512 vs 256 mb Video memory & stereo performance
Hi,

I'm in the video card upgrade trail. Now owning a 5900 XT (AGP, of course :) ) I was looking 'a priori' to keep my mobo, so looking to Gainward 7800GS+ 512 DDR3 AGP (i.e. [i]7900GT in AGP[/i]), but there is also the possibility of go PCI-e and get a 7900GT PCI.e.

In order to keep the total investment about the same in both options, I should get a 7900GT 256 Mb PCI-e versus 7800GS+ 512 AGP.

So I wonder if as I know, 512 Mb makes the difference when in higher resolution, maybe it makes this difference also in 1024x768 but in stereo, as the card must render the double number of pixels.

Somebody knows or has tested this before? It will help to know if it I must go for a 512 Mb or don't care and go to PCI-e and 256 Mb.

BTW, as I like 3dstereo I play usually at 1024x768 and my rig is: P4 3.6GHz Prescott, Asus mobo P5P800, 1Gb DDR Corsair PC3200.

Thanks a lot for any comment,
Hi,



I'm in the video card upgrade trail. Now owning a 5900 XT (AGP, of course :) ) I was looking 'a priori' to keep my mobo, so looking to Gainward 7800GS+ 512 DDR3 AGP (i.e. 7900GT in AGP), but there is also the possibility of go PCI-e and get a 7900GT PCI.e.



In order to keep the total investment about the same in both options, I should get a 7900GT 256 Mb PCI-e versus 7800GS+ 512 AGP.



So I wonder if as I know, 512 Mb makes the difference when in higher resolution, maybe it makes this difference also in 1024x768 but in stereo, as the card must render the double number of pixels.



Somebody knows or has tested this before? It will help to know if it I must go for a 512 Mb or don't care and go to PCI-e and 256 Mb.



BTW, as I like 3dstereo I play usually at 1024x768 and my rig is: P4 3.6GHz Prescott, Asus mobo P5P800, 1Gb DDR Corsair PC3200.



Thanks a lot for any comment,

ASUS Maximus XI Hero (Wi-Fi) // Intel 9700K CPU // 32Gb Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 RAM // Asus GTX1060 6Gb Strix GPU // NVIDIA Quadro K620 GPU // Asus My Cinema ES2-750 Capture Card // Orico 7 USB 3.0 PCIe Expansion card // Corsair AX860i PSU // Phanteks Evolv X case // Logitech G903 mouse // Logitech PowerPlay charging mouse pad // Logitech Illuminated keyboard // Wacom Intuos 4 tablet // Creative GigaWorks T20 II speakers // Razer Tiamat 7.1 Headphones // Dell U2413 LCD // 3D Ready Samsung 2233RZ LCD // Nvidia 3D Vision glasses 1 & 2 // 3D compatible Sharp XR-10X DLP Projector // Da-Lite 100" HighPower Gain 2.8 Projection screen // XRite i1Display Pro // MadCatz Cyborg Gaming Lights // NZXT HUE 2 // Corsair Commander Pro // Corsair Lighting Node Pro // IcyBox External HDD // Naturalpoint TrackIR 5 Pro // Microsoft Sidewinder ForceFeedback 2 Red // Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar // Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals // Windows 10 x64

#1
Posted 08/19/2006 07:57 AM   
Ectually, you haven't any big differences btw 256 & 512 MB in 1024 stereo mode. It's may btw 32 & 64 or 64 & 128. But in MORE higher resolutions + FSAA (like SuperSampling) you may have.
Anyway, 512 MB give more usable modes in games with very big or (and) uncompressed textures like Ultra mode in Doom3. ID software think that uncompressed textures - is a future (minimal artefacts / maximum quality), so futured games may need more memory.

If you wan't to go from AGP system to PCI-E - it's good idea to take 256MB PCI-E (you haven't big difference in currently used modes), but you'll take a system opened to upgrade in next year (AGP will go out from market after December '06).
Ectually, you haven't any big differences btw 256 & 512 MB in 1024 stereo mode. It's may btw 32 & 64 or 64 & 128. But in MORE higher resolutions + FSAA (like SuperSampling) you may have.

Anyway, 512 MB give more usable modes in games with very big or (and) uncompressed textures like Ultra mode in Doom3. ID software think that uncompressed textures - is a future (minimal artefacts / maximum quality), so futured games may need more memory.



If you wan't to go from AGP system to PCI-E - it's good idea to take 256MB PCI-E (you haven't big difference in currently used modes), but you'll take a system opened to upgrade in next year (AGP will go out from market after December '06).

#2
Posted 08/19/2006 05:19 PM   
I was stuck at the same dilemma you are at, and I went with the 20 pipe Bliss card. I upgraded from a BFG6800GT and there is a huge difference. I can run most games now with all the eye candy turned up @ 1152x864 in stereo3D. A few newer games I have to reduce AA to 4x. I have never been this happy with a video card. Most people with AGP systems have older boards and CPU's then you have. I think your system would be great with a Gainward Bliss in it.
I was stuck at the same dilemma you are at, and I went with the 20 pipe Bliss card. I upgraded from a BFG6800GT and there is a huge difference. I can run most games now with all the eye candy turned up @ 1152x864 in stereo3D. A few newer games I have to reduce AA to 4x. I have never been this happy with a video card. Most people with AGP systems have older boards and CPU's then you have. I think your system would be great with a Gainward Bliss in it.

#3
Posted 09/02/2006 05:02 PM   
Do you really need the card now?

If I was in your position, I would wait a few months for the new cores to come out. You [i]should[/i] be able to get 2x 7900GT performance for around what a 7900GT costs now.

If you are desperate for one now, then IMO 512BM is overkill even for stereo, unless you play higher than 1280x1024 and 4xaa/8xaniso.

I suppose it also depends on the types of games you play too.

Clear as mud? :)

This should help you choose:

[url="http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/graphics/charts.html"]http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/graphics/charts.html[/url]
Do you really need the card now?



If I was in your position, I would wait a few months for the new cores to come out. You should be able to get 2x 7900GT performance for around what a 7900GT costs now.



If you are desperate for one now, then IMO 512BM is overkill even for stereo, unless you play higher than 1280x1024 and 4xaa/8xaniso.



I suppose it also depends on the types of games you play too.



Clear as mud? :)



This should help you choose:



http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/graphics/charts.html

Windows 10 64-bit, Intel 7700K @ 5.1GHz, 16GB 3600MHz CL15 DDR4 RAM, 2x GTX 1080 SLI, Asus Maximus IX Hero, Sound Blaster ZxR, PCIe Quad SSD, Oculus Rift CV1, DLP Link PGD-150 glasses, ViewSonic PJD6531w 3D DLP Projector @ 1280x800 120Hz native / 2560x1600 120Hz DSR 3D Gaming.

#4
Posted 09/03/2006 04:00 AM   
Tx for answers!

The subject is that I am waiting until Storm of War: Battle of Britain is out to do a major upgrade, but this game probably will be out late 2007 (my guess), so I have more or less a year until the 'big' upgrade.

Currently I was looking for a 'small' investment that allows me to profit better the CPU (OCing it) because currently the 5900XT is bottlenecking it. For this reason I didn't want to spend too much in a card to be replaced in year later...

I'm a bit lost. Maybe I'll wait until G80 appears and then get a 7800GS+ (lower price then?), the problem is that this card is limited one (1500 units?). Maybe they will run out of them when I want to buy one...bfffffff

The other option, as RAGEdemon says, wait and take a G80, PCI-e mobo, but a bit a pity to buy now a mobo when I could get a better one in year without today needed restrictions due to my current CPU, DDR, etc...¿? Anyway I have been looking this and a PCI-e mobo with good OC capabilities (to profit the current CPU) and backwards compatibility is not cheap so I'm afraid VGA+Mobo cost will increase too much for a year life...So I'm not very sure about the PCI-e mobo option now...Am I wrong?

On the other hand, I guess that I always could do nothing... I think I'm getting crazier /blarg.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':/' />

I dunno what to do...Sorry to bother you with my doubts :"> I guess that in a way or another I'll chose something...

BTW, I play mostly Fligh sims (IL2, PF) and few FPS (CoD2...) and my RAM is DDR Corsair 2xCMX512-4400C25 (550 Mhz)
Tx for answers!



The subject is that I am waiting until Storm of War: Battle of Britain is out to do a major upgrade, but this game probably will be out late 2007 (my guess), so I have more or less a year until the 'big' upgrade.



Currently I was looking for a 'small' investment that allows me to profit better the CPU (OCing it) because currently the 5900XT is bottlenecking it. For this reason I didn't want to spend too much in a card to be replaced in year later...



I'm a bit lost. Maybe I'll wait until G80 appears and then get a 7800GS+ (lower price then?), the problem is that this card is limited one (1500 units?). Maybe they will run out of them when I want to buy one...bfffffff



The other option, as RAGEdemon says, wait and take a G80, PCI-e mobo, but a bit a pity to buy now a mobo when I could get a better one in year without today needed restrictions due to my current CPU, DDR, etc...¿? Anyway I have been looking this and a PCI-e mobo with good OC capabilities (to profit the current CPU) and backwards compatibility is not cheap so I'm afraid VGA+Mobo cost will increase too much for a year life...So I'm not very sure about the PCI-e mobo option now...Am I wrong?



On the other hand, I guess that I always could do nothing... I think I'm getting crazier /blarg.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':/' />



I dunno what to do...Sorry to bother you with my doubts :"> I guess that in a way or another I'll chose something...



BTW, I play mostly Fligh sims (IL2, PF) and few FPS (CoD2...) and my RAM is DDR Corsair 2xCMX512-4400C25 (550 Mhz)

ASUS Maximus XI Hero (Wi-Fi) // Intel 9700K CPU // 32Gb Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 RAM // Asus GTX1060 6Gb Strix GPU // NVIDIA Quadro K620 GPU // Asus My Cinema ES2-750 Capture Card // Orico 7 USB 3.0 PCIe Expansion card // Corsair AX860i PSU // Phanteks Evolv X case // Logitech G903 mouse // Logitech PowerPlay charging mouse pad // Logitech Illuminated keyboard // Wacom Intuos 4 tablet // Creative GigaWorks T20 II speakers // Razer Tiamat 7.1 Headphones // Dell U2413 LCD // 3D Ready Samsung 2233RZ LCD // Nvidia 3D Vision glasses 1 & 2 // 3D compatible Sharp XR-10X DLP Projector // Da-Lite 100" HighPower Gain 2.8 Projection screen // XRite i1Display Pro // MadCatz Cyborg Gaming Lights // NZXT HUE 2 // Corsair Commander Pro // Corsair Lighting Node Pro // IcyBox External HDD // Naturalpoint TrackIR 5 Pro // Microsoft Sidewinder ForceFeedback 2 Red // Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar // Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals // Windows 10 x64

#5
Posted 09/03/2006 10:23 AM   
Scroll To Top