with the 2GB version. If it's not, don't bother.
Sam DeathWalker
08-15-2010, 10:38 AM
More memory means less transfers for new textures. I would get the most memeory on the video card as is possible.

In Darlen I am sure 2GB will be a very noticable improvment.
MiRai
08-15-2010, 01:49 PM
More memory means less transfers for new textures. I would get the most memeory on the video card as is possible.

In Darlen I am sure 2GB will be a very noticable improvment.
Must be a new city in Cataclysm. :)
Sajuuk
08-15-2010, 10:07 PM
In Darlen I am sure 2GB will be a very noticable improvment.

No.





I firmly believe the most performance to be gained is to be found in the SSD. You will NOT need 2GB of VRAM for multiboxing five characters.
alcattle
08-16-2010, 01:49 AM
No.





I firmly believe the most performance to be gained is to be found in the SSD. You will NOT need 2GB of VRAM for multiboxing five characters.
But do you relize how big Darlen is, it's gianormous! Bigger than Sam's ego and WoW budget combined.
ZooljinX
08-16-2010, 05:23 AM
But do you relize how big Darlen is, it's gianormous! Bigger than Sam's ego and WoW budget combined.

Haha
Aenar
08-16-2010, 11:19 AM
There is more to consider besides the ram on a card. 2GB is worthless if the rest of the card is crap. But if we're talking 'all things considered equal' except the ram, then its how much you're willing to pay to go the extra mile.
Sam DeathWalker
08-17-2010, 03:39 AM
No.


I firmly believe the most performance to be gained is to be found in the SSD. You will NOT need 2GB of VRAM for multiboxing five characters.

Of course it depends if the 2G is actually all used. If it is would it not be a lot faster to get a cached texture from the onboard video ram vs. from the SSD?

Obviously it would be as the texture in the SSD has to get put into the onboard video ram before being sent to the gpu.

That assumes that the gpu will look for textures first in the 2G video ram (which I cannot see why anyone would make the software to not look there first).

The SSD will be better if you rarely get a hit from the onbaord cach but that seems very unlikely indeed.