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64mb video memory vs 128mb video memory

post #1 of 20
3/19/05 at 7:04pm
Thread Starter 
Considering I game at 1024x768 or 1280x800, would getting a 128mb videocard make a difference compared to a 64mb version (for example, can I use "high" texture settings with a 128mb card compared to "medium" for a 64mb card)

All info appreciated!
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post #2 of 20
3/19/05 at 7:42pm
Yes, the extra video memory will help with loading textures. I think it also depends if the GPU is fast enough for the game being played to handle the higher resolutions.
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post #3 of 20
3/19/05 at 8:51pm
it will made a diff. a card like 9700 will let you feel it, however going from 128 to 256 on a 9700 is near useless....unless you're talking 9800, then there is a clear diff between 128 and 256...or pcie...sweet. anyway...long story short, it will make a differance and i suggest you get 128mb if at all possible
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post #4 of 20
3/19/05 at 11:20pm
you wont notice a diffrence till you change the clock speed of the ram, 64MB will load Texture A in XX time and 128MB will load the same texture in the same time since they are both running the same clock speed.
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post #5 of 20
3/20/05 at 2:11pm
You WILL notice a difference regardless of memory clocks. If you fill up the 64MB card, which is very easy to do in modern games, it will begin swapping textures in and out of memory. At that point it doesn't matter how fast the memory is, because pulling stuff from RAM is slow, and your game will hitch.
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post #6 of 20
3/20/05 at 2:34pm
no, people are upgrading their video cards simply because it makes them feel special, not that it makes any difference.

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post #7 of 20
3/20/05 at 4:14pm
Thread Starter 
going from 64mb to 128mb isn't exactly 'upgrading' the card. it's still 'only' a X600!
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post #8 of 20
3/20/05 at 5:24pm
Indeed, but it will allow you to run games at higher quality settings.

The higher the resolution you run at, more video memory is used.
The higher antialiasing you use, the more video memory is used.
The more frame buffers you have, the more video memory is used.
The higher resolution textures you have, the more video memory is used.
The more textures you have, the more video memory is used.
The more normal maps you have, the more video memory is used (This is the killer in DooM 3's video memory usage).

There are also tons of other things that suck up video memory. And 64MB is not enough to run modern games like HL2 or D3 at higher settings. You'll fill up the memory and get hitches in-game. Yes, you can play it, but it will not be a pleasant experience.
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post #9 of 20
3/20/05 at 5:37pm
Thread Starter 
that's the explanation I needed. anyway, switching from my 4601WLMi to a 1694WLMi, will get me +64mb video memory AND 2ghz cpu instead of 1.6ghz, so I guess the 1694WLMi *will* run games better no?
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post #10 of 20
3/20/05 at 7:43pm
faster cpu and a better video card will in deed run games better. you might also want to up the ram, say you're at 512mb right now....make it a gig. and, if you have a 5400 or a 4200rpm hdd...get a 7k60 (won't make games faster, but loading times will be sliced)
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post #11 of 20
3/21/05 at 12:23am
I also upgraded from 512MB to 1GB for gaming; half a gig just wasn't doing it for me. The upgrade really cut loading times in games, and reduced hitching.

A warning though, while a 7200RPM drive will improve loading times, it won't really "slice" them.
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post #12 of 20
3/21/05 at 1:10am
viper (the dude who says "hi" a lot) has a 5400rpm in his sager, i tried to play FarCry on it and loading times felt like they took forever, and he has 1gb of ram in that thing. at that same time, i had only 512mb in my uniwill, but a 7200rpm drive....the level loaded much faster.
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post #13 of 20
3/21/05 at 3:41am
What I don't understand is the option to upgrade the video memory, like they did in the old days with the ATI Radeon Pro series.
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post #14 of 20
3/21/05 at 4:53am
Thread Starter 
I already have a hitachi 7200rpm drive in my current laptop which of course will be moved to the new one. Also have considered getting 1gig ram, but then I'll have to find a buyer for my 2x256mb SoDimm which isn't easy (in belgium).
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post #15 of 20
3/21/05 at 12:35pm
I see no difference running FarCry on a MR9600 w/64 and a MR9700 w/128
What is key is having 1 gig of ram for some of these high end games like FarCry abd HL2...
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post #16 of 20
3/22/05 at 2:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dlukesdoom
I see no difference running FarCry on a MR9600 w/64 and a MR9700 w/128
What is key is having 1 gig of ram for some of these high end games like FarCry abd HL2...
I find that suspect, because you're comparing the MR9600 and MR9700, and the MR9700 is a significantly faster card regardless of memory.

If you see no difference, it's very likely you've got a major bottleneck elsewhere, such as the CPU.
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post #17 of 20
3/22/05 at 4:34am
on my tower, my 4X AGP radeon 7500 64MB DDR performs better than my Celestica (or whatever) radeon 9200 128MB 8X AGP DDR. I am pretty sure because the 7500 have a fan, 9200 only have heatsink. That has something to do with it. I bet there is more though.
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post #18 of 20
3/22/05 at 11:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by boafan
on my tower, my 4X AGP radeon 7500 64MB DDR performs better than my Celestica (or whatever) radeon 9200 128MB 8X AGP DDR. I am pretty sure because the 7500 have a fan, 9200 only have heatsink. That has something to do with it. I bet there is more though.
I believe the 9200 is based on the 8100, and the 7500 is based on the original Radeon. So the 9200 should be a lot faster.
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post #19 of 20
3/23/05 at 11:50am
Someone pointed the rigth answer:

- Depends on the GPU mainly. Most of the GPUs that have the choice of 64/128 LACK firepower to effectively use the additional 64 MB (mobility radeon 9600 / 9700, GeForce Go FX 5650). Paired with AT LEAST a mobility X700 IT will make a difference. For anything lower, the GPU lack the horsepower to use it effectively.
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post #20 of 20
3/23/05 at 12:25pm
Why not use a benchmark like 3DMark to compare?
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